Car Rental
GPS and Navigation Add-Ons: Worth It or Skip It?
Weighing a rental company's GPS unit against your phone.
Weighing a rental company's GPS unit against your phone.
A dedicated GPS unit from the rental counter avoids relying on your phone's data plan, which matters in areas with weak signal or if you'd rather not pay for international roaming. On the other hand, most travelers already have offline map apps that cover the same functionality at no extra cost.
If you go the phone route, download your route's offline map region before you leave Wi-Fi, and bring a car charger or mount, since navigation drains battery quickly.