Using an iPod Touch to Traverse Germany
April 11, 2010 7:58 AM Subscribe
How useful will an iPod Touch be for traveling in Germany?
I just got the opportunity to spend three months in Germany this summer, and I want to know whether it is worth it to get an iPod touch to use while I'm there. I plan on doing a lot of traveling on the weekends, so I thought that getting an iPod Touch and downloading travel apps that don't require the internet would be very useful. I have a MSI Wind U123 netbook that I also plan on bringing, but I don't know how useful it would be if I do weekend trips (especially with Wifi access being limited), especially because it's a heavier netbook since the battery is MASSIVE.
Does an iPod Touch have the following capabilities?
1) Downloadable maps. I do not need GPS; I am perfectly capable of reading a map, but getting a map for every city/country I visit would be kind of wasteful.
2) Language Translator- I've seen these on the iPhone, but I'm pretty sure a lot of them need an internet connection.
3) Currency exchange rate (I'm guessing it would be able to update when I am connected to Wifi?)
4) A map based app that will tell me where *free* Wifi is.
These are the primary things I can think of that I would need. I've heard about apps like UrbanSpoon, and I'm just concerned that my use of the iPod Touch will be severely limited if I can't access Wifi. If I really need Wifi and it isn't free, is it worth it to buy some sort of card so that I can connect to the internet? If I did this, it may just be worth it to just take my netbook.
I'm also getting an iPhone in the fall (no way am I taking an American iPhone to Europe...) so it may seem redundant to have both an iPod Touch and an iPhone, especially when the newest product cycle for both of them is coming up in September.
I just got the opportunity to spend three months in Germany this summer, and I want to know whether it is worth it to get an iPod touch to use while I'm there. I plan on doing a lot of traveling on the weekends, so I thought that getting an iPod Touch and downloading travel apps that don't require the internet would be very useful. I have a MSI Wind U123 netbook that I also plan on bringing, but I don't know how useful it would be if I do weekend trips (especially with Wifi access being limited), especially because it's a heavier netbook since the battery is MASSIVE.
Does an iPod Touch have the following capabilities?
1) Downloadable maps. I do not need GPS; I am perfectly capable of reading a map, but getting a map for every city/country I visit would be kind of wasteful.
2) Language Translator- I've seen these on the iPhone, but I'm pretty sure a lot of them need an internet connection.
3) Currency exchange rate (I'm guessing it would be able to update when I am connected to Wifi?)
4) A map based app that will tell me where *free* Wifi is.
These are the primary things I can think of that I would need. I've heard about apps like UrbanSpoon, and I'm just concerned that my use of the iPod Touch will be severely limited if I can't access Wifi. If I really need Wifi and it isn't free, is it worth it to buy some sort of card so that I can connect to the internet? If I did this, it may just be worth it to just take my netbook.
I'm also getting an iPhone in the fall (no way am I taking an American iPhone to Europe...) so it may seem redundant to have both an iPod Touch and an iPhone, especially when the newest product cycle for both of them is coming up in September.
Best answer: You apparently can use OffMaps to download Google Maps for offline use on an iPod Touch. You can also download pdfs of public transit maps, which is helpful. I can email you pdfs of the Lonely Planet and Frommer's Germany guides, which you can view on your Touch.
posted by HotPatatta at 8:21 AM on April 11, 2010
posted by HotPatatta at 8:21 AM on April 11, 2010
I'm about to leave for Japan with an iPod touch.
Downloadable maps -- there are a couple of apps for that, but they use the maps from Open Street Map. (Google Maps has issues with licensing their maps for download in apps, apparently). This is no good for Japan because Open Street Map doesn't have numbered blocks, but I think it should be useful for Germany. Here is a YouTube demonstration of Maps Offline.
Language translator -- There are ones that don't require an internet connection, but they tend to be a little more expensive (and naturally they take up more disk space).
Don't know about the other two. Personally I would definitely not buy an ipod touch if I was going to be getting an iPhone in a few months, though. Have you investigated exactly how common free Wifi is in Germany?
posted by Jeanne at 8:24 AM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Downloadable maps -- there are a couple of apps for that, but they use the maps from Open Street Map. (Google Maps has issues with licensing their maps for download in apps, apparently). This is no good for Japan because Open Street Map doesn't have numbered blocks, but I think it should be useful for Germany. Here is a YouTube demonstration of Maps Offline.
