GPS

We rent a lot of cars and drive to many interesting destinations. Navigation, especially in foreign countries, can be harrowing at times. Our favorite method is renting a modern car with Apple CarPlay. I guess Android Auto would work the same way. We always have charging cables so we simply plug it into the dash, enable Apple CarPlay, and Google Maps will display on the car’s LCD. My cell service has unlimited data when outside of the country so I can simply plug the destination in and follow the directions. Google typically knows where everything is.

Most cheap rentals haven’t upgraded to the new technology so I’m forced to use the screen on my phone. After driving around the Channel Islands with my phone perched precariously on my leg and glancing down into my lap I found a solution on Amazon.

I bought these magnetic mounts which come with adhesive discs that you affix to the phone somehow.

I tried to simply stick one inside my normal case but that was too thick to keep it attached when the car goes over bumps. My solution to that problem was to go back to Amazon to order this thin case.

I switch to this case when traveling so I can tether my phone to my vest and the mount attaches to the vent. There are two different size gaps between the rubberized teeth that will fit whatever thickness louvers the car has. It grips quite well and the only time it’s ever fallen off is when I used the wider gapped teeth. The whole setup cost me $16.79. Not bad for something that really reduces the stress of driving in a foreign country.

When behind the wheel I plug the phone into the charger and simply tap it to the mount and let the magic of magnetism hold it in place. It is so secure it didn’t fall off at all when we drove off road on Easter Island.

The only other tip I have is to download a map of the region when on wifi. Easter Island is a prime example of a location where cell service was spotty and having the map on the phone was very helpful.

~ Freddy