Correct Google maps has an offline mode that allows you to download the map ahead of time, takes up alot of space though. Use the wife's phone offline with a sim card or a mobile hotspot. Makes navigating, finding places to eat really easy, not to mention calling users. When we travel we love to wander so it's nice to know that o mayer where we are I just need to hit a button and have directions ready to get back or call an uber. Additionally, European cities have awesome rail systems and Google maps give you directions for that too.

 

Going anywhere cool while you're there?

Staying in a castle? Visiting a racetrack? A car museum? Driving an Alpine pass?

 

There was a fare war early this week and nabbed round trip to Paris for $400 each. From Minneapolis that is fantastic given it has been $1200 the last couple years. Bullet train to Strasbourg France, grab rental car, drive to Heidleberg Germany, then on to Grindlewald and Murren Switzerland. Bullet train back to Paris for a couple days and out.

Mostly scenery with plenty of mountains. Got a Fiat 500 for $10 a day. Yehaww! No staying in a castle, no racetrack or car museum. Might go back in a few years and hit Nurburgring but not this time. But man I love Switzerland. Driving through and visiting Interlaken area is just more amazing than I thought it could be. I have to switch my rental car reservation though and if I see a German sports car upgrade option, that sounds tempting.

 

Cheap, portable nav?

 

Saki GT wins all my internet points for today.

 

Nice. I have actually used those before.

 

Seriously though, have you tried Google maps offline? It won't give you traffic, but you can download onto a mobile device specific regions and then just use it offline. You can load different offline maps for different areas, and one area is pretty big, you just need the storage space.

 

I will have my wife look into it on her phone. Since I don't own one, am not real proficient with what is available and my wife uses hers to email, make calls and shop for shoes while stuck in business meetings. That is about it. I could probably load google maps offline onto my Ipod though and try it out.

 

Well, I was gonna warn you about speeding in Switzerland and retell my story of the $700+ speeding ticket but with your Fiat 500 I doubt speeding will be a an issue.

Just today the wife was talking about going back to Italy. Like a whole different world over there.

Have fun.