Sat nav

[filsgreen]

I'm thinking about driving to Italy this summer, can anyone suggest a good sat nav that covers Europe? I'm not really au fait with them as you don't need them in Jersey.

TIA

Phil

 

[woodbloke]

We've got the TT520 that covers Europe. I've used it several times now on the Continent and it's been fandabi...don't like the Alps though, too pointy - Rob

 

[Argee]

I've had a Garmin nuvi 600 Traffic since they came out and it's great. The current equivalent is the nuvi 765 Traffic, I think. Comes with full Europe coverage.

Ray.

 

[wizer]

I'm a fan of TomTom

 

[Oryxdesign]

I'm a fan of TomTom

Me too

 

[Paul Chapman]

I'm a fan of TomTom

Might have guessed that, Tom

 

[wizer]

:roll: My missus could not get her head around that when I first bought it. "Why do you keep saying your name twice?" I think she thought I was going mad.

 

[Raggy]

Garmin are very good

"Why do you keep saying your name twice?" I think she thought I was going mad.

She knows you well so she could be right

 

[Racers]

Hi,

We have a TomTom and its good apart from the wildlife warnings, its says bear left or bear right and when you look nothing!

Pete

 

[Gower]

Tom Tom for me. Had it for a couple of years and no complaints. Paid £135 which included European maps. Must admit I haven't tried any other makes.
Jim

 

[filsgreen]

Thanks for your replies everyone, 5-2 to TomTom up to now. I've read a lot of the reviews on Amazon which help. Will let it run for a week or so before I buy.

Phil

 

[Woody Alan]

It doesn't fit in with current replies, but don't use a tomtom for your whole journey. By all means have it operating as you go but pick your route yourself and only allow the tomtom to sort out an unexpected immediate problem and/or when you are within a few miles of your destination.
I've used one for a few years and they have their benefits without doubt but don't get led astray..literally

Alan

 

[RogerM]

Phil - I bought a Magellan 2250T Roadmate for a trip around Italy. It came loaded with maps for the whole of Europe for £125 from Argos when we bought it 2 years ago. It was great in Italy and France, and is also great around town in the UK. I am less pleased with it for cross country trips, and she does have her "blonde moments" - trying to take me off what is clearly a good quality road to go down a narrow lane. And that is based on fastest route rather than shortest.

TomTom certainly has the better interface and is more intuitive to use. But even TomTom has blonde moments and you need to have a reasonable idea of where you are going on long trips rather than just following instructions blindly, although blind obedience will always get you to where you want to go. In the final 2 or 3 miles when trying to find an address in a one way system in suburbia the Magellan is brilliant, and as it gave us 90% of what the TomTom delivers for half the price I decided to forgo the extra 10% and keep my money. No real regrets.

 

[wizer]

Agree, you must have a proper map with your route marked on it and check it from time to time (not whilst driving ) to make sure your going the right way. All sat-navs suffer from user error and if you've put in a foreign road or city name that differs slightly from where you intended to go you could endup driving down a Jetty (DAMHIKT)

 

[filsgreen]

Thanks lads, this is the info I need! I thought you just put in where you want to go and follow what it says I have got this off the internet, should I just use it and save myself some money?

http://www.multimap.com/directions/...ountryCode_2=IT&mode=driving&optimizeFor=time

Cheers

Phil

 

[Argee]

I bought the Garmin because it has a "Dynamic Route" made possible by receiving TMC (traffic reports). This means that you can see any delays ahead and re-route around them - often useful if you're on a schedule.

However, as with a lot of other technology, it's not always "intelligent" and in London I ignore it, because there are delays everywhere and it can get confused.

Other advantages are that it's a Bluetooth device, so I use it as a hands-free telephone, it has an SD slot so I can take it to the USA and still use it, it's an MP3 player as well and you can use it on foot if you need to.

Ray.

 

[filsgreen]

I've had a look at the 770 on Amazon Ray as it also includes the USA , this would also be beneficial to me. £200 without the VAT, but as I say I might get a few more opinions before I take the plunge.

Thanks

Phil

 

[Shultzy]

filsgreen, we drove 1500 miles around the US this year and only used Google Maps. £200 seems a lot to spend if you aren't going to use it often.

 

[RogerM]

Thanks lads, this is the info I need! I thought you just put in where you want to go and follow what it says I have got this off the internet, should I just use it and save myself some money?

http://www.multimap.com/directions/...ountryCode_2=IT&mode=driving&optimizeFor=time

Cheers

Phil

Phil - We've done plenty of trips just using a map. Do you do the map reading yourself or do you rely on SWMBO? Ever been told - "I think we should have turned right just back there" - when the next opportunity to turn round is another 15 miles down the road? Yep - me too!

Touring Tuscany last year the roads were so windy that anyone trying to map read would have been travel sick inside 5 minutes. We just followed the instructions from the satnav and monitored which way she was taking us on the map every 20 mins or so. The ease with which we found a small family run hotel in the outskirts of Lucca in the dark and rain, when none of the streets names were marked and there were no pedestrians to ask - and then to hear a Joanna Lumley sound-alike say "you are nearing your destination" and then "you have arrived" just as we recognised the hotel from the picture on the net was just so relaxed and easy - and SWMBO and I were stilled talking to each other without threatening divorce! Magic.

 

[filsgreen]

Roger, you have hit the nail on the head! My wife does not do map reading to say the least; she was going to divorce me a few years ago when we were trying to find Salem Mass. . To be honest Schuilty has got a point as we will only use it for Belfast, Italy and San Francisco and then sit in the drawer for a year. But if it does for us what you have described, it would be £200 well spent.

Phil