GPS and/or Windows mapping program for Europe

[PaperSniper4]

Some others to look include Lonely Planet, Maps with Me, and CityMaps 2GO. I think that Google maps will allow you to cache maps so that you can use your Android phone for navigation without having to access the maps using your data plan.

 

OkieCruiser49

 

Thanks, I'll check 'em out for my android phone. I still might also get a Europe GPS to take with me.....they are cheap enough, under $150 like the Garmin Nuvi 1370. Biggest issue for me is the low battery life. However, if I end up deciding to rent a car in Basel-Lucerne, I'll absolutely get a GPS.

[jpalbny]

We have a 5-year-old Nuvi 770 that came with both North America and Europe maps preinstalled. I bought a lifetime update for the maps at a sale price and it's been great. The battery life isn't the best I agree, especially given its age, but it's taken us around most of Europe by car and by foot. It lasts 2-4 hours depending on how good of a charge I can get it to take...

 

Even bought a South Africa map and took it there; made the driving that much less stressful, and I could concentrate on keeping to the left side of the road!

 

Now that our cars all have built-in GPS we only use it when traveling in Europe. You can even use it when traveling in areas that aren't covered by maps - it will save a track of where you've been, and you can download the track to your computer and view it in Google Earth, use it to geotag your pictures, etc... I turn it on, put it in an outside pocket of my backpack, and let it track me until the battery runs out.

 

Separate GPS units like this will probably become obsolete soon between downloadable / cacheable maps for your smartphone, auto-based GPS units, and cameras with built-in GPS. But we still find some use for it when traveling.

 

As an aside, if you JUST want a geotrack, and not real-time map-based guidance, I use the RunKeeper app to keep track of all our random meandering city walks while we're out and about in foreign places. When we get back to our hotel, my phone will connect to the WiFi and it uploads the GPS tracks to the web server, and from there you can access all the GPS tracks, view them on Google Earth, use them to geotag photos, etc. Of course the photos we take with the smart phone are already geotagged... And yes, Chris thinks I'm a hopeless geek because of this...

Edited February 27, 2014 by jpalbny
added

[dbsb3233]

I downloaded the free OsmAnd offline mapping app for Android a few weeks ago. So far I'm liking it. You get 10 country downloads for free. Takes a little getting used to but it works pretty well. I especially like that you can press anh hold any spot and add a favorite spot. I'm researching the various important points I need to know for our upcoming Asia cruise and favoriting them. Has navigation.

 

The selling point, of course, is OFFLINE. Load it up at home and no data needed while there.

[dbsb3233]

Do you recall what the charges were for international data? I have AT&T and I believe I saw they were $60 a month, but that's for only 300 mb data, and I am not convinced that would be enough.

I don't think it would be enough. Google Maps consumes a LOT of data. Actually most online map apps do. Best to use an offline map app, and load the data at home beforehand.