detailed maps of Tuscany and Umbria

Dennis...I have an old one called Italia Centro Nord from 'Studio F.M.B. Bologna' that covers everything from Rome northward. It's easy to read & very detailed. Two others are only Tuscany & only Umbria by other publishers. I'd suggest your local Barnes & Noble or whatever large bookstore is in Maui...or perhaps ordering online (though it's better to actually see the map. One of mine had a green background, which made it harder to read.) I think Michelin also has good maps.

You might also want to try maps.com...a huge selection of maps and travel guides. They offering Michelin road maps. One of central Italy, including Tuscany and Umbria, is 1/400,000, or one inch representing about 6 1/3 miles.

agree with Norm, who always gives good advice. Michelin maps are the way to go. They come in varying levels of detail, down to the level you'd want for bicycling trips on back roads.

I have the michelin map. It shows the whole country but no places in detail. I need a good raod map for driving in Tuscany and Umbria.

Or to maps.com.....there are regional maps, as I noted, that cover Tuscany and Umbria at 1/400,000. or 1 inch to 6 1/3 miles. I doubt you'll get much more detail than that unless you turn to survey maps...and they'd be so large as to be unwieldy in a car.

Dennis, I've had mixed reviews with maps. In my experience you need to just bring several with you. I bought a Michelin map at Barnes and Noble before I left and I also got a map when I rented the car. I ended up having to use both of them. They each had their plusses and minues, but it seemed like neither of them was 100% comprehensive.

If you're just staying on the Autostrada and minimally off there then you should be fine with the Michelin map. Otherwise, just get several of them.

Michelin maps are widely available in various scales. They are cheaper there than here. Wait til you arrive, then tell a clerk what kind of map you need.

Better yet get a GPS because streets and addresses are very rarely posted. Even with a map we only found our destinations by stopping and asking locals who weren't always certain.

Dennis, buy some maps, but better yet, buy a GPS, or make sure that your rental comes equiped with a GPS.

My wife and I have driven all over Europe using maps and a compass, but this last XMass we upgraded to our own personal GPS. I bought a TomTOm 920 here, learned how to use it, and our trips in Germany and Portugal were effortless. The GPS would tell us which exit to take in the roundabouts.......no more guessing. I navigated thru the middle of Lisbon during rush hour, and felt confident. I drove on back roads and never had a problem. It even sounded alarms when we approached fixed unit radar stations. And yes, even with the GPS, I would miss turns, but it would re-plan my route in less than 10 seconds, and off we would go.

Yes, I still carry a Michelin map, but using technology has made our road trips so much easier.......and I think that our marriage will last longer!

Dennis-
We've been to Italy several times but are renting a car for the first time this spring (Tuscany/Umbria.) We are using a smaller rental company outside of Cortona and the prices seem better than others I've found plus they only charge 6,50 Euro a day for a GPS system. (Not sure if this is a standard price at other companies)
Also, I just checked out maps while in Barnes and Noble yesterday and they do have a Tuscany/Umbria map(from Michelin) that has a large fold out map of the entire area plus smaller ones that are attached for some towns and cities inside as well.

We've driven Italy three times (not done yet) without GPS. The rental companies give you a basic All Italy driving map. We mostly use Michelin. We've used (orange) Maps 431, Southern Italy, 430, Central Italy, and 429 for Northern Italy. They also have detailed area maps (yellow) which cover just Tuscany, Umbria, etc. They highlight certain routes in green and these are scenic routes. Use the maps with mappy.com to help you figure driving times. We have a tendancy to get off the beaten path and it has always been worthwhile, like the all day trip we took from Verona over the Appennines to Lucca. Try to be in the town you are planning to stay in by 3 or 4 in the afternoon to get a hotel, especially in a highly touristed area. Once you have your hotel you can relax and leisurely visit the town. Happy travels.

Ive driven in Europe 4 times without a GPS and 2 times with one.I always managed without but it is a lot easier with the GPS.

We have a spiral bound Michelin map of all of Italy. It is a little bulky, but has great detail and we take it with us on all of our trips along with a compass of course.

Buy your detailed maps there. Every corner news stand or small news shop has them, with different resolutions. I have never found these maps available in the US. They are not expensive.