Sat Nav ? map book ? or just looking at the signs ? journies

I think you misunderstood my post (or I worded it badly). I said that after using sat nav (I think I called it a routing app) on my phone I would not be wasting money buying a dedicated sat nav, as the phone provided a perfectly adequate alternative.

I generally have the Sat Nav on just in case for long journeys. It dings when it senses a speed camera. I’m not a speed queen but you never know.
We’ve had it for years, update it regularly and now I’m used to how she works. I also have a map and have actually stopped to check ‘her’ route! She’s generally correct.
My husband has an inbuilt bit of kit but , as tanith said, the garage want a fortune to update it so sometimes it shows us driving over a field instead of down a new bit of road!
I was with my sister at the weekend and we used her phone. I preferred the tom tom but that could be because it’s familiar.

Love "Satan" lol

Me I'm a sort the route out on the laptop kind of person and have a map book in the car.

But I will use 'Satan" (that's what I'm calling it from now on) in case there are incidents. With voice off unless I need it.

However, just got a new phone deal so now have data for Google maps, both my girls swear by Google maps so I'll try that out.

I don't think I'd use road signs only, I like to be better prepared.

Good Luck and happy travels.

Had a practice with my phone, only local about 5 miles.
Didnt look at the phone just followed the voice.

Seemed pretty good, plus I presume google maps will update automatically.

as pitcity mentioned apparantly you can download the maps at home that way it doesnt use much data..Ive been searching and googling and if you do it that way it uses roughly about 5MB an hour.

My MBs didn't move or go down but maybe I hadn't used the map long enough .

thanks for all suggestions everyone..maybe I will be messaging from John O Groats lol or Lands End lol next tim.

I've got a built in sat nav so obviously use that. I also check on google in advance so I have a rough idea too. I now have a very good mobile, gift from my youngest son so if I didn't have the built in sat nav I'd use the phone. Picture quality on the phone is outstanding too. I don't use the voice on the sat nav as any sort of reassurance, more a case of not needing to take my eyes off the road, but whenever my Son is in the car he mutes it which is very disconcerting because she may be annoying and frequently wrong so I argue with her but that's preferable to silence.

SAT NAV! would not be without it, consider it a necessity now - especially getting the last mile or two.

My DH doesn't trust technology! When we are travelling he insists on using a map. I usually use my phone.

The point hildajennij was however that as biker and I have now lost our DHs, we are discussing how best to cope with long or unfamiliar journeys on our own.

So while I am happy for you that your DH navigates/drives etc it doesn’t really help does it?

I'm still a fan of Tom Tom.

I used to plan routes using AA paper maps and their online routefinder. I'd write journey sections on post it notes stuck to the dashboard. One time, on the way to the west country, the M5 was closed and traffic rerouted through Bristol after dark. I got so terribly lost I thought I would never emerge out the other end! After that I went straight out and bought the SatNav.

I have an old smartphone which suits me with a cheap sim and small data allowance so wondering if the Google Maps option would work for me.

I find TomTom invaluable in towns and cities although there do seem to be blackspots where directions are at best confusing and at times just wrong even though I do update regularly.

We do have a sat nav but have been sent all round the mulberry bush on occasion.

If we're going on a previously unknown journey I usually print off a route map first as well - AA or Google, and use that too.

My sat nav packed in recently and thought I'd try google maps on my iPhone at daughters suggestion. However I can't seem to get the voice on it when it's on the cradle in the car although it talks if you use it when walking. Can anybody advise me on how to get the voice to work whist the phone is in the cradle

Twiceasnice not sure what phone you have but how about googling how to get voice over for your model of phone...have you switched it to vehicle once your in the car (other than the walking icon) just a thought.. my dd sorted mine out....trouble is I downloaded a map yesterday and have noticed my data used up but I dont know if it because I have been using multi media messaging so it may be that..I know u can download them off line so will try again soo. I think the phone might be the way to go as it will update the google maps and you wont have to pay extra.

Mawbroon. Thank you.

We have MrsTom who is now about 12 years old. Unfortunately she cannot be updated on an iMac! I absolutely love her and she has USA maps too.
I was once travelling with DD who was using Google maps on her phone and she got a phone call - lost all the map info and I had no idea how to reprogramme it.
When we were new to using a satnav we used it on known journeys to get used to the instructions she uses. We have some other cheap job DH got on the Internet and I don’t get on with that at all. Uses quite a different form of instruction.
Mrs Tom is so good in a city finding a street or changing motorways on an unfamiliar journey.