Sub-£100 ideally but could stretch slightly.

Easy/clear to use etc.

Navfree on my Android phone does the job fine.

CoPilot on my Android phone does the job fine.

I’ve just upgraded to a TomTom with free lifetime Euro mapping updates from a Garmin Nuvi. Both work fine, but Garmin wanted £50.99 to update the maps (or something like that) and the TomTom was on offer at Halfords (£79.99).

Nothing wrong with using your phone if you have a large data allowance and you trust you provider not to stitch you up when using it abroad. (I’m looking at you EE/Orange).

My old Garmin Nuvi is about to go on Ebay. All that is wrong with it is the maps are out of date, but the only changes tend to be on major roads, so it’s not a real problem. PM if you are interested.

Hth
Marko

and you trust you provider not to stitch you up when using it abroad.

Ah thats a strong reason(ing) not to use your mobile with maps abroad.

I too need them uptodate. Which Tomtom model is the Halfords one?

TomTom and CoPilot etc.. store maps on the phone and don’t need a data allowance.

TomTom Europe is something like 2gb though.

you can check prices here for apps
http://appshopper.com/navigation/tomtom-western-europe

As Horatio says the iphone version of TomTom downloads the full maps onto the phone.
I also bought the live traffic updates – £11.99 for a year (I think) – and they are well worth the outlay if you are in and out of cities.

Updates to maps are included in the regular app updates and are free.

I use mine in the France with data roaming turned off and it works excellently. Hasn’t sent me down an unsuitable roads yet.

Problem with using my phone though- data roaming. Its just too much hassle/worry and my contract ends just after summer too.

This one looks good?

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tomtom-xxl-classic-series-sat-nav-5-screen-with-uk-and-ireland-maps/544-6527.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=544-6527&sc_cmp=pcp_GSF_Car_544-6527kpid=544-6527&sc_cmp=ppc_g__&gclid=CJ6R2ojPgr4CFUmWtAod_AMAaQ

if you have a nokia windows phone, download the map before hand and use nokia drive, no data download needed as the maps are stored on the phone

Samsung S3

if you have a nokia windows phone

Only true if you have Drive+ otherwise you are limited to one country. Think only the 520 is limited though, the 620 and above come with Drive+ but you will have to check. It works very nicely though

Co-Pilot worked very well last year on my then Nexus 4

@hora – you can preload the maps in Goolge on your phone, I do this all the time for cities. Basically what you do is when on Wifi load and scroll around the area you want and it’s saved in the phone. Then you don’t need data. If you are going to use the phone you need in-car power connector as it kills the battery fast.

That being said I have an ancient Garmin with all of Europe, the TomTom’s are very good these days and if I bought again it would be a TomTom

With Navfree you download the maps at home. You only need to have GPS on, not the data bit.

I’ve used Copilot HD on my iPhones for years in Europe and never had any data use age problems (data roaming always off)

They don’t download anything in use, setup downloads the maps but that’s done over Wifi at home.

£26 I paid, but that was something like 2009 (free map and app updates ever since)

Buy an old Garmin, with outdated maps, and I might have a backup of Europe maps from 2013 for a small price.

Cougar – Moderator

CoPilot on my Android phone does the job fine.

I used to love this on mine, latest few releases have borked it though. Massively high CPU usage, really slow UI since they updated the theme to be white (yeah great improvement 😆 ), and when traveling in France (or anywhere not speaking UK english) it will absolutely refuse to do any voice instructions. Absolute cack.

The CPU or GPU usage is so high in fact that it drains the battery even when conected to my 2 amp car charger so over a long journey the battery gets depleted.

Also there is no setting for it to ask each journey whether to avoid tolls or not (like on TomToms). You need to delve into settings every time and make sure it is set correctly. Especially annoying if like me you live near the M25 toll, and forgetting to change the setting results in it trying to send you via the orbital. 👿

Their support forum just keeps instructing you to clear the settings, delete the directory on the SD and reinstall. NO I’VE ALREADY DONE THAT! CLEARING THE SETTINGS WILL NOT FIX A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF YOUR SOFTWARE!

eta: sorry for the rant, went off on one there 😳

Tom-Tom app on my iPhone here. Was cheaper than buying a whole TomTom and the interface is a bit better, what with it being a proper touchscreen. Doesn’t need data (although sometimes uses some so make sure roaming is off abroad) but does take up quite a bit of space on the phone. You’ll need an in-car charger for longer drives, but you probably would anyway for a stand-alone unit.

hora,
tomtom does not use data roaming on iphone. It’s all on the phone.
I got mine from Portugal to Romania to Greece to Poland plus of course Uk.
I paid I think 80 pounds 2 years ago and updates fine.
That’s what I use for mainland Europe and hasn’t let me down yet.

CoPilot on my Android phone

that one.

Problem with using my phone though- data roaming.

