Were is the best place to get a good sat nav for home and eorope please

Shonajeff15

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hi wee are looking to get a good sat nav for home and abroad please
 
There are many tom tom etc out there, but if you have an android phone or modern iphone, you can use google maps for a sat nav.
When in europe you can avoid roaming charges if you choose the country/area map you are in and download the map to your phone before you go and it works the same, but without extra charges.

Download areas & navigate offline - Android - Google Maps Help

You can save an area from Google Maps to your phone or tablet and use it when you're offline. Tip: You’re unable to download offline maps in some countries or regio
support.google.com

Download areas & navigate offline - iPhone & iPad - Google Maps Help

You can save an area from Google Maps to your phone or tablet and use it when you're offline. Tip: You’re unable to download offline maps in some countries or regio
support.google.com
 
Note that offline use of Google maps is limited in area and time, so isn't suitable for a long trip around more than one country.
 
do you have the area and time limits, mine worked all over USA over a 4 week period.
I downloaded a good few gigs worth. They did expire after about 3 weeks if not used or updated,(over wifi obvs) but now it lasts a year I think but as long as you update them before that they continue on a rolling 365 days basis.

EDIT: just checked my offline maps I downloaded 7th November 2019, says expires 10th december 2020
 
landoboguy said:
do you have the area and time limits, mine worked all over USA over a 4 week period.
I downloaded a good few gigs worth. They did expire after about 3 weeks if not used or updated,(over wifi obvs) but now it lasts a year I think but as long as you update them before that they continue on a rolling 365 days basis.

EDIT: just checked my offline maps I downloaded 7th November 2019, says expires 10th december 2020
Click to expand...

They must have updated terms lately, as last year size limit was about size of UK and only lasted a month.
 
I’ve tried all the iPhone apps; Maps.me, google maps, CoPilot and others whose names escape me now and I reckon if you want a good navigation system then you can’t beat a dedicated navigation system. A phone is too small to see on your dashboard and doesn’t give enough info. A tablet is difficult to locate without obstructing your windscreen view. Tom Tom or Garmin is the way to go I reckon. Tried and used both for years, sometimes side by side and I prefer Garmin. Others will differ. Folk on here will rave about Chinese Sat Navs which are cheap as chips but I didn’t get on with them mainly because it’s not simple or easy to load up 3rd party POIs. Maybe things have improved and no doubt you’ll get some good advice with your enquiry.
Happy Travels,

Pat
 
Plenty off apps available for phones and tablets. Some free, some have an annual fee. Read the reviews and choose a few, see which you like. Can't remember how many I've got on my tablet, some were used once, others have become favs. Trouble is, my phone screen is a bit small for sat nav (old phone and I ain't getting a new one while it works) and tablet is a bit to big to mount on dashboard, or I don't want it there at least.
 
iampatman said:
I’ve tried all the iPhone apps; Maps.me, google maps, CoPilot and others whose names escape me now and I reckon if you want a good navigation system then you can’t beat a dedicated navigation system. A phone is too small to see on your dashboard and doesn’t give enough info. A tablet is difficult to locate without obstructing your windscreen view. Tom Tom or Garmin is the way to go I reckon. Tried and used both for years, sometimes side by side and I prefer Garmin. Others will differ. Folk on here will rave about Chinese Sat Navs which are cheap as chips but I didn’t get on with them mainly because it’s not simple or easy to load up 3rd party POIs. Maybe things have improved and no doubt you’ll get some good advice with your enquiry.
Happy Travels,

Pat
Click to expand...

I agree. I just use a TomTom start with full Europe mapping. Does the job and the best thing about it is the massive amount of motorhome related POI from wild spots to Aires. I think mine cost less than £100 brand new online. Just shop around for one of them at the best price, just remember when looking that you get either a Western Europe or full Europe model and not just the UK.
 
barryd said:
I agree. I just use a TomTom start with full Europe mapping. Does the job and the best thing about it is the massive amount of motorhome related POI from wild spots to Aires. I think mine cost less than £100 brand new online. Just shop around for one of them at the best price, just remember when looking that you get either a Western Europe or full Europe model and not just the UK.
Click to expand...
Yeah a good dedicated does have more positives than google maps, but for a cheap/budget conscious integrated solution, look no further.
 
We bought a second hand (refurbished good as new) Samsung Galaxy Tab A and loaded CoPilot for caravans on it. Stuck a 1T memory card in.
Strap it to the pop up thingy in the dash board. Plenty big enough to see the screen.
Can also use it as a tablet ... bonus!
 
A lot of manufacturers use IGO Nextgen software for their vehicle SatNavs. It is available online or you can hunt around for a free copy. It runs very well on android device. I have a 8” Huawei Tablet that works very well. I have it plumbed into the 12v electrics and it stays charged even on long trips. As above also useful as a tablet.

Gpspower.net is the place to look for software and updates for maps.
 
The HERE WeGo app for Android is pretty good.

They supply the mapping for many major European vehicle manufacturers, that's their business, you get that for free with the app, and can download the whole lot for offline use, prior to a trip.

I prefer it to the Google solution.

I also use Maps.Me, it has a different application but between the two I am pretty much covered. An old 7" tablet is dedicated to navigation use, with of course the WildCamping database also installed, as well as various Aires information apps.

Also can record track logs with other apps to geotag my 'photos later, and review my journeys using not just GPS but also the Chinese, Russian and European systems.

I don't see myself buying another dedicated navigation device once my ancient (but kept up to date by dubious methods) TomTom One dies. Still I have a spare.
 
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I use a TT5100 as standalone, and a MS branded version of Here Maps on a Windows phone.
The TT is a bit slow to fire up, I believe the newer versions have faster processors, also added POI's don't have their own icon, but some generic one, aside from that is very good, with lifetime world maps, traffic, and speed cameras, the traffic updates with it's own sim.
The phone with MS Here maps is fairly good, can download worldwide maps, but offline some post codes are missing, this means it doesn't recognise my home post code, also to get POI's I need to use 'POI Viewer' a separately downloaded app, but this might just be a MS problem.
 
Dedicated sat nav for me stuck with 3 Garmins since 2004 as got use to setting them Tom Tom seem ok but other systems seem a bit Micky Mouse to me
 
I have used an app on my phone for years, mostly in UK and Europe but also brief periods in USA. It is called Navmii and I find it very easy to use and very reliable. It is free to download, you can use it offline and you can also add your own locations to save as favourites.
 
Another vote for Garmin camper (I've got 3, 1 each for the van, car & bike)
 
Tablet/phone or this .
sat nav.png
 
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