Using GPS through Paris

[David_Janet]

I've just acquired a new toy, which so far, I think is pretty damn good. Actually, I would say amazing.( A Tomtom V2 Europe satnav).

We are planning a trip back to UK in March, and we would normally by-pass Paris en-route to Calais, but we are so impressed with the gadget that we're tempted to use it to navigate through the city.

Has anybody done this using satnav? If so, how did it go?

Thanks

David

[Paulhogan]

Hi David

We regularly travel around or through Paris on the way to our place in Burgundy so we are reasonably confident on directions without too much referall to a map. I bought a Navman satnav early last year for day to day use in the UK but also got a set of European maps so decided to test it out on one of our trips. We found it to be pretty accurate getting all the way through Paris using the Periferique, not the route we would have chosen on a busy Sunday evening but nonetheless kept us on the right track. We also tried it on the way home but this time I decided to ignore the directions given and took the A86 / A4 route around Paris, the Navman recalculated the route each time we deviated from its suggested route and we had a really easy journey. So my advice would be give it a try, check which road type preferences you have set for journeys and just use common sense.

Paul 

[expat paul]

Hi,

Until last year we lived just outside Paris, I found my TomTom essentual. I would use it all the time even if I knew the roads, cos Paris is always bottlenecked, and it was/is great for finding alternative routes quickly. [:D]

[Chezstevens]

SWBO last year, solo with a car load of 2 young boys and 2 car sick dogs, selected the most direct route to our home in southern 79 from Boulogne.  I had set up the route using the new A28 but ... car full of boys ... retching dogs    . nuff said.  Debs told me the GPS lead her past the Eiffel Tower and on .... boys and Debs thought it was funny.  Brave SWBO met with champers at end of journey.  GPS only gives you what you ask!!

[Llwyncelyn]

Gladys our on board system tells me from time to time 'do a 'u' turn when it is convenient!  She is quite good Gladys and does not really lose her temper like some women or should I say woman I know.

As a matter of interest my car is just eighteen months old and the up-dated disc for europe is just short of 300 euros!

[Chezstevens]

Garmin 2820 ( make that all road models) updates work out at under £40 for annual europe wide coverage!!  However not as handy as built in .... but moves from car to car.

[David_Janet]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

We shall definitely give it a go through Paris, using satnav.

I'll let you know how we fare, when we get back!

David

[David_Janet]

Well, we're back. Safe and sound and all in one piece.

The satnav was absolutely brilliant. Both directions (north and south) around Paris without a hitch, and not a cross word between us! (you barely need to look at road direction signs, the instructions are that good)

On the way back we stopped at Issoudun overnight and when we left the hotel in the morning, we didn't follow 'Silvia's' instructions correctly, but within seconds was directed down a small side road and back onto our proper route.

And she didn't shout at us!

Also excellent for finding hotels, or petrol stations, or restaurants near where you are, or many other POI's (points of interest)

She who must be obeyed was very sceptical when I first suggested getting the satnav (...just a 'boy's toy...') but she is now completely sold. She hated maps anyway...

Thoroughly recommended.

Regards

David

[hastobe]

We are really pleased with ours for most driving (Garmin Nuvii with bluetooth).  Blue tooth with mobile phone is great (it allows you to dial friends or even POI (restaurants etc) via the GPS - the mobile itself can be locked away in the boot of the car!).  The only problems we have found with it is finding some rural locations.  We were looking for a B&B in Normandy over Christmas and it sent us in completely the wrong direction.  I would add that it hadn't found a 'match' for the addres so we were going by the post code.  (OH was in one of those stubburn moods where, even though I pointed out that the GPS must be wrong (I was following our progress on the map) he was adament we carried on - which made him very popular as we had four very irritable teens and a seven year old in the car with us and had  just driven for seven hours....)

In cities / major routes it is fantastic and  (as has been already mentioned) great at finding an alternative route if you want to a avoid congestion. 

