[yeahbut]

Since I have been doing so much traveling I have decided to look for a GPS so I don't have to try to read directions and drive (especially when Vertigo is acting up)

my question is does anyone else have one or one that you would recommend?

[karousel]

We have GPS TomTom we have used just a few times. The only thing I don't like is if you are following its route and then change course, the TomTom will keep telling you to turn around to get you back on its course. It takes quite a while before the TomTom figures out that you are going a different way and recalculates the directions. So if you are going on a trip and decide to take a different exit it will keep telling you to turn around and it gets very annoying until it recalculates a new route from your change. Maybe we aren't using it right? Hopefully someone else knows more about them!! But I am glad we finally got one and can see us using it often.

[Kitty]

Char, I don't use one personally but Matt has the Tom Tom in his police car and absolutely loves it. I gave it to him for Christmas last year (it was on his list) and he said he uses it every day. It gets him around when the map books the county provides are obsolete.

He specifically asked for that model so he must have done some research on them. He said that almost all of the police officers have this model (the Tom Tom) in their police cars now.

Unfortunately, they have to purchase them...it's not something the county provides.

[Twinkletoes]

We have the Garmin Nuvi. It is so user-friendly that you can actually use it w/o reading the manual.

My friend and her daughter recently drove from Utah to Virginia where the girl has enrolled in college. She said the Tom Tom the girl had received for Christmas was so useless that they stopped and bought a Garmin.

In fairness, the Tom Tom they had was a $150 model--they paid twice as much for the replacement Garmin.

I'll admit I just about couldn't get out of San Antonio with my Nuvi, but it was dark and I wasn't finding the exits I was supposed to.

[AfterMyNap]

Char, before you invest, check your phone & contract, you may already have it available to you. I've never used it, but on my current carrier and the phone I have I can subscribe to theirs for only a few more bucks a month. Unless it has changed, purchasing the TomTom unit is a separate expense, you also have to subscribe to the service to make it work.

I don't use it because to me, it's for wimps.

ETA: I just checked, it's $2.99 for single-day use or $9.99/unlimited a month and it works with many phones. My carrier is Alltel.

[Erin524]

When I went on my vacation a few weeks ago, my boyfriend had forgotten and left his Garmin at home, and was halfway to my house when he realized it. He told me to grab my TomTom and we ended up using that.

I didnt have to subscribe to anything to make it work. Subscribing to the pay service for it gives you a couple of extras, like you can use the TomTom to call the police, and a few other things, but you dont need to subscribe to anything to get a signal and make things work. It works directly out of the box.

It was annoying at one point, because we drove into Minnesota (from South Dakota) to go to a national monument. Pipestone National Monument. The TomTom wanted us to take a route that said it was 50 miles away. We passed a sign that said Pipestone was 30 miles away. We turned off and the TomTom got all ticked off. Kept wanting us to turn around. After about a minute, it recalculated and shut up.

When we left, we hadnt turned on the TomTom, and we got turned around a bit. I turned on the TomTom and it directed us to take the way back that it originally had wanted us to take in. Took us about 10 miles out of our way. Wasnt too bad tho, because the scenery in that part of Minnesota is very pretty, so we didnt totally mind that it took extra time to drive back into South Dakota.

It was nice for me, because the last time we'd taken a trip, I was the navigator, and I'm not the best map reader. I didnt get us lost, but I did get dizzy occasionally having to read a paper map. The TomTom made it easier on me. Because all I had to do was program the thing. I did have a paper map with us (that we didnt use except for when we were in Sioux Falls and didnt want to worry about the TomTom getting stolen out of the car)

I'd gotten my TomTom for christmas last year, and that was the first time I ever got to use it. It was pretty cool. If I take any more trips, I'll be taking it along because it does make it a bit easier to find your way around. Plus, I liked being able to look at it and know where I am. I lose my sense of direction when I go on vacations. Being able to look at it and see which way the compass was pointing, helped me keep my sense of direction somewhat.

[SandyC]

I have Onstar. It came free for three years with our new van. I love it! I love when they come on and say "Good afternoon, Mrs Champion? Do you need directions today?" Sometimes I call just to mess with them and say no, but I could use a drink. lmao

I have spoke to someone from Australia, Canada and Alaska so far.

[Earl]

My DW's mother bought me one two years ago for my birthday. I am not sure why since I have lived here all my life, but she did. it is a G-Sat and I would NOT endorse it. It is not user friendly, it's maps are very out of date and it does not have traffic alert.

I heard Tom-tom is very good. Also, I have had a Garmin for Geocaching and it is excellent.

[jprinz99]

I prefer TomTom over Garmin, etc. I tried using the cellphone, but it was harder to actually see (too small of a screen). Find no need to pay for the upgraded service which gives you additional voices and other misc carp.

If you find a routing mistake, let them know so they can update the directions or map.

I also like that you can go into safety settings. I got ahold of my mother's TomTom & tweaked it to make a blaring airhorn noise - all to prevent my mother from speeding like a bat out of he** and paying a huge ticket (she hates that I did it and can't figure out how to un-do what I did!!! ha ha)

[yeahbut]

Thank you Everyone for your help - I looked and I can't see where I can add it to my cell phone plan. Verizon - I will stop at the store next week and ask them but I am thinking it will be to small for me to see while driving.

I like the idea of having it talk to me and not have to worry about reading the screen if I dont have too....