How helpful is a GPS when backpacking Europe?
Carter asked:
I’m probably going to backpack around Europe this summer by myself for at least 2 months. I have a Garmin Nuvi GPS, and I’m considering buying the European mapset. I will not be driving around Europe; I’ll be getting a Eurail pass.
I’m probably going to backpack around Europe this summer by myself for at least 2 months. I have a Garmin Nuvi GPS, and I’m considering buying the European mapset. I will not be driving around Europe; I’ll be getting a Eurail pass.
So how helpful would the GPS be (with the European maps)? Any information or advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Not much. You better save the money you’d spend on the European mapset and buy a decent guidebook with good maps.
For travelling by rail you’ll need a decent map of the rail network, a schematic map that shows all the stops and junctions (including the smallest ones) is best. A GPS will not have such map, but you can find these maps online and print them out for free.
In cities addresses are still given in “street, house number, city, postal code, country”-format, not in GPS coordinates. So you have to know how to use a map anyway, you might as well make use of the small map in your guidebook or the free map they give away at the tourist information.
Finally: A GPS needs electricity, as such the batteries are likely to fail when you need them the most. It is also a liability, an expensive item that might get stolen or lost. A GPS would only be worth taking if you were to travel by bicycle or planning on extensive hiking trips in national parks.