Michelin Maps

Do you mean Michelin maps as in the paper kind or do you mean ViaMichelin the on line mapping service? If you mean Via MIchelin, all I can say is that I started using it 15 years ago and with time it became more informative but far more difficult to use. Then I found Google Maps and I can't remember the last time I went back to do anything on ViaMichelin. The google Maps driving times are rather optimistic but that is easy enough to take care of, just add 10% and remember they are only estimates to begin with. My favorite planning is Google Maps supplemented with map tacks on a AAA planning map on a bulletin board.

I use both. ViaMichelin is good for it helps you figure fuel and toll charges. I plan on using both in June in Provence.

I usually use google maps as well but I heard many people say to use Michelin not the paper map.
So basically if I use google maps I should be fine navigating from town to town and figuring out distance etc.

Like Richard, I use both. Certainly the google satellite view is superior, but I do like Michelin’s tolls estimates. I also carry a paper map in very rural areas, just in case the data coverage is spotty.

Tell us more about your difficulties with Viamichelin, maybe we can help more with specifics.

Barbara
Lack of experience using it I pulled up Michelin and not Via Michelin. I am sure if I play around with it I will become more familiar and it will be like anything else. I did however put in a destination from Avignon and it came up as 2 hours compared to google maps which was much less. Had me second guessing myself.

Itref323, in my experience even here in the US, google offers optimistic time estimates. I’d go with the slower estimate from Viamichelin: assuming the same routing, time of day, and day of the week was used for both estimates...at this point it’s for general planning anyway. And in Provence, you’ll want to take time to smell the lavender! 🙂

I use both google maps and viamichelin. With Michelin, it's not always easy to plot a string of destinations. With Google, you just keep adding to the route. With Michelin, you have to add intermediate points. It's not as user-friendly but can be better.

We've driven about 30,000 miles in France & the only map to use is the paper Michelin 1:200000 for both planning & driving. Michelin Regional Green guides are also essential.

For trip planning, we use Michelin maps to see which sights are in the same proximity and Google maps to lay out a route and check distances.

For driving during a trip, we use a road atlas with a scale of about 4 miles to the inch. This is also useful for finding nearby sights. We also print a few Google map pages, especially if we are staying at a B and B, since they are often in neighborhoods and difficult to find.

Our September 2018 trip, we were pleasantly surprised to discover the car had a GPS. This was really useful since French roads are not sign-posted for destinations like USA ones. However, the road atlas was also quite useful since the GPS sometimes chose very strange routes. For example, in Sarlat she told us to make about a 15 degree turn down a very narrow lane with high walls on both sides. We entertained the neighborhood as we tried to back out of that onto a busier road.

For online info, I always use Google Maps. But once we're in France we use regional Michelin maps.

Route planner works well for up to four places, including start and finish. If you plug in too many destinations, it won't give you a route. You also have to be careful you're putting in the correct towns. Many places in France have the same name but are in completely different parts of the country. Michelin is a good place to get an estimate for how long driving will take. I always assume it's a minimum and build in extra time to get lost, find parking, find a place to eat, etc.

I don't like Google maps for traveling. It's a data and battery hog. If you miss a turn using Google maps, it won't reroute you unless you have data turned on. If you drive with data on, it sucks way more than it should. Co Pilot is the app I've been using. I download the maps at home. After that it navigates fine with no data. I don't like the search capability as much as Google maps. I'll often use Google to get a street address then plug it into Co Pilot and navigate with that.