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Traveling to Europe - New iPad 3G

I

iFrankie

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 12, 2003
78
0
We are traveling to Europe in a few weeks. We ordered a new iPad 3G to take with us. Mainly for movies and GPS, along with all the other really cool stuff the iPad can do.

I've been doing some reading on the forum about the GPS capabilities. It looks like a lot of people like the Motionx GPS HD app. The other app is Navigon. The European version of Navigon is $80, so I'm little apprehensive about buying it.

Any advice from those that have traveled to another country with their iPad? Did you find any cool GPS apps that helped during your trip?

As a side question, are there any options for 3G internet access while in Europe? Does AT&T offer such a thing?

Thanks.
 
Where in Europe are you going??

Also navigon is a fantastic app. Hopefully it'll be hd'd by the time you travel.
 
iFrankie said:
My wife and I are traveling to Europe in a few weeks. We ordered a new iPad 3G to take with us. Mainly for movies and GPS, along with all the other really cool stuff the iPad can do.

I've been doing some reading on the forum about the GPS capabilities. It looks like a lot of people like the Motionx GPS HD app. The other app is Navigon. The European version of Navigon is $80, so I'm little apprehensive about buying it.

Any advice from those that have traveled to another country with their iPad? Did you find any cool GPS apps that helped during your trip?

As a side question, are there any options for 3G internet access while in Europe? Does AT&T offer such a thing?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You can use the AT&T international plan-- or there is a new company I just read about today. Where are you going? Makes a difference for Wi-FI coverage.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/14/maxroam-micro-sim-ipad/
 
We are going to Germany first for a week and then to Paris (Louvre, etc) and then to Bordeaux.

We start the trip at the end of May.
 
iFrankie said:
We are going to Germany first for a week and then to Paris (Louvre, etc) and then to Bordeaux.

We start the trip at the end of May.
Click to expand...

there are a ton of WI-FI spots on Paris. I used the iPhone international data plan from AT&T, with the 200 mb package for a 1 month trip and had no issues. Depending on your budget I would use the AT&T international option for the iPad- the good thing about the package is that there are no potential overages because when you use it all it ends. You also have the option to renew.
 
We spent 4 days in Paris and 4 days traveling through Switzerland by train last summer. We both just had our iPhone 3Gs in airplane mode and relied on Wifi hotspots....which were plentiful. We were for the experience though and not to have our noses buried in our iPhones. Next time...hopefully there will be a next time....it will be with iPad and iPhones. Might have to try buying a sim over there if the prices are reasonable.

Steve
 
Get MotionX it is iPad HD now. I just got it and it is awesome. Only $3 is a super bargain. You can download maps for the countries you are visiting and also use it in the US. I plan on using it for my Ireland visit. :)
 
If you want to be able to find every address in Europe, get a TomTom.
I live in the Netherlands, traveled through England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, a tiny bit of Switzerland without TomTom (they confiscate the Tomtom if it has warnings against speed traps), and France and Spain. TomTom rules in Europe. But it's just so expensive.

OTOH if you just go to city centre's and landmarks etc, almost any navigation will get you there.

3G in Europe, now there is some money being made for TelCo's: if I get my 3G sim on in the next country, I pay somewhere between 2,50 and 12,50 in Euro's per 1 Mb. So you would need to get a new sim for every country. You can't get any micro-sims yet, so you'll have to cut them yourself and then there is the problem that as far as I know there aren't any prepaid data-only sims, you need to get a 1 year plan....
So I would suggest sticking with the AT&T international plan :D
 
If you travel after the international launch date on may 28th, the micro sims will be available. Here in Germany the telco's offer various prepaid versions but that would mean you have to swap sims every time you cross a border.
So, if you're not streaming videos, maybe the AT&T international plan (I think bookable on the AT&T website) might suit you.

I use the navigon app here in Germany on iphone and ipad albeit not scaled yet, but the navigation is super smooth and for sightseeing there's an app called

If you like, PM me before you start your trip, so I can check the local prices in Germany for you.

And have a nice trip :D
 
alecgold said:
...You can't get any micro-sims yet, so you'll have to cut them yourself and then there is the problem that as far as I know there aren't any prepaid data-only sims, you need to get a 1 year plan....
So I would suggest sticking with the AT&T international plan :D
Click to expand...

Correct that you can't get any micro-sims yet, but you will be able to shortly, only O2's iPad tariff will be truly pre-pay, Orange and Vodafone will credit check you as they will bill you later for your usage although there is no minimum term.

Incorrect about pre-paid SIMs. In the UK O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3 all offer pre-paid data SIMs, just not micro-SIMs.
 
I was in Paris last week with a Wifi only iPad.

While there are many wifi hot spots, nearly all are secured and require a login. There were wifi hot spots there were advertised as free public wifi, that required a username and password with no proposed method for getting them.

I found that I was generally restricted to McD's and Starbucks for wifi, how ironic.

What I am getting at is that you may want to assume you will be using primiarly 3g in paris. Don't expect you'll be able to significantly augment your 3g with wifi

The apple store under the Lourve is very nice btw.
 
I am an American living in Europe and can confirm that the iPad will work here no problems. The thing is, the Navigon app does not seem to work well and I would not trust it. It was developed to work on iPhone OS 3.1.3, and while most apps work when coming over from the iPhone to the iPad, some don't. I used MotionX HD and it is okay. It will get you where you need to go.

Get pre-paid sim cards and be prepared to cut them down to fit. Make sure you get data included.
 
WLS said:
Get MotionX it is iPad HD now. I just got it and it is awesome. Only $3 is a super bargain. You can download maps for the countries you are visiting and also use it in the US. I plan on using it for my Ireland visit. :)
Click to expand...

+1. Very well done app and almost free at $3. It's easily worth double that. Ha. ha.
 
Regardless off all other answers...

I wouldn't use the ipad in Paris.... It's very nice to look at it with the big screen but!! I was travelling last week in Rome with my ipad in the backpack and my iphone in my pocket and just found myself looking all the time in the iphone. much more convenient.
As for the maps - use tom-tom or Navigon they both great and no need of data plan that will rip you.
bottom line - for on foot nav use your iphone!
 
From the connectivity perspective, I would recommend getting a Boingo data plan. While this will only provide you with WiFi connectivity, you will find that with a Boingo plan, thousands of those WiFi hotspots that show as secured are now available to you. While this is not as convenient as 3G, the European metro areas offer a pretty good WiFi coverage and so you should have connectivity almost whenever needed.
 
WLS said:
Get MotionX it is iPad HD now. I just got it and it is awesome. Only $3 is a super bargain. You can download maps for the countries you are visiting and also use it in the US. I plan on using it for my Ireland visit. :)
Click to expand...

I bought this this morning based on this thread - i had no idea that i could get any gps app for $3! I just hadn't looked, but hey, for $3 - why not.

SO, i went to a meeting at noon. First, the street wasn't in my Nav in the car. I went where Google maps had taken me - and it was the wrong street name, and I was irked.

Then I turned on MotionX, typed it in - it found it with the right name and pointed me in the correct direction.

I realize now the problem is the "typical" FLorida road thing - 3-4 names at a minimum for every road. IN this case, my Nav had the County Road name in it, and google was confused.

But that $3 today meant i didn't have to call for directions - like the person that showed up 15 minutes after me for the same problem! So, thanks guys! :D
 
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