iPhone 4 European SatNav app

[Dilyan]

tl;dr - recommend me a working and reliable full Europe satnav app, that you have used on a bike trip


My old Western Europe satnav that I used last year eventually gave up. Going to Ibiza in a few days (with rent a car there for us to mess about) and Spain the week after (on a bike). Also planning a decent European tour in the summer and will need both sides of Europe covered.
So, rather than buying TomTom or Garmin with full European mapping is there a decent app to replace them? I've just spent nearly an hour looking through the AppStore, read probably a hundred reviews and I'm left with mixed feelings - awful GPS signal, maps not included (every country has to be downloaded seperately), etc. etc. Anyone with experience - using it on a BIKE, not in a car - to recommend me a decent app? And no, I'm not buying an Android based phone

Don't think Apple has a return policy so don't fancy spending £80 on TomTom Europe just to find out that it struggles with the GPS signal or can't switch of the voice instructions (the really irritate me!)
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Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[Maccydee]

Does it use data? Because if it does you could run up a significant bill for International Data roaming.

[Dilyan]

[.....]

I have the Tomtom and it works very well, so long as you have an iPhone 4 or above with the better GPS chip.

Jailbreak it and get it for free if you like.

[firefox]

tomtom all the way, like joe says jail break it, install installaous, then get it for free
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bye bye gti <^>( ' . ' )<^>
*officer* what caused the crash ? *firefox* you see that wall up there sir ?
*officer* yes what about it *firefox* i tooted my horn but it refused to move i had to teach it a lesson.

[Maccydee]

[Dilyan]

Not a fan of dedicated satnavs anymore. Cost too much to start with, especially with the full Europe maps. Definitely want to use my phone. Can always switch the data transfer when abroad.

Jail breaking sounds like a good idea. But once its done can't update the OS anymore can I?
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Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[firefox]

yes you just update it when the new firmware comes out, it just means you'd lose the jail break.

[Taught2BCauti...]

I use apps called 'NavFree' - you download the countries you need as separate apps and the data is stored in the iPhone's memory, so doesn't cost you for data usage.

I have used the UK, France and Spain versions, and apart from some new roadworks near Burgos that weren't correctly mapped, (forgot to update before starting out) I have had no trouble.

I updated the Spain map before the return journey, and had no trouble finding my way past Burgos.
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Dilyan]

Already have it; doesn't work with Eastern Europe.

Also downloaded France on it - won't find some addresses I throw at it. Won't even find Paris

I might be doing it wrong.
____________________
Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[iooi]

[Dilyan]

Aware of that; but have YOU tested it?
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Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[Polarbear]

The only free satnav that I have used thats any good was googles own. I have heard people have issues with it but I haven't. I just turn it on on my galaxy tab and chuck it on the passenger seat of the hire car and it works fine. I don't know if you can get it for iphone though.

I have to agree with people who say getting a dedicated sat nav is better. You can pick them up for less than the tomtom app (car ones mounted in the fairing are fine), so why woud you risk your phone on a bike.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Paulington]

As has been said, if you have an iPhone 4, jailbreak it. When a new iOS comes out within a week or two the new jailbreak is out anyway so it's not that difficult.

Also, the actual jailbreaking nowadays is just plugging the iPhone into your computer, downloading a program, running it, waiting for a few minutes and then it's done!

Then you have almost all apps at your finger for free, for example all the TomTom satnav apps, which in my opinion are the best as their satnavs are the best, for free. Saves you something like £50 per TomTom app and it has all the ones on there you could possibly want.

I'd highly recommend jailbreaking it if you have an iPhone 4, plus you can make a lot of changes to the actual iPhone which will improve the aesthetics of it. I have a dedicated TomTom satnav but I think the apps are much better when combined with an in-car iPhone holder.

Cheers! !
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Polarbear]

Out of curiosity, how does it all become free after jailbreaking the phone? Does it mean you don't use i-tunes?
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[robbieguy2003]

I've ran Co Pilot for ages now, I use it over a seperate Garmin Nuvi that I had in the car, the phone is just better.

My brother in law spent a fortune on the TomTom kit and it does nothing differently than mine tbh.

It doesn't use data unless you use the live traffic services, but then it's not really much of an issue on the bike.

Admittedly the Euro map one is now £50 notes - I got the UK one for £20 a few years back, but it's top notch, has places/food/hotels near me and all that sort of guff.

I reckon if you did buy it you wouldn't need another one again.[/code]
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[.....]

No, you can use iTunes. Jailbreaking essentially just gives you access to the phone's file system allowing you to install what you like on it.

So download the app from a source and install it. That source is usually a program called Installous.

I just bought the Tomtom app when it was on sale.

[Paulington]

Yes, when you jailbreak your iPhone it increases the access you have to your phone basically.

You can use the iTunes store as normal, they still cost on there.

However, you use an app such as Cydia to install an app like Installous. This app is basically another iTunes store in which you can download the .ipa files which are the apps from a website just like MegaUpload and then Installous installs the apps on your phone.

It's well worth doing.
____________________
"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[LockyUK]

Garmin western europe, pre load maps then no data required solely gps = free, the app you can get for free by jailbreakinf as mentioned

[moppy]

I've tried Sygic around UK and it is pretty good but wouldn't know about Europe. There are maps for European countries available though and if the maps are as good as the software, you're probably good to go.

[iooi]