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Best maps for UK, France and Spain Best maps for UK, France and Spain
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Navigation - Maps, Compass, GPS How to find your way - traditional map, compass and road signs, or GPS and more
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia




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  #1  
Old 13 Jul 2009
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Best maps for UK, France and Spain
Hey guys, I'm trying to find out what maps people take with them on their trips. I'm doing a trip from the UK through France and Spain and possibly into Portugal, what maps would you use for this?

What do you do about finding accomodation and petrol stations? I've never been anywhere yet without booking in advance (I'm a newbie) so it's still a pretty scary thought at the moment, how do you find campsites/b&b's/hostels on the road (what if you can't find anywhere)?

The maps I've looked at so far don't show campsites and are either too big for the tank bag pocket or so detailed that I'd need to carry way too many, where am I going wrong?!
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Old 13 Jul 2009
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It depends how flexible you need to be. GPS BTW is brilliant and avoid loads of hassle, but as the question was maps....

I carry a red Michelin that'll cover the whole of France, or a yellow one if only heading for a small area (WH Smiths etc. sell them). I use that to write myself a set of directions for each day or to find a general direction. You can't read a map in the tank bag unless it's that big it'll cover ten minutes riding. At each junction assume the next one horse town up the road will be the only one signposted, anything like a big city or Paris is a bonus that confirms you are/aren't heading roughly the right way. Don't forget to include E road numbers as well as A/N/D-???, the signmakers use whatever they feel like.

Finding accomodation is a case of either pulling up in a town and looking round, getting to the local tourist office or following signs at the side of the road (Pension/Gitte/Chambre etc). Some towns have a little board as you enter with accomodation listed and usually a street plan. You need pen and paper to copy that down. It can also be useful to use Google maps or similar to get to-the-door instructions ready for any place you know you'll go. Campsites I'd find online before I set off, or just follow signs as you see them.

Enjoy

Andy
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Old 14 Jul 2009
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I use Michelin and IGN maps. Michelin's Red map covers the whole of France, and you can get them for Spain, Portugal etc. IGN (like the French Ordinance Survey) do an Orange series where you get a quarter of France per map.

For accomodation if you've got a rough idea of where you'd like to go then the best bet is to try the region's or department's tourist offices. Usually you can find these online.

Oh and Viamichelin.com is good too, you can use it to find not just routes (selecting the bicycle option often reveals interesting backroads) but also some accomodation, tourist info too, and it'll link to other sites.

Finally try Bike Club France it's an expats bikers in France site, well worth a visit as I'm sure you'll get loads of hints of where to go, stay, eat, and possibly even an offer or two of a bed/camping pitch for the night.

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Old 14 Jul 2009
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Thanks for the advice guys! Looks like the Michelin Red is a good place to start! Has anybody ever used an AA glovebox atlas? They are A5 sized and spiral bound so perfect for a tank bag...

Glovebox Atlas Europe SP (AA Atlases and Maps): Amazon.co.uk: Automobile Association: Books

I wonder what the detail is like though, that's a lot of roads to fit in one book! :P

Alexlebrit, I thought I was following you but apparently I wasn't :confused1:... I am now though!
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Old 14 Jul 2009
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Sgt,

I did a similar trip in March and used the Michelin Red folding maps also, the scenic routes marked in green are particularly useful.

As for accomodation then I stayed in some Hostals in Spain, cheap and clean, either ask at the local petrol station or just ride around looking for a Hostal sign.

Is there something particular you want to see do in France? you might want to look at the Portsmouth/Plymouth - Santander ferry, gets you right to the great roads in northern Spain and normally works out cheaper than riding through France.

I did a bit of a ride report on my trip here:

.: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :.


Nick.
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Old 14 Jul 2009
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Thanks for the link Nick, I'll have a read!

We've never really seen France so we'd like to do that, try some of the food etc, also want to see the Millau bridge and visit some friends. We also want to see the Pyrenees but I'm not sure of the best routes to do this yet, I have a lot of research to do! :P
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Old 26 Jul 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sgt Beardy View Post
Thanks for the advice guys! Looks like the Michelin Red is a good place to start! Has anybody ever used an AA glovebox atlas? They are A5 sized and spiral bound so perfect for a tank bag...

Glovebox Atlas Europe SP (AA Atlases and Maps): Amazon.co.uk: Automobile Association: Books

I wonder what the detail is like though, that's a lot of roads to fit in one book! :P
exactly, IMO those A5 maps are too large scale (or is it small scale?) to be more than general planning use, and dont just miss off small roads but whole villages, which abound in F, S and P.
i use the "AA road atlas of France", and "AA road atlas of Spain and Portugal" both ring bound A4 size. they can fit in the largest tank bags (but the scale is such that you would have to stop every 1/2hr to turn the page anyway!) and "AA road atlas of Europe" which is a monster A3 book with scale so large there are nearly whole countries on each page but its great for general route and distance planning. many a happy hour with a cold case of becks and some mates around the patio table.......

to be honest i agree with threewheelbonnie, i love paper maps for armchair/pub planning and dreaming but out on the road i use a GPS. i know they are very marmite and we can argue back and forth about GPS's and they are certainly not perfect as folks like to make out, like all gizmos they are only as good as the operator (perhaps "not foolproof" is the best description?) but ive found the garmin with a road atlas as back up in the topbox is my way.
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