Ours was a present from me to hubby (along with a peage doofer) - driving a left hand drive car it was always my job to navigate / pay at the peage.  Now I can just go to sleep...and OH hasn't clicked the ulterior motive - he thinks I'm a lovely, thoughtful wife who bought him two new toys...[Www]

Kathie

[AnOther]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 360 (dubbed Sally SatNav) and successfully navigated straight across Paris a couple of weeks ago, South to North. Not my choice I have to say but my pal who was with me needed to pick up 22 cases of wine from an apartment in central Paris.

Although I find it very useful generally it does have one major irritation and that is, even though I tell it to take the fastest route it will persistently try to deviate from a major road to take shortcuts. I can usually see what it's trying to do, cut a corner off perhaps or taker a shorter route but by minor roads which will definately be slower and not what I want. I've tried just about every permutation of settings but nothing seems to stop this behaviour.

I've even told it I'm a bus in the vain hope it would ignore smaller roads but it makes no difference, it's still taken me down tiny roads which turn into dirt tracks almost too small for a normal car.

Also sometimes, in the middle of a straightforward journey which it itself has worked out, it will blithely announce "a better route is available" but not elaborate.

Fortunately 'er indoors is quite a good navigator and keeps an eye on the map so can tell me whether to take any notice of it or not.

Ultimately it will always get you where you want to go but circuitous routes and farm tracks I can do without !

[P]

We have a TomTom and it directed us around Paris and made the trip very easy - my Navigator either struggles to read a map or goes to sleep.

The only problem I found going from Calais to below Toulouse was when you get on the A10? It displays that you have 255 miles to go before you turn off. As this is well in to the journey it demonstrates just how far there is to go - and those miles count down very slowly.

The only thing I would like changed is the adition of John Clesses voice as Basil Fawlty, especially when the route is not followed.

Paul

[clarksinfrance]

I have JCs voice so it is available for the latest Tom Tom, search on google the voices are usually about £5ish but only work on Tom Tom 6 IIRC

[AnOther]

[quote user="clarksinfrance"]I have JCs voice so it is available for the latest Tom Tom, search on google the voices are usually about £5ish but only work on Tom Tom 6 IIRC
[/quote]JC - now would that be Jeremy Clarkson or Jesus Christ or Julian Clary even........[:D]

***********************************************************

Founder member of the society for the abolition of TLA's

[Jacqui Too]

Last summer we decided to buy a Sat-nav for our impending trip to France. We thought it would aid a more 'peaceful' journey! I'm the map reader,( I love maps, spend hours finding places) he's the driver! I say we've got a right turn in a minute, mean while I'm looking at the map, look up and I say "was that it" and he just sails past[:-))] you can imagine the next conversation!!!

So we buy the Tom Tom, try it around UK great, 1 month before we got we buy a new car and guess what it has its own incar sat-nav, so belt and braces!!

UK side brill got us to southampton port perfect,

We decided we prefered the Tom Tom so from now on to be know as 'Jane'.

French side got out of Caen ok traveling on the N158, after Falaise 'Jane' says carry on motorway But motorway ends[:-))] start following signs for Le Mans, 'Jane' says turn arround and rejoin the motorway (we can see there is NO motorway) every junction we come to 'Jane' says turn right, argument follows, eventually we give in to 'Jane' and turn right, we end up going through tiny hamlets an down narrow country lanes (not so easy with a 7.5m caravan intow!) eventually 'Jane' says turn left and rejoin the motorway, we just sat there laughing (crying) there was this tiny stone track about 20m long into a field!

'Jane' got the sack and was told to be quiet while I resumed the map reading! She didn't come back to work untill well after Le Mans and we where safely on the motorway, after that big hickup she did redeem herself and was very useful[:D] Allthough I never traveled without the map on my lap!

On the way home 'Jane' still tried to take us on the non existing motorway! but this time we were prepared and just turned her volume down untill she found her barings again.

On one of our trips from Bergerac airport 'Jane' thinks that the new bypass heading north is open[:-))] and coming back we were apparently 'off-roading' for some of the way down the D709!!

So my advice is know which route you are taking and still keep the map on you lap[blink]

Chipie

[hastobe]

Chipie that was soo funny - your journeys sound very similar to ours...."recalculating route, recalculating route" [:)] - and I still keep the map to hand.

Kathie