I'm so behind the times...

lauren9317

In a few weeks, MH and I are taking a trip to Maryland to see family. We'll be renting a car while we're there.

Neither of us have smart phones.. or phones with internet on them or whatever you are supposed to call them. We just have regular cell phones. So I know that for most people nowadays, if you are driving around an unfamiliar city, you can just use your phone to go on google maps and get directions. This means you don't have to really plan your trip in advance by printing out directions, like we often do. Right? We never even bring our laptops anywhere, but I'll have to do that for this trip. Supposedly the place we're staying has an internet connection, so I'm hoping I can look up driving directions on my laptop and just write them down on a piece of paper. We are staying in a guest room at my grandma's retirement community, lol. My sister stayed there a few months ago and said she was able to use her laptop. Hopefully it works out.

I just feel so old-fashioned, because I'm sitting her printing up directions to go from the airport to my grandma's place. We don't have GPS in our car (not that I've ever wanted it) so I still print directions out... like it's... I don't know, 2007? I guess people still did that back then?

Thoughts? If you were going on a trip like this, would it be a PITA for you not to have internet on your phone?

nicoleg1982

Not really.  Just add the GPS to your rental car.

lauren9317

Would you do that rather than print directions for free offline?

etteyam

Not really old-fashioned but that was one of the reasons I got a smart phone...to help me navigate and find establishments in unfamiliar areas. Shortly after we got married and got pg with DD1, H and I took a babymoon to Charleston. I forgot to bring my camera and I felt that I had to get a disposable cam. So we were trying to find a Walmart, we asked around and nobody knew or gave us the wrong directions. I ended up having to call my friend so she can do a map quest for us. It was a major PITA! And H and I had a huge fight over it, that I insisted on getting a stupid camera.

Aegis2005

We have a portable GPS in each of our cars.  If you want to borrow one of them, let me know.  I don't have any business trips to unfamiliar places in the next few weeks, and usually if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar, it's with my husband.

Mrs.Jason.9.15.07

For what it's worth, I still print out directions and I have a smart phone :

I have the Sprint Evo and I learned the hard way that the GPS is not to be trusted.  About three months ago we went to a wedding down by the border and got lost due to the GPS.  We really weren't anywhere close to the destination.  It was not really my idea of a good time since it took us to the GHETTO and being that close to the border always makes me super nervous.  

We finally did find the destination by calling the Bed and Breakfast that the wedding was hosted at and getting verbal directions over the phone.  But we ended up missing the ceremony.  

So now, I do initially start off using the GPS on my phone but if I feel like we're getting off track I compare the route to my print out.  A few times I gave up on the GPS and stuck to the old fashioned way, LOL.   

cliffswife_721

I still print directions off Mapquest whenever I need them and I have a smart phone but not a GPS in my car or anything so I guess I'm old fashioned too haha :-)

lauren9317

Aegis2005:

We have a portable GPS in each of our cars.  If you want to borrow one of them, let me know.  I don't have any business trips to unfamiliar places in the next few weeks, and usually if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar, it's with my husband.

That is really nice of you. I have never used GPS before, if I borrowed yours, is it as easy as just putting it in my rental car? Sorry, I am totally clueless about it

lauren9317

cliffswife_721:

I still print directions off Mapquest whenever I need them and I have a smart phone but not a GPS in my car or anything so I guess I'm old fashioned too haha :-)

Yay! I'm glad others still print them  

ChangeOfPace

Lauren, you sound just like me.  Even though DH bought a portable GPS and could also get GPS directions on his iPhone, I always printed out MapQuest directions.  Old habits die hard.  

The worst thing here is that there are no addresses anywhere so it's pretty much useless to use GPS and you can't use MapQuest.  People give directions the old fashioned way- using landmarks.  Take the second right after Tamimi and it's right behind the Kudu- lol.

MrsMEW

I'm another map-printer here. I have a Blackberry but it sucks enormously and I have never had any success using the navigation app thingies. So I print Google Maps directions ahead of time. When we went on all our road trips this summer, I had whole file folders devoted to my maps from place to place.

I have never used a GPS in a car. But I also haven't owned a car in six years. 

So yeah, I don't judge you.  

tashaandsage

I don't have any navigation on my phone, so I've always just printed from Map-Quest. My H's car has a built in GPS, so now I'll usually just take his car if I am going anywhere outside of Sarasota and find myself getting lost a whole lot less.

Aegis2005

lauren9317:

Aegis2005:

We have a portable GPS in each of our cars.  If you want to borrow one of them, let me know.  I don't have any business trips to unfamiliar places in the next few weeks, and usually if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar, it's with my husband.

That is really nice of you. I have never used GPS before, if I borrowed yours, is it as easy as just putting it in my rental car? Sorry, I am totally clueless about it

Just plugs into the cigarette lighter - super easy.  Sometimes it takes a little bit for it to get a signal, but it's pretty simple to use.

mrs.jenRN

MrsMEW:

I'm another map-printer here. I have a Blackberry but it sucks enormously and I have never had any success using the navigation app thingies. So I print Google Maps directions ahead of time. When we went on all our road trips this summer, I had whole file folders devoted to my maps from place to place.

So yeah, I don't judge you.  

This exactly! Plus I've found GPS devices to be unreliable and when you lose a signal....forget it. You're screwed! I always carry a map/print directions if I'm going someplace new because I've been left high and dry.