Customer Reviews

Michelin North American Road Atlas, 2011: USA, Canada, Mexico

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When recently examining road atlases for the United States, I was surprised at the weak offerings I found from map brands I assumed would be good. I was very happy to find the "Michelin Road Atlas 2011". Here's my point-by-point assessment:

Good:
- Covers Mexico and populous portions of Canada, as well as the United States
- Land area is divided into a simple grid, which is indexed in an easy-to-read national map in the front of the atlas
- Map edges are labeled with the next map in that direction
- Some areas, notably in the very urban northeastern United States have a special set of extra maps, giving needed detail of those areas
- City-specific maps are provided for a large number of large- and medium-sized cities
- Boundaries of city maps and "extra" maps are drawn on the regular grid maps
- Binding allows the atlas to lay flat

Could have been better:
- The special extra maps mentioned above probably should have been provided for some parts of California
- Sometimes individual roads are not marked as often as I like, making it tricky to follow them across a map
- The text is a bit small

Overall, I find that this atlas strikes a good balance between size and detail.

The atlas is adequate for most applications. I wanted the spiral binding, for ease of use while traveling, and this works well. I am disappointed with the format, as it is necessary to address the index page for the page numbers of desired maps. Instead of being organized state by state, the US map has been divided into grids and it is necessary to determine which grid the area wanted is in and then get the page number from the grid and finally find that particular page. It is cumbersome to use and does not allow for a quick reference. In addition, it is small, just slightly larger than an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper. The map lacks fine detail and it was necessary to use my magnifying glass to read some features. There is a fair amount of useful information in the addendum. However, the mileage tables could be expanded to include more locations.

I have used Michelin road maps/atlases for years and they just keep getting better.
This is spiral bound, so you can turn it to the page you want and keep it there. There is an easy to decipher key to the map pages; look where you want to see the roads and it will give you a page number in the square - turn to that page and the edges will lead you on to the correct pages from there as you are looking or traveling. There are squares around cities with a page number where you can then turn to a more detailed map of an urban area. These maps are well detailed, even for back roads and cities. The pages are smooth, easy to handle, but sturdy enough that they do not tear easily.
There is also an index of the states and major cities, and instructions on how to use the book, if you need them. A US map with interstates and 4 pages of scenic drive descriptions are incorporated. Also included is a city to city distance chart, parks with GPS coordinates, tourism and border crossing information and 3 blank lined pages for notes.
All in all it's the only map atlas I recommend or need, unless you need a very detailed local map.

I was shopping for a new Road Atlas to carry in my truck. I wanted one that was durable and would hold up to lots of use and some abuse. I really needed plastic coated pages that would repel most water or any coffee spills. At first I did not think anyone made such an Atlas until I located this atlas made by Michelin. This thing is great. Just what I wanted. Easy to read, colors are bright and is very detailed. If you need a very well made and durable Road Atlas, buy this one. You'll be happy with what you spent your money on!

Tired of the 11x15, stapled, fall-apart format, I wanted a smaller, spiral-bound atlas. Of course, I went straight to Rand McNally. Unfortunately, their midsize spiral atlas simply shrinks the conventional one--along with scale, detail, and precision. I was not impressed with the print quality of American Map Company, so they were out.

For some, the Michelin's progressive style will take some getting used to, but it will be a breeze for anyone who has ever used an urban streetfinder map.

It's laid out logically, and you can get to your desired map page in several ways: Visual people can look at a map of the continent with numbered squares on it, index people can look it up, flippers can use the marks at the edge of the page. A snapshot at the top of every page shows a frame around the area of the continent you're looking at.

All the indexes you need are on a durable, gusseted cover flap that also keeps your page. The page numbers are large, complete, always in the same place, and colored logically--thoughtful information design helps you along without getting in the way.

The benefit of this format is that the scale of the map is nearly consistent throughout, and it's a large, detailed scale, with small roads included.

I compared the midsize spiral Rand McNally to this map, and as an example, Rand shrinks the state of Missouri to a single, 8x11 page, facing Montana, also crammed on one page. Both states lose roads, detail, open space, and legibility at such a small scale (and remember that Montana is twice the size of Missouri!) You get your familiar urban squares (buried in a hundred pages of commercials in that edition), but if you're out in the country, tough.

By contrast, the Michelin splits up Missouri: Several of its regions appear on several pages. One 8x11 page includes just the bootheel area of Missouri north to Cape Girardeau, and includes Jonesboro, AR; Jackson, TN; Paducah, KY; and Carbondale, IL. On the Rand this area is about the size of a 3x5 index card. The right-hand page on this particular spread on the Michelin continues east, well past Nashville.

The print quality is good, and the maps use color well. State borders on the map are yellow-highlighter style. Bring a magnifying glass if you have reading glasses; there is a price to pay for this level of detail at 8x11 compactness. A couple of large paper clips will also help with the flipping.

Detailed and easy to use for local information. To travel across country, you need to flip too many pages.

The pages follow on direction of travel (mostly) which I find very convenient particularly when driving from one state to the next. I buy a new edition about every 5 years. Highly recommend it to drivers.

The Michelin maps keep getting better every year. The layout by grid is much more logical than the layout by state because this is how people drive. The notations of major travel centers ("TC" on the maps) is very helpful. The larger inset of the Northeastern US is very helpful. One wishes there were similar maps for, say, southern California or the Chicago area. But mainly, the Michelin is much more accurate than the Rand McNally maps. Rand McNally has been on the decline for years and errors abound. Overall, the Michelin maps are more useful (with the ring binding) and are of a much more manageable size than the McNally. McNalley maps are cheaper but the Michelin maps are worth the extra price.

it got me trough 9 states on my road trip Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma
plus has recommended areas very nice

The Michelin atlas has been a fixture of our cross country travels for over ten years now. It's easy to navigate, convenient size in the car, and accurate. We like the city map blow ups too. Good product. We thought we'd ordered a 2012 atlas but a 2011 arrived...disappointed in that, but still great.