Well, you have to prep. And, to be honest, if you're by yourself you're probably going to be balancing a map on your lap someplace if it's not straightforward.

There's also the old movie/TV trope where, typically, the guy refuses to stop at a gas station to ask for directions if they're lost. Which has now (mostly) joined the trope of not being able to reach someone just because they're not in the physical location you expect them to be.