Asturias, Cantabria

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Michelin maps are virtually impossible to beat - Rated
Most years we drive in different countries of Europe, and each time we take Michelin maps in this scale (1/400,000). They are simply unbeatable. Here is why.

* They are always up-to-date: On our recent holiday we also had Satellite Navigation in our car, and despite getting the latest Sat-Nav disc for Spain, this Asturias / Cantabria map was much more accurate; it had several newly opened roads that did not show on the Sat-Nav system, including major trunk roads near the new Asturias Airport, close to Gijon.

* They fold so easily, and tidily: You can fold and use them without opening up the whole map, with vast swathes of paper obscuring the navigator's view! Only the bit you need is open, and you can move to the next, while keeping the map-folds the right way round.

* They integrate with all the other Michelin maps and guides, like the Red and Green Guides: So our journey into Santander - that busy, transit and port city - was simple! The numbered routes on this map all link into the city maps in the Red Guide.

* They include virtually every small, unclassified road: This means that you can enjoy trips off the beaten track. And so outside the conurbations, like much of the breathtaking mountain area covered by this map, it presents a chance to discover small, remote hamlets high in the "Picos de Europa", the mountaineous region of Cantabria.

Anyone who has never used Michelin maps really should give them a try. Even with the new technology available nowadays, we would never be without them on our European trips.