What's best - Waze, Google Maps or GPS?

Waze, Google Maps or GPS?

At Bonnes Routes we have used Google Maps for the last three years to help guests get from a to b. We try to avoid very narrow roads and consider the surface of the road, the scenery, the nature of the road, to pick the best routes for classic cars in particular. Sometime that isn't possible and we have to make do. And we cant do anything about road closures!

Our route planning skills were put to the test on our recent road trip around South East France. We used Google Maps to share the meticulously planned routes with Team UK to drive some superb roads (see previous news for our routes). Our car used Google Maps backed up by a Garmin GPS – we don't trust either application entirely, and as we were leading the pack a second option was useful! On our return trip we decided to have a competition between Google Maps, Garmin GPS and Waze to see which one performed best.  

So what was the verdict?

Note that he and she is used because that is the voice set on our devices – no gender discrimination intended!

Google Maps

Positives Negatives
  • The app is familiar and relatively easy to use.
  • It's easy to share planned routes.
  • She will take fairly sensible routes - although random convoluted shortcuts do happen.
  • She picks up pretty well if you deviate from the route e.g. for a road closure.
  • You can export routes for sharing on GPS.
  • It's easy to pan out and zoom in to see what's coming up.
  • It's easy to see traffic on your whole route (Waze does this by dots which are harder to see).
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  • You can only have eight via points - on a road trip you may need mutliple routes for a day.
  • Slightly different routes are offered on different devices, even when following the same map.
  • When driving alone it's difficult to manage a multi-point route as you need to instruct GM to 'continue'.
  • You must be near the start point to launch a saved route.
  • If you miss a stop e.g. following a diversion or bypassing a scheduled stop, by hook or by crook she WILL take you back there!
  • If your phone crashes you may have to re-programme the original route, which isn't easy on the fly!
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    An example of Google Map routing: When Team UK drove into Monaco, we set the destination as the start line of the grand prix circuit on each of their GM apps. They all took exit 56 from the A8 into Monaco. After driving through the superb 1.6 km Tunnel de Monaco, GM sent them in three different directions. Two arrived at the start line eventually, and one ended up near Dijon (he decided not to drive into Monaco in the end and went directly to the next hotel stop)!

    Waze

    Positives Negatives
  • The design is nice and friendly.
  • Warnings of hazards, speed cameras, road works are excellent and accurate.
  • You can see hazards on your route before starting so can decide which route to take.
  • Waze can easily be set up to respond to 'Hey Siri' on an iPhone – it's more intuitive and less complex than GM.
  • Waze automatically selects the quickest route from the outset. You can pick an alternative.
  • He usually sticks to logical routes and performed best out of all three tests – although thirty minutes from home he let himself down badly by finding some very bizarre options.
  • Because you can't programme multiple stops it's probably more straightforward for the non-techie person.
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  • You can't programme a route with more than one stop – this is its biggest failing.
  • All travellers would need to store locations in their 'saved places' in advance then navigate to them in turn. It's do'able but not convenient.
  • You can't easily share a route. You can share your drive in real time but it's not a great substitute.
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    Garmin GPS

    Positives Negatives
  • You can plan a complicated route on the Garmin Basecamp software and transfer it to a GPS device.
  • If you miss a stop she will ask if you want to remove the stop.
  • It's easy to stop a route and start it again from your next via point, so if it messes up you can start afresh.
  • On a long trip it leaves your phone free for doing phone things!
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  • However well you plan a route she will without fail send you down tiny little roads that no one would ever choose, and which don't even look like real roads! This is a regular occurence.
  • She is the least reliable of the three in making good choices for routes.
  • She can take a while to pick up the intended route if you deviate from her directions. Many a time she's just muted until she catches up with us!
  • It's difficult to export maps into other navigation systems.
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    Stephanie's Verdict (she who does the route planning)

    There isn’t one option that does everything well.

    1. Garmin Basecamp is top for planning and sharing to other GPS. You can’t beat it on a mammoth road trip (but it’s not to be trusted).

    2. Waze is excellent for general navigating from A to B, with reliable routes, and the real-time warning of hazards en-route.

    3. For sharing multi-point routes with others you can’t really beat Google Maps.

    If Mr Musk would get the Google people to come up with a Wazgle GPS that would be excellent!

    Road Trip Advice

    #1: If you're going on a road trip with other people, have a practice beforehand to make sure everyone can use the tech!

    Road Trip - Cars with mountain back drop

    #2: Make sure you have a good way to communicate. If your fellow travellers don't follow instructions on their Road Trip WhatsApp group telling them to:

    “Remove the next stop on the Google Map or you'll end up half way up a mountain”

    ….. some of them will end up half way up a mountain (or at least three miles from the rest of the group on the other side of Digne)!

    Click here to find out how to remove planned stops in a Google Maps route.

    #3: If you decide to overtake everyone and speed ahead, make sure you have a back-up for your navigation, just in case your phone decides to throw a hissy fit and you lose the route!

    #4: If in doubt follow the signs!!!