In a few months, I'll be spending some time wandering around Europe and working from the road. I've put together a fairly comprehensive list of the gear I'll need to make my journey in comfort, and after the IFA conference I might be adding another item to it. The Navigon series of pedestrian navigation systems are built specifically to cater to European travelers. They come at a variety of price points, each with different features and specs.

According to Engadget there will be four different models. The 8410 and 8450 Live will be the high-end devices, complete with 5" glass touchscreens and Real City 3D photo-realistic navigation. Both Live models also offer real-time traffic, weather, and speed camera updates in 32 different European nations. That sounds incredibly useful, but it isn't cheap; the service costs $115/year, on top of roughly $715 for the device (the 8450) itself (plus another 60 Euros/year if you want the digital TV service).

If that sounds a bit rich for your blood, you might want to look into the lower-end Navigon models. The 3.5" 1400/1410 starts at $185, and there are several other models (the 4.3" 6310 and 6350, and the 3.5" 2400 and 2410) without the fancy Live features. I've never used a Navigon device, but these seem like a pretty solid series of guidance devices for the pedestrian traveler. As more price and release info leaks out, I'll report more on these nifty little gadgets.