Sat Nav apps & Data in Europe

[Kev_mk3]

My current sat nav is slowing going to the afterlife. Its served me great as i've all favourites saved on it in France, Germany etc as its got full European access but I was thinking about going to buy a dedicated sat nav, with speed cam POI, traffic updates etc but then wondered what my phone could do instead.

Currently I use Apple maps & I have just started to use Waze, which provides live traffic and has some re-routing functionality. It's a bit laggy sometimes but better than my old sat nav that doesn't have live traffic or latest maps!

In the UK i am totally fine to use what I want as I have no limits on data but in Europe I have never used data due to cost. So am I going to be stuck with this situation?

As for example if I purchased TOMTOM maps for my phone does it cache so I can use it "offline" in Europe or will I need to use data and any estimations on how much as I believe its £1.99 a day for data but not alot (wonderful O2!)

any other do it all in one solutions out there? or am I best sticking to my original plan and just buying a new sat nav?

Thanks

Kev

[Barry]

Recently had to make same decision due to dead satnav.
Decided on dedicated satnav rather than phone app.
Glad I did, satnav's have moved on since we bought the old one, main plus as far as I'm concerned is clarity of screen, a lot less cluttered than the phone apps, even when compared to an iPhone 6 with its larger screen.

[landman]

My current sat nav is slowing going to the afterlife. Its served me great as i've all favourites saved on it in France, Germany etc as its got full European access but I was thinking about going to buy a dedicated sat nav, with speed cam POI, traffic updates etc but then wondered what my phone could do instead.

Currently I use Apple maps & I have just started to use Waze, which provides live traffic and has some re-routing functionality. It's a bit laggy sometimes but better than my old sat nav that doesn't have live traffic or latest maps!

In the UK i am totally fine to use what I want as I have no limits on data but in Europe I have never used data due to cost. So am I going to be stuck with this situation?

As for example if I purchased TOMTOM maps for my phone does it cache so I can use it "offline" in Europe or will I need to use data and any estimations on how much as I believe its £1.99 a day for data but not alot (wonderful O2!)

any other do it all in one solutions out there? or am I best sticking to my original plan and just buying a new sat nav?

Thanks

Kev

Despite having a built-in Sat Nav system I ended up using Waze twice in June this year.

The first time was when I had to make a fast run from LM to Paris CdG airport and I can honestly state that without Waze I would not have got to the airport on time despite the built-in system trying to re-route me around the terrible Friday evening traffic.

A few days later I headed back to Paris for an overnight stay on the east side of the City and once again Waze outperformed the built-in.

I agree with my learned friend, Mr Redford that a sat nav system has a better sized screen, however the way in which Waze, and therefore Google Maps, gathers it's data is for more immediate than the other systems on offer.

Waze is, if you don't already know, owned by Google these days and it relies on drivers/passengers inputting information in to their devices to assist others.  Google maps also uses Android powered devices to record the speed of the device and then to render that on to Google Maps - assuming that you switch on the traffic layer.

Personally I would stick with one of the above but only if I could hear the directions clearly through my car's audio system.

[mgmark]

Maintain both. I prefer my phone and the likes of Google maps to a satnav because of the access to wider information - but it is cock all use when the mobile signal is rubbish, the network is busy or suppressed to emergency calls only, or someone keeps on trying to ring you at critical moments in traffic etc etc.  A separate twatnav, whether built in or not,  is a standalone piece of kit reliant only on GPS signals and is, thus, always useful to have on board.

MG Mark

[smokie]

Google maps for me. I find Google easy to use and traffic is very accurate. I have used NavMii in Europe and the US which is offline mapping and navigation - it gets you there but is quite limited. I tried Waze when it first came out but at the time wasn't impressed - may have another look at it.

With a Three SIM card your minutes and data are usable in a pretty wide range of countries and last time in LM I got a £25 monthly package which gave me a decent amount of calls and data. ISTR you can't tether it though. See here for monthly plans. http://www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/Plans_for_phones.

[Kev_mk3]

Landman & Smokie how did you fair for data usage with the apps in France?

[smokie]

I have to be honest, because I had unlimited data I didn't check what actual usage was.

[Werner]

I've recently purchased the TomTom app for my smartphone and paid 45 € for 3 years usage. You don't need an Internet connection to run it, because you download the maps directly to your phone. Allow some palce, a full US/Canada/Mexico map was around 5GB.

During the 3 years you can download whatever map you need for it. Used it in the US and here in Germany and I'm happy with it.

[landman]

Landman & Smokie how did you fair for data usage with the apps in France?

I just bought a big data bundle when I arrived and got on with it to be honest. Didn't really worry about cost.

[Stu]

I'm satnav although I find more and more recently I'll either look at google maps on the pc before I go and wing it, or look at an old fashioned map on route. I used to be able to find my way around pretty well pre satnav and I find they just make me lazy. A group of us drove all over France once whilst working using a basic map in the front of a Novotel hotel directory and managed no problem   . Next year we'll be trying Map only, makes the week more fun IMHO.

My current satnav is quite old but contains the latest maps but I do appreciate Barry's point about a better screen on the newer ones.

And as for data, going this year I took the £1.99 a day data plan from O2 but I was recieving bits on the ferry which I did'nt really think about apart from it was the first time it happened. Phone bill arrives with £40 on it as my mobile data had been connecting to the ships (DFDS) mobile network which Sat-phones through to Iceland. O2 said they would look into it to no avail. Reading a few forums and there's quite a few people been caught out the same way.