Backpackers will realize this more than any one else. Not having a navigable map can be quite a handicap when you are on the road. One of the greatest assets to have when you have made backpacking your way to travel the world is to ensure that you have a way to find your way around.
Today i use a Garmin Nuvi 1340, this GPS tracking device got my attention when i went on holiday to Italy. My current Tom Tom sat nav didn’t have European mapping, so i searched the internet and managed to hire one. It was flawless the whole two weeks i was driving around western Europe that i decided to get rid of my aging tom tom and purchase this satellite navigation system. I wish I’d done it earlier!
Garmin Nuvi 1340 – Local travel and route guide
This small piece of digital delight is actually a satellite navigation system providing you a way to navigate your way around the whole of Europe and UK. It is an ultra thin Sat Nav device that has a screen to display the routes and interacts with the Global Positioning Satellite systems or the GPS system to pinpoint your location to an accuracy of a few meters. It shows your current location, shows route maps for lanes using Lane Assist, and helps you take the right exit when you are on the motorway. From major roads to lanes and highways the Sat Nav can guide you anywhere throughout Europe and UK.
What is a GPS network?
GPS is a Sat Nav network of 20-30 satellites that are stationed on a Medium Earth orbit and interact with each other and the devices that are connected to it, to accurately provide the location of the device based on the radio signals that are sent out from the satellites. The satellites actually send out time signals on a line of sight basis, which provide the devices with the details of their latitudinal, longitudinal and height of the position. Since these signals are actually timer signals the time displayed on the device is accurate. The accuracy of the positioning is a close to a few meters.
Smart applications
Cross country drives have always wanted to have a way to navigate through the clutter for highways and roads when they are driving from one place to another. How about asking for some bonus like the shortest route between two places to save that extra bit of fuel. The ecoRoute feature of the Garmin Nuvi 1340 does exactly just that. A few minutes of download time and you will have the CityXplorer app in the Sat Nav which will give you walking guidance such as turn right on Portobello Road and take the first lane on the left.
CityXplorer also provides you details about the public transport. That means it tells you where you can expect to catch a tram or a bus or train. If you are in the UK it will tell you where to get a tube and what is the ETA for arriving at the next station. Although some of the features are too intimidating and may be not everyone is going to use all the features, but it is a comfort to know that it can do a lot more than simply tell you where you are.
Although the public transport service information will vary depending on the country that you are accessing the public transport in but overall that can make a lot of difference. Unless you are carrying a Smartphone on 3G at all times and have access to a map this Sat Nav device is going to be a great way to find your way through Europe and UK.
Applications
Immediately I can imagine there are going to be quite a few applications to the Garmin Nuvi 1340. A traveling salesman can find it easy to find their way into locations and places that is otherwise difficult. Unless you speak Croatian, Hungarian, Greece and Italian as fluently as English, you will have a trying time finding directions without the Garmin Nuvi 1340. For emergency services, people could use this satellite navigation system in order to reach people affected using the shortest routes. In case of natural disasters one can easily locate an alternative route using this Sat Nav. Apart from that this can become the quintessential tour guide for every tourist going out on a self-driven vacation.
It speaks!
The Garmin Nuvi 1340 is an interactive satellite navigation system. That means when you want to find an address, all you need to do is to enter the details in the device and it will speak to you how to reach there. So the next time you ride, watch out for the announcement system that announces to you the names of the streets before you make the turn. It is like traveling with a route navigator except that this one is a machine.
Handy to carry
One of the major advantages of the Garmin Nuvi 1340 is that it is extremely thin. At only 15 mm it is thin enough to be carried in your coat pocket and light enough to carry in person no matter where you are.
Speed cameras
Maintaining the driving speed across Europe is going to be a breeze from now on. The Garmin Nuvi 1340 gives real time alerts for all speed cameras and that means an added advantage when you are driving ensuring an added safety.
Security
An interesting feature of the Garmin Nuvi 1340 is the built in security feature which allows you to set a 4 digit PIN for your device and lock it from unauthorized access. When you need to use the same you have to enter the 4 digit PIN and the Sat Nav will become operational. If you forget the PIN you will need to take it to a predetermine location for the device to unlock. If you forget both the location and the PIN there is no way to unlock unless you send it to Garmin for unlocking.
User reviews
Users have left great reviews for the Garmin Nuvi 1340. It is a life saver when you need help at the middle of nowhere. It is also great for finding out locations of places such a petrol station or a restaurant when you need one. Users have used the Garmin Nuvi 1340 in varying circumstances and it has come out in flying colours in all situations.
Summary of the Garmin Nuvi 1340
Certainly the Garmin Nuvi 1340 is one of the best Satnav systems around and one that hands down beats other systems because of the smart apps and the security systems that are built into it. Further at a price of £89.99 it is certainly a best buy.
Where to buy?
The Garmin Nuvi 1340 Widescreen Sat Nav with UK & Western Europe is available for a low price at Amazon. One of the great things about buying from Amazon is that they have an outstanding return policy should you decide you don’t like the satnav, and they offer free shipping. Click here for more info!