I like the "Taxi Technique" too. I've traveled with friends using GPS with mixed results. I don't own a GPS but am trying to learn them, get better at figuring them out.

I'm a slow learner regards computers ... but hopefully will find an easy to use Novice oriented GPS that will work outside the USA and won't involve complicated downloads and buying various routes. Seems a bit complicated.

If Apple made a GPS ... I'd probably buy it as I've had good luck with their computers.

I have a question for the GPS riders out there ... How do you manage to look at the GPS screen and follow it ... while riding in City traffic?

Constantly looking down at the screen may have some risks? No?
I know some units do voice prompts ... but ones we've used (in the car) have always been WRONG ... and take really stupid routes. (this with places I know) Now why is that?

Must be me as the whole world seems to get along fine using GPS.

This is a good point--for me the whole point of having a GPS in a big city is to have the voice prompts, so that I don't have to spend the whole time looking at the screen.

Basically for each new turn I look at the screen once or twice--once to see how far to the next turn, and often look at the turn itself to see if it is a 90 degree turn, a dogleg, or whatever, just so I now what to look for.

I really don't like driving in big cities without a GPS because I can't focus on the road at all, I'm always looking around trying to figure out where I'm going or where I am.

I'm not likely to use the taxi method unless I'm absolutely desperate for two reasons:
1) I usually don't know myself where I'm going, as I don't make hotel reservations, etc., so I usually don't need directions to a specific place. I usually ride to the center and then look around for a hotel that appeals to me. If I have time the night before I will look online or in Lonely Planet to see which hotels have parking, etc. and will often initially head to one one of those hotels, but I won't necessarily stay there.

2) I prefer to travel on my own terms, not those of a totally unknown taxi driver. If I pull up to some taxi driver, unless we can communicate fairly well, I have no idea if he is going to take me to a whorehouse, a five star hotel, or some bland airport hotel, none of which are what I'm looking for. For me, when I go to a big city (fairly rare), I go there to experience the atmosphere, and the hotel's location is a big part of that--why let some total stranger make that decision for me?

I use Garmin GPS with either Garmin or OSM maps, and generally think they work great. The one exception was the Garmin maps for Morocco, which were completely useless to the point where I just stopped using the GPS.

While everyone can of course make up their own mind about how to do things, I would not rule out using a GPS because you want to "travel light". A GPS weighs a few ounces, and if wired to the bike you don't have to worry about extra batteries, etc. Also, I always use a paper map with the GPS and pick out a general route on the paper map and input the waypoints (ie, towns) in the GPS. This way, without having detailed paper maps of each area I ride through (which would certainly not be travelling light), I get the benefit of being able to ride the small, even tiny, roads between my waypoints that the GPS picks out. As a result, I've had some great rides that I would never have had if relying solely on paper maps.

Finally, obviously you can't turn your brain off just because you have GPS, as they will take you down some wrong paths sometimes, so you have to check whatever route it proposes before setting off and generally know where you are. Hence the need for a paper map along with a GPS.

I read your post and smiled....I spent a few weeks in Mexico with a broken GPS and some pretty crummy road maps. Between this and my crummy Spanish, I made friends, saw cool stuff, and had the time of my life.

Thanks for posting, friend.

I only want to add that it is customary in some cultures to be as helpful as possible, even if they have no idea what they're talking about. In Latin America and plenty of places in Africa it is a good policy to ask directions 5 times and then take the average of all those answers (ask, go a block, ask, go a block, ask). Even if not a single person is right, together their answers will get you there. Personally I love these countries, because that sort of eagerness to help means that local hospitality will be amazing.

I hate cords. I like the feel and pleasure of a paper map, and if it happens, getting lost and interacting with locals improves the adventure. So for cities, I would never want a GPS. But, I think GPS definitely has it's place in off-road adventure. There was a few times that I wished I could have done the unsigned, untraveled desert pistes of Africa, but without GPS waypoints to guide me and without locals to ask I could have ended up in some dangerous (or at least very expensive) situations.

Thumbs on hiring a cab driver to lead you for an agreed-on price. I've done that numerous times. By far the fastest and least stressful way to get to your destination in a crazy and complex urban environment in which many GPS maps falter.

Asking and trying to follow directions can be fun in morning or middle of the day, but I'll hit up a cabbie late in the day when I just want to reach the destination and crack a .

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Get on Google Earth. Copy the long/lat of your final destination. Mark as way way point. If your GPS routing fails, at least you know precisely where to aim for.

Some civic adresses are wrong on some software. I was once told by a not so happy farmer in Ontario that some (insert whatever descriptive) in California thinks there is a campgroung on my property andtoo many people come to visit...

But then again, no need if you don't use a GPS.

i think using GPS is really very much helpful. i remember i was in a group we're in a Van and we literaly got lost in the desert. good thing i got GPS in my smartphone and we manage to find our place of destination! the GPS is very accurate, when u see a river and bridge on ur phone and when the van actually went there there is a river and bridge indeed!

Great advice. When someone losts in a foreign country, surrounded by foreigners who don't understand your language, you are kind of getting an anxiety. My suggestion is to calm down and take few minutes sitting alone. Find somebody who understands English. Talk to him and find the way out.

