Fancy helping a Sat Nav complete novice?

[MumAreWeThereYet]

NC. I lost my main co-pilot and navigator a few months ago. I have to go on some long and complicated new journeys starting quite soon and have decided that I need to buy a Sat Nav to be able to tackle this with any confidence, especially as I'm feeling quite tired and emotional a lot of the time. I've always been resistant to Sat Navs in the past, preferring a map, but the time has come to take the plunge.

Is anyone ready, willing and able to help me navigate pun intended the strange new world of Sat Navs please?

This is the situation:

• Journeys will only be in the UK
• I'm the opposite of a tech geek
• Car is about 20 years old I prefer to think of it as a classic, not an old wreck
• I definitely want a Sat Nav and don't* *want to use a smartphone instead
• I don't want to/can't waste money and whatever I buy needs to last.

Any recommendations, things to consider, things to avoid? I've seen Halford's sell them, for example, and with an option for fitting for an extra £35?

TIA

Garmin are usually reliable and easy to use
most of them just stick to the windscreen and plug into a cigarette lighter certainly don’t pay Halfords for doing that

On amazon

Agree with garmin and don’t pay Halfords, they’re so easy to plug in!

I agree with don’t pay anyone to fit it. Just get a windscreen attachment.

Do modern sat navs give traffic updates? I still have a sat nav, but tend to use my phone because it reroutes me if there is any kind of hold up en route.

Thanks pps.

most of them just stick to the windscreen and plug into a cigarette lighter certainly don’t pay Halfords for doing that

don’t pay Halfords, they’re so easy to plug in!

I agree with don’t pay anyone to fit it.

I wonder why Halford's say it can take up to an hour depending on the vehicle and justify charging £35 then?

Garmin are usually reliable and easy to use

Agree with garmin

I'd heard of TomTom but it looks like the only votes are for Garmin so far.

Why don’t you want to use a smart phone?

Do modern sat navs give traffic updates? I still have a sat nav, but tend to use my phone because it reroutes me if there is any kind of hold up en route.

I've seen that some are advertised with live traffic updates, either inbuilt - obviously more expensive - or if you link to a smartphone, which I don't want to do. I don't want one with built in Amazon Alexa either.

I assume the in built live traffic updates are really useful, especially if driving alone - or are they just confusing? Are they worth the extra money?

Don't buy a satnav- just upload Waze on to your phone. It's free, incredibly reliable and updates on the traffic as you are driving!

Agree, live traffic updates are so useful

Thanks pps but I definitely don't want to use a smartphone as I say in my OP. I want to keep it separate and it's also a pretty old model.

The other question I had is whether a 5" screen is easily usable or whether I need a bigger screen?

I just use Google maps. Traffic updates and reroute as needed, maps constantly updated for new traffic rules. I too would ask why you wouldn't just use a phone. It's the cheapest option (assuming you have a phone). You can download the maps before leaving home to save internet usage of you are on pay as you go. On the past I used an old phone without a sim card. Load the map and route at home on WiFi then use the phone as a GPS, but you lose the reroute option due to no traffic updates.

I know you've said you don't want to use your phone but honesty OP they're a million times better than the old fashioned sat-navs especially if you've never used one before.

For your phone you just download an app, put in the postcode/address and bingo it's done! You may not even have to download, google/Apple maps may already be on there.

If you're a technophobe it's much easier than a sat nav.

Update to about traffic, suggests other routes, speed cameras. I'm not sure the old Satnavs do this.

The problem with sat nags if that if something changes (big crash and road closed in front of you etc) your sat nav may not tell you.

Anything like a phone map is linked to live updates and will re direct you off onto a new route before you end up sat in 3 hours of traffic,

My Tom Tom satnav does live traffic - well it did until I changed my phone and I just cannot get it to work now. It's a real shame - I've had a couple if tom toms and really like them. The live traffic one used to calculate my average speed when going through average speed restrictions on the motorway - fantastic!

I assume the in built live traffic updates are really useful, especially if driving alone - or are they just confusing? Are they worth the extra money?

I wouldn't drive any distance without having traffic updates TBH. I regularly drive between Sheffield and Newcastle and have the choice of driving up the A1 or the A19. A traffic update will tell me whether there has been a traffic accident or other hold up on the roads so I can change my route accordingly. When driving any distance I have the satnav app on even if I know the route just for the traffic updates.

Waze is excellent. It even warns you about traffic cameras and cars on the hard shoulder.

If you must stick to a satnav Garmin are better than TomTom IMO

@Seeline the OP does not want to link it to her phone though

You definitely want something with live updates on traffic so it can reroute you round traffic, crashes, roadworks etc. frankly they are all pretty similar, I’d suggest a trip to a big Halfords to have a look at them so you can see the screens and sizes and try out the menu.

But another vote here for your phone, or a phone upgrade - even my Luddite DH is going to give it a try now his tomtom has died.

I hated my Tom Tom.
I really like and trust my Garmin. I find it more intuitive to use.
I like that I can have the voice control up as loud as I need.

I attach my Garmin to the windscreen by a suction cup thingy. Halfords were not involved in fitting anything!

Are you getting confused with a camera? Halfords fit those for about £35 cos I bought one for my partner & a cable has to be run internally around the head lining but hidden.

Speak to Halfords face to face for advice. Go when the shop is quiet. Take your time to choose.

I don’t use my phone because I can never hear the voice instructions but that’s because I’m hard of hearing!

You’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Enjoy your trips.

My green swears by this. Or there is the Tom Tom app as well that is really good. As it's off line, so handy for areas with poor reception. Traffic management is really useful.

I'm trying to persuade my usually non Luddite dad, to throw away his sat nav and use the one on his apple Car play. I've demonstrated it twice!

One problem I have with my Sat Nav is it doesn't have new roads on it. According to it, I regularly drive through a lake and across fields.... aka the A14!

I should think Halfords will charge for wiring in a satnav, so that’s probably where the costs are. Garmin seem to be the popular choice, so see what fits your budget and plug it in, as pp have said. New cars mostly have an inbuilt satnav that does live updates and reroutes you and shows the congestion.