Free Garmin Map for the London area

[+BlueGerbil]

Hi folks,

I´m on a business trip to London in February and would like to find some caches there. I haven´t a City Navigator on my Oregon, just on my GPSMAP278. Because I do not want to buy another license for the Oregon and do not want to take the 278 I was looking for a free map of the London area.

 

I´ve tried the OpenStreetMap map, it installs in MapSource on my PC, but when I try to transfer it to my Oregon it crashes.

 

So: Can you point me to another map of said area - it hasn´t to be a autorouting map, but it has to be free.

 

Thanks a lot!

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

Hello Blue Gerbil,

 

There is the Open Street Map project and you can check out the downloads hosted here.

 

What I can say though is that for at least three years I cached very successfully in London with nothing but a paper tourist map which you can pick up at most hotels or newsagents.

 

I would simply open up the map and mark the caches on it from my computer when I was downloading the cache pages to my gpsr.

 

I do the same when I vist cities overseas, usually works pretty well.

 

Good luck, caching in London is fun

 

Edit to add: If you are thinking of doing any of the larger multi caches in London, and there are some really excellent ones, try using the gps visualizer to get an idea of the amount of ground you are going to cover before you set off.

Edited January 24, 2009 by Dorsetgal & GeoDog

[+BlueGerbil]

With some effort I could make the OSM work on my Garmin, so I should be "good to go" - I hope I´ll go to London on friday, 6th and that there won´t be too much trouble due to the recent snow falls. I´ve collected some caches to a bookmark list near the hotel (Cumberland), near Greenwich (which I want to visit) and near some tube stations. That should be enough for some caching between some meetings and a soccer game we "have" to watch (even if I´m not interested in soccer) on saturday.

[+MartyBartfast]

near the hotel (Cumberland), near Greenwich (which I want to visit)

 

If you're going to Greenwich I would recommend going by the Thames Clipper boat service, you can get on the boat at Embankment Pier which isn't far from your hotel and it drops you at Greenwich pier. It's much nicer and quicker than the tube and you get to see some sights from the river too.