I want to map a bike route version of the Tour du Mont Blanc. The route goes into Switzerland and Italy but is all covered by French paper maps IGN3630 and 3531. I know that the MemoryMap Alps coverage doesn’t go far enough into Italy/Switzerland so I’ve had a look at http://www.georando.fr

I’ve registered with the site but am struggling a bit with it. I speak/read reasonable (train/restaurant/skiing) French but I can’t work out:
1) if it’s software (and maps) that I stick on my PC or a web-based thing
2) how to buy the maps I need (IGN 3630 and IGN3531)
3) whether I can draw a route using it and load it onto my GPS (or export as .gpx .kml etc)

Can anyone help with any of the above?

I’ve used Georando a fair bit, but the DVDs for various areas, before it became like an “itunes” of mapping where you buy online

to try and answer your questions…

1) yeah, it’s software and data that you can save on your PC’s harddrive (either by buying whole regions on DVD 50-ish Euros a time, as I have always done OR the new buy online method)

2) if you’re just buying one or two bits of map (as appears to be the case for you), you need to buy the Georando “Liberté” DVD to install the software and then go to the website to actually obtain the mapping data, where you get the first 200km2 for free.

3) yes, yes and yes, it does all the same sort of stuff as MemoryMap

As for the Swiss and Italian bits… hmmph, you won’t get this from any IGN/Georando mapping.

For the Swiss part of the Tour de Mont Blanc you need the Valais map which is number 4 of these:
http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/internet/swisstopo/de/home/products/maps/swiss_map/25.html

As for the Italian stuff, good luck.

Higgo

If it helps (and just adding to what Ash has said), the Géorando software on the Géorando Découverte DVDs is also in English (don’t know about the Liberté). DVDs are pretty good value at 40€.

Parts of the IGN site are in English and you can order the Géorando découverte DVDs from here:

http://loisirs.ign.fr/5564382/serie/georando-decouverte.htm

I’m guessing that the DVD for the Savoie and Haute Savoie is the one you need.

As for the Swiss and Italian bits… hmmph, you won’t get this from any IGN/Georando mapping.

Hmmmm…. if that’s the case Georando’s not what I’m looking for either.
I know the paper IGN maps go far enough over the border. I was hoping that if I bought the Georando IGN 3630 and 3531 maps, they’d have the same coverage as the paper maps.

I know the paper IGN maps go far enough over the border. I was hoping that if I bought the Georando IGN 3630 and 3531 maps, they’d have the same coverage as the paper maps.

Well they might do – my IGN/Memory-Map maps of the Pyrenees include bits of Spain.

Right, here’s a Georando screen print of an area a lot further south than the TMB

…shows France to the LHS of the brown border, and Italy on the RHS… Italy is a lot less detailed (you can’t tell what is singletrack and what is fireroad, etc)… and as you can see, it only goes for a few kilometres into Italy and then stops, which is “heavily suboptimal” for your desired purpose… I’d be interested to know how you end up mapping the Italian bit

Might be worth having a chat with Nasher from RivieraBike

Cheers Ash.
That’s helpful even if it’s not the answer I want. I was getting close to just buying it to find out so you’ve saved me 40euro!

To be honest I’m not sure I will be able to map it electronically across three countries. Good job I can still remember how to use paper maps, compass etc.

My only other hope would be some sort of plug-in for Google Earth to draw a route on it. But I don’t think such a thing exists.

Forget having anything Italian on mapping software, I have tried, lost money etc… etc…

Mi dispiace ma non e possibile!

IGN do have Italian parts on their maps but only in paper format not digitally..

That said its just a typical (useless!) Italian map re drawn with contours and a GPS grid. (The GPS grid is why I bough it)

Another word of advice is the Italian government do not spend money on clearing and maintaining trails, so dont assume a trail on a map is either cleared…or even there!

Buon fortuna!