Need good map for driving around Tuscany
 

I am leaving in three weeks and have my maps for Rome, Venice, and Florence. I have no idea what is the best map for driving around in a car from town to town in Tuscany. I want something that is very detailed and will hopefully stop us from geting lost on all those small roads. Thanks

Michelin has the best maps. Available in most bookstores. I recently toured Tuscany with their map of Central Italy. Never got lost. Use it in conjonction with their Red Italy Guide or their Green Florence & Tuscany Guide, which have detailed city maps and suggested scenic drives.

I used the Michelin central Italy map; but, got one in Chianti at our hotel that helped a whole lot more. It showed all the winieries and had tel numbers to call ahead. There was also another for the Montalcino area. I wonder if your hotel would send you one.

Louis, Thanks for the info. Are all thesemaps you are talking about regular fold out maps? That's all I saw in Barnes and Noble. I'm interested in the last one you noted. Does it have an ISBN number on the back of it? Or any kind of phone number or website? Thanks

I recommend the Italian Touring Club map of Tuscany. I got it here from a map store, but you could probably find it in Italy. I found it better than Michelin.

We bought an orange Michelin map, which included Tuscany. I was looking for a more detailed green Michelin map (like I buy for the Cote d'Azur), for Tuscany but couldn't find one in Siena where I was looking. The orange map was OK for the most part but it left off some of the smaller roads that would have been helpful since we got off the main roads a lot.<BR><BR>I'd either try to find the more detailed green Michelin map for that area (assuming that is, that Michelin puts one out) or go with Ellen's recommendation and get Italian Touring Club map of Tuscany. <BR><BR>Have fun driving in Tuscany! We had a wonderful time doing that.

The Michelin # 430 is fine for planning purposes and even takes you as far south as Rome. But, for detail in Tuscany the best is the TCI Tuscany map at a 200k to 1 ratio--twice the detail.

Bob, is #430 the orange map, which includes Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, etc.? If so, do you know if Michelin makes a more detailed green map, more specific to Tuscany? Thanks.

topping

I also used an Italian Touring Club map of Tuscany. Bought it in Italy, I think at an autostrada stop.

I believe the orange series[ 400 series]<BR>is the best you can get from Michelin in Italy. They do the green maps in France. Yes, the 430 is "centro Italy".

All of the above are good, however, I would stay away from the "Streetwise in Tuscany" map. I bought several of the Streetwise maps and, while the city maps are well detailed and the map itself is plastic coated, the Tuscany map is a piece of crap. Most of the roads are not numbered, and the color combinations make the map very difficult to read.

Thanks, Bob. That's kind of what I thought. I figured if the more detailed Michelin green maps were made for parts of Italy, that I would have been able to find them somewhere in Siena.<BR><BR>I'd say the orange (430) Michelin map is fine if you're not going to stray from the more major roads. As it was, we strayed a lot and only had problems with that map a few times. Overall, it was fine but next time (and there WILL be a next time :), I'll get the more detailed Italian Touring Club map of Tuscany.

We had one of the Michelin maps and it was fine. I have to say, though, we didn't use it the same way we would a road map in the US. I mean, you need to use it to plan where you are going, and figure out the highway exits and such. but the little roads are never marked with numbers or names. You have to know what town you are aiming for and which towns you will go through. There are lots of signs for the towns, you just follow them. Always know what the next town is, and you'll be fine. <BR><BR>we actually got lost less often in Tuscany, than when we were driving around the Cotswolds in England. Now THAT was difficult.

Message: I bought a Michelin Italy Tourist and Motoring Atlas at Amazon.com (also available at Barnes & Noble) which is 300K to 1. Haven't used it yet, but think it will be good. Lots of detail. We used the Michelin Atlas in France and loved it. It is so much easier to use in the car because it doesn't fold out - it is a spiral and is about 9"X12".