Our books are provided with an activation code which enables the reader to download from our website a proprietary set of GPS coordinates in one of three different file formats:
- For use with Garmin GPS devices (a GPX file)
- For use with TomTom GPS devices (an OV2 file)
- For use with the Google Maps app on an iPhone or an Android phone (a KML file)
Choose your eBook to find the download page for your GPS coordinates (click on one):
For instructions on how to download and install our GPS coordinates, click here:
A note about using the Google Maps app on your smartphone to navigate:
Navigating with Google Maps differs in some important respects from navigating with a Garmin or TomTom GPS device. All three approaches use the same exact underlying data (the files we supply for download). In the case of Garmin and TomTom devices, the data file is transferred into the memory of the device using a Windows PC or Mac computer. Because the data files are stored in the device itself, no internet connection is required, only a GPS signal. GPS signals are reliably provided at no charge, day and night, by a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth.
In contrast, data for the Google Maps app is stored in the cloud, making the data (and the corresponding maps) accessible on multiple devices via the internet. Once signed in to your Google Maps account, the data and corresponding maps can be accessed across different platforms – desktop or laptop computers, smartphones and tablets – without the need to load the data onto each separate device.
For smartphones this functionality requires an internet connection in the form of a data plan with a sufficient amount of data to avoid roaming charges. Without an adequate data plan, these charges can be very high, so be sure to check with your particular wireless carrier to determine your data plan’s coverage – before you leave on your trip! T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan, offered in the US, is one example of a data plan that provides unlimited data and texting in every European country.
We provide complete instructions for using the Google Maps™ app on your smartphone here.