Directions...

[madmumof2]

I have paid off my holiday!! Woohoo!! Tickets should be here within the week too

So now I'm in full planning mode!!

I'm looking for the cheapest sat nav with both UK and US maps if anyone knows where to get one? Simple is fine, just need to get from A-B, no fancy stuff. Our UK one is on it's way out so we need a new one anyway, so figured I may as well get one with US maps too to use on our holiday too.

Also, we're flying into Stansted and staying in a villa. Is it best to get the villa keys first, then go to walmart (or similar) to stock up on some food, or the other way around? I'm not sure what is where and don't want to go back on ourselves, we'll be tired enough!

I don't think I can order food (used gardengrocer.com last year) as I don't know the address to our villa yet, and won't until we get there

 

[wayneg]

Do you want the satnav for when you arrive? if not then the cheapest way is buy at Walmart, you can order this to be waiting at your local Walmart for £36 incl tax http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-ON...Spoken-Street-Names/19599005?findingMethod=rr
I am not sure how much memory this one has, if you want something better then this is £60 incl tax with free lifetime map updates and it probably has enough memory to download the UK maps when you get home. http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-XX...ifetime-Map-Updates/14585208?findingMethod=rr

I bought this one last year, they had it on offer, I think it was £35, last week I downloaded the UK maps to it, it easily switches between UK & US, the UK maps were priced at £39.95, I found an £8 code plus 8% Quidco brought price down to £29.80. So for about £65 I got the unit with US maps(1 year free updates) and UK maps.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-4.3-XL-335SE-GPS-Navigation-System/14301699

If you want it on arrival watch Ebay but the same units sell for about double the cost.

 

[madmumof2]

Do you want the satnav for when you arrive? if not then the cheapest way is buy at Walmart, you can order this to be waiting at your local Walmart for £36 incl tax http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-ON...Spoken-Street-Names/19599005?findingMethod=rr
I am not sure how much memory this one has, if you want something better then this is £60 incl tax with free lifetime map updates and it probably has enough memory to download the UK maps when you get home. http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-XX...ifetime-Map-Updates/14585208?findingMethod=rr

I bought this one last year, they had it on offer, I think it was £35, last week I downloaded the UK maps to it, it easily switches between UK & US, the UK maps were priced at £39.95, I found an £8 code plus 8% Quidco brought price down to £29.80. So for about £65 I got the unit with US maps(1 year free updates) and UK maps.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-4.3-XL-335SE-GPS-Navigation-System/14301699

If you want it on arrival watch Ebay but the same units sell for about double the cost.

I need to buy before we leave as we'd need a sat nav to be able to find walmart in the first place! lol And we need a UK one now anyway to replace the old one. Just no idea what I'm looking for, don't know anything about adding maps or how to do it etc anything, total noob with sat navs :S

I just know I need to be able to get from A-B in the UK now, then in US in October lol

 

[Invisable89]

What company are you renting your car from? Can't they offer you a Sat Nav? (Probably with an added price). I know you can rent cars with Sat Nav's included or built in.

 

[madmumof2]

What company are you renting your car from? Can't they offer you a Sat Nav? (Probably with an added price). I know you can rent cars with Sat Nav's included or built in.

It's alamo I think, part of a package. I thought there was a daily rental price which was quite steep? And we'd need one for the UK as well anyway.

 

[wayneg]

I need to buy before we leave as we'd need a sat nav to be able to find walmart in the first place! lol And we need a UK one now anyway to replace the old one. Just no idea what I'm looking for, don't know anything about adding maps or how to do it etc anything, total noob with sat navs :S

I just know I need to be able to get from A-B in the UK now, then in US in October lol

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_nr...11&h=6cf91f13bd8ad37e0ae80b91a1c4d8f77016232a
Cost of a UK unit is around £100, then you can buy US maps, some have SD slot some you have to swap maps some like mine have enough memory for both UK & US maps (I think you need at least 2GB IIRC to store both at once) The US maps will cost you about £30, as I said about double buying in US plus the US versions are better spec and free lifetime map updates with some.
No way would I pay that kind of money for satnav, I would buy in US or do without. They are not really needed around the theme park area, only if exploring a little further afield. Everything from the airport to the parks have signs or there are very good maps.

What company are you renting your car from? Can't they offer you a Sat Nav? (Probably with an added price). I know you can rent cars with Sat Nav's included or built in.
If you are set on buying here keep watching ebay or http://www.hotukdeals.com/all/deals/new if anyone spots a deal they post it here.

Only reasonable rate just now is Virgin, they have an offer for £1/day, other companies all charge around $5/day &tax. cheaper to buy in most cases, plus if you buy out there and sell on return you can upto double your money, renting you lose everything it costs.

 

[Invisable89]

It's alamo I think, part of a package. I thought there was a daily rental price which was quite steep? And we'd need one for the UK as well anyway.

Okay, you could always ask if your car has one built in anyway? & If not you could always ask how much they are to rent? I don't think they're that expensive to rent but since your car is part of a package it might well be expensive. Because finding a Sat Nav with UK & USA Maps isn't easy or cheap from what i'm aware of.

But for Sat Nav's in general your best bet is to look on websites like Halfords, Currys, Amazon etc.

 

[RDP]

I use my iPhone, I use a free uk app and paid £2.99 for the Co pilot USA app. Co pilot doesn't use data so no extra phone charges apply.

 

[madmumof2]

Ouch! That's a big price difference! If there's an easy way to get to a walmart from sanford airport?? I would risk it I think and buy there if there was no way I'd get lost? lol This will be my first time driving in U.S! :S

 

[wayneg]

Ouch! That's a big price difference! If there's an easy way to get to a walmart from sanford airport?? I would risk it I think and buy there if there was no way I'd get lost? lol This will be my first time driving in U.S! :S

I did about 20 trips before getting a Satnav, can only remember once getting lost., certainly didn't from Sanford. Suggestion above is good, if you have iphone or Android phone use something off there until you get to Walmart or a map. Google maps are free and easy to use.

 

[madmumof2]

I did about 20 trips before getting a Satnav, can only remember once getting lost., certainly didn't from Sanford. Suggestion abouve is good, if you have iphone or Android phone use something off there until you get to Walmart or a map. Google maps are free and easy to use.

I haven't got either of those But getting from Sanford to Walmart should be easy enough?

I guess if my phone works in the US (the one I had last time didn't) and it has the internet I could just google 'google maps'? Would just need the postcodes?

 

[wayneg]

I haven't got either of those But getting from Sanford to Walmart should be easy enough?

I guess if my phone works in the US (the one I had last time didn't) and it has the internet I could just google 'google maps'? Would just need the postcodes?

Just write down the directions before you leave home, or print off the map, no need to do it there.
No idea which Walmart you would use but this is one we use near LBV

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr...jdfyJg&oq=walmart+turkey+lake&mra=ls&t=m&z=11

 

[madmumof2]

Ooh totally forgot about tolls! Do they only take change? Should I leave a fair chunk of change in the car?

 

[wayneg]

Ooh totally forgot about tolls! Do they only take change? Should I leave a fair chunk of change in the car?

Its a few years since we used Sanford, no tolls just drove from airport to I4 and down, no idea how many or how much they are now, maybe someone will post.

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

There are big manned toll booths at the start of the journey who will give you change up to $20 on the 417. Some of the exit routes will have unmanned baskets so keep some of your coins from your change for these.