Question about maps (1 Viewer)

Dotplus6

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Oct 4, 2013
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4 yrs in total but not consecutively. Just bought the 3rd.
Ok - I haven't had enough feed back on my question last night to alleviate my fears on travelling the coast of France & Spain so I've just ordered 5 maps (instead of a sat nav) 3 national of Netherlands, France, Spain & Portugal & 2 spiral bound of France (A3) & Spain & Port(A4) - all Mitchelin.

Will they show me clearly whether the roads are suitable for a motorhome - avoiding bridges, narrow roads etc or will I still need a sat nav?

Have 10 weeks before I leave to prepare a route - had intended to wing it but I think some forward planning might be best.

Thanks in advance to any replies.

Dot
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Sat nav more likely to get you into narrow roads and low bridges than avoid them:doh:
 

Theonlysue

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Not long enough!
I always use sat nav and longitude latitude coordinates.
As can't read maps and drive lol
Just keep your eye out for the warning signs and slow down and check road before turning into.
If really not happy turn van round and reroute.
But do not worry or get flustered.
Take your time and don't be bullied by the other traffic on the road. We've all made mistakes but it makes the story telling more interesting. :)

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BreweryDave

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Referring back to my thread 'lovin our first time in france' (we were there for a month in June) I posted a summary at the end, and one of things I mentioned was that the best thing i took with me was - my satnav! Not cheap (around £400) but I have the Snooper s7000 ventura - into which you can put your dimensions and weight, and it never took me wrong!
Also - negates the need to really think about it - and as Sue has said - you can't read a map whilst driving along!
That said - if you don't have one - I'm sure you'll be fine. We stayed off the toll routes, (another satnav option on the menu!) and the French roads really are great. If you plan your route, either bypass small towns, or make sure the road goes straight through, that way you won't have the worry of negotiating a maze! The paper maps may not be the best for this - as they probably wont be a small enough scale.
I'd reccomend the satnav investment, after all - you'll have it for life and in every motorhome you ever have!
 
OP
OP
D

Dotplus6

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4 yrs in total but not consecutively. Just bought the 3rd.
"Also - negates the need to really think about it"

- thanks for your reply Brewery Dave but isn't that exactly what the Government wants us to do - 'to stop thinking'. Maybe we all need to get thinking a little bit more & stop letting them dumb us down. But I do appreciate what you're saying & I'll have a good look at the maps when they come & obviously learn all the road signs and maybe I will still need a sat nav for extra reassurance.
 

vwalan

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best map i have found for spain and portugal is the cepsa mapamax . it shows lots of smaller roads and nanes of coves /beaches others dont name .
i drive ever year around spain /portugal . used to do france but now dont . never use a sat nav dont need it . i drive an articulated truck as my camper and just watch for the low bridge / narrow road signs .
can be fun .
but really you dont need sat nav .
its my belief the worst drivers need them usually because they cant read maps and cant drive the vehicles they have bought properly.
 

oldun

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its my belief the worst drivers need them usually because they cant read maps and cant drive the vehicles they have bought properly.

What happens if they bought the motorhome improperly

How does this affect things?

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JJ

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May 1, 2008
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The day they bring out a series of maps for the whole of Europe including street level maps with road names for every town and city and village in Europe, all of which will fit in my pocket and tell me by voice which way to go, will be the day I consider giving up my TomTom and/or Note 2.

Anyone who thinks maps are BETTER than sat navs for driving directions is simply MISTAKEN.

Of course you should have fold out maps for overall journey planning but to get from A to B... the sat nav rools.

It gives you far, far, far more information than just which way to turn...



JJ :cool:
 

Carol

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"Also - negates the need to really think about it"

- thanks for your reply Brewery Dave but isn't that exactly what the Government wants us to do - 'to stop thinking'. Maybe we all need to get thinking a little bit more & stop letting them dumb us down. But I do appreciate what you're saying & I'll have a good look at the maps when they come & obviously learn all the road signs and maybe I will still need a sat nav for extra reassurance.

The day the government or anyone else for that matter tells me what to think will be interesting, but from many years of travelling both with maps and the sat Nav, to me it's a no brainier we plan the route on the map then programme the chosen route into the sat Nav, makes a much more relaxed way to travel after all it's supposed to be a holiday not a challenge or endurance test.
 

Bertie Bassett

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The day the government or anyone else for that matter tells me what to think will be interesting, but from many years of travelling both with maps and the sat Nav, to me it's a no brainier we plan the route on the map then programme the chosen route into the sat Nav, makes a much more relaxed way to travel after all it's supposed to be a holiday not a challenge or endurance test.


dotplus6: That is it in a nutshell!

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Apr 27, 2008
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Relying on OH to navigate is a sure recipe for marital stress. The sat nav avoids this and I wouldn't be without them (I have 3 in the MH).
Before they were invented I just used to plan my route by town names and have them written down on a strip of paper on the dashboard, used to work OK.
The important thing with the sat nav is that is only a guide, you still need to read the road and the signs, where the sat nav scores is when you don't go the way it suggests, as it will rapidly reroute. (this is not always the case with the TomTom which tries to get back on the original route long past the point at which it is sensible). Hence the advantage of more than one, they all have strengths and weaknesses, eg TomTom is best for POIs but Snooper best for avoiding narrow roads. The Chinese IGO is very good for ensuring that you never have to turn round, good if you have a toad, though can take you miles out of your way to allow this.
 
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We use the map first to check the route then program the old tom tom for the next aires toll free back to map to make sure it's not taking the wee wee :whistle:
Off we jolly well go
When used sensibly satnavs are a good tool but not a replacement for common sense :)
 

Puddleduck

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We use the map first to check the route then program the old tom tom for the next aires toll free back to map to make sure it's not taking the wee wee :whistle:
Off we jolly well go
When used sensibly satnavs are a good tool but not a replacement for common sense :)
Exactly. We use both and we can also both navigate.... usually agree the route in advance and if anything looks like it might be a problem (low bridges etc) check it out on Google maps in advance.

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Dec 18, 2010
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Agree with others a combination of both satnav and detail maps,but --------it's when we've got lost or taken wrong turn that's when the real adventure starts.Have fun and keep your since of humour.:party2:
 

lugnutt

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The day the government or anyone else for that matter tells me what to think will be interesting, but from many years of travelling both with maps and the sat Nav, to me it's a no brainier we plan the route on the map then programme the chosen route into the sat Nav, makes a much more relaxed way to travel after all it's supposed to be a holiday not a challenge or endurance test.
as eddy told me "there is no wrong rd just a different rd"
 

vwalan

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rule of thumb is if you feel you cant reverse down a road or what ever then dont drive down there forwards .
be it a road a turning etc .

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