While in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia google maps does not keep up with the road work, just used my map app on my Iphone(didnot have a gps at the time) and found some address that would work to tie too, then followed the route it setup,later zoomed in for more detail to find the exact location,usually took three steps to get to that point. No need of wifi and worked most everywhere ,not having to rely on the slow wifi was nice also. A niece loaded on my phone so I cannot help you there.

Sorry, I also meant to respond to this point. Sure, if you know the city you're in, you'll note that the GPS takes you on routes that are not the best, based on your experience. Why? Because computers are dumb. But the key is that the GPS-proposed routes will in fact get you to the destination, even if via a sub-optimal route, and that is the key for me if I'm riding into a strange city as darkness approaches.

And one more point--the most useful thing about a GPS in my view is using them to get OUT of a city in the direction you want to go. Getting into the center of a city is generally fairly easy, because of signs, etc., but getting out in the right direction can be a pain without a GPS. Of course you can ask at the hotel before you leave, but if the person you ask doesn't have a car, etc., the response you get might be wrong.

Man, you certainly got that right! ... and I've blown a few bucks ... once again paying Taxi guys just to get me OUT!

Are GPS units getting cheaper? Seems everytime I look the latest ones seem to go for about $600 to $800 usd. Am I missing a deal somewhere?
Would you ever risk buying a used or Ebay refurbished one? ....

Then I'll just need someone to answer all my idiotic GPS NOOB questions!

No such thing as dumb questions about GPS (well, almost anyway...), because people use them in so many different ways, and until you have used one fairly extensively yourself it is difficult to appreciate their strengths and weaknesses.

I guess some of the "true adventurers" refuse to use GPS because they prefer the challenge of getting lost and then trying to communicate with locals with whom they don't share a language. In my view, such interactions very often result in miscommunications, misunderstandings, and lots of wasted time, and so are very frustrating. They could also lead to dangerous/unpleasant circumstances if they direct you to the wrong place. But I guess some people enjoy the challenge...

Regarding GPS--yes, the new ones always seem to cost about the same amount--$600-800. I would buy a used/refurbed one, either from somewhere like ADVRider or eBay. Some people buy a new GPS everytime a new one comes out, so there are some lightly used ones out there, although of course you need to vet the vendor as thoroughly as possible. I would try to buy one with maps pre-installed for the area that you want, and again, one that gives oral directions. Personally I like the ones that also play music, because I listen to music when I ride. Also, don't forget to get a mount and make sure you can wire it to the bike (saves hassles, batteries).

You could probably get a used Zumo 550 for a couple hundred bucks at this point--they are great, and I've been using one for several years (one died after a rough trip).

In Europe the signs are set up to direct you to the central train station .. where you'll find a tourist office .. and maps .. and staff who may help with what ever you want. Parking can be difficult .. look for a cop and sign language for parking/help.

But I like my GPS..

it finds things that I ride right past .. several times! A hotel in a back ally but with the address in the main street... ok if your walking but with traffic on the bike?

it takes me to places I'd never go to .. through routing choices... mine has;

avoid toll roads (tick)
avoid u turns (tick)
avoid highways (sometimes ticked - if I'm in a no hurry adventure mood)

a slider bar - one end 'prefer minor roads' other end 'prefer highways' (generally in the middle)

A choice as to route either
'Shortest route' (interesting back roads can be shorter than the highway .. by a meter or two!)
or
'Fastest Route" (can lead to motorways and traffic jams )

As you can see the number of choices you make for your routing method will have an impact on the route it shows you ... if you know the way then you might be surprised at its choices.. change the settings and see what it does then.. I've actually found better routes than the ones I've been using for years locally!

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They are a fun toy. If the map is accurate I've used it in fog to tell me what is coming - 90 deg corner left etc. When in traffic I ignore it .. and miss the turns .. it will recalculate and give me another route. I'd not be without it. The trick is to get good maps. If you use OSM then looking at a satellite view and check that OSM has details for the places you are heading. If not add the detail to OSM .. then you and everyone else has that detail for your GPS.

IMHE, it's the human interface which is 'dumb'!
The most common reply I hear is "I haven't the time and can't be bothered to learn about this thing"! ...and because of this attitude, some do not realise/know/or indeed want to know ... that there are many many settings which need...to be set to their preferences . I enjoy answering (or researching if I do not know the answer) all questions, noob ones inc.! but when I realise some can't be bothered...

When it all goes pear-shaped, many whinge endlessly blaming...the satnav, of course, unless their partners are aboard then, unluckily for them...they will get the blame !


A satnav is a precision instrument but it is only as good as the human 'tool' who is operating it!; those are often 'defective' and do not come with any warranties! " Don't follow me; I'm lost too"!

OR come to some Horizons meet ups where the Satnav subject is on the agenda

Of course there is much truth in this, but in cities I know well I don't count on the GPS to determine the optimal route, because they (at least the ones I have!) don't take into account things like where traffic builds up, traffic lights, difficult making left turns, etc.

But I am generally confident that the GPS will calculate an effective route, even if not the best.

The other issue is that the maps are sometimes wrong, although thankfully not often. I was recently in Naples, Italy, looking for a hotel. I asked the GPS to take me to three different hotels, but when I arrived at the addresses there were no hotels there. That was a first for me...