Using Handhelds, GPS and Eastern European Maps? 29
RedDork asks: "I just graduated with a BS in Comp Sci and am planning a trip to Europe this summer with a Computer Engineer friend. We are renting a car and driving around much of eastern and western Europe including Croatia and the Czech Republic. We were originally intending to use a GPS and a handheld (iPaq 3870) to navigate, but are now having trouble finding maps for the previously mentioned countries. Additionally, we don't know what software or GPS units are behave the best with the iPaq platform. We were wondering if any of our fellow Slashdotters have done this kind of thing, and what recommendations they have for software/hardware/map combinations."
Use paper maps. (Score:2, Informative)
Accused of spying ? (Score:2, Funny)
If anyone starts asking questions, be sure to behave like a stereotypical and harmless American tourist. I recommend asking directions to the nearest McDonald's, and also some questions that indicate total ignorance of geography, such as "how many days drive is it to Sydney, and from there can I go by train to Vienna and the rest of Australia ?"
If you start to get nervous, ask the authority who has stopped you to "watch your stuff" while you make a phone call. Don't come back. This is a standard way of buying your freedom. I had to do this four times in Scotland.
Re:Accused of spying ? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Accused of spying ? (Score:1)
Next time, hold your advice , unless you know something more than what you have seen from movies from 10 years ago. Get a life !!!
Re:Accused of spying ? (Score:1)
muahaha (Score:2, Informative)
you can have a sufficient (in fact better than any ipaq screen) map of the whole continent at every gas station. And if you get lost, just ask somebody.
sometimes modern is too modern!
Have to Agree Generally (Score:1)
GPS is great for undeveloped countries like the U.S. but having lived in eastern Europe and visited the places you mention - I think you will realize even maps are redundant. The local Train guide will have both maps and routes.
Actually (Score:1)
Honestly - from experience - the best times come from simple questions to strangers - give yourself as many reasons as possible to interact with the native people. - Unless of course - your goal is to become the President of the US.
GpsDrive (Score:3, Informative)
Re:GpsDrive (Score:1)
As far as which GPS to use: any of them. All GPS's that I know of use the same standard to transmit data to a PC. It's called NMEA. Garmin [garmin.com] makes a good GPS, it is what I used with GPSdrive. For a real good product, they are in the middle of the price curve.
If you are handy with electronics, you can make your own data link cable, there are instructons on the net.
As said before-paper maps. (Score:2, Informative)
Take your GPS coordinates and simple match them to a map. practice in the US first, it might be a good idea. Also, realise that hardware fails, and there isn't an iPaq vendor Slovakia. GPS is also interupted by mountains, extremely bad weather, ect. Travel with caution. Good Luck.
iPAQ with NAVMAN (Score:3, Informative)
I am using NAVMAN GPS jacket for iPAQ.
It comes with mapping software and European maps of diffrent countries and resolutions. (Vector maps of course). The "Eastern Europe High resolution" I am using is really high resolution map that have even a lot of streets in cities. Very detailed. Weights only 4 MB. By the way NAVMAN is sleek, small jacket, has CF slot built in!
Bundled SmartPath software itself is just what it needs to be. Much better than others.
Probably the best GPS solution for iPAQ out there.
Check out at navman.com. I bought it from expansys.co.uk.
Garmin GPS III+ (Score:5, Informative)
As easy as Google search (Score:1)
* Croatia: http://www.maptown.com/croatiamaps.html [maptown.com]
* Czech Republic: http://www.maptown.com/czechrepublicmaps.html [maptown.com]
Come on here, use some common sense before posting to Slashdot!
Ryan
maps for Hungary (Score:1)
Re:Dumbass (Score:1)
If you wanna see third world shithole, go hitchhike through the midwest. Eastern europe, especially Croatia, is more civilized than anything that North Americans can ever hope to achieve. Anyone can travel through the region with merely the basic cautions, without fear or any risk. I've seen Italians travel the Dalmatian coast with only 100DEM, a sleeping bag and a hash pipe, hitchiking from city to city. In states, that guy would end up with a sore ass in an Iowa road-side gas station washroom, or a bullet through his forhead in a dumpster behind the liquer store in L.A.
Well, posting in reply to an obvious troll will get my karma dropped, but this was too provoking.
options, not many, but some (Score:3, Funny)
Here's some advice from an old timer.
Instead of taking a GPS and fiddling with it all the time, you could (HORROR), try a service station after you arrive in Central Europe, or (SHREIK) try local language portals like www.seznam.cz or (EEEEE!) even call their national tourism offices in New York and Washington DC.... or the most dastardly thing of all..... order a European road atlas from Amazon.co.uk.
Low tech, but effective.
Problem is... (Score:1)
Also, you're really asking to have it all stolen while drunk.
Not that anyone backpacks through eastern europe just to drink alot and shag around....
Try... (Score:1)
Renting a car for Eastern Europe? (Score:1)
Is oreinteering a lost art? (Score:2)
Orienteering isn't that hard, and a lot cheaper than buying a GPS + iPaq + software, and is a lot less tempting to theives.