GPS, Garmin

[h2odad]

Just wondering if anyone has used their GPS (Garmin, Tom Tom, Magelian, etc.) for touring europe and what their experience was. Also curious if their are 'European software' available other than through dealers?

[lsbauer]

I just purchased a Tom Tom 920 in anticipation of out Rhine-Mosel cruise in September 2008. I chose this GPS because it already had a Western and Central Europe map. I won't know about using it in Europe until our cruise but it works great in USA.

 

Larry

[Scottish Cruiser]

Be careful with GPS units that "cover both North America and Europe" I do not know about Tom Tom, but my son bought a Garmin and discovered that while both continents were on the unit, once ou chose one you could not access the other. In simple terms, you could use it in eithe NA or Europe, but not both.

[lsbauer]

The TomTom 92 does allow me to switch between maps.

[Guest debbiejohncruise]

We bought a Garmin here in europe with preload European maps and were going to buy the chip with NA maps on it when we got back to Canada but noticed the Garmin units are now cheaper to buy than the chip! I have a friend here who did get the chip for NA and had no problem using it in either Europe or NA as she just pops out the chip and it's back to European maps! Hope this helps you.

[Sandnmypants]

Be careful with GPS units that "cover both North America and Europe" I do not know about Tom Tom, but my son bought a Garmin and discovered that while both continents were on the unit, once ou chose one you could not access the other. In simple terms, you could use it in eithe NA or Europe, but not both.

 

I have a Garmin I would like to take to Europe soon. "Not both" meaning at the same time? Why would you want to use it at the same time anyway? Kind of confused on what you mean. While in Europe, use Europe maps.......unless you mean, even if it has NA, Europe and Asia maps preloaded doesn't actually mean you will have access to them? I typed in Amsterdam NLD and it came up with a map??????????????????????

[sk8teacher]

I have a Garmin and have used it in Europe. I purchased the Additional Europe CD. You load the CD onto your computer. Then you download the area that you will be traveling in onto a SD card, which in turn is place into your Garmin. I put the Europe maps on my laptop, so that I could always download what I needed based on where we were.

 

While there, I simply changed the mode of transportation to "walking", set my "Home" while on the ship, then wandered off. Never got lost, and always knew exactly where I was at.

 

Cheers,

[Nomsayin]

We used our Garmin in Europe. Although we did no driving on our own, it was useful for walking and for tracking our route and speed on trains.

[Sittib11]

Just wondering if anyone has used their GPS (Garmin, Tom Tom, Magelian, etc.) for touring europe and what their experience was. Also curious if their are 'European software' available other than through dealers?

 

Out Garmin has been fabulous while driving in Scotland, Ireland, and France. The software disks we get through Garmin online, worked perfectly every time. We specifically purchased the country we were going to, happened that way as we did not know we would be returning to Europe so soon. Worth the money....and if you rent a car, they charge extra for navigation device, so rather own it than rent it...

[Donray]

Always use our Garmin in Europe and USA with no problems. Wonderful to mark your point and just wonder off and then be able to walk back.

 

Had fun in Lisbon in walking mode going to the fort. Took what I would have never thought as walking paths, but go us where we were going.

[Riviera bound]

I have a Garmin and have used it in Europe. I purchased the Additional Europe CD. You load the CD onto your computer. Then you download the area that you will be traveling in onto a SD card, which in turn is place into your Garmin. I put the Europe maps on my laptop, so that I could always download what I needed based on where we were.

 

While there, I simply changed the mode of transportation to "walking", set my "Home" while on the ship, then wandered off. Never got lost, and always knew exactly where I was at.

 

Cheers,

 

How do you get to walking mode on your GPS? We also have a Garmin. Once when we were in a traffic jam and going very slowly, the Garmin asked me if we wanted to switch to walking mode. We laughed so long and hard after being so frustrated about our situation. But i have never been able to get back to that mode. Any suggestions?