Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

Do you have a GPS navigation system in your car? My guess is that you probably don't. It's a cool concept and I've been with friends who have had them in rental cars -- they work well. The thing is, I drive the same roads pretty much every day. I'm not a delivery guy (though delivering pizza seems like it would be a really funny job) and I'm not a real estate agent so my personal day-to-day need for a navigation system is just about zero.

However, this summer I'm going to be in New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia and I'll be driving all over the place. Since I really don't know my way around, I'm obviously going to need something. So, I sent a message to my friend John over at TripGadgets to ask a few questions about renting a GPS navigation system.

The idea of renting a navigation system is fantastic in my opinion, but since I've never personally used a navigation system, I don't know much about it. This is the message I sent John:

1. How good is the coverage of the maps? I'm going to a tiny little place in New Jersey called Long Beach Island or Long Beach Township. 2. How much to rent a GPS for about 1.5 weeks. I'd need to have it in Arizona before flying to NYC and then I'd ship it back, so I'd actually have it for almost 2 weeks. 3. What other advice do you have?

This is the response:

The coverage is very good. The biggest concern would be if you were going to a town with loads of new roads. I would have a list of the zip codes for your various planned stops. It is the fastest way to enter in the next destination. Avoid the shortest route option as this will take you on city streets out of NYC vs. using the highways. In very dense downtown city streets, I have seen the system loose communication, if you are going from point to point in downtown Manhattan, I would have a map too.

How great is that?! I've just learned a great deal about how to plan my summer trip and I feel a lot better about renting a car and driving around an unfamiliar place. If you're considering a driving trip, you should contact TripGadgets and see how they can help you.