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GPS advice/long-distance travel
mrmr
nameless protagonistRegistered User regular
nameless protagonistRegistered User regular
I've been kinda putting this off, but no longer. Long story short, I'm in a semi-long-distance relationship with a person, and we only see each other for the most part at big friend gatherings or the anime conventions we frequent. I am kind of a nervous driver, and my biggest fear in that regard is getting lost/getting in an accident far from home. I want to be able to drive down to her confidently, I guess, as it's been me bumming rides from friends until now.
So my question is if anyone can recommend a decent but less expensive kind of GPS system. Or alternatively a GPS-like app for Android, as I have a tablet I could conceivably use instead, although I dunno how those can compare with an actual GPS.
And on that note any tips or passing advice for driving long distances. I am relatively fine with freeway travel (more now than I used to be), but if anyone has any kind of pointers it'd be rad of you. This would be a 2.5-ish hour drive (the longest i've ever driven was around an hour down to a fair and then an hour back).
So my question is if anyone can recommend a decent but less expensive kind of GPS system. Or alternatively a GPS-like app for Android, as I have a tablet I could conceivably use instead, although I dunno how those can compare with an actual GPS.
And on that note any tips or passing advice for driving long distances. I am relatively fine with freeway travel (more now than I used to be), but if anyone has any kind of pointers it'd be rad of you. This would be a 2.5-ish hour drive (the longest i've ever driven was around an hour down to a fair and then an hour back).
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Also I don't think most people would consider 2.5 hours long distance, but I could be wrong. Generally the main tip for driving any sort of distance is to make sure you're full on gas before you leave, make sure you have potential emergency supplies (snacks, water, blanket) just in case of a break down, and to at least look at your route a few times on a map (and maybe print it out from the computer using google maps) so in case your electronics fail you, you have a backup. If you feel uncomfortable, stop at rest areas for a bit and stretch your legs.
As far as a standalone GPS goes, my parents have a Garmin that they like, it's one of the cheaper ones. It works pretty well for the most part.
Google Maps ONLY works if you save your map offline AND it only navigates if you start your trip with internet. We got it to work, but if you need to reroute, well... not ideal.
The 2nd option was Navfree, and that was a little quirky. We never got it to work reliably.
The 3rd option, Sygic, worked quite well. It loads the maps offline and even does navigation offline. This is was perfect for my wi-fi tablet. We navigated several locations around an unfamiliar city without any fuss. I noticed a lot of the complaints for Sygic were European related, so I can't speak of that, but it did perfectly well in Wisconsin. I only used the 7 day trial, but after my experience, I'd certainly pay for the full version. It was far easier to use than Maps and Navfree, and the offline functionality is great.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygic.aura&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5zeWdpYy5hdXJhIl0.
If you're going with GPS travel, make sure you get a mount and charger for your device. For reference, I used the Nexus 7 for these trials.
And as a redundancy plan, it doesn't hurt to print directions via Google Maps. People navigated just fine before GPS using ol' fashion directions, so they still work pretty well as a backup.
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
My wife and I got a pretty cheap Tom-Tom at Best Buy last year. It was still I think about $120, but it was significantly cheaper than almost all the other ones they have and it's worked great for us.
I can think of a few suggestions which might make it easier:
Since you're not used to driving for extend periods then plan for rest stops. Not that you absolutely must do the stops but make sure you know the options on the route so taking a stop is easy - and also I'd suggest having a break
When you make a stop walk around a little - it will refresh you.
Also drive mid-day if possible to avoid heavy traffic and have daylight and make sure to be well rested beforehand.
Missing a turn, taking a wrong turn or even getting lost happen to everyone. Just bring a map.
Note. If you go for a GPS solution then bring an old fashioned one anyway - they always work and do give a better overview.
Finally - I suspect that after the drive you'll fell it wasn't that bad. My own experience is that taking it easy and making sure not to be in a rush helped a lot when driving longer than usual. Millions of people do it everyday and city traffic is really much worse than the freeways.
This Garmin has a nice, large, easy to read screen, and has a lifetime map updates subscription, so you don't have to worry about paying to make sure it's up-to-date.
Also, all the advice from above is great too.
To expand on this tip, if you miss an exit or a turn, do not swerve to get into the correct lane, just go to the next exit and turn around there. And if you're feeling lost or stressed out it is better to pull over and get your bearings than to drive around with only part of your attention on the road. People will understand if you're running late, being safe should always be the top priority.
If this doesn't work, you're in an east coast city and probably have internet access.