Oh I love my Tom Tom. It is the reason I am still in a couple, I am sure of it. And I’m so glad we brought it with us to Doha cause as a newbie it has been a savior!
We bought ours in France during our 5-month European road trip. It was es.sent.ial. It helped avoid many tense moments between me and The Coach (but also caused – why do I confuse my left and right? Why?!). We were rarely lost.
People will tell you that ‘sat navs’ are useless here because the streets don’t have names but this is just poppycock. The streets DO have names. Actually, according to Maharba, the street naming system here is nearly first world. That’s right, we’re running with the big wigs now. And even if you need to go somewhere that doesn’t have a street name there are still a bunch of ways to find out where you’re going – you just use that cursor gizmo and then “navigate here”. Easy! Creating a comprehensive favorites list also means that you can take sneaky backstreets without getting lost in the maze of dust!
Look, the truth is that you are going to get lost here. Everyone does, even long-term expats. Taxi drivers are the worst or at least they were when I first arrived. I actually think they’re getting better but I’d still rather be safe than sorry. I take our Tom Tom anywhere new or if I’m going out alone cause it doesn’t have to be plugged into your car to work. You can even use it in walking mode. And it’s only the size of an old-school mobile phone so fits well in the handbag. So if you have one, newbies, purchase the Middle East region maps bring it! I promise you will use it and love me for it!
