Maps

[hlad00]

Hi,

i was wondering how do people get around with using maps, where do people get them from? i was thinking of taking a Satallite Navigation system - handheld of course. But is this a good idea?

let me know your views.

thanks

[tumblezweedz]

Depends on where you're trying to get around. GPS can be useful (we have it in our car and love it - drove from Germany to Naples and back, there's no way we'd have found the places we went without it), but if you're just looking at getting around in whatever town, picking up a map at the tourist info centre is just as effective - and notes handy little landmarks, too.

If you're striking off into the wilderness, and are worried about finding your way home, I suppose it's good to have the GPS, but another advantage of a map is that you get a visual of the whole area, not just the directions to a specific location, so you can see that the attraction you want to visit is within a few minutes walk of a funky little cafe you read about, and there's a beautiful park nearby as well. Perspective, the big picture, who knew there was so much contained on that little piece of paper?

Let's Go make some great, compact city maps, the In Your Pocket guides have fabulous pull out maps at the end, and any city or town tourist info office will have a local map as well. In a pinch, walk into any decent hotel (you don't have to stay there) and they'll be sure to have maps at the desk. For that matter, your hostel will almost certainly have local maps, as well.

[c0urt]

in a city maps are easy to come by. i usually swing by the tourist office to find out what events are in town and get maps. most of the time they are free. then i walkl around and orienter myself then i just start walking up to locals and have them mark out cool tuff on my maps. on girl wrote her number down once

[hlad00]

Thanks for your reply, but how do people know how to get to their hostel when they have got off the train or airport? thats my main concern. Please help

[TheJake]

I usually use the hostel address and hail a cab. Or the map in the guidebook. Hostels are generally pretty easy to find.

[tumblezweedz]

You can get directions from the hostel when you book, or check in a guidebook before you go - they usually have maps and you can just make notes of the streets if you don't want to bring along the book. Also, if you're arriving by rail, chances are stellar that there will be a kiosk of some kind in the station either offering tourist information or selling the local paper and such - there are often maps at such kiosks. Airports tend to be out of the city centres, so you may not be able to find hostel info there, but a good source of info at an airport is any of the car rental desks. They absolutely have local area maps, but you may have to sweet talk the clerk into giving you one.

If you're staying in a really small place, you can just ask anyone on the street - we once approached the mailman in a small village in eastern Lithuania, figuring he'd know everyone in town - we asked for Mr. Laniskaitis, and the guy just shrugged. When we finally found our host, we mentioned it, and he laughed and said, "Oh, well, he doesn't know my LAST name!" And just today, actually, a fellow knocked on my door, asking for directions to one of the two guesthouses in our village. Don't know why he picked the only foreigners in town, but he'd have received the same directions from anyone else. Only in German.

[LostFarmboy]

Yeah, guidebooks have the hostels highlighted on their maps, so they are easy to find. If worse comes to worse just do what Jake said and give a taxi driver the address, he'll more than likely rip you off, but at least you'll get there in one piece.

[marc873]

Originally Posted by hlad00

Thanks for your reply, but how do people know how to get to their hostel when they have got off the train or airport? thats my main concern. Please help

I always just email the hostel and ask. Trust me, they get this question everyday.

[interval]

if you have a laptop, microsoft streets and trips can be very handy. full maps of the us + lots of "points of interest" such as atms, campsites etc etc.
als works with bluetooth or usb gps receivers which can be had for cheap.
something to consider maybe...