Navigating France: Paper maps? Smart phone? GPS? Other?

[mnichols]

A map is map. Whether its electronic or paper is just the media.

Plenty of free Os maps available offline and free

Or photograph the bits of the map that you need and put them on your phone or tablet. You have the advantage of being able to zoom in and out, have a built in light, compass, altimeter, GPS, weather forecast, emergency call system, camera and if you want it navigation. Batteries are getting better and better. I bought a new phone a few weeks ago and tried on tour, at the end of a full day of use I still had 92% charge

You can also take virtually unlimited maps for no more weight

Things evolve, we may be the last generation to use paper maps

[jk49]

Rode from Carcassonne to St Malo last year. Used Michelin maps torn out of v. cheap road atlas. I Liked being able to construct a route going from national park to national park, so ended up travelling through regions that were really beautiful. Navigation was very easy as the signage, even on d roads was very good. Being able to see some points of interest close to you could be helpful. They tend to be marked on Michelin maps.

[Psamathe]

...
Things evolve, we may be the last generation to use paper maps

Which worries me a bit in that the providers of map information change to be commercial for profit companies. I appreciate that Google (and others) could just as easily print their maps, but they would not be as effective advertising platforms. And with the UK gov. intending to sell off Ordnance Survey (so I understand anyway) we will largely only have "the world according to Google, Bing, Apple, etc." So OpenStreet Map becomes an incredibly important platform as all others move to a profits for shareholders and likely that their mapping becomes little more than a background to their commercial advertising.

Ian

[johnmillward74]

Done 7 end to ends, 3 side to sides and 3 halfwaydowns, across and ups of France. Different routes. All using maps. I didnt plan on anything, and I didnt take a backup - all my maps were offline, I don't use electronic maps

What were the end to end's that you've done? I'm doing Calais to Montpellier in July - would be interested in your thoughts . . . .

[psmiffy]

Done 7 end to ends, 3 side to sides and 3 halfwaydowns, across and ups of France. Different routes. All using maps. I didnt plan on anything, and I didnt take a backup - all my maps were offline, I don't use electronic maps

What were the end to end's that you've done? I'm doing Calais to Montpellier in July - would be interested in your thoughts . . . .

France - Le Havre to Bilbao (The Long Way) Le Havre - Paris - Montargis - Orleans -Nevers - Moulins- Lyon- Valence-Avignon- Montepelier - Narbonne -Toulouse - Bordeax-Saintes-La Rochelle-Royan - Arcachon- Bayonne-San Sebastian-Bilbao -3550km

France - Dieppe to Roscoff via the Alps Dieppe - Bervais - Meaux - Troyes - Digon - Arbois - Nyon (Lac Lema) - Cou (1117m)- Evires (810m) - Annecy - Albertville - Meriallet (1619m) - Rosemund (1968m) - Bourg St Maurice - Val de Isere - Isere (2770m) - Madelaine (1720m) - Lanselvillard - Cenis (2089m) - Cesana (I) - Montgeneve (1845m)- Entenards - Cayolle (2326m) - Nice - Port Grimaud - Toulose - Marseilles -Gineste (327m) - Istres - Aigue Mortes - Montepeliar - St Martin De Londres - Meyrueis - Aurilliac - Rocamadour - Perigueux - Angouloume - Saintes - Niort - Les Sables d'Olonne - Nante - Lorient - Tregunc - Roscoff -3513km

France-Calais to Frejus Calais - Arras - Charevill Mezieres - Montmedy - Luxembourg - Thionville - Metz - Nancy - Epinal - Bassas (731m) - Mulhouse - Basle - Bern - Mosses (1445m) - Aigle - Martigny - Forclaz (1271m) - Montets (1461m) - Chamonix - St Gervais Les Baines - ND Bellacombe - Saisies (1650m) - Meriallet (1619m) - Rosemund (1968m) - Bourg St Maurice - Val de Isere - Isere (2770m) -Lanstebourg - St Michael De Maurienne - Telegraphe (1516m) - Valloire - Galibere (2646m) - Lautaret (2058m) - Briancon - Embrun - St Vincent - St Jean (1333m) - Maure (1346m) - Labouret (1240m) - Digne les Baines - Leques (1148m) - Castellane - Luens (1054m) - Valferriere (1169m) - Fayence - Frejus -2008km

France Pyrenees - St Malo - Pontivy - Clorhars - Lorient - Vannes - St Nazaire - Croix DeVie - La Rochelle - Rochefort - Royan - Locarneu Ocean - Cap Ferrat - Pyla - Biscarrosse - St Paul Les Dax - Putoo - Pau - Lourdes - Argeles Gazost - Tormelet (2115m) - (Aspin 1487m) - Arreu - Borderes Louron - Peysourde (1569m) - Bagneres De Luchon (chicken out of going into Andorra) - Ares (569m) - Buret (599m) - Aspet(1069m) -St Girons - Rille (938m) - Crouzette(1241m) - Peguere(1375m) - Jouels (1247m) - Marrous (990m) - Foix - Lavelanel - Babourade (655m) - Portel (655m) - Quillan - Perpignan - Beziers - Montpeliar -2036km

France-Paris to Montpelier Paris - Etampes -Chateuneuf S Loire - Gien - Nevers - Diogin - Lyon - Valence - Montelimar - Orange - Avignon - Aigues Mort - Serignan - Montepeliar -1124km

Europe psmiffyontour2009 – St Malo – West Coast Aude and onwards (See Sig) 9705km

I really don't have that many thoughts to share - apart from - My philosophy is to go naively where I have not been before - It is your journey, decide what you want out of it - be that Mountains, cities, rivers, coastlines