Using Viamichelin to plan our Tuscany trip. Are the travel times that they quote pretty accurate? Am planning on some winery tours and lunch dates so want to pad my travel time but not show up too early.
Thanks, Lisa S

The driving times on the Via Michelin site tend to be a bit on the fast side--we usually add extra time to be safe.

I usually add 20%.

Interesting comments above. I usually deduct about 10 to 20%. The only times it seems to take us as long as they say, it includes a couple stops for gas or rest areas.

We use Viamichelin to plan our excursions (usually avoiding the autoroutes) and consistently find their driving times a bit optimistic. We always seem to get a bit delayed behind a grape harvesting machine or a caravan.

Anslem

Now that I think about, I might amend my answer. The times their estimates are over our driving time, it's usually on major autoroutes and/or long distance major routes. But when I've plotted smaller backroad driving, then yes, it usually does take a bit longer than they say.

Agree that their highway times seem kind of slow - or perhaps we're just driving faster than they anticipate. The times are local roads are good or even a little fast though - especially if you've never been to the place before,

Highway driving is fine as long as you drive 100-120 kms/hour flat out. The smaller the roads, the more inaccurate the estimates - they are really just mathematical calculations based on distace and speed limits.

ViaMichelin is very optimistic or assumes that everyone is driving like an experienced native. Mapquest's times are a little more accurate.

We've done lots of driving in Italy - both long streches on the autostrada and windy Tuscan drives. My husband is a speed demon, but even going above the speed limit, on a longish drive Viamichelin underestimates driving time as it doesn't include any rest stops/traffic/construction delays (don't you love when you all of a sudden come up on those arrows that switch you over to drive on the other side of the road - with barely any warning??) Then again we're fascinated with the Autogrills so probably make an inordinate # of rest stops..

For short distances we've found Viamichelin to be pretty close.

We found Viamichelin times very close to our own except for when we got totally lost...
You can look on mappy.com or map24.com for comparisons.

j

Hi Lisa,

>Am planning on some winery tours and lunch dates so want to pad my travel time but not show up too early.<

Relax, you will be in Italy. So what if you show up early, or late?

Well I think some of the differences of opinion are due to driving speeds. 100 kph is hardly flat out - this is only 63 miles per hour - and the highway limit in most places is 130 - a little over 80.

I must admit that on highways when just traveling to make time between cities we typcially do about 160 (keeping up with the fast traffic) - except in Germany - when we do sometimes let the car out.

Naturally speeds on local roads are a lot slower.

Thanks all for the advise. I will pad some time and if I'm early, it'll be a great time for photos.
Ira, I'm more concerned about being late since I work in the wine business, so these tours are more work related so can't be late. Boy, I love me job!!!
Getting closer and I can't wait. Thanks again, Lisa S

I have found the viamichelin on line directions/routes full of errors - they are selling maps after all.
I never paid any attention to times as I might be driving a 1.2L VW Golf or a 330i BMW.
M

Off the subject, but Maddy, what is it you find so fascinating about the Autogrills? I'm mystified.

No mapping site has times that are accurate for everybody. There are simply too many driving styles. I usually get places a bit faster than the estimates in viamichelin.com. Actually, I'm usually faster than any mapping site I've ever used.

Buy a good map, don't rely solely on Michelin. Sometimes their instructions are too detailed.

Julie, OK I?ll admit it might be a little strange. We?re probably too easily entertained - especially on vacation in Italy when we find a visit to the pharmacy or grocery store fun instead of the chore it is at home.

We look forward to our stops at the Autogrill for a quick cappuccino and maybe a Rusticella ?far better than the burgers laying around under heat lamps that you find on the highway rest stops here. Plus I love the people watching? tourists, Italian families, truck drivers, sometimes the bums out front. And I enjoy poking around the bigger stops with the deli cases, wines, toys etc. - just to check out the products we don?t see here in the US.