Hi All-

I will be taking a trip in September to Spain and France, and have an iPad2 w/AT&T 3G service.

I am interested in using the iPad for GPS if possible, which has lead to a number of questions.

Any help people could provide would be much appreciated.

My questions are:

Does the AT&T 3G service work in Europe, and, what is the best/cheapest way to handle the billing for it? I am on the $25/month plan presently.

I assume I will need the 3G service if I'm going to use the iPad for GPS navigation. (I have a Garmin GPS as an alternative, but, would rather not have to drag that along if I don't have to, plus, it needs updated maps so will cost some $$.)

I am assuming US car chargers will work on rental cars in Europe?

It sounds as if the wall charger that came with the iPad2 will work in Europe based on other threads, it is just a matter of having the correct plug, is that correct? Is there a name for the type of plug found most commonly through Spain and France?

Thank you for your help.

Mattbert

The wall plug will work with European voltage.

As for the plug, you will see that it is in two parts. You can pull off the prong part and replace it with the European prongs. (I bought mine on Amazon.

Recently went to Honduras with a similar iPad2. Despite purchasing the AT&T international plan ahead of time, I couldn't get it to connect via a local carrier despite good signals from at least 3. I was able to use the resort's wifi however to connect for free. AT&T refunded my charge when I complained upon arrival home.

Next time I go abroad with my iPad2, I will first call AT&T's international support #. They have one for use in the states and another for use outside our borders, both supposedly free. Good luck and have fun!

Originally Posted by mattbert

Hi All-

I will be taking a trip in September to Spain and France, and have an iPad2 w/AT&T 3G service.

I am interested in using the iPad for GPS if possible, which has lead to a number of questions.

Any help people could provide would be much appreciated.

My questions are:

Does the AT&T 3G service work in Europe, and, what is the best/cheapest way to handle the billing for it? I am on the $25/month plan presently.

I assume I will need the 3G service if I'm going to use the iPad for GPS navigation. (I have a Garmin GPS as an alternative, but, would rather not have to drag that along if I don't have to, plus, it needs updated maps so will cost some $$.)

I am assuming US car chargers will work on rental cars in Europe?

It sounds as if the wall charger that came with the iPad2 will work in Europe based on other threads, it is just a matter of having the correct plug, is that correct? Is there a name for the type of plug found most commonly through Spain and France?

Thank you for your help.

Mattbert

You don't need the 3G service for navigation if you've already downloaded the maps to your navigation app. If you're using the native iPad Maps app then, yes, you do need 3G but most Members would recommend using another app that downloads the maps in advance - so you can do this before leaving on your trip. Then you'll save on (terrible) roaming charges. It's better to purchase local SIM cards for the iPad when you get to the countries you'll be visiting. Roaming charges are not good and you'll soon end up with a significant cost. It's wise to check in advance because obtaining SIM cards locally varies very much from country to country. In the UK, where I am, getting a pre-paid SIM card is exceptionally easy - walk into any of the mobile phone shops, pick your pre-pay option, pay - cash or credit - walk out, you're done. In some countries, though, the process is much more complex - France being a case in point. So you might want to check this out in advance. You'll find several threads here on Members' experiences on purchasing SIM cards in France, Spain and other European countries as well as comments on the cost and coverage.

Tim

Hi Everyone-

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Tim, that is really encouraging, I'm glad I wound up gettin the 3G model!

Does anyone have any navigation packages they recommend for this application that have the maps downloaded to the iPad device? I have the 64GB model and don't have a ton of things on it, so, I'm glad I spent the extra money at this point I think!

We would be travelling to Barcelona, then up towards Toulousse, FR through Andorra, so would love to get turn-by-turn directions if possible.

I am assuming that the accessory jacks would be the same in cars over there, so, I should be able to bring those adapters along, shouldn't I?

Thanks for all your help. Sorry for some of the noob questions!

Mattbert

Originally Posted by mattbert

Hi Everyone-

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Tim, that is really encouraging, I'm glad I wound up gettin the 3G model!

Does anyone have any navigation packages they recommend for this application that have the maps downloaded to the iPad device? I have the 64GB model and don't have a ton of things on it, so, I'm glad I spent the extra money at this point I think!

We would be travelling to Barcelona, then up towards Toulousse, FR through Andorra, so would love to get turn-by-turn directions if possible.

I am assuming that the accessory jacks would be the same in cars over there, so, I should be able to bring those adapters along, shouldn't I?

Thanks for all your help. Sorry for some of the noob questions!

Mattbert

One question answered - for sure - the accessory jacks in cars are exactly the same!!

Navigon is recommended by quite a few Members - so take a look - for turn-by-turn navigation.

Your trip sounds fantastic - I hope you have a really great time!!

Tim

Hi Tim-

Thanks very much! Do you know if Navigon loads the maps on the device, so, it works in disconnected mode?

It appears to be the case, I just wanted to confirm.

For the ~$90 it is in the app store, it's probably a lot cheaper than buying new maps for my existing GPS.

We're definitely looking forward to the trip.

thank you!

Mattbert

Navigon maps are preloaded, don't need an Internet connection.

I have used Tom Tom western Europe in England, Ireland, France, Germany,Italy, and Spain. It has worked very well and gotten me to places I would have never found otherwise.

Thanks everyone!

As luck would have it - or not have it - I should probably have ordered the Navigon ones a couple of weeks ago as I think they aren't on sale any more.

I am going to do a bit more checking and maybe take a look at the Tom Tom as well.

I have about a month before the trip so still a bit of time to explore.

Mattbert