Dijon or Beaune as a base?

[Roz]

Flennie, I never have a problem with T-mobile's data being too slow for navigation. However, sometime when you get in a rural area, there is no cell coverage. So we have a navigation app on our phone which has the maps pre-downloaded. We have had to switch to that sometimes when out in the country.

I know you are supposed to be able to download Google maps ahead of time to avoid the loss-of-service problem, but I haven't ever made that work very well on an iPhone. Probably it is better on an Android phone. City Maps to Go would also help, although as you know, you can't get turn-by-turn navigation with that.

We have the TomTom app for western Europe, which we bought several years ago. It still allows us to update our maps for no extra cost, although I believe the newer versions of the app require you to pay a subscription fee. I don't like TomTom's interface as well as Google, but it's good to have if you can't get data access and don't have another GPS. It seems that recently we have always had GPS in our rental cars as well, so you might check on that.

We always buy travel insurance, both in case of travel problems and because Medicare doesn't cover us outside the US. The plan we got also includes comprehensive auto insurance for something like $25 extra. Our Visa card (not Chase) is also supposed to include auto insurance, but I've never been really sure how well that would work.

 

[flennie]

Roz, I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that T-Mobile is fast enough for auto navigation, provided you have cell connection. What app do you use for offline navigation on your iPhone?

I will look more closely into the auto insurance issue.

Thanks, Augie, Roz, and Pauline for the useful tips

 

[Chris]

I find driving in France very easy. I use my Verizon data plan for my iPhone to use it as a GPS and for voice as wellIt's charged in 100 mb chunks for $25' and they add another when you exceed the limit. I'm in Provence now , just finishing up a 3 week trip of driving every day and not skimping on using the GPS (nicknamed Wanda this trip), and my total will be $100. It's so convenient not to have other equipment to learn. I just use google maps on the phone.

When you get used to roundabouts, they are great, much safer and more efficient than than left turns. Just remember not to pull into a roundabout until you have room, then relax and watch the signs or listen to Wanda to find your exit. If unsure which exit to take just go around again until you find it. I tend to stay in the outside lane.

The two cars I've been driving this trip both have a convenient rest for a smart phone on the center console. I like to use a map before I get in the car to form a mental image of where I'm going, but once I'm in the car, I rely on signs and Wanda.

I find French drivers to be courteous and competent. They might mildly express their impatience if you're slowing things down, but you can't blame them for that.

As far as insurance , check the credit card you will use to see what they cover and do your research ahead of time if you want additional coverage. When you've just stumbled off a plane after 12-20 hours of traveling, you can almost guarantee that the car rental company will try to upsell you into way more insurance than you need. If you've done your homework, it's easy to just say no.

I highly recommend renting through AutoEurope. They are an America broker who arrange rentals with several car rental agencies. You can always reach a helpful English-speaking person by phone at AutoEurope. They've saved me three times over the years, once when my train was late and would have left me stranded from Friday night to Monday morning (they had a taxi meet the train and take us to the nearest available car), once when the rental company was trying to refuse our insurance when we had a minor accident, and once when I locked my keys in the trunk on a Sunday afternoon in very small town.

 

[Roz]

Roz, I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that T-Mobile is fast enough for auto navigation, provided you have cell connection. What app do you use for offline navigation on your iPhone?

Flennie, TomTom is the app I have. However, I don't think I'd recommend buying it now. When we got it a few years back, there were fewer options for such apps, and you can't even buy the version we have any more. The new version is called GoMobile, and it isn't very well reviewed.

I have seen two free apps for offline navigation -- one called Map.Me, which is totally free, but I don't think it has voice navigation. The other one is Sygic, which does have an extra-cost option for voice. I have not used either one, but you might want to look into them.

 

[flennie]

Thanks Chris for the useful information. I reserved the rental car through Europcar directly. When I went through AutoEurop, it said no automatics were available. I will study my Chase offers as far as rental car coverage goes.

Roz, I downloaded Google maps for my local area as a trial to navigate without data. It worked well. The names of the streets to turn and freeway exits to get off were displayed on my iPhone but the voice navigation did not call out the names - just something like "make a right at he next corner", "take the next exit...".

I also downloaded Map.Me. It looks pretty good, looks like Google map, though, as you said, it doesn't have voice direction. Hopefully, one of these options will work when I'm in France.

 

[flennie]

I just returned from my trip and want to thank everyone for their advice. Our stay in Beaune was very pleasant, and the drive in the countryside was scenic and relatively easy, though one lane roads, especially along rolling hills, was a little disconcerting as I never encounter such (with oncoming traffic) in LA. Beaune was definitely a better and more pleasant base than Dijon. I visited the latter for a day and had a good time there nevertheless (followed the Owl's trail). It was definitely more pleasant to spend 7 days in Beaune, which offered lots to do, including walks in the vineyards and sampling the grapes left on the vine after the harvest. Beaune offered lots of restaurant choices, and the Saturday outdoor market offered many fresh food choices as well. Needless to say, wine was superb.

During the 3 days we had a car, we drove to Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Semurs-en-Auxois, Autun, Chagny, and Meursault. I was a little nervous about driving on autoroutes but got a hang of it quickly. It was easier than driving on departmental roads. Google map using T-Mobile (offline and online) worked perfectly as GPS. All in all, we had a really good time in Burgundy. Merci!