We'll be driving from Malpensa Airport to Ortisei in the Dolomites and then to Tuscany and eventually Cinque Terre. Would like to have paper map backups. Wondering which are worth the money. I've read Michelin are good but very hard to follow? Any suggestions are appreciated. We will not have a stand alone GPS but will have Iphones. Would like to minimize international data.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6288 posts
I've used michelin for Spain and France. We like the app maps.me for navigation (GPS). You download the maps from home or when you have wifi and then it works offline much like GPS. We love it. You can mark sights, restaurants, hotels, trainstations, etc. all in advance of your travels.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
82 posts
We had 2 maps when we drove in Puglia, in 2012. One was Michelin and the other was called Apulia by Touring Editore ( can't remember where I bought it) & I found it easier to read than the Michelin one. Last year when we drove in the Azores we used the Maps.Me app and loved it! As the other poster mentioned, no data, as you use it offline. Saved us taking the wrong turn a number of times! It does use a lot of battery power though.
Posted by
11506 posts
Get an Italian SIM card for one of your phones and use phone for GPS with Google Maps. .
We always have used either Michelin or Touring Club Italia paper maps in Italy. I buy them at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon.
Posted by
OP
US
6 posts
Thanks everyone!
Posted by
76 posts
If you choose to go the old fashioned way, I keep a Marco Polo Italy driving map book with me at all times. I study it before I go and tag the pages that matter to us. That way I get a sense of the area and how everything is connected (or not). We have had the same one for about 6 years and it does just fine with a GPS. Our car had GPS (not extra) in it and we set in to Italian to enjoy the full experience.