OT - hand held gps

[Clancy]

My wife and I spent a few days in Venice and for most of the time we were hopelessly lost, an unbelievable maze of alleys and streets.

When we arrived the apartment we were staying in was a 20 minute walk from the train station. Took us 2 1/2 hours.

In September we’re heading to France and will spend a few days in Paris. We don’t want to repeat the same experience of wandering aimlessly so I’m wondering if a hand held Garmin is the solution.

Any recommendations for a handheld Garmin that would serve this purpose? A device that could be used for navigating the confusing streets of European cities?

[DRZRM]

The mapping function on my phone worked very well in Europe, you can often download the map of a city before you arrive and not use much/any data for your GPS feature. Buy a cheap local SIM card or activate global travel ($10 a day with Verizon) and you should be set. You can get walking directions from google maps.

[Fishman]

I used a phone app called Locus Map on a recent cycling trip to Spain. I downloaded maps for offline use and kept the phone on Airplane mode. Worked excellent. No problem navigating complicated city streets or rural area roads. Even used it for a few days of hiking. Trails are another app feature. Maps are very detailed.

[jtakeda]

Phone didn’t help?

[p nut]

Download Google Maps app on your phone.

Go to Offline Maps specific to where you will be and download when you have wifi coverage--preferably before your trip (you can set the download area to whatever you want).

The Offline map is available for 30 days. You DON'T need data service.

I did the same in Rome couple years ago.

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&hl=en

[benb]

If for some reason you can't use a phone (Google Maps worked great in Europe everywhere I went last month) than Garmin definitely has you covered.

I can't really vouch for the quality of their European maps but I have an older Garmin Vista HCx that would definitely have worked for you. The newer stuff is probably even better.

You could do one of the Etrex, Oregon, or Montana units and "City Navigator NT" for Europe.

Realistically most of those devices you can throw different maps on different MicroSD cards and swap them as needed.

I was just tromping around in upstate NH & hiking in the White mountains last weekend and service was bad and I actually couldn't figure out how to get the offline google maps to work (is that android only?) and wished I'd brought the eTrex.

[p nut]

...
I was just tromping around in upstate NH & hiking in the White mountains last weekend and service was bad and I actually couldn't figure out how to get the offline google maps to work (is that android only?) and wished I'd brought the eTrex.

No, iOS as well. Link above is for iOS devices. Worked very well for me when riding or hiking out in the back country. Only issues I've had is when I was deep in a slot canyon, it couldn't find the satelite. But that would be an issue with all GPS devices.

[Mark McM]

I'm constantly amazed at how many people seem to not be able to get around without a GPS these days. What did they do before GPS became common? Can people no longer read maps?

[prototoast]

I'm constantly amazed at how many people seem to not be able to get around without a GPS these days. What did they do before GPS became common? Can people no longer read maps?

I'm not that old, but I remember getting around before GPS. I got lost every time. I had maps, I had directions, I would still invariably take a wrong turn (or not, but think I had). I would budget an extra hour for transit every time I went some place new. So yeah, I could and still can get around without gps, but it's a hell of a lot less efficient, and if given the choice, I'll choose GPS without thinking twice.

[gdw]

I'm constantly amazed at how many people seem to not be able to get around without a GPS these days. What did they do before GPS became common? Can people no longer read maps?

Using paper maps to navigate is becoming a lost art.
https://www.studyfinds.org/just-eighteen-percent-millennials-very-confident-read-map/

[benb]

I spent tons of time with paper maps.. I kind of marvel at it now.

The phones really lure you into dependency. I semi-regularly remark about how I used to just set off for 50-100 miles with a rough paper map of an area and no real idea where I planned to go. No cell phone for rescue, no GPS, etc..

But one thing is for sure.. if you've got the phone and it works where you are it can greatly simplify your trip.. you spend a lot more time enjoying the trip and a lot less time stopping to navigate. It's like you walk around a city with almost the same advantages as a local as opposed to needing time to acclimate.

[merlinmurph]

I've used a phone app called Offline Maps and Navigation and it has worked great in Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and other places. Just download the maps before you get there and you're good to go.

Or just get a local sim card and use an online mapping app like Google Maps, etc.

[Mark McM]

I spent tons of time with paper maps.. I kind of marvel at it now.

The phones really lure you into dependency. I semi-regularly remark about how I used to just set off for 50-100 miles with a rough paper map of an area and no real idea where I planned to go. No cell phone for rescue, no GPS, etc..

But one thing is for sure.. if you've got the phone and it works where you are it can greatly simplify your trip.. you spend a lot more time enjoying the trip and a lot less time stopping to navigate. It's like you walk around a city with almost the same advantages as a local as opposed to needing time to acclimate.

I regularly go on cycling routes of up to 80 miles or so with no navigation tools with me. I pull out a map before the ride to plan the route, memorize the turns and road names (and other prominent features on the map), and head out the door. Every once in a while a miss a turn, but I never get to far before I realize I've gone astray, and either backtrack to the missed turn, or use basic knowledge of the area to do my own route re-routing. Car trips typically have fewer turns, so I'll memorize routes of up to a couple of hundred miles.

Of course, all of this is on paved roads - offroad is a different story. On paved roads, there are many, many roads and intersections, but the people who built them had the fore-thought to put up signs everywhere telling you where you are, and others telling you which way to go if you want to get somewhere.

[dbnm]

My iPhone on AT&T worked perfectly through out Italy last month. It was $10 a day extra.

Google Maps and Google Translate are terrific.

[Jaybee]

If international cell service isn't possible or desirable for you, it's 100% possible to download offline maps to Google maps, keep your phone in airplane mode and still get enough functionality to find your location and where you want to go. This got me around Barcelona for 5 days this spring and allowed plenty of spontaneous experiences - hey, is there a park near here for the kids to play? Which of the 5 restaurants I can see from this plaza has the best Google ratings? Update as needed with WiFi at your hotel or in cafes as you move around the city.

I think I'm the 4th or 5th person on this thread to propose this zero-additional- cost solution.

[sg8357]

I use OSMAND+, you can down load area maps,
and it works in airplanes.

Also great for when your Garmin gets confused.

[Clancy]

I'm constantly amazed at how many people seem to not be able to get around without a GPS these days. What did they do before GPS became common? Can people no longer read maps?

You must not have ever been to Venice

[Clancy]

If international cell service isn't possible or desirable for you, it's 100% possible to download offline maps to Google maps, keep your phone in airplane mode and still get enough functionality to find your location and where you want to go. This got me around Barcelona for 5 days this spring and allowed plenty of spontaneous experiences - hey, is there a park near here for the kids to play? Which of the 5 restaurants I can see from this plaza has the best Google ratings? Update as needed with WiFi at your hotel or in cafes as you move around the city.

I think I'm the 4th or 5th person on this thread to propose this zero-additional- cost solution.

I don’t know why I didn’t consider this. We didn’t have phone service and I was completely unaware that I could download maps into my phone. New things to learn, I’m definitely going to give that a try.

[572cv]

An app called Guru maps provides the basics of a downloaded map and gps location. Works great on the bike in rural France.


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[wallymann]

disregard... completely redundant reply!

[Likes2ridefar]

For no mobile service, Gaia is my favorite for iOS since it layers National Geographic maps. Before gaia, as mentioned already osmand has gotten me through many countries and in the USA when out of mobile range e.g. mtbing in the woods of Poland in the middle of nowhere, it had their trail system and was quite easy to follow.

I always go the SIM card in whatever country route though since it’s cheap and has usually no limitations.