I recently got an email from reader, Lara, asking me about navigating while traveling abroad. I thought I would share my answer, in case any of you ever wondered the same thing. She wrote,
Mavis, my husband and I are going to Scotland in May, and we will be renting a car. Do you recommend renting a GPS or will we be ok with our phone apps and a map?
The first thought that popped into my mind was do you have an international cell phone plan? Odds are, if you don’t travel abroad for work or pleasure very often, the answer is no. So, the first step is to contact your cell phone provider.
Ask them what charges you would incur if you used your phone to navigate. I have found that my phone {I have an iPhone} map isn’t always the most reliable anyway–in fact, occasionally I find myself yelling at phone for leading me astray stateside. So, unless you find an awesomely accurate app, I think using it is a crap shoot anyway.
When we picked up our Volvo in Sweden all we had were maps, which of course is fine, if you
1. CAN READ maps
2. Speak the native language
3. Can READ the road signs 😉
4. CAN READ MAPS {it’s kind of a lost art, I tell ya}.
So, if you really want to save some money, and you are the kind of person who can roll with the punches when you don’t get to where you are going perfectly every time, you can save a little cash and buy yourself a good old fashioned map. Clearly, speaking the language in Scotland will not be a problem {although, they do have pretty thick accents there}. So, asking for directions will be easy peasy, in the event the map reading thing isn’t panning out for you.
If you really are looking for ease of use and fastest route from point A to point B, I would recommend the GPS. Yes, you will incur a cost, but in the end, it will be the most reliable and cost effective way to get around.
Most important, have fun! We loved our trip to Scotland. It. Is. Stunning.
~Mavis
James Rancourt says
Hi Mavis,
I completely agree with you on the GPS, I would be lost…literally…without mine. I have a friend who lives in Reading, England who finally broke down and got one, and he loves it. Now, this is a man for whom “scenic tours” were a given on every excursion.
I realize that some folks consider them a ‘pricy’ toy, but golly jingo’s they are worth their weight in gold. I’ll admit, if you know the local lay of the land, they can take you on a convoluted “to your mind” route, but darn, if you follow them they will get you to your destination.
I have a Tom Tom, which I love, but both the Garmins and Magellans are excellent top selling units. If I may make a suggestion for those who are wishing to purchase a GPS…or other consumer home product, be it first-time or for an upgrade, to go to http://www.tigerdirect.com. This company sells consumer, as well as techie, electronics. They are well known, very reputable, have fast delivery, and best of all have excellent products often at incredibly low prices. And, don’t be afraid of their reconditioned offerings…these are items which have been returned, for one reason or another, and have been checked out by the factory and come with a full guarantee and warrantee for a much lower cost than brand new.
Hugggs & B*B ~ Jim
Anne says
Mavis,
We wanted GPS for a European vacation a few years ago, and ordered one through Amazon. At that time (and I hope it might be different now), they would not ship it to the US. We had to have it sent to our friend in Germany, which was fortunately the first stop on our trip. We still have the GPS and let friends who are traveling to Europe use it now. It was especially helpful in cities finding places to park, hotels, etc. It also had a pedestrian mode which we loved in the cities and we could use either English or the local language. I would definitely recommend getting one, and I am a map lover….
Nicky says
Hi, most car hire places here in the UK give you the option to add GPS to your car hire. You have to pay extra but it will be set up andready to use.
Carol says
Hi, Mavis!
I agree with you and the others who have answered. I just got back from Turkey. My relative who lives there knows how to read and speak Turkish. She still used her GPS A LOT when we were out and about. The only thing I could add, is to make sure the newest maps are downloaded on the unit. Hers were a few years old and it did make a difference now and then.