Just back from 2500 mile trip around Germany over the past couple of weeks. Thoroughly enjoyed it but I did have some unexpected expenses - car was towed away in Leipzig, and phone broke on day 1 requiring immediate replacement. I night also have a minor speeding offence to deal with, but that's all another story...
Anyway, I was dependent on Google maps for navigation, which generally works very well. But there were some obviously long-term road closures which it didn't seem aware of. Like motorway exits with concrete walls preventing use, obviously been closed for some time , not just overnights.
I thought I'd seen this before over here a couple of times, for instance travelling late night when the M3 is closed.
Having Googled it, it seems it needs reporting by the users. Which isn't so easy when you are on the move. I'm surprised that these days there isn't some database of road closures which they could tap into. It didn't seem to be a major issuer as it re-routes, but at least once I think it would have sent me on a different route in the first place.
(I did have data on the phones so had all the traffic updates)
On the whole I preferred Google Maps to Here We Go and maps.me, although I like that Here We Go shows the speed limit of your road. Someone I met out there preferred Waze, which I uninstalled ages ago cos I understood it was going paid-only.
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My car, a Hyundai Tuscon, uses TOMTOM traffic services via a link to my mobile (but I am not sure if the mapping and main software is TOMTOM).
It seems to be aware of road closures, even emergency ones. Using a main road the other week near me which was open outbound, I didn't believe it was closed inbound but a police car parked across both carriage ways and a fire engine and ambulance behind confirmed it was. Must have been a fairly recent closure as well given the arrival of the emergency vehicles.
(I know they are expensive but I do prefer installed sat navs as I don't have to fit them and take them out of the car several times a day.)
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Google Maps and road closures - zippy
