Spain/Portugal maps

[jenna]

There a few posts in various places on maps for Spain and Portugal, however most just end up being glorified AA motorway stile maps.

In late 2006 and throughout 2007 we are going to be running a few trips to this area, the plan is to organise a group of riders to leave the UK via Portsmouth on the fast ferry to Santander and then on to watch the Rally raid events ( Lisbon-Dakar, Baja Espana, Rally Vodafone Transiberico etc) with a few days local riding before returning.

Does anybody know if the Spanish have a mapping system like OSGB?.. if so what’s it called and what scales do they produce maps in as I cannot find anything, it would be a shame to take this trip and then just see miles and miles of motorway when I know the country from past visits has some phenomenal quieter and more relaxed rides that most big trailies and off-road tour'ers would cope easily with.

Thanks

Jenna

[pieter]

maybe you could find something here:
http://www.editorialalpina.com/ for Spain
or here:
http://www.igeo.pt/IGEO/portugues/Frameset-produtos.htm for Pt

[kevinrbeech]

Maybe here also:
http://www.mapsworldwide.com/map_10915.htm

[jenna]

thanks for those links.

After a lot of speaking to the map suppliers (some suggested above) we have actually opted to go with Fugawi and then use digital maps or satalite images from Google earth etc... This means we can run a large scale detailed map on a laptop (we do this with Memory Map for the UK already) and then download daily routes again to pda's to use on each bike with a bluetooth Gps unit... hopefully this will be the most accurate and easy to use for everyone on the trips.

so next question... has anybody any knowledge of the south straights ferrys to africa, either Malaga to Nador or Malaga to Millai as i have been advised to avoid Ceuta?...

[PanEuropean]

Jenna:

For your information, the most recent version of the European cartography (City Navigator Europe version 8) that is provided with Garmin GPSRs has greatly enhanced coverage of Spain and Portugal.

Electronic (vector map) cartography of the Iberian peninsula has been quite spotty in the past - up to about 2004, the only roads listed outside of the big cities were motorways - but now, with the release of v8, the coverage is much, much better.

Michael

[jenna]

problem is with using a Garmin GPS is that it might lead to some people actually using it and going off route and last thing i need is that! for use on a lead bike it makes sense but buying 12+ of them so each bike has one is a no no big time. ( from personal experience in running truck logistics on rallys i know its vital everybody has the same kit and the same info installed on it)

A paper map as back up is ok for everybody, but what i want is for the group to just follow a set route as predifined by us, so the pda idea seams to work as a moving map and a route to follow thats idiot proof?...

Does City Nav run on a pc (pocket pc also) or is it just for garmin and pc?

[kevinrbeech]

Digital maps that run with Fugawi
www.Daerr.at
Kevin

[Frank Warner]

Originally Posted by jenna

Does City Nav run on a pc (pocket pc also) or is it just for garmin and pc?

Define run?

As I understand it - City Nav is just data ... what 'runs' is Mapsource on the PC (you get that if you get the CD version (City Nav also comes on memory cards these days)), think Que is avaliable for viewing City Nav on the pocket PC ... but I dought it will fully function.. could be wrong.

----
I agree that everyone should have the same data. The orgainisers difficulties increase when a diversion takes place .. increses again when teh diversion goes off the suppied data set ... You need to supply a very wide and tall data set to avoid the last problem.

I'm looking at running a garmin GPS with maping and auto route .. and a pocket PC running Oziexplorer with different (raster) maps .... both running together. Shjould provide the right information off one of them.

[jenna]

Thanks Frank, think City Nav was not quite what i thought it was and will need a bit of investigation (anyone know of a free trial version anywere on the net?) before we go that route.

I think your going along the same lines with garmin/Pocket Pc system, but after tests last month in spain/portugal we found Autoroute to be very thin on info in remote areas and has no data at all for Morocco.

One solution we have been testing and any comments or ideas welcome is the use of the new Nokia N70 mobile phone/camera/pda etc etc. Unlike any other mobile it has a twin Bluetooth provision, one running the GPS and the other a Bluetooth headset in a crash helmet, also it runs pocket pc very well (better than my old HP pda even!) link this up to a GPRs unit (costing £35 from ebay) and you can now run TomTom or Route66 as normal navsat (full mapping for Europe is easily available for both programmes), plus it can run OziExplorer (or a striped out Fugawi we think, but havent tested yet) using the maps from Daerr or as screen captures from Google earth for more remote areas.

Certainly equiping every one with shiny new N70's is not going to happen but there must be a PDA that has the same provisions minus the phone out there somewere!

PS. your in the one place i would drop everythin to live! As well as the bikes I am in to Desert racing and was going to some races in the Simpson and the Goldcoast to Darwin run in the Chenowth but work and lack of funds means i have never got round to it...yet!

[Frank Warner]

Garmin has info on what is covered in their various products ... and a sample of teh map detail. However if you have a local dealer then ask to have a look at the products instore. They should have some at least set up !?


Tracks 4 Africa have some data for Morocco. Very little .. but of intrest. Other than that there is Garmins 'World Map' .. no auto routing but has some limited detail .. out of date but then what is not?

Races in the Simpson? ... Umm think you mean along side the simpson. The only 'race' I know of that goes through the simpson is on bicycles. Some of them are on medical drips for rehidration before they 'finish'. I think you thinking of the 'Fink' - goes down the western side of the Simpson .. and it is some distance from the desert it self. Lots of sand etc though.