Beware of Google Maps -& Other Apps /Satnavs

https://www.viamichelin.com Is my first choice.

Google Maps recently routed me to a business address through a parking lot of an adjoining property located on a different street that did not have shared ingress / egress. I had to make a long block through a residential area to get to my destination. No big deal, but, this happens a lot, and this was in the US.

Generally, Google Maps has worked very well for me throughout the years I have been using it. That includes weeks of driving in Germany, Scotland, Austria, and England and the deserts and mountains of the US. Sure, there have been occasional glitches, but I would say 95+% of the time, it worked just as I expected. I especially like Google Maps (or Citymapper) for getting me from one place to another on foot in a large city.

You can use paper maps all you want, but I am never going back to those. For one thing, if you're a solo traveler, it means stopping at every intersection so you can figure out where to go next. And if you're on a single track road, the only place to pull over and look at a map is a passing place, and I guarantee you'll get the evil eye from other drivers if you do that.

So I will continue using Google Maps as I merrily go my way when traveling. :-)

I have had the same issue with Google maps even in the US (especially in Rural areas). It always tries to send me down crazy back roads going through the mountains of West Virginia.

Disabling the "Prefer fuel efficient routes" option can help in some cases as it will stop Google from suggesting some "short cuts" which turn out to be windy and narrow roads. Although it doesn't appear to help in this case.

So this is a good reminder that it's just a tool, and you should still do some sanity checks instead of blindly following it.

Real maps have a disadvantage of update timing. No "over-the-air" updating!

If memory serves me, viamichelin gets its data from Tele Atlas. Good provider-- Netherlands based company, maker of TomToms which have pretty much been replaced by phones. Google has its own cartographers as well uses Navteq (and has used tele atlas) and also gets crowd sourced data. UK post office used (or used to use) ALK which got its data from navteq. ALK is now owned by Trimble. Printed "real maps" also use much the same data. I still love the printed stuff!

Any and all these providers can have errors at times.

As someone who specializes in getting lost, I am an expert at not knowing where I am!

Happy travels.

Google maps will mostly get you there, but it often is not a decent route. For the heck of it, we've followed their weird instructions in areas we know just out of curiosity. They don't take the fast route in these situations. Once we were on the highway north to go to a suburb west of Boston. It sent us through city streets thru 4 towns, rather than just on the highway. I guess we didn't have much to do that day because it added an hour to our trip. Always use a map as well! LOL

Another reason if driving somewhere I’ll have a paper map. That and I’m of the generation that found our way without technology. Do not have GPS in my vehicle and won’t ever have it installed.

Spent 30 years as a film and TV location scout in the city and county of Los Angeles. All without GPS!

When I travel won’t pay extra for GPS. I’ll Google the night before, get an idea of the route and head out. Gotten lost only once and found a lovely cafe because of it.

Have driven in England, Ireland, Cuba.

Different generation, different travel style.

Google Maps works great until it doesn't. I still like having a good, old paper map when driving anywhere.

Paper maps don't have computer errors. They have other types of errors-- like ketchup smudges. (I really shouldn't eat my fries and forget to wipe my fingers off before handling maps. Oops. UK. I should have said chips.)

Back in the days before calculators, paper and pencil used to do the trick! Isaac Newton nor Albert Einstein didn't need none of those "fancy machines" to plumb the mysteries of the universe! And I bet they never got lost due to bad google routing! Woe is us when these new self driving taxis will be getting us lost in the backstreets of whereverville!

Happy travels.

...I’m of the generation that found our way without technology...Different generation, different travel style.

Yep! Only time we ever got lost in Europe was when we relied on our buddy's GPS gizmo. Between a paper map, a watch, and checking the postion of the sun, we found our way back to the meeting place to continue the trip. Of course, one should always get "lost" in Venice.

Note that Google and the other route finders have not actually driven the routes. They are simply connecting 2 places. Sometimes they get it right - but they can also offer very bad advice.

This is a surprise? If relying on Google Maps for route planning or navigation it's always been that way. Google Maps is just a collection of maps, that's all I use it for, though I do find the ability to interact with the maps and the available information I can pull up though the map extremely useful. But I am not using it for SatNav or GPS.

Yeah I used paper maps, had DeLorme Virginia Atlas and Gazetteers in the late 80s and early 90s, But I am happy with the usefulness of modern tech, and whether new or old I have kept my expectations reasonable.

Do not have GPS in my vehicle and won’t ever have it installed.

Actually, you wouldn't install GPS in your car. GPS is a navigation system (satelite-based) that applications such as Google Maps use to provide directions and show your location, and so on. So to utilize GPS, all you need is a cell phone. And if you're driving around with a cell phone, then you have access to GPS.

