Your Thoughts on GPS use in Venice

I would be interested in hearing about your experiences with GPS use . Any model preform better than others?

Did you find they worked overall good or bad?

Any input would be appreciated

Cris

I think its more fun and stimulating to get lost (really). :)

Venice is not that big, and I also find it enjoyable to get a bit lost. There always will be signs to either San Marco or Rialto to follow if you do get a bit lost.

Don't bother with a GPS. The joy of Venice is getting "lost" and discovering unexpected treasures. Just have a descent map. There are always signs to a piazza where you can get your bearings. Don't spend you time looking down at a little screen, get lost and have fun.

I would be interested in hearing about your experiences with GPS use . Any model preform better than others?

Did you find they worked overall good or bad?

Any input would be appreciated

Cris

Get a copy of Frommer's Venice Day by Day. It contains fabulous street maps and vaporetto system diagram plus all the essential info on the city and metro area. We also print walking directions and maps off of www.google.maps.com for places that we have not been to previously, like to our hotel from San Marco. But part of the charm of Venice is getting lost. It's amazing what you will find just around the next corner.

A big part of losing your bearings is from trying to follow the myriad of signs pointing in different (opposite) directions supposedly to the same location. No matter which sign you follow, you'll be taking the scenic route. :)

As others have mentioned, a part of exploring Venice is getting lost. Venice isn't so big that you'll ever REALLY be lost, but you'll get the feeling that you're the only tourist within miles if you do it right.

Leave the GPS at home. -- it's more fun that way.

We had our GPS with us since we were driving in Tuscany before arriving in Venice. We never used it in Venice, would not be worth taking. Its much more fun to wander and meander. Any place with tall buildings surrounding you means that GPS signal will be iffy at best so much of the time it won't even know exactly where you are. We tried the GPS out in a few other cities out of curiosity and anytime there were buildings surrounding us, it would show our last known position until it could find us again in some piazza or more open area.

I had a Garmin Nuvi with me in Florence in '07. It was just about useless. It was a lot easier to ask someone for directions.

I agree with others...use your GPS on the roads while driving, not for walking around the cities.

Incidentally, on our '07 trip we drove from Venice to Tuscany and around Tuscany for two weeks and never opened a map once. The Nuvi worked very well on the roads.

Lew