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Things Travelers Need to Know Maps and Guidebooks |
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Travel Advice - Alternatives to Maps: Mapping and routing software for the PC is No Longer RecommendedHow times have changed. We no longer recommend purchasing or using PC-based mapping software for your travel needs. Just a few years ago people who had a hard time using paper maps often relied on PC software to do this job for them. While Microsoft and Delorme still provide this type of product in the US, sales have has declined. More people are using free, online mapping services or Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) to meet their navigation needs and we heartily agree. In fact, we recommend buying a quality Personal Navigation Device to help you navigate between places when you will be driving in a foreign country Another alternative is to rent a car from a service that provides Personal Navigation Devices as options, or rents cars equipped with in-dash navigation systems.
If you buy a PND in the United States, it will likely not include a navigation database for the countries in Europe. However, many of the higher-end PNDS, do include European coverage. Note that it is usually more economical to buy a PND equipped with map coverages of the United States and Europe, than to purchase a European map database as an add-on to your PND (if adding a database is possible at all with the unit you have purchased). Many people have a hard time using maps to navigate between places. Common map use problems range from finding locations (the one you are at or the one you want to find) to determining a valid route between two or more places. If you have difficulty navigating to different places while on the road, we present three additional articles on alternatives to maps. One article describes navigation systems provided by rental car companies navigation ( In-car navigation systems ). A second article is used to describe Web sites that provide online mapping and routing services ( online mapping and routing ). Our final article explains the Personal Navigation Devices and cell phones to provide mapping and routing ( mapping and routing with handheld devices ). Top of page Maps and Guides Home If you need to find information about Things Travelers Need To Know, try Googling our site or the Web |
