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ViaMichelin.com: The Google Maps of Europe
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Renting a car in Europe and planning on using Google Maps to get around?Think again.
Google Maps are rather worthless for driving directions in Europe. Although I'm sure this will change as Google slowly conquers the world, the current site to visit when trying to figure out how to get from Euro Point A to Euro Point B is ViaMichelin.com.
It's a rather good marketing effort for a tire company to launch such a site, but it makes me wonder if they suggest slightly longer routes just to grind down those tires a little bit faster. Or perhaps they recommend minor detours along poorly maintained roads where blown tires are commonplace.
Nefarious marketing practices aside, ViaMichelin remains your best bet for driving directions in Europe.
Filed under: Europe, Transportation
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick Wood Jun 10th 2009 7:37AM
I would use ViaMichelin everytime. Google only guarantee 4 digit postcode accuracy opposed to ViaMichelin who use street number and street name, they also won the route planner of the year also from WEB USER magazine in 2008 and give you 7 options for route as well a the chance to favour motorways , calculated fuels costs and more more .
Its a no brainer whether your in the UK or Europe as Googles coverage lacks real detail
Andy Joihnston Dec 4th 2009 9:34AM
Jon, I have used Google and we all know the URL thanks. Google is convenient thats all but is not very good, see their official Wikipedia page (googel is a basic mapping service) and does not provide advanced Geocoding, this is the point you are missing.
I have always believed in viaMichelin as a mapping brand, their Geocoding accuracy far exceeds anything I have seen from Google which remember is just a basic mapping service.
Where ViaMichelin leads, Google does follow abet several years behind like introducing tube stations on maps, live traffic info etc
Sarah Sceca Apr 13th 2010 7:43AM
Jon, I'm sure he got the right address for google. Google maps for directions in my opinion having searched online is not particulary accurate.
As a developer nothing is included which makes the accuracy very poor and I know there are hundreds of flaws in the google.com solution and the one some developers use (not the experienced ones) as Google is such a weak and inferior product compared to the real Mapping providers, I say this having wasted my time developing a solution using Google which could not compete with Bing, Mappy or indeed as previously endorsed ' ViaMichelin'.
Just noticed that Google does not have the ability to validate postcodes. If they were not so convenient to use, I am sure no-one would use Google.
jon Sep 17th 2007 5:00PM
Really? Google maps seems to work pretty well in the UK, and I've used it in France too.
Other choices as well as Michelin are the RAC or the AA websites http://www.rac.co.uk and http://www.theaa.co.uk which both have pretty good route planners on.
Ah, I've just realised why you thing google maps doesn't work - you typed maps.google.com. Try maps.google.co.uk or maps.google.fr
Neil Sep 17th 2007 5:01PM
Thanks for the tips, Jon. That's some helpful information