Sat Nav with phone for Le Mans

[Lcoke]

Hi All,

Not long to go now!

I was hoping to use my phone (Android) as a sat nav on the way to Le Mans for the Classic. However, I am not taking the fastest route (no fun in that!) - instead I have a few towns etc I want to go through and I want to stay off the autoroutes. My problem is that Google Maps tells me that I can't select 'Avoid highways' when in offline mode.

Does anyone use a different app when driving abroad that can do this?

Thanks!



Louis

[drybeer]

Lcoke said:

Hi All,

Not long to go now!

I was hoping to use my phone (Android) as a sat nav on the way to Le Mans for the Classic. However, I am not taking the fastest route (no fun in that!) - instead I have a few towns etc I want to go through and I want to stay off the autoroutes. My problem is that Google Maps tells me that I can't select 'Avoid highways' when in offline mode.

Does anyone use a different app when driving abroad that can do this?

Thanks!



Louis

Still possible - get a travel atlas and pick way points on your scenic route, then add them as individual destinations from one to another. A little more fiddly but still possible.

[Eugene7]

I use Sygic (http://www.sygic.com/gps-navigation) on Android (or iPhone???) for actual GPS use - it has great additions, such as 'sharp corner warnings'.

And use TYRE (http://www.tyretotravel.com/) in the PC for route planning.

You can use ITN Converter (http://www.benichou-software.com/) to convert to Sygic format (use Sygic GPS Navigation 13 & 14 .itf format).

[Trevor Conway]

There are a few satnav apps available. I have an iPhone and use Navmii all over Europe and the USA. It's been pretty good. It's available for androids and is free, but you need to download the maps for France whist here and on wifi, so that they're stored on your phone. You then use the GPS system in your phone and it will not require any data access.

[Lcoke]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

I'll get downloading!

[ecs0set]

If you have a few mates in the car (not the wife and kids), I'd suggest doing it the old fashioned way with maps and signposts. Nothing beats the camaraderie and understanding from your mates when you have accidentally navigated down a narrow farm track and are frantically trying to outrun a very large french tractor in reverse! Plus many a great road can be found by accident when sat nav isn't directing you towards the widest motorway or A-road.

We just take a list of waypoints, a map of France from the late 90s (risk of road layout changes adds to the fun) and a sat nav for emergencies.

[Trevor Conway]

ecs0set said:

If you have a few mates in the car (not the wife and kids), I'd suggest doing it the old fashioned way with maps and signposts. Nothing beats the camaraderie and understanding from your mates when you have accidentally navigated down a narrow farm track and are frantically trying to outrun a very large french tractor in reverse! Plus many a great road can be found by accident when sat nav isn't directing you towards the widest motorway or A-road.

We just take a list of waypoints, a map of France from the late 90s (risk of road layout changes adds to the fun) and a sat nav for emergencies.

I must agree with this... Sat Nav's a good reference for timing, but nothing beats a good old map book if you have the time and are in the right frame of mind!

[lowdrag]

Michelin A3 map of France will give you years of fun. So detailed and easy to read. Don't laugh, they sell them in the UK but not in France!

[gaz132]

I find the free app WAZE very useful.