South Africa maps

[peterc10]

Not sure this is the right place for this post ... but here goes

We are off to South Africa in November - part business and part holiday .

I am probably going to hire a car for the Cape Town leg and tour around for a week. I am thinking of buying TT's Southern Africa map V6.8 for use with my TTN6. Has anybody used this map? How good is it for detail and accuracy please?

I realise it is not going to show me the roads in the bush in detail, but I will probably driving around Cape Town (staying on outskirts) and then driving along the coast maybe as far as Port Elizabeth. Will it be OK for that?

Any thoughts greatfully received
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

[mpwilson99]

Cannot vouch for v6.8, but v6.60 works fine with TTN6.

Going from Cape Town to Port Elizibeth returns a 8h14 - 465 miles trip with toll roads, or 8h39 483 miles without.

The POI list is fairly impressive, plenty of petrol stations marked etc..

If there is anything specific you want to know, let us know.

MPW

[SimonCatlin]

I have used the TTN6 maps v6.80 and found them to be fairly accurate, although I was not driving. The map is about 2 years old, so take care for changes such as No Entry roads that seem to crop up.

If you are tight on time, you can fly from CPT to PE in about an hour and it is very reasonable if you wish to save the 20 hrs driving there and back.
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iPhone5, TomTom, Google maps, Navfree, Viewranger and Apple Maps (ekk)

[peterc10]

Thanks to both of you for the information.

The whole point of me going to Port Elizabeth is to take in the Garden Route, and maybe do the Blue Train and some whale watching. So, if I get that far, it will be by the slow and scenic route and I can't find that option on TT! We may drop off the hire car at PE and fly back to Cape Town to get my flight back to the UK - not sure yet.

My main concern is whether it shows most of the roads, especially in towns like Cape Town. I also want it to find my hotels' addresses (which I probably won't book until I get there) as there is nothing worse than having that problem at the end of a long day.

Any other thoughts would be gratefully received.
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

[Anita]

When I went to Cape Town for my son's wedding in March he advised me not to take the 720 for fear of mugging and, as his wife's a Capetonian, I accepted his advice. As a result I wouldn't drive in the city, which was pretty chaotic, but elsewhere I found no need for a satnav (although I did get horribly lost in Stellenbosch!)

My son took his, but didn't mount it on the windscreen - his wife held it discreetly out of view. When I go back next year I shall take mine and use it in the same way, as I would feel very vulnerable at traffic lights or getting out of the car if it was seen.
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Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21

[mikealder]

[peterc10]

Anita & Mike - thanks for your advice

Anita - am aware of security issues in RSA, but nowhere near as bad in Cape Town when I there earlier in the year as Joburg! I will be there on business earlier in my trip, and will not even hire a car for that bit! I will be using TTN on my Touch Diamond, which I will not be sticking on the screen - probably put it down by the handbrake or somewhere else discreet, or get my wife to hold it (although she will only start arguing with it) - so thanks for your confirmation of that precaution.

Mike - since we are on holiday we will not be pre-planning itineries, but seeing how the days unfold - we much prefer that when touring. I suspect we will be looking at a road map (on paper!!!!) as much as we will be using the sat nav, it is just that I like to use the sat nav once I know the next attraction we are heading for.
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

[Anita]

Sorry, Peter, I didn't intend to "teach my grandmother to suck eggs"! I didn't realise you were familiar with South Africa.

I haven't been to Joburg, but have heard it's very much worse than Cape Town.

Maybe the greatest danger on the Cape Peninsula is having your satnav snatched through the window by a baboon!
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Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21

[peterc10]

Anita - don't worry I am not all that knowledgable, but have been there once before (again part business and part holiday). Your advice is a good reminder to me, and confirms that I need to think more carefully about security. We were staying in Cape Town itself and had no problem walking around the centre without any real worries.

And yes the baboons can be a menace can't they - and totally fearless it seems.
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

[peterc10]

I thought I would update people about my experience. I bought the TT Southern Africa maps and they were very good and accurate. I used them mainly for touring in the Western Cape province. They even showed most of the dirt tracks that serve as roads away from towns. I never had any trouble finding places once I had the address.

My wife held the Touch Diamond on her lap when we were using it as we did not want it on general display. All worked very well indeed and made driving around much easier.
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

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