Phones are excellent for navigation in many situations, but to get the best directions, you need a dedicated GPS device. This is especially true when you're traveling abroad because you might not have your phone with you. Dedicated GPS devices have updated maps of foreign roads, work without a cellular signal, and are easy to take with you in a rental car or on the go. These are the best GPS units for when you're traveling abroad.
Be cautious about creeping costs
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GPS units are often designed for just one region. If you go on Amazon, you'll see a ton of highly rated GPS devices for North America, just the U.S., or Europe. Those devices could very well be excellent, but they won't help you when you're abroad. Some devices allow you to pay for additional content, but the costs of that can add up quickly.
Just the City Navigation Europe NT pack for Garmin costs $100. If you end up having to pay for multiple regions, your maps could end up costing more than your device. We included the Garmin Drive 52 in this list because its initial cost is so low and the fact that Garmin is a well-respected brand, but if you buy an expensive unit and need to buy maps, you're going to end up spending a lot.
Get up and go travel
Whether you're renting a car, trekking through the outdoors, or navigating as a passenger, you'll want some help with navigation when you travel. There are a wide range of options available, including convenient GPS units for the car, wearable navigation tools, and a handheld communicator with a GPS. If you have the right device, it will provide a definitively better navigation experience than using a smartphone.
If you're in a car, the TomTom GO 520 is the way to go. It's small enough to fit into a bag or suitcase, and it's affordable. It gets lifetime updates of its world maps and also works well with your smartphone, including handling phone calls and reading text messages out loud.
If you're traveling off-road, you'll want to check out the Casio Pro Trek Touchscreen Outdoor Smart Watch. It has built-in GPS and an altimeter. You can also download different maps onto it to make sure you have coverage in an area.
