Mini Ipad navigation

[Sandpit]

The handy little document clip on top of the dash board seems to hold the cover to my mini ipad all be it hanging over the radio RNS310 but how convenient I now wnat to turn it into a navigation unit , and views on the best app for euro navigation that shows junctions in reality?

 

[burko73]

i find navfree good on my ipad and iphone. you can get a france version which is good.

 

[SimplyDubs]

Although a little expensive... I love TomTom Western Europe.

Regular update of Maps and App included

Advantage of TT on iDevices is that it's then available on all devices in the household.

Plently of others out there though and I know some people hate TT

rgds
Mark

 

[Andy]

+ 1 for Navfree, use it on my samsung Note 10.1. The real advantage is that the maps are stored locally so it does not use/need data.

 

[coordinated]

Although a little expensive... I love TomTom Western Europe.

Me too. TomTom's still got some annoying quirks, but they've definitely smoothed out a lot of the rough bits.

Wish it could show alternative routes alongside each other (like Google), and give clearer instructions (more "take the A123 signed to X", and less "after 5 miles, stay on the motorway"!).

But it's still very clever, and very accurate at predicting ETA (unlike Google!). Makes driving abroad a LOT less stressful!

Being able to (clumsily) upload POI data for Camping and Caravan Club sites, plus the ones from WildCamping.co.uk is handy too.

The Traffic HD subscription's also worth having (though it doesn't cover every country) and it nibbles (but not chews!) into your roaming data.

Navfree has some cool (and sometimes better) features, but you're reliant on free Open Street Map data which can be much better than conventional maps in cities but very patchy elsewhere (though it's improving rapidly).

Whatever you choose, hope you enjoy it!

Did you both get 3G iPads? I didn't and am using an XGPS Bluetooth GPS (have a search on the forum for my post) which is mostly ok, but can be a bit fiddly sometimes – and then tethering my iPad to my iPhone.

Best wishes,
Steve

 

[burko73]

I did get a 3g Ipad but sim free. I have used a vodaphone payg sim in it now and again if away although most of the time its just used at home or in hotels etc.

I now, since finding tethering was free on my orange iphone contract, use that with the ipad tethered as i find i've always got the iphone with me or in the van. my wife also has hers and can tether that as well.

I guess i could get a french sim as my ipad is not locked to a network when abroad. usually in france we macwifi in the car pk or some ports and campsites have it as well. only then using 3g if it's an emergency or we need camping info quickly or something.

 

[burko73]

i generally use the iphone for navfree, backing up with memory map (uk) on the ipad.

 

[Sandpit]

I guess i could get a french sim as my ipad is not locked to a network when abroad. usually in france we macwifi in the car pk or some ports and campsites have it as well. only then using 3g if it's an emergency or we need camping info quickly or something.

Thanks for the help. My iPad is not cellular so I would have to sell to buy the cell one
However the new Garmin with the 7 inch screen is a strong contender and it also offers hands free mobile comms but is of a size that I could see , it's that middle distance problem

 

[NickE]

I take a Windows laptop with me when I travel. Anybody know of any off-line (maps stored locally) Windows nav software for the whole of Europe? There is PC Navigator Free which works OK. It uses Open map data but it doesn't allow you to upload POI datasets which is what I really want to do.