I think it always had the option to select towing a caravan, but my understanding is, it doesn't plan a route based on the suitability for a caravan, but merely tells you how much the tolls are when towing!
I've looked at it in the past, and it never struck me as picking particularly caravan friendly routes when I plugged in destinations I knew and the good and bad routes to take to them! Not to say it's routes were impossible with a caravan, just not optimum in my experience! Found other route planers that seemed better, but unfortunately without the toll fee info!
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Quote: Originally posted by peterrabbit1007 on 19/7/2024
I think it always had the option to select towing a caravan, but my understanding is, it doesn't plan a route based on the suitability for a caravan, but merely tells you how much the tolls are when towing!
The option used to be there and then disappeared, was brought back again and disappeared again earlier this year. Lots of us emailed ViaMichelin and it seemed to have an effect as it was back again on the new (awful) website.
The caravan option has been there for some time, but the new website is still awful! Not sure why they chose to break something that never needed fixing?
One thing I have noticed with it, the selection of routes is a lot poorer than it used to be, I tried setting the route from Stafford to Poole and it only came up with one route.
It used to come up with three different selections and the route that it has suggested is almost definitely the only route that I wouldn't take (M6, M5 to Jn 11a, then A roads to Poole via Cirencester, Swindon and Marlborough)
Quote: Originally posted by Paul and Nikki on 21/7/2024
One thing I have noticed with it, the selection of routes is a lot poorer than it used to be, I tried setting the route from Stafford to Poole and it only came up with one route.
It used to come up with three different selections and the route that it has suggested is almost definitely the only route that I wouldn't take (M6, M5 to Jn 11a, then A roads to Poole via Cirencester, Swindon and Marlborough)
I often look at different route planners/sat nav apps, just to keep abreast of latest developments and updates to the ones I know, but my acid test of their worth is to check a route to a destination I already know well! Via Michelin has never impressed on the 'acid test'! - in fact it's failed miserably with some dire routes when I've checked! Only redeeming feature I can see is that it gives actual toll fees on the routes it chooses (and I've used it for that purpose alone, using something else for the actual journey!), and I'm not aware of other apps that do that! Got to say, the interface on latest versions really doesn't impress!
Quote: Originally posted by Paul and Nikki on 21/7/2024
One thing I have noticed with it, the selection of routes is a lot poorer than it used to be, I tried setting the route from Stafford to Poole and it only came up with one route.
It used to come up with three different selections and the route that it has suggested is almost definitely the only route that I wouldn't take (M6, M5 to Jn 11a, then A roads to Poole via Cirencester, Swindon and Marlborough)
Haven't got a caravan but asked via Michelin to plot a route for one from Bergerac Airport to our house to the S of the Dordogne river about 10 km S of Sarlat.
It came up with exactly the same route as by car. Have used both on several occasions picking up family from the airport.
One is pretty flat and follows the river on wide departmentals and climbs the 250m over anout 3 km from the river to our house on roads used by HGV's etc - the last few hundred km are on fairly level roads where two vans could pass without too much trouble.
The second branches off the river about half way from Bergerac and follows a very up hill down dale route until you get to the Ceou valley to the W of our house - then you have a very steep climb with a couple of nasty hairpins - would say it averages a good 1 in 7 (lived in Sheffield for 40 years so pretty used to hills). The final 2 km are on a pretty narrow up and down communal where two cars will slow right down and pull over to pass each other.
This second route is labelled by ViaMichelin as the most economic and environmentally friendly (being about 7 km shorter). By car the first route is quicker - better quality, flatter, straighter roads - plus a number of stretches were returned to 90kmph a couple of years ago although doesn't appear to have fed through to via Michelin yet.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I've looked at 'fastest' and 'eco' routes on a number of route planners/sat navs, and the 'eco' bit seems to simply equate to shortest in many cases! Now I know from experience that towing my van down a motorway at a near constant speed is FAR more economical than the stop-start/roundabouts/low gear crawls through towns/villages, and much steeper hills, encountered on some of the eco/shorter routes!
I regularly go down to N Devon from London, choice of M4 (longer) or A303 (shortest), M4 is my favoured way, but plenty of times it's a nightmare, so A303 is the sensible route on the day, my fuel consumption suffers quite grievously on the shorter route, to the point I use far more that taking the longer route! - nothing very 'eco' about that!
Quote: Originally posted by Paul and Nikki on 21/7/2024
One thing I have noticed with it, the selection of routes is a lot poorer than it used to be, I tried setting the route from Stafford to Poole and it only came up with one route.
It used to come up with three different selections and the route that it has suggested is almost definitely the only route that I wouldn't take (M6, M5 to Jn 11a, then A roads to Poole via Cirencester, Swindon and Marlborough)
I often look at different route planners/sat nav apps, just to keep abreast of latest developments and updates to the ones I know, but my acid test of their worth is to check a route to a destination I already know well! Via Michelin has never impressed on the 'acid test'! - in fact it's failed miserably with some dire routes when I've checked! Only redeeming feature I can see is that it gives actual toll fees on the routes it chooses (and I've used it for that purpose alone, using something else for the actual journey!), and I'm not aware of other apps that do that! Got to say, the interface on latest versions really doesn't impress!
To be honest, toll road fees have historically been my main reason to use Via Michelin, I usually use Google maps to check routes and then generally navigate using android auto (although once I find my preferred route, I tun off dynamic routing when I'm towing).
I will say that when I first started going to France (2012) I did print off the directions from Via Michelin and did not use a sat nav, I think it's about the only time that I have never taken a wrong turn, I guess it makes you more alert when you have to ask someone (the passenger) for instructions rather than relying on a sat nav
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Via Mitchelin- Towing
via mobile 18/7/2024 at 6:25pm
