Paris, 2 Weeks Later: Nokia Maps Is A Miracle!
I can’t believe that it’s already 14 days ago that I left my homeland, Lebanon, to come to Paris. 2 full weeks have now gone by, with me trying to make it on my own, in every aspect of my everyday life. I’m so thankful that 3 of my friends came with me (they’re continuing their studies here as well) which is making things a bit easier to handle. I won’t go into the details of the move, or the woes that I’ve faced so far in this foreign city. I will only use this post to highlight an aspect I had never expected, but that definitely made my first weeks here more bearable and more interesting: Nokia Maps. This application is GODSEND, honestly!
For the past months, I’ve read several posts claiming that Google Maps outperforms Nokia Maps in many aspects but I haven’t had time to test this theory for the obvious reason that I CAN NOT use Google Maps: it requires an internet connection on the phone, and I still haven’t got a 3G mobile contract because I don’t have my “titre de séjour” yet (an equivalent to the american green card). Nokia Maps, on the other end, works with no connection whatsoever: just download the maps on your handset and you’re good to go. This reason alone makes Google Maps irrelevant and Nokia Maps invaluable to me, and ANY tourist coming to France and not planning on paying fortunes for data roaming. I know that 3G SIM Cards can be bought in other countries, but these are not available in France: 3G is tied to the contracts only.
Here is an explanation of how and why I’ve used Nokia Maps in my first weeks here:
Following my plane course
I was extremely tired on the plane but I couldn’t sleep a lot, because there was a kid next to me who was crying his heart out all the time. So in order to entertain myself, I decided to launch Nokia Maps as well as the GPS application on my N82. I had a window seat, so I was able to get a lock, and see my speed, position and altitude, which was pretty fun. I kept comparing the results to those that the MEA monitors showed, and I was pretty impressed to see that the values were differing by a mere 5% globally. My friends were speechless.
Making sure the Taxi drives us in the right direction
After a huge deal of time spent at the Charles de Gaulle Airport trying to get hold of some bags we had shipped one week before our trip, we finally got out to the Parisian streets. The taxi driver was honestly the nicest and most helpful guy I have ever met, but when in a foreign country for the first time, you can’t be very confident. So I used Nokia Maps to follow the taxi’s location from the airport to the Cité U (our dorms), which I had added as a Favorite a few days earlier. This way, I was able to learn a bit about the Parisian streets that we were taking as well as some local geography. I was also able to tell my friends that we got near the Cité U, which is inside a huge parc, as well as point (yes, POINT) the driver to the closest entry to our building inside it.
Discovering my university
I arrived here on Friday noon and my first university course was scheduled on Monday morning. I basically had to settle down EXTREMELY fast, as well as try to find my campus during the weekend so I don’t arrive late on the first day. Using Nokia Maps, I searched for my university’s street “Hélène Brion” and added it as a Favorite. Armed with a map of all transportation means in Paris (RER, Metro, Tramway and Bus… they like to complicate things), I decided that for the first time, I will try to go by Tram then do some 15mins walking. After I got off the Tram, I turned Nokia Maps on, and looked at the streets. I picked a path to walk and followed along. Nokia Maps followed me the whole time, and it was an amazing first experience. Seeing the names of each street as I got to it written on my phone’s screen as well as on the street’s building was a great feeling. Everytime Nokia Maps showed a turn, I saw it in front of me, everytime it showed a street cross, I saw it. I felt like I knew the region, although it was my first time there.
When I finally got to Hélène Brion street and saw my university’s building, I had a huge sense of relief. I FOUND it, and it only took me 30 minutes, my phone and a transportation map. I didn’t ask ONE SINGLE question in order to get there, and it was just my 2nd day in Paris.
Tourism
I’ve been told by a lot of people that they envy me and would do everything to come live in Paris. It’s an awesome city, no doubt about that. There’s so much history and culture around every single corner here, that you feel somewhat impressed and overwhelmed at times. But we didn’t let this feeling control us so during the 2 weekends that we’ve spent here, we decided to enjoy the awesome weather and go discover the amazing places we had read so much about and seen so much of on television.
Armed with Nokia Maps and the transportation means map, I played the guide for my friends. I searched for some locations on Nokia Maps, like the Luxembourg Gardens and the Eiffel Tour, as well as the nearest Metro/RER station to these. Based on our current location, I would pick the transportation path. Then, when we’d get off the train, I would use Nokia Maps again to direct my friends to the site we were planning to visit. It felt awkward yet definitely rewarding to tell my friends “now we’ll turn on the left, we’ll be on street X, then we’ll take a right turn and find the site”. At first, they were a bit skeptic, but time after time, they noticed that the software was guessing everything absolutely right, and started entrusting it and me completely.
Using this method and in 3 days only, we were able to visit the Luxembourg Gardens, Eiffel Tower (from the outside), Concorde Square, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe which we climbed, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (stupendous church), Louvres (just the outside place) and Opera de Paris (which was closed), check the pictures here. Pretty impressive, right? And more impressive when you think that it was our very first time in all these places, and we never got lost once. Well, we took the wrong RER direction once, but that’s because of the messed up direction signs inside the station.
