I know it's a long shot... but you don't know until you ask.

I'm going to drive from Basel to the UK via Dunkirk and be away for the week around New Year.

The route to Dunkirk looks pretty complicated and I won't have anyone in the car to navigate.

Currently I'm driving a temporary hire car before I take delivery of my new car in mid Jan. The current car doesn't have a sat nav, the new car will have... so there's no point in me buying one.

So.. are there any kind, trusting souls out there who would let me borrow their sat nav for a week. Of course I'd be happy to leave a deposit if required.

I know someone who has a spare Navman ICN 530 GPS Navigator but am unsure of the potential risk.

Item is in Zurich BTW.

Well, I should have added, I live in Basel and work in Zurich.. so either location would be fine. As for the risk.. what can I say.. references can be provided :-)

(plus of I'll provide ID etc.. )

Fixed that for you

Hmm .. I think it will be very difficult to persuade that person to let go of his Navi for ID, references etc. - you might have to forsake this, unless perhaps you are willing to go along the lines of setting aside some $$$, refundable of course.

I could have sold you my old one for a beer or two, but it's stuck in a box back in Sweden, and I don't think it has maps over france on it anyway. But if nothing else works, I guess you could always try something like:

http://www.rent-a-navi.ch/en/index.php

One option for you would be to print off directions from Google Maps. If you want to alter the route that it selects, you can drag the route to your chosen route.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps

That is a good idea, and so is using a wifi enabled phone loaded with Google Maps to act as a Navi but using wifi and/or GPRS.

Its easy - I did it in the summer... From Basel follow the signs for Strasboug, then Metz, the Reims, Then St. Quentin, Then Calais then Dunkerque. I assume you are going via Norfolk Line? in that case, you will see a sign for them as you approch the docks.

This is the route I used - I think it was the same route used by James May on last weeks Top Gear too! Mind you, he did come last.

hth

Well, thanks, but that'll mean a lot of Euros in tolls..

Plus, and this is odd, I opened up your link hit 'Get Directions' again and the same route appeared. Then I changed 'Dunkerque' to 'Dunkirk' and 'voila' a new route through Belgium appears and it's 30 minutes quicker (and I didn't choose 'avoid tolls'.)

If nobody trusts me with their sat nav, guess I'll stump up for the hire of one.

Denz has added waypoints near Reims and Calais; if you remove them (e.g. by changing the destination), Google gives you a route via Brussels instead. Don't be surprised if the navigator you end up using suggests yet another route...

Hey, if U r happy to leave a respectible deposit I can lend you my (wifes) Garmin Nuvi loaded with 2007 UK & Europe maps. We're in Basel and as it is the season of good will and all that...just PM me and I'm sure we can get you on your way toll-free

I'm just waiting for my swiss ski reort maps to arrive soon too .