The A88 in France

[DaveO1959]

Just got back to the UK from France using the France Plus map I purchased recently for TT One.

The trip back from the Vendee region (Talmont St. Hillaire) to Caen was nearly a disaster due to an appalling error in the map.

On the way down we arrived on the ferry at St. Malo (not Caen) and the Tom Tom chose a route form there to Talmont that matched the Michelin route available on the Internet via Rennes and Nantes that was fine.

Michelin reversed the route but this time to Caen following a route also via Renne and Nantes but then onto Caen instead of St. Malo at Rennes. However the Tom Tom chose a different route heading toward Angers and Le Mans.

This was OK until we were directed off the A28 E402 somewhere around Aleneon onto the A88.

The A88 road DOES NOT EXIST.

I assume the fact the Tom Tom thought there was an A88 and it being a motorway equivalent this route via Le Mans was the fastest one available. Given we left the A28 as instructed the Tom Tom kept telling us to turn around and “take the motorway” at the previous roundabout.

Obviously we could not take a road that does not exist. Watching the map on the TT1 at this point was surrreal as we were apparently doing a good impression of a WWII tank charging across the Normandy countryside.

We used out paper map to get us onto the N158 and headed toward Caen via Argentan and Falaise but once the Tom Tom gave up on the non-existent A88 the estimated time to destination went up alarmingly as we were now on a slower class of road and we were in danger of missing our ferry check in time. We didn't as we left time for getting lost etc in our plans but it was far more stressful than it ought to have been.

This is not a minor mapping error but a whole “missing” motorway and makes a mockery of the claimed coverage of the map.

So the moral is check the route the TT comnes up with before you set off withsome other reference and if you are off to France down the south west and are coming back via Caen on the ferry look out if your TT route includes a stretch on the A88.

Anyone else seen this problem?

Dave

[Tim Buxton]

Please can you advise of the version of your France Plus map so that I can check this out? I travelled from Vannes to Caen via Rennes last Saturday and was routed up the A84 via Avranches, as I expected to be.
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Tim

[DaveO1959]

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