Locating myself and finding the nearest metro station
Many times, we would find ourselves walking and walking and walking, and we would be very exhausted to go back to the train station we came from. So I would use Nokia Maps to locate our current position and see if there isn’t any closer train station. We used this method many times, and it saved us some walking so we would come back to the dorm with some strength left to clean around or do the laundry or the dishes (big green grin).
Finding Ikea and the Geant Casino
Since we arrived with nothing in our bags than clothes, we had to find a good mall to buy food and cleaning material, as well as a store to get some kitchen appliances. I had already heard about Ikea and I knew that the Geant Casino (mall) that we have in Lebanon is also found in Paris. So I searched for the words Ikea and Casino on Nokia Maps, which gave me by distance the closest ones to the dorms. Using the same method as the one for tourism, I was able to guide my friends to both locations in order to do our shopping.
All in All
After having spent 2 weeks in Paris, Nokia Maps proved its worth to me. I have paid nothing for extra licenses for navigation or anything: I’m using the Paris map free and as is, with my own sense of direction and it’s working perfectly well. From the first day, Nokia Maps made it to my active standby screen as a shortcut, as I knew that I would be launching it far too many times each day to dig for it in the menu.
Here, I only cited the scenarios I remember, but I’ve made a lot more uses out of this application, it’s almost frightening to think just what would I have done without it… probably asked a question every 2meters and got lost a few times, and mugged a few others.
Ahh Rita Glad to see you back here,Hope you are doing well in the French Soil,and delighted to hear your N82’s role in your life.Now you will get the maximum productivity out of your phone.
Without a doubt Nokia Maps is the one in use with devices with inbuilt GPS.
Tried the Nokia Maps myself as I was sitting in a car to se if it could pinpoint the right directions to the destination.
To my big surprise it was completely correct.
A bit strange that you should miss by 5% but I guess that’s because of the speed of the airplane making it a bit difficult for the handset to keep up.
But to miss with just 5%, that in itself is outstanding.
Great post pointing out all the aspects on how truly Nokia Maps kicks the *** of Google Maps especially when you are in a foreign country.
Nokia Maps FTW for Nokia Phones.
I agree. Nokia Maps is a very nice tool. However, you have been wise not to purchase navigation. Navigation still sucks a lot. I booked it for my trip to Silcily but it was not worth the money. Calculating a route needs an open Internet connection (I don’t no why??), and the driving direction given are often wrong.
Oh I forgot to say that I also used it to find my research lab… heh, well I DID say that there are many things I used it for that I don’t even remember now :)
I enjoyed reading that Rita.! Well done, its great to hear something positive about Nokia Maps for a change. I too swear by it, as you say, using Map Loader, download the maps you need onto your phone, (if you have the new 16GB MicroSD, then theres loads of space for all maps I think), then as you say, no connection needed, its great!
Wow! You actually survived BEING in France for two weeks without shooting yourself in the head or shoving ice picks in your ears? Well done! I could never manage that. The one day I spent in France in the 1980’s was far more than I EVER want to see of that horrid country again.
Getting lost is sometimes the best way to discover a city ;-).
I actually like it when I settle in a new city, it adds to the feeling of discovery.
But yes nokia maps is awesome and so detailed, it never fails to impress me.
I hope you enjoy your stay in Paris! (Btw I love the international ambiance at the Cite U with all the different country houses, it’s like a mini world)
Hi,
Sometimes, my nokia map takes a lot of time to fix but when it is fixed, it’s real a miracle !!!!
Good stay in Paris, I have a friend who comes from lebanon like you. If you want to hang out with us to discover Paris, contact me….
Bye
[...] Symbian Guru – Dotsisx in Paris, Nokia Maps is a miracle! [...]
Hi, would you mind sharing what’s the application that can track altitude, speed et cetera in a plane? Thanks in advance!
Hi, I also skip gmaps when abroad, mostly due to extream roaming charges.
This spring i was in London for 3 days, using gmaps. When getting home, I found a nice little surprise of a 400€ extra charge on my phonebill.
After that I disabled all roaming mobile internet ;)
What I mostly do when abroad in mtetropolitan areas is to use nokia maps (pre-loaded), and set Favourites on places Im heading to, then I use gps-data (since my phone is in swedish I dont know the exakt name in english). On the navigation screen, you can select pre-defined favourites. Then you have a compas that shows you distance and direction to where youre going.
Normaly much more convinient than using maps, every now and then I take a quick glance at the compass and use that as a general guideline.
Gets me to where I want to go and I dont have to waste time staring at a microcopic map – either you zome in so much that you can read the streetnames, or you zoom out so that you see where youre going, but loosing the individual streetnames.
Also whilst using the compass, I can spend most of my time actually looking at the real surroundings, only checking the compass everynow and then to make sure I havent drifted off (happens easaly since streets have a tendency to not be straight :)
Also impresses the hell out off my company, normaly they hardly notice that I take quick looks on my phone everynow and then, they think I have this inceredible sence of direction – last week I was in Athens and could walk swiftly through the older parts of town without getting lost even once ;)
Just my 2c…
That is really fantastic app with itinerary and navigation and simulation and all that jazz. Though, taxi drivers may not like your suggested use of Nokia Maps
[...] Nokia Maps and her N82, she was able to basically complete all her settling in needs (finding her University, furniture [...]
