The Best GPS Units for Europe

Tom Tom Go 910

According to the editors at CNET, the Tom Tom Go 910 was the first portable Street Nav GPS with maps for both North America and Europe preinstalled. It's perfect for a trip to Europe offering features such as text-to-speech in 36 different languages. It'll tell you if there are ATM's, gas stations, hotels or other points of interest nearby, which is perfect if you need to gas up or grab a bite to eat before heading to or from the mountains, or wherever else you might be visiting that day. In addition to the typical navigator features you'd expect, this high end GPS also includes features such as a built-in MP3 player which is great for travel since that leaves you one less item to carry.

Garmin Nuvi 275t

The Garmin Nuvi 275t is similar to the Tom Tom Go, except without all the bells and whistles. Because of this, it is roughly $200 cheaper (in 2009), making it an excellent option for the budget conscious traveler. Like the Tom Tom Go, the Garmin Nuvi is preloaded with maps of both North America and Europe. It also offers turn-by-turn directions, speaks street names and also has a traffic receiver so you can avoid traffic to or from popular parks and beaches. One particularly useful feature is an SD card slot that allows you to purchase Garmin travel guides so that you can get detailed information on local attractions.

Garmin Oregon 400t

For a handheld device that you can take on the trails, the Garmin Oregon 400t is an excellent option. It comes preloaded with either European or North American maps. If you need maps of both continents, then you can simply purchase the extra maps from Garmin and upload them to your GPS. These maps can be expensive (over $100) but is essential if you plan to do a lot of hiking. Some of the great features on this GPS include paperless geocaching, so that you can upload the coordinates to a geocache via your home computer or laptop; detailed topographical maps; and a waterproof rating of up to 30 minutes in one meter of water.