thevacationqueen

We'll be renting a car for a week in Aix en Provence this September, and returning it in Avignon. We are renting thru AutoEurope at the Aix en Provence TGV station. As this is our first car rental in Europe, I'm wondering if an area map is generally included?

I've looked at Michelin maps, and found one for southern France that should cover the areas we will be in (Aix en Provence, Uzes, Arles, Isle sur la Sourge, Gordes, the Camargue etc.) My other option is to buy a French road atlas--spendy at $35 plus it's big and heavy to tote around. I've also found some regional maps--but I'd need at least 2 maps to cover the regions.

We are hoping our rental comes with a built in GPS, but I'm certainly NOT willing to pay the outrageous daily rental cost if we specify one when we reserve!

Any experience with the maps issue?

Thanks in advance for advice and experiences!
TVQ

joannyc

I have never been given one but have not asked for one either. I take my GPS which has Europe maps with me. Not all rentals come with a GPS.

Kathie

I think it is always wise to have a paper map. But take your smartphone as well and use google maps. I find Google maps useful in Europe (even for walking around) but pay no attention to their time estimates - often off by a factor of 10!

hetismij2

It almost certainly won't have a map. It would cost a fortune to replace the map everytime someone "forgot" to leave it in the vehicle.

If you have a smartphone download the map of the area before you leave home, using Here for instance. Buy a paper map too. GPS is good for A to B but a map is better for exploring.

Gretchen

I much prefer a paper map so you can see surroundings that might be interesting.
Get a Michelin map of Provence. They are readily available.

dugi_otok

The map you need is Michelin ZOOM France: Provence, Camargue Map 113.Michelin Zoom maps cover major towns and tourist areas, with a high level of detail(1cm =1.6km) in an easy to use format. You can buy it on Amazon for $9.95

If you do not have a GPS ( Only once in Germany did my rental car come with one), you might print out a few via michelin directions at home for getting to accomodations, major sites, etc.

StCirq

You can buy a host of regional maps - IGN, Michelin, and others at any bookstore, supermarket, or gas station. You might get a map from the car rental place, but it is likely to be close to useless unless you're going to be on main roads all the time.

Whathello

I've never been given a useful map in any rental office.
I find it hard to NOT have a GPS in France or Germany when I rent. However we didn't ask for a GPS when we went to Portugal last month and it cost us about the same price as a brand new GPS. So either you buy a GPS before going to France or you reserve it beforehand. It should cost about 2€ per day.
Or you hope your car will have a built-in one.

thevacationqueen

Thanks to you all for the helpful information.

I just ordered the Michelin ZOOM map mentioned by dug_otok--that was a good find--thanks so much!

We do have a Garmin GPS, but would rather not take it along, as we are traveling for 6 weeks and already have enough "stuff" to pack AND we'd have to buy the France maps module at about $45.

I'm thinking we will go with the paper map, we can always use Google maps or the Via Michelin app.
We'll keep our fingers crossed that we get lucky and our car comes with a GPS, as the cost to rent one was an outrageous 12E per day!

Thanks agin!
TVQ

Whathello

If you finally need a GPS, just buy one in France, it will cost <100€.

NYCFoodSnob

The printed map arena of publishing has been devastated in the last twenty years. Some of the world's best cartographers are no longer in business.

Today's selection is far and few between. It doesn't satisfy my graphic design requirements, but Michelin Zoom is about as good as it gets.

If you know Photoshop, the best map is one you can customize and print yourself. You'll need additional software, and there's a fairly steep learning curve, but the results are amazing. In certain locations, finding an affordable large-format printer service is not easy.

GPS, when it works, is great when driving from Point A to Point B. However, you better know the correct address, spelling, and GPS coordinates. Many stores and landmarks simply do not register, no matter how new your equipment is.

GPS is terrible for exploring. Sure, you can zoom out on your tiny LCD screen, but I find this feature almost useless when the screen is so small. Plus, it's very unsafe to work with the GPS unit while you are driving.

For exploring, I need a good printed map. And that's the reason I jump through hoops to make my own.

StuDudley

We are vacationing in France now. In Provence I use the 113 map for planning all outings. I use the built-in GPS to tell me where I am on the route & what roads are coming up ahead. Of the 10 mid-size or better auto transmission cars I've rented in the past 5 years all have had built-in GPS systems at no additional charge. I don't use that GPS to 'talk' to me/give me directions. I believe if I asked for a GPS specifically I would be charged extra. I guess I've just been lucky that the GPS "came with".

Stu Dudley

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"I guess I've just been lucky that the GPS "came with"."</font></i>

Some people do experience extraordinary good luck. Expecting a GPS with my rental is not a risk I'd ever be willing to take. I own the one I bring to Europe, and it has Lifetime Map updates.

If you don't own one, learning how to use the one that came with your car might pose a challenge. Learning in a language that you do not know will further complicate the frustration.

The digital voice can be extremely annoying, especially when it never gets the accent or the pronunciation correct, in Italy or France. However, because I'm a visual person, I tend to get swept away by the views. So the vocal directions serve as a reminder, and I appreciate the head's up while driving in dream land.

kerouac

I never request a GPS but I am given an equipped car perhaps 20% of the time depending on what vehicles are available. If I do not already have a Michelin map for the region, I go the to nearest hypermarket and buy one for 5.50 euros.

rhon

We have our own GPS, but the last two cars we have had came with a built in GPS. The language was set in English and we had no problems using it. We travel to France for several weeks - ten weeks later this year. We will be visiting several regions and driving through several others, so we use the Michelin road atlas. Otherwise we would have a mountain of paper maps.I know some people find it bulky, but it is what we have always used. As the navigator, I find folding and unfolding paper maps a pain.
The GPS is useful for getting through larger towns and finding parking etc. But we prefer to plan using a map. This way we have some control over where we go. Some days when we are just wandering around exploring, we do not use the GPS at all. We like just detouring off if we see a sign for a church or ruins or whatever without being told to turn around where possible all the time.
Bon voyage. Driving around France is very rewarding. We are almost counting the days.

nytraveler

No - just as in the US there are no maps provided with car rentals. The most you get is a small sheets of paper showing how to get rom the rental lot out of the airport to the highway.

Definitely get detailed maps of the areas you will be driving in - and be sure to download google maps of the towns you will visit - that are detailed enough so you can see one-way streets, etc.