From what I understand, the traffic service included free with Navigon units is just incident data - no delay or flow information is provided - making the service useless if you want the GPS to adjust your route to avoid delays and reduce your travel time.

Garmin charges $60 for their TMC service. Their cost doesn't factor into what it's worth to me. What makes it valuable is the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the information, and the ability for the GPS to utilize the data to adjust my route - the latter of which you can't get from some other web-based service.

If I go to and from the same place daily (I don't, but many people do), I might be satisfied with a non-integrated traffic report, as I could re-plan the route myself. But when I'm going to an unfamiliar area (which I often do), I don't have that option, since the incidents I hear about on the radio (or via some other source) don't register as being on or near my route when I'm not familiar with the area.

I have a TomTom XL 330 and live in Western Canada.
I am wondering if purchasing the Traffic Receiver is worth the purchase along with the Traffice subscription?

I don't see a lot of traffic detail expect for the larger cities in North America

Nothing in the west. Used to work in Toronto and it was supposed to work in Montreal, but I see on the page where you buy the subscription they say it won't work in Canada at all.

As far as Toronto traffic is concerned, I wonder if we're getting confused here. As far as I know, the datalink TomTom Traffic service does not cover Toronto, but the TMC FM channel does. Can anyone confirm this?

Their web site needs some work. I'm logged on. The country is selected. I click the "Buy" link under traffic and it brings me to the traffic information screen. No changes to the cart. No option to buy.

FYI the link above still works. I clicked on it left it selected for Austria, but it in my shopping cart and when I went to check out I put in all my information and then pressed check out. I gave me an error message saying that it didn't work try again so I figured the link didn't work anymore. I got out run a few errands and lo and behold I come back and I get receipt via e-mail that for my purchase of TomTom traffic for $29.99.The server was down for a bit but after I activated it I checked TomTom Plus services on my TT720 and the gave me 1 month free on top of the 1 year subscription.

I had a Navigon 7100 for a couple of months last year before I replaced it with the 720

The "lifetime" TMC worked very well in my opinion and it did in fact show traffic delays (expected delay times) for most reports.

The GPS had too many other issues though for me to be able to hang onto it - really questionable routing and a nearly useless POI db.

The 2 main reasons I went with the 720 where the Plus service and the Mapshare - The Plus service turned out to be a bust for me as it was very flakey at best when using my blackberry and verizon service and unable to work at all with my current treo and sprint service

mapshare - i have yet to see it serve and real use.

I think I am probably done with TT when it comes time to replace. Will go back and look at Mio again (had one of those until the wife took it and I loved it) and will look at Garmin again.

Odd, PLUS service is rock solid with my BB Curve + Sprint.

I had intermittent problems using TomTom Services with my Verizon 8330 and TomTom Go 920. Sometimes it would work seamlessly, other times I would have to restart one or both devices to get it to work. Sometimes the Blackberry would restart on its own while the TomTom was trying to connect to it.

On the other hand, I've had little or no problems with my Nextel i580 (now using a Boost Mobile SIM). A much cheaper alternative to tethering on Verizon, and a lot less headaches too!

Thanks for Link. From TT Home they want $59.95 but at the link above it can be had for half price. Too Cool!

Edit: Reading above, you must Select Austria as your country. As that is the Default choice and the US isn't listed, I left it that way and got the $29.95. It covers access worldwide so the country selected does not make a difference