ViaMichelin.com: The Google Maps of Europe

Renting a car in Europe and planning on using Google Maps to get around?

Think again.

Google Maps are rather worthless for driving directions in Europe. Although I’m sure this will change as Google slowly conquers the world, the current site to visit when trying to figure out how to get from Euro Point A to Euro Point B is ViaMichelin.com.

It’s a rather good marketing effort for a tire company to launch such a site, but it makes me wonder if they suggest slightly longer routes just to grind down those tires a little bit faster. Or perhaps they recommend minor detours along poorly maintained roads where blown tires are commonplace.

Nefarious marketing practices aside, ViaMichelin remains your best bet for driving directions in Europe.