| I use the viamichelin.com route planner to get my basic route, then refer it to a Michelin Map for the best biking roads. This route planner allows you to set parameters which will allow you to avoid Motorways/Toll roads etc and gives a good idea of time and distance to be covered, for those important fuel/coffee and o/nite stops.
Have used this system for my last 4 trips to Europe (France/Germany/Italy/Spain/Portugal) with good results. The route instructions are also good, giving just enough information in a easily read format, unlike Autoroute which will have you stopping every 5mins to turn the next page of your 50 page route instructions.
My most recent purchase has been a GPS system from Aldi at £230 which i hope will further aid my deteriating reading sight and will ease the locating of city locations or bypassing off. Haven't tried the GPS on tour yet, but initial impressions are good. It's compact, works of it's own battery supply or cig. lighter and has audio. Just need to load all Speed Camera sights to the software and make it a dual system at £600 less than a Garmin.
Hope info is of some use - Just remember that if you decide on GPS, don't rely on it totally. You still need your maps for planning & backup.
Another useful tip if stuck in a City centre or the like and you need to find your route out, is to use the Suns Position relative to the time of the day, works every time for me. It's also a good check to make sure you are Hooning down the right road, before finding out 50 miles later that you've taken the correct road number, but in the wrong direction (Who's done that at least once in their life?)
Well thats all from me, spouted off to long already.
Cheers  |