Orlando car hire - satnav?

[Silverage]

I’m in charge of sorting out a break later in the year and I’m doing the hire car bit at the moment. There’s going to be 5 of us, 4 adults plus my adult-sized 15 y.o. son, with enough luggage for 10 days, so I’ve been looking at full-sized SUVs.

I was a little surprised to find all the companies I’ve looked at are trying to stick me for an extra £100 on the hire for sat nav. Surely it would be standard on this class of vehicle? If it’s not I’ll probably do without it.

[designforlife]

Standard practise in the USA...will be probably be cheaper to use google maps on your phone and pay the data roaming charge.

[Silverage]

I’ll go old school like we did years ago and get the freebie maps from the rental company where they scribble all sorts of directions all over the place.

But seriously, I’m sure these cars would have satnav as standard - are the rental companies getting a special povvo version so they can upsell the navs?

[captain_cynic]

Silverage said:

I’m in charge of sorting out a break later in the year and I’m doing the hire car bit at the moment. There’s going to be 5 of us, 4 adults plus my adult-sized 15 y.o. son, with enough luggage for 10 days, so I’ve been looking at full-sized SUVs.

I was a little surprised to find all the companies I’ve looked at are trying to stick me for an extra £100 on the hire for sat nav. Surely it would be standard on this class of vehicle? If it’s not I’ll probably do without it.

Get a £10 3 PAYG SIM and use Google Maps on you phone. Roaming in the US is included (1GB for £10). Did this on a trip from LA to LV late last year, not a single issue.

Yet to use an inbuilt sat nav that wasn't complete pants.

[Truckosaurus]

The car may have it as standard but someone might have helped themselves to the memory card with the maps on.

Prepare to have a backup plan (either have USA maps on your UK satnav, have enough data to be able to use Waze or Google Maps, or just drive around to the nearest Walmart and buy an American satnav for as cheap as possible).

If it is a secure compound and the cars all have the keys in them, you could also check the other cars in the lot (in the same class) and when you find one with a working satnav go back in and ask to be swapped into that car.

[Freakuk]

Within google maps you can download offline maps, then once in the US you can turn off roaming and still navigate, you wont get live traffic data however.

[goforbroke]

We took our Garmin sat nav and bought the US map as a download. It wasn't expensive, and worked perfectly.

[drmcw]

Google maps and a Three data only SIM sourced and tested in the UK worked for me in California and Nevada.

[Silverage]

Thanks guys, lots of useful stuff there. I may give the Google Maps on my phone option a try.

[//j17]

1. Install Here WeGo maps.
2. Download maps for the US state(s) you're going to visit.
3. Check the big "Use app offline" box in the main menu when you touch down in the US.
4. Enjoy better mapping and turn-by-turn navigation than Google Maps with no data usage.

EDIT:
5. Take car accessory socket phoner charger and a cheapo phone car holder.

[Whistle]

I used Navmii free with free USA maps, works off line so no data usage.

Worked perfect for me while traveling around Florida for 4 weeks last summer.

[WAVman]

Whistle said:

I used Navmii free with free USA maps, works off line so no data usage.

Worked perfect for me while traveling around Florida for 4 weeks last summer.

This. We go to Florida often and this is the way forward.

But, as someone has previously said, if you book through Alamo, use www.alamo.co.uk, you have an option to skip the counter and their up sell tactics. Go straight to the garage to select your car from the category you have booked. Pick one you fancy rather than what they allocate..

[Sheepshanks]

//j17 said:

1. Install Here WeGo maps.
2. Download maps for the US state(s) you're going to visit.
3. Check the big "Use app offline" box in the main menu when you touch down in the US.
4. Enjoy better mapping and turn-by-turn navigation than Google Maps with no data usage.

EDIT:
5. Take car accessory socket phoner charger and a cheapo phone car holder.

Exactly what we did a couple of years ago. The car had CarPlay but it was iffy, and at the time would only work with Apple's map, so we just used the phone - didn't bother with a holder, wife held it.

One surprise was how accurate the car speedo was - almost spot on to GPS speed - even on cruise at the common 45MPH limit the Here app would regularly bong for exceeding the speed limit even though the speedo was still showing 45.

[Nickyboy]

Freakuk said:

Within google maps you can download offline maps, then once in the US you can turn off roaming and still navigate, you wont get live traffic data however.

This

I do it every year. Car's i've had sometimes have Sat Nav, check the glovebox for the sim card

[ninepoint2]

drmcw said:

Google maps and a Three data only SIM sourced and tested in the UK worked for me in California and Nevada.

Three has inclusive data roaming in the USA, we changed from Virgin before going for that very reason

[silobass]

Whistle said:

I used Navmii free with free USA maps, works off line so no data usage.

Did this too, works great.

[COLONEL_SMITH]

Hertz were offering free in car wifi if you spend over £300. Hopefully the car we have has sat nav but if not we can use google maps using the free wifi.

[RC1807]

If your phone is on EE in the UK, it's usually fre to use in the US (check you plan), then it doesn't matter which app you use... I use Waze on my co. phone

(I upgraded a rental once @ Tampa Airport to get a 3.0T Q7. It had nav as standard, no extra charge, and it was brilliant)

[chopper602]

Last time we were there, I took a 12v charger and phone holder and used 'Waze' maps with absolutely no problems whatsoever and we did about 1200 miles around Arizona, Nevada and California. Am with '3', so data was included with my plan.

[EddieSteadyGo]

captain_cynic said:

Silverage said:

I’m in charge of sorting out a break later in the year and I’m doing the hire car bit at the moment. There’s going to be 5 of us, 4 adults plus my adult-sized 15 y.o. son, with enough luggage for 10 days, so I’ve been looking at full-sized SUVs.

I was a little surprised to find all the companies I’ve looked at are trying to stick me for an extra £100 on the hire for sat nav. Surely it would be standard on this class of vehicle? If it’s not I’ll probably do without it.

Get a £10 3 PAYG SIM and use Google Maps on you phone. Roaming in the US is included (1GB for £10). Did this on a trip from LA to LV late last year, not a single issue.

Yet to use an inbuilt sat nav that wasn't complete pants.

Good answer. Exactly what I did when I last went earlier this year - as you say, it works perfectly.