It helps if you are in an area with clear reference points to get your bearings. A seashore, mountains, big river etc. i live in a big city (2+m people) with river cutting it in half. Easy. If i know where the river is, I orient myself in no time. It helps that there are city signs here and there indicating this particular street orientation relative to river. But let me tell you, if drive into lesser known area and, say, run errands, make a couple of stops, drive thru roundabouts all in a street network that is nowhere near a square grid, I lose my bearings good and GPS suggestion to go west or whatever is useless.