Here is an honest question: You’re proud of the fact that you didn’t pay for directions. I’m not saying that’s wrong, I work for Nokia and even I use Google Maps!
What I want to know: What would Nokia Maps have to have for you to pay? What price points, what features, etc.?
That’s what I’m working on right now here in Finland and while I can’t tell you what we’ve concept-ed so far, sorry, I would LOVE to hear what you have to say.
Does anyone know of a good guide of using Nokia Maps inside and out? I basically use it to tell me where I am, but I find the navigation features to be a pain to figure out what I’m doing.
Stefan, this might not be a pay feature, but some kind of PC applet that would let you build lists on your PC would be great. Lets face it, when I’m near a PC I’m going to use Google Maps but when I’m mobile I don’t have a dataplan so I’m using Nokia Maps. If places I wanted to go were importable somehow that would be great. I even tried SMSing myself addresses and co-ordinates but the cut and paste failed me.
Nokia map is great. It rocks! LOL
JJ5,
Well my Jaiku friends would testify to the fact that I was very close at numerous times to shoot myself in the head :)
Mino
That’s totally right, I love it here too :D
boborrow,
Oh how I wish I had the luxury of time to go wander around the city. I only have some weekends off now, but I bet these would disappear very soon. Anyway, maybe we could meet for a cup of coffee someday :D
email: khoury.rt[at]gmail[dot]com
Louis,
You can use the simple GPS Data application that comes preinstalled on your handset (I think you might find it in the Connectivity or Tools folder on Nseries and in the GPS folder on the new E71/E66). You can also use Nokia Sports Tracker (the link to download it is usually in the Download! application on your phone).
Jaclu,
That’s a nice idea, I would’ve given it a try if I had the compass on my handset but I don’t. And as I said to boborrow, I don’t have the luxury of time to get lost ;)
Stefan,
There’s an email coming your way.
Dave Mitchell,
I definitely agree with you, I use Google Maps on the PC and Nokia Maps on the handset. I think Mark Guim from The Nokia Blog write a guide about getting the positions from the internet to the handset using kml files or something, but I don’t use it. I usually use the traditional, look-where-it-is-on-the-pc-and-try-to-find-it-on-the-handset.
Regarding the compass I was talking about, its not a magnetic-compas such as I have seen in some earlier sportsmodels from nokia, this is rather a gps-compass, should be available in all nokias with gps hardware.
In the swedish menues its called GPS-data, then the first tab is called Navigation.
This should give you a gps-compass, it can only show wich way you are heading when you have gps-coverage and during motion.
Oh yeah Jaclu, I remember this one. Thanks for reminding me about it.
Glad to see how a Nseries fone can help u to survive in a foreign country.My N93i(s) (coz i only buy N93i, i broke one, bought a second one and now waiting for the shippment of two other black edition N93i) were my best friends in France, they were my world (MP3 player via A2DP, digi cam wiz 3x optical zoom, web browser via WLAN using SU-8W, portable DVD player using a DivX software to watch movies in metro, and of course GPS navigator). N93i = Life in its essence
As for the GPS use on ur N82…. if u find Nokia Maps miraculous… what will u say about Tomtom? Divine???
Girl u definitely need to download Tomtom navigator, i used many softwares in Europe on my beloved N93i…. nothing dethrones Tomtom. Here in Lebanon, we r stuck with the Sygic software….. God how i miss Tomtom.
Nokia maps are slightly below average, with a non-friendly interface…..and using GPS internal module?? mmmm…. i wouldnt say it’s a pleasant journey or the ideal solutions to carry with. u should bring a dedicated GPS Sirf StarIII module like the mighty Nokia LD-3W, download or purchase Tomtom software…. and i guarantee u a full throttle experience!!!
Well it’s ur first usage of GPS in ur life, for that reason u r extremely happy with a low-end software such as Nokia Maps (u remind me the leb people here when i’m using the silly Sygic GPS software, they r soo amazed and they think dat Sygic is a wonder….and that’s coz they never have the opportunity to know what GPS is). I think dat once ur first-time-extasy-GPS-experience would vanish…. u will surely know what u have missed for not using Tomtom yet.
Anyway nice article, wishing all the best for ur N82.
Hehe, Mr “N93i is the god of all handsets”,
I realize that there are many other software/solutions that might provide a higher experience than Nokia Maps or the built-in GPS. But what I always like to emphasize on, is that I always like to focus on the out-of-the-box experience of S60 handsets. Out of the box, and as a first GPS experience for many users, Nokia Maps, is really amazing, and nothing to be underestimated.
As for external GPS and whatnot, well, I’m more of a one-device-do-it-all girl, ie if my handset does something 70% well enough, I won’t bother about carrying another gadget that brings the experience to a 100%. Portability does matter in my world.
I’m using nokia maps v2.0 on my Nokia E71 in Paris and I have to say that my experience was largely disappointing. It usually takes more than 5 minutes to even get a GPS signal and I got lost more than a few times.