Hi, My old GPS does not have SD slot and I guess it's time for me to upgrade it. We are planning to travel to Europe and drive in some areas (Netherland & France), however, the more I look for info, the more I am confused. Seems like some GPS won't have enough memory to upload the SD europe map. I don't want to spend too much on GPS and am looking at 1100LM or 1300LM series, but I too read that there are problems.
For those who have experienced using GPS with SD map in Europe, what's your experience and what GPS unit did you use ? Does tomtom have a better Europe map ? Any suggestion for good GPS unit & not too expensive ?
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eddot98
Member
posted: May. 26, 2012 @ 9:39a
I, too, would be interested in responses to this question. I have a Garmin 265wt with an SD card slot and am wondering if it's worth investing in an SD card for it with Europe maps for about $40 to $80. Like this:
GPS unit with preinstalled europe map is expensive, can't find anything cheaper than $ 150 unless it's used or refurb which I don't wish to take the risk. However, yeaah, sometimes people have trouble putting the SD map. Anyone having good experience with their GPS unit ? Thaaanks !
MetsToWS
Ancient Member
posted: May. 26, 2012 @ 2:30p
Can you use your phone? Perhaps there is an app on iOS or Android that won't require a data connection.
taohk
Member
posted: May. 26, 2012 @ 5:11p
Look for old tomtom one at eBay with Europe map, they should be really cheap, but it won't have latest maps! I have old tomtom one takes SD card
drose224
Member
posted: May. 27, 2012 @ 9:15a
I bought a Paris city map for use in my Garmin. Absolutely useless. Satellite reception in the city of lights was non-existent. Next trip I will use a tablet.
bestshopper
Member
posted: May. 27, 2012 @ 12:08p
I have a tomtom that I bought about 4 years ago. It had the European maps already built in. I have used it three times in Europe and found it invaluable. I have been driving in Europe for over 30 years and would not go without it now. I also take a good road atlas for backup and detailed city maps.
bestshopper
Member
posted: May. 27, 2012 @ 12:52p
Your phone might work, but I would make sure you are not using data connection in foreign countries. Using your smart phone in Europe can result in huge phone bills.
sanderssupply
New Member
posted: May. 27, 2012 @ 8:03p
We happened to find a SD card of Spain + many more countries on Craigslist for only $35 (versus the eBay prices and various online prices of $50-100!). You may want to check there first.
We tested it out on our Garmin 1690 before buying, and it worked. It was also a lifesaver while we drove throughout Spain!
Hope our advice helps some!
Happy shopping!
astan
Member
posted: May. 27, 2012 @ 10:35p
I would purchase a tomtom Go 630. Add a 4GB SD card. Purchase a European map from tomtom. Download to the SD in your device. You can plan your European route ahead of time and estimate your drive time(even when you are in the US). In Paris and major cities it will try to guess where you are in the tunnels to help you make the proper exit. Model 920,930,720,730 would also be good choices. The 920 and 720 models are a year older, so their batteries may not be as good.
We used our Garmin Nuvi 770 in Ireland, UK, Paris,Italy, Germany & Austria without problem.
jaimelobo
Senior Member - 4K
posted: May. 28, 2012 @ 9:20p
Another option, if you are taking a laptop anyway, would be a GPS receiver and European mapping S/W (like MS Autoroute)
Obviously not as portable as a dedicated GPS, but much nicer for planning with a full laptop.
attorneymoore
New Member
posted: May. 28, 2012 @ 9:49p
Not Garmin! It would be better to use an astrolabe, or even the spit in your palm technique from the Old West. It could not find a single highway in Greece last year, or a single famous archeological site, only the very minor sites for some reason and this year tried to talk us off the main super highways in France and Germany once we found them on our own. It is the single worst product I have ever bought, but I've never bought a fire arm that shoots only at me, and not the target.
newintechno
Senior Member
posted: May. 28, 2012 @ 11:14p
Thanks, guys.... I do hear that tomtom has a better quality map. Will any tomtom with SD slot accept Europe map ? I am still trying to minimize our expenditure. I am not fond of driving around Europe, prefer their public transpo, but our 82 year old parents are with us. The only cellphone we'd have is for emergencies, not those with apps.
astan
Member
posted: May. 30, 2012 @ 2:12p
If you want to use a tomtom with a SD card, use the GO 630,730,930 series or 720,920. With the 630,730,930 series you also can get lane assistance/guidance with the new maps. I have used them with 8GB SD cards and they have faster processors and more internal memory. If you try to use an old ONE series tomtom, the SD is limited to 2GB unless you modify the operating system in the tomtom. The ONE series also has less internal memory and slower processors. The One series will work but are very slow. tomtom Western/Central Europe maps take almost 2.5GB, that is why most TomToms without a SD slot cannot carry them. If you want to use a SD card smaller than 4GB, you will have to purchase a smaller map or single country maps from tomtom.
Do not try to use a laptop with a GPS receiver and software. We tried that before we purchased our tomtom several years ago. It took a long time for the receiver to find our location. When we went into a tunnel or between tall buildings in the city, the system would lose contact with the satellites and lose our location.
You can plan your routes using the tomtom. If you have a laptop use http://www.viamichelin.com/ to plan your routes, find hotels, restaurants and points of interest. The ViaMichelin maps will show you places to park in the cities and public transportation.
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