I'd recommend it over any other maps app (e.g. OSMAnd). It uses Google's Maps, but just has a better interface around it.
The tolls option is great. Rather than having an "avoid tolls" setting, it just gives you multiple options and let you decide in the moment. For example, you might enter a destination and it'll give you 3 results:
- 35 min, no tolls
- 30 min, $2 tolls
- 28 min, $9 tolls
Google Maps doesn't understand the concept of "some tolls", nor "I want tolls sometimes, but only if I'm in a hurry or the time saving is significant".
Everything else is just that little bit nicer too.
What I like about ViaMichelin’s app is that it will calculate fuel and toll cost for a route. French highways are very expensive so the longer no-toll route can be a money saver (particularly when you have a rental with unlimited kilometres and don’t mind taking the longer “scenic route”).
Sometimes it’s not even much of an increased distance, just departmental roads with a lower speed limit.
And gas/food is always cheaper off the highway, but I will admit French highway service stations do have fairly clean and free bathrooms.
> I will admit French highway service stations do have fairly clean and free bathrooms.
I recently told my children how it was like to take the highway during summer time about 40 years ago when I was a kid.
They had all kind of entertainment, large tents for families with babies (and free diapers). There also was a sort of large national game for children where they would "hunt the spoils" - get points for actions that reduced fuel use (opening windows, checking tires pressure, etc.)
There are no more such things today, the areas are just overcrowded - but I agree that they are very well organized.
I love OSMand for hiking and the ability to find routes and keep getting instructions even when you have no cell service is great for that use case. But I agree, for driving Waze is hard to beat. In particular the reaction to traffic data is great.
I've seen google maps suggest multiple routes with varying toll costs when driving in Southern India. Not sure what their criteria is for showing them.
Google Maps has more efficient driving routes. I've been using Waze for years, but recently switched back to Google Maps for this reason after I noticed Waze taking me a much further route to save about ten minutes but use a lot more fuel.
Waze has always been the driving equivalent of "knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing" app, IME. It'll take me through weird neighborhood streets that see (and probably SHOULD see) very little traffic to "save" 0.1 mi on a trip, ending with a cross-traffic uncontrolled turn costing me 3, 5, 8 minutes.
I like it for intra-town commutes where I know where I'm going already and just want to possibly try something new, but if I've never been to a place before or want the "works best 80% of the time" route, maps all the way.
