ViaMichelin

Both it and google underestimate actual elapsed road time for uncrowded freeways since you're often busting the speed limit just keeping up with traffic. Also, at least in France, it seems like michelin over-estimates tolls for some reason.

Your actual driving times are likely to take more time than the driving times in Viamichelin. We get a lot of posts here saying it took longer than Viamichelin said; and very few saying they got there faster. At least 2 reasons for this: 1) Stops of any type are not included in the times given (gas stops, "comfort" stops, whatever, are not included in the Michelin times); and 2) Traffic delays cannot, of course, be included.

I've only used Viamichelin for plotting routes in France. In my experience its accuracy depends upon the route and time of travel, just like every map program I've used. Generally they are on the optimistic side as they seem to use posted speed limits in the calculations. I suppose that's fair as traffic slowdowns can't be anticipated, though I noticed recently that Google has started including driving times in heavy traffic around Los Angeles. On a summer weekend when the autoroutes are full, you won't get to Avignon from Nice in the 2:34 Viamichelin figures. It could take half an hour longer. On the other hand, driving over less-traveled routes outside the peak season it comes close, but still can be a few minutes short per hour's drive time. Use it as a general guide.

Via Michelin has an excellent cartographic base! They mark clearly the scenic routes, the mountain passes (and their seasonal closure) and signal roadside attraction WAY better than Google Maps.

Yes, Michelin has an excellent cartographic base, and they closely mark the scenic routes, but the question was, "how accurate are the drive times". Michelin sell tires, and they started their guides with the purpose of promoting car travel. Nothing has changed. They want to promote car travel and they consistently underestimate drive time to do it. They are not responsible for traffic delays, but those delays occur nevertheless. Your time is unlikely to match the times on their website.

The driving times there are an estimation of driving at allowed speed for each sector. Never use it as the real driving time.

I generally increase the travel time by 25 percent for shorter trips and one third for anything over two hours, especially when passing by mid-sized or larger cities, and even more if that is at rush hour. So far, that has been pretty accurate.

We just used via Michelin for our trip to Normandy & Brittany and got lost everywhere we went! Make sure you have a GPS with you.

I second the GPS recommendation. Via Michellan is still great for planning, and I print out point-to-point maps as a backup to the GPS.

I've been using viamichelin.com for MANY years now (long before google maps) and it is still my preferred driving program for Europe. I have actually found it to be VERY accurate as far as the amount of actual time spent driving. No, it didn't allow for the Italian highway to be 100% stopped when there was a fatal accident ahead and it doesn't allow for stops in the scenic villages that lie along the route. So what this means for me is that I know we can get off the plane and drive to somewhere that is listed as being less than 2 hours away and not be afraid of jet-lag problems. I also define a full "driving day" as a destination that viamichelin says will take 5 hours or more because I know that with a post breakfast start, break for lunch, and whatever wonderful sites there are along the way, it will, indeed, take me all day to get there. Having said that, I do like google maps for getting me to the actual address in a city.

After testing it on a route I drive regularly, I am rethinking my practice of adding to the Via Michellin estimates for driving time. In the past I have added extra time because my wife needs regular rest stops. But even with two or three stops on a 155 route we take every month or two, we almost never take more than 3 1/2 hours. I was expecting to get a time of about 3 hours but Via Michellin lists the travel time for that route at 4 hours 55 minutes. This is over lightly traveled two-lane roads most of the distance.

Roy, where is this - - what country?

It seems odd to me that you need to point out to anyone that pit stops and traffic jams are not included in the ViaMichelin drive times. Duh! What did you expect? Are they supposed to know how often you need to pee? Are they supposed to predict an accident causing a traffic back-up? Nonsense. In virtually every real-world scenareo I have encountered driving in Europe the ViaMichelin estimate have proven very accurate. In fact, barring unforseen complications, it tends to be overly conservative. Since smoothly flowing traffic generally moves a bit faster than the speed limit, you tend to get there a few minutes faster. It is absurd to suggest that ViaMichelin is in any way "cooking the numbers" to try to convince more people to drive.