Survey finds some people get lost

...when in France. Without a map.

By PH Staff / Wednesday, 27 July 2005 / Loading comments

Just buy a map...

In a naked bid to boost map sales, Michelin has found that over 30 per cent of drivers travelling in France get lost, according to a survey it recently conducted. Ten per cent spend more than one hour hunting for their destination or the correct route and 50 per cent of the motorists crossing the Channel had not bought a map before leaving Britain.

Michelin interviewed more than 500 motorists returning to England on Eurotunnel services prior to boarding their shuttle at the Calais terminal. Seventy per cent of those consulted had been on holiday for up to seven days with a further 30 per cent having enjoyed a longer holiday. Day-trippers and continental residents were not included.

Map division boss John Lewis said: "We have plenty of demographic data on travellers, numbers of passengers, seasonal fluctuations etc but we wanted to really examine the practices and experiences of drivers in France. We wanted to find out how safe our UK drivers are on the across the Channel. Eighty per cent claimed to have driven on the continent before, whilst 15 per cent said they did not feel confident on French motorways."

When asked whether they had suffered from “temporary directional discomfort”, 32.5 per cent admitted that they had been lost, with 9.5 per cent recalling that more than one hour had been wasted whilst 10.2 per cent admitted that less than an hour of precious holiday time had be absorbed in the hunt for either their accommodation or while trying to find a place of interest.

So, most of us manage somehow. Aren't we plucky Brits when abroad?