Garmin Drive 53: there are good reasons to have a dedicated satnav

€170

There are good reasons not to depend solely on your smartphone for everything. There’s battery life for a start, and call interruptions at the wrong moment. And data charges, if you aren’t on an unlimited plan or are travelling outside your home country. So there is still a market for separate devices out there, including satnav. Garmin’s latest, Drive 53, comes with a 5in touchscreen display, detailed maps of Europe and the ability to receive real-time traffic alerts and alternative routes direct to the device, along with fuel prices and weather alerts.

It is road-trip ready too, with fuel, food and rest stops marked on your route, and alerts for potential hazards on the way such as school zones or sharp bends. If there are environmental zones on your route, the satnav will alert you to their presence.

Maps and software are kept up to date over wifi, so you never need to hook it up to a computer either.