Language translator -- There are ones that don't require an internet connection, but they tend to be a little more expensive (and naturally they take up more disk space).
Don't know about the other two. Personally I would definitely not buy an ipod touch if I was going to be getting an iPhone in a few months, though. Have you investigated exactly how common free Wifi is in Germany?
posted by Jeanne at 8:24 AM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm considering getting a Touch for my upcoming trip to France. Like you, I don't need one otherwise, so my plan is to buy a refurbished one from Apple and sell it on Craigslist when I get back.
posted by donajo at 8:32 AM on April 11, 2010
posted by donajo at 8:32 AM on April 11, 2010
This search may help. There are 41 pages of results.
Gute Reise!
posted by vkxmai at 8:34 AM on April 11, 2010
Gute Reise!
posted by vkxmai at 8:34 AM on April 11, 2010
Most hostels have inexpensive or free computers (with internet). I was in traveling around in hostels, including in Germany, a couple years ago, and had no trouble checking email almost every day, even in remote locations. I imagine that it's even easier to connect now. I would look into whether hostels (or hotels, if that's where you'll be staying) usually have free wifi now, and bring your netbook if they do.
Personally, I'd skip the iPod - I'd just buy some maps and a phrasebook, then check currency conversions on the internet (though you'll likely be in the Euro zone for most of your trip).
posted by insectosaurus at 9:44 AM on April 11, 2010
Personally, I'd skip the iPod - I'd just buy some maps and a phrasebook, then check currency conversions on the internet (though you'll likely be in the Euro zone for most of your trip).
posted by insectosaurus at 9:44 AM on April 11, 2010
The iPod Touch has been really, really helpful for me while traveling in Europe. Apps that allow me to plan city transit while offline have saved my ass in multiple situations. I nearly always had a WiFi connection. Additionally, taking notes on where you've been and what you've seen is greatly improved when you don't have to haul around a notebook and pen. The Touch also makes long train/plane trips tolerable (using Stanza as a book reader). However, I highly recommend finding a backup battery charger. My experience with the Touch battery has not been great - especially while walking about looking for a WiFi connection.
posted by theraflu at 12:36 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by theraflu at 12:36 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm going to England in a couple of weeks and just downloaded this Wi-Fi Finder app, which also has a database you can download to use offline. I don't know yet how accurate it will prove to be, but it was free, so hey.
posted by rtha at 12:53 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by rtha at 12:53 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is there any chance you would acquire the iPhone now? Or are you waiting for the next cycle before buying that? I ask, since I know the merits of iPhone vs. iPod Touch firsthand, since I live in Europe and have the latter and my wife has a US iPhone. If you can get an iPhone now, do so. For one, you can just put it in airplane mode to kill the 3G connection to avoid the frightening bill for making calls in Europe, and manually switch on WiFi and use it as you would the Touch. The feature that makes all the difference is the microphone/speaker. With the microphone and speaker, free WiFi in a cafe or hotel, and the Skype app, you can make calls to the US for the Skype rate of two cents per minute, and within Europe or to other countries for similarly low rates. I spent two hours doing this on Christmas day last year for the grand total of $2.40.
Whenever our two devices are in the same proximity, the Touch gets very lonely and the iPhone never gets put down. That would seal it for me.
posted by dalea at 6:52 AM on May 12, 2010
Whenever our two devices are in the same proximity, the Touch gets very lonely and the iPhone never gets put down. That would seal it for me.
posted by dalea at 6:52 AM on May 12, 2010
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But to answer the question I do know the first three will definitely exist (if they had them for Portugal, I'm sure they will for Germany), not sure about #4.
The ipod touch also came in handy in our hotels that had free wifi so that we could look things up and prepare for our day - unless you plan on doing things other than the internet with your netbook, I don't think it's worth it to bring something heavy and bulky like that.
posted by echo0720 at 8:16 AM on April 11, 2010