CoPilot etc.. store maps on the phone and don’t need a data allowance.

So just to clarify that, you won’t need data roaming, because copilot stores everything on the phone.

Used a Garmin Nuvi before Copilot, only drawback with that is that Garmin want a lot of cash to update the maps and it just isn’t worth bothering on an old unit. Still use it though, very reliable.

the TomTom was on offer at Halfords (£79.99).

Spotted a TomTom One in my local Cash Converters today. £20.

So just to clarify that, you won’t need data roaming, because copilot stores everything on the phone.

Quite. You can use data services for things like traffic updates, but it doesn’t require it any more than a standalone unit would.

Garmin Nuvi bought in 2011 here.
Did a great job guiding us around France, with the caravan in tow.
Not sure I’d trust a mobile if I’m honest. They always seem to pack up at the worst possible moment.
In use, the Garmin has been an excellent bit of kit.

Maps updates are pricey though…!!!

😉
Hypothetically speaking here, is there a cheaper way of getting the latest maps ?

Hypothetically speaking here, is there a cheaper way of getting the latest maps ?

Sell it and buy a TomTom? Just had a look on their site, seven rounds of map updates for £45.

I dont have an iphone.

Overseas how does my phone connect the maps stored on my phone to the sattelites?

Dont I have to have my phone turned on? Then data roaming sneaks on?

For the less hassle I think buy a satnav.

Plus my mobile signal/phone often loses the signal mid journey.

A month later I have a satnav worth of charges on my mobile bill?

GPS doesn’t use roaming, so just switch it off!

one of these,
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_839817_langId_-1_categoryId_165685

You can use your phone but proper tool for the job and all that. I paid £79.95 though.

Overseas how does my phone connect the maps stored on my phone to the sattelites?

GPS does not use data, whether overseas or under(*). Steaming maps does use data, but all commercial offerings (and presumably some of the free ones) will come with the maps already so you don’t need to do that.

(* – you can use a thing called Assisted GPS which uses a small amount of data to help acquire the initial GPS lock, but it’s not essential.)

Please listen carefully to what others are telling you. Get a free smartphone app, like Navfree. Switch off data roaming. Your phone does not communicate with satellites, it receives their signals and translates that into your position. I’ve used Navfree on a non-networked/wifi iPad in a car before when someone else was driving. it works perfectly – bluetooth it into your car and it works exactly as a £100 unit will (or at least I can’t find any issues with it after about 2 years use, having used a £100 unit for 3 years prior to that).

Alternatively, ignore everyone on here, pop down to Halfords and they’ll sell you a lovely satnav.

Garmin nuvi here, covers Western Europe – includes free lifetime map updates

Argos had an offer on….it works

Currys seem to have a few good deals (surprisingly). Get a sat nav with free lifetime maps though. I prefer the sat nav as we share it between cars

Overseas how does my phone connect the maps stored on my phone to the sattelites?

GPS (no data usage at all)

Dont I have to have my phone turned on?

Yes, otherwise the screen will be blank 😉

Then data roaming sneaks on?

Not unless you turn roaming on it won’t ?
They don’t do it by themselves.

For the less hassle I think buy a satnav.

Spending £100+ on something you don’t need is less hassle than downloading a free app ?
And using it for free ?

Plus my mobile signal/phone often loses the signal mid journey.

Fine. You don’t need a phone signal to use GPS

A month later I have a satnav worth of charges on my mobile bill?

That’s correct, you will.

£0.00 is pretty reasonable though don’t you think ?

Alternatively, ignore everyone on here, pop down to Halfords and they’ll sell you a lovely satnav.

I don’t think you can be beat a stand alone Satnav. It just works and leaves your phone free to receive calls without the loss of navigation.

Also is the GPS bit of the phone as good as the one in a stand alone Sat nav?

Marko

Try to get one where you can turn POIs off if you have speed cameras on the satnav. It’s illegal in France to have those alerts and I’ve heard (friends of friends sort of thing) that they do sometimes check if they pull you over.

Navfree wants to download/use up 542mb onto my phone. Is this right? Seems ‘alot’?

There’s a lot of info in a satnav data file. I think my Garmin Europe ones are several Gb and TomTom was over 1Gb on my iphone

@atlas – all my French friends have SatNavs or phone apps which show the speed cameras (and there are hundreds of the damn things). You are much more likely to be checked for warning triangle, high-viz vest, breatherliser (can’t remember if these are required yet but on a couple quid from supermarkets). I’ve never heard of anyone being asked about speed cameras (I lived in Paris for most of last 18 months)

@hora – Europe wide maps on my Garmin where 2GB I recall (includes loads of countries you are clearly never going to drive to)

Also is the GPS bit of the phone as good as the one in a stand alone Sat nav?

yes

Navfree wants to download/use up 542mb onto my phone. Is this right? Seems ‘alot’?

man it’s tough to sell you a free app!