On different trips Google Maps and my old Garmin tried to take me across a pedestrian only bridge, up a cow path to a castle, use a non existent road, and drive me into a lake to get to an island.

One has to use common sense with any navigation system knowing they are not perfect.

Note that Google and the other route finders have not actually driven
the routes.

PS. It might be better to use real maps just like the good old days!

It’s why my collection of 1970’s vintage Texaco Gas Station maps are the only maps that I will use. Each one has a statement printed on it saying that every road and every route was personally driven by a Texaco employee to confirm the accuracy of the map.

Mr E,

My understanding that back in the day that some of those Texaco employees would have three martini lunches so, yeah, I'd be careful relying on their work.

Happy travels.

Many thanks for the follow up comments thus far.

It seems to me that a combination of paper maps / road atlases combined with Google Maps etc. might be the best way of finding routes and how to link interesting places.

Some years ago, I drew a hand written route map for an American friend travelling through south Devon. On the section between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge, I clearly marked the scenic coast route - which also passes the memorial to the 639 Americans killed by Slapton beach near Torcross during a surprise German attack in World War 2. What did he and his companion do? They ignored my map and used the SATNAV which took them on a less scenic inland route.

Here is a Google Map of the area. You might like to zoom down and go on street view to see if you can find the memorial?

https://exercisetigermemorial.co.uk

I don't understand why one would need paper maps. Even if Google Maps gives an incorrect routing to get from A to B, the map itself remains as good as one can get; Google Maps are indeed real maps. I do understand that the phone screen is pretty small and that someone might need a larger map portion in order to gain context.

I haven’t used any paper map for driving in about a million years. I rely entirely on Google Maps and have never had any real issues. I can’t look at a paper map and drive at the same time so in the days before SatNav I was basically lost all the time!

Google maps defaults to the shortest route. In rural areas definitely check this as you do want to stay on main roads as much as possible. It’s usually quicker and it’s definitely less stressful.

Google Maps has saved the world untold amounts of money in street development. When I lived in the city and drove 30 minutes each way to the office if it were not for Google Maps I would have been stuck in traffic at least twice a week. By routing traffic around congestion it has helped our infrastructure to function more efficiently. Love it. But it once did, on a walking tirp in Budapest, send me to the back side of where i was going costing me another 30 minutes of walking that day. So its not perfect, but one in 10,000 mess up is acceptable to me.

Like anything in travel, common sense is required.

Please, please don’t head off in the mountains on an unpaved road just because Google Maps says to go there. Too many sad stories about that here in the Western US.

I remember an example of Google map believers in my own family. I was walking with my son in a strange town and Google Maps told him turn left. I said, “that is clearly someone’s driveway.” He insisted on turning left. We walked up a steep hill to someone’s house! Back down the driveway, walking further along the street for several blocks and we arrived at our destination. A little questioning of Google Maps can be a good thing.

jhpbucks

Using paper maps is not necessarily a need, but a preference. Just like preferring to read an actual book, not an ebook.

Mardee you missed my point.

Was saying never going to rely on Sat Nav or GPS.

Have an iPhone. Might look at Google maps before I go anywhere.

Got a great sense of direction so off I’ll go.

Trust me after 30 years of driving and scouting film and tv locations through out LA County and the city of Angels I can pretty much find my way around anywhere without Sat Nav or GPS.

Sometimes when I read these threads, I can just see Dr. Rick slapping his forehead and shaking his head.

Google Maps, or any mapping tool, is not an excuse for putting common sense on hold. I recall a similar discussion (this comes up a few times a year) where people were suggesting that by following google maps you will likely walk into walls, be stuck in a dead end alley, or drive into a lake. If that occurs, you need to reconsider independent travel.

I see no need for paper maps, see route instructions as a suggestion, and if I don't think the route is looking right, alter on my own, and the app will recalculate on the fly.

“I have a map of the United States... Actual size. It says, 'Scale: 1 mile = 1 mile.' I spent last summer folding it. I hardly ever unroll it. People ask me where I live, and I say, 'E6.”

--Steven Wright

...use common sense with any navigation system...anything in travel, common sense is required.

Unfortunately, common sense isn't that common anymore. Everyone (myself included) really should temper reliance on technology with good, old fashioned mind power. Every once in a while when dealing with technology, I remind myself of the old IBM mantra which was "THINK".

I use goggle maps a lot but like to have a paper map to get a sense of the geography. But I have a couple of funny stories just the same.

1. We were in Crete trying to find an olive oil factory. It kept taking us down the middle of olive tree farms. We finally got there because our son who was using directions from website not goggle maps sent us a pin.

   1. We were in Palermo on a walking tour and had just visited a market. We saw a woman backing up the car from the market. The windows were open and I heard the woman exclaim “by goggle said to go this way!” (Right into the market!)