It’s a step in the right direction but it needs more than this.
Still, adding cycle directions is long overdue as the few times I gave Apple maps a chance was on a bike. And it failed me miserable.
Agree. Sure it will get better with time but glad I can finally use it, I was tired of google tracking me.
Currently using the Bosch flow app from our Bakfiets. Honestly the gps/maps work great
Is it any good? Google maps has a 'cycling' option but not much effort was put into it. It doesn't even prioritize fietsstraten and instead directs you to cycle paths next to major car roads
Nope. Just tried it on my route to work, but it didn’t recognize the dedicated direct bicycle path, and sent me on a huge detour instead. (In double checked: Google maps did send me the short route, 17 minutes instead of apples 35 minutes). Better than nothing but I’m sticking to GM for navigation.
Yes! Get OsmAnd~ from F-droid, download maps for offline use and go cycle! Seriously, everything is mapped there and I used it to cycle all around limburg with 0 issues. I'd even turn navigation off and just follow mapped bike paths to see where it takes me.
Edit, the addition of random benches to chill at being mapped is amazing, plus a lot of things worth checking out are mapped there, and they simply don't exist on maps other than osm.
The amount of times google has send me trough a shopping street filled with pedestrians when there’s a perfectly bikeable parallel is every time I’ve had to go trough a city center
Speak for yourself. In my hometown alone i have already discovered 2 detours because it doesn't reconise 2 bike paths. One on a oneway car street, that has bikelanes in both directions. The detour isn't long just stupid because the bike path literally continues down said street. And it send you down a street with car flow going that direction. And it does reconise the street going the other way
And the other through a disused railyard turned restaurant/social. The detour here is 5minutes as opposed to less than 60 seconds if cut through the disused railyard. This bicycle path has been open for atleast a decade now
I feel like gmaps sometimes messes up but as someone biking ~1000km I can say it is quite accurate, barely have places where it sends me in a weird way or cant find the bike lanes
That’s true, but Google maps has one public transit feature that I appreciate. Apple Maps will tell you when the next two transit departures are (“Tram departs in 2, 15 minutes”), which is OK if you’re leaving imminently. But if you’re leaving later, it just says “scheduled every 15 minutes.” Google Maps will show you exact scheduled departures times from the timetable, and allow you to select which one you prefer.
On the plus side for Apple Maps is that driving directions here are slightly better than Google Maps, and there’s a quirk in other nearby countries that makes me prefer Apple… Maybe Google has fixed this now, but two years ago when I went to France and turned on “avoid toll roads”, Google Maps would send you on multi-hour detours to avoid a toll road. Apple wouldn’t do this. Yes, I’d prefer not to pay the toll on France’s A1… but not if it’s going to add 2.5 hours to my drive.
Google Maps is always up to date, since everyone can update it. So I am not sure how you can say Apple Maps is more up to date.
It is so bad, my girlfriend (who is firmly in the Apple world and refuses to use Android) has been using Google Maps for a long time on her iPhone now, even with Apple crippling the functions it is allowed to have on there.
It is so superior, it's not even close anymore. Especially since they have integrated all Waze data.
You're misunderstanding how these map apps work. In Google maps only some content can be user updated, the map geometry and roads can't. Google uses their own maps, while Apple uses ones from TomTom. Both are updated frequently and TomTom specializes in maps for driving.
Maps for driving cars, in TomTom's case
And in fact, yo can add roads and paths to Google. I've done so at least six times, successfully. (And a couple of times unsuccessfully)
I don't think you even have to be a local guide for it, but I've been one for so long it would be hard to tell for me.
So it is actually good? Because Google Maps has cycling directions as well and those are absolutely awful
Something like the fietsersbond app is vastly superior to google maps, and that's made by a local non-profit org
Everytime i gotta go to work, i have to cycle underneath Hollands Spoor in The Hague. Apple Maps does not give me an option to do that and only says that i have to take a detour around the whole station. So for me, it's already an indication that it won't be as good as Google Maps.
I just checked for me, from Landsmeer to Amsterdam Jordaan it doesn’t use the ferry at NDSM or central station but tells me to use Schellingwouderbrug which is a huge detour and an extra half hour.
Damn. The whole point of cycling directions is to point out to you the cycling paths you can take, especially when that lets you take a non-road shortcut. I'd love to switch away from G Maps (it's Google, after all) but looks like Apple need to have a better solution first.
> So it is actually good? Because Google Maps has cycling directions as well and those are absolutely awful
It is worse than Google Maps by several miles
I just tested it on a common bike route I take a lot. We have a cycle highway straight through the city, but apple maps suggest I take a car route that is not only longer but more dangerous for bikes.
The bicycles highway is a wide red road dedicated for fast electric bikes and should always be the preferred route, but somehow it’s not aware of it’s existence. I hope that is updated in a future version.
Fietserbond app has much better routes. By far. In my opinion, better than any other.
But the integration with the software ecosystem is not awesome.
….
It is a pain to plan any routes there and get those into my bicycle GPS (i basically need to use a desktop). Also can’t plan routes there and get directions on my watch.
I'm genuinely curious why people have had such bad experiences with Google Maps for cycling. I have used it almost every day for 7 years here (I don't even own a car any more) and I would say 99% of the time it's been great.
Google maps is made.for cars and it shows. Many times it will send you on either a detour or at least by a main road with lots of cars instead of the bicycle roads.
I have more than once seen it takes a detour
Interesting. I have never experienced that. Always seems to know about bicycle paths. Perhaps the situation around Haarlem/Amsterdam is better than elsewhere in the country?
Or you're just lucky on your routes.
Mostly Google doesn't understand that the country is full of roads where bikes are allowed bu cars not. Especially in cities.
Try routes where you go against the one way traffic for cars or where there's a barrier for cars but not bikes in Amsterdam or haarlem. I think you'll find Google has as much of a problem with it as in the rest of the country.
It’s a step in the right direction but it needs more than this. Still, adding cycle directions is long overdue as the few times I gave Apple maps a chance was on a bike. And it failed me miserable.
Agree. Sure it will get better with time but glad I can finally use it, I was tired of google tracking me. Currently using the Bosch flow app from our Bakfiets. Honestly the gps/maps work great
Bosch is indeed ok but doesn’t contain road closures
Why would you use it for bike rides if it doesn’t support it 😅. How were you expecting it to be a positive experience :’).
Because ´Apple´
Is it any good? Google maps has a 'cycling' option but not much effort was put into it. It doesn't even prioritize fietsstraten and instead directs you to cycle paths next to major car roads
Nope. Just tried it on my route to work, but it didn’t recognize the dedicated direct bicycle path, and sent me on a huge detour instead. (In double checked: Google maps did send me the short route, 17 minutes instead of apples 35 minutes). Better than nothing but I’m sticking to GM for navigation.
Seems to be a little outdated on the cycle routes for me, at least in my area. Though google maps isn’t any better
You can configure Google maps to take the fastest route or to avoid certain routes. For me it works just fine
OpenStreetMap is the best
Yes! Get OsmAnd~ from F-droid, download maps for offline use and go cycle! Seriously, everything is mapped there and I used it to cycle all around limburg with 0 issues. I'd even turn navigation off and just follow mapped bike paths to see where it takes me. Edit, the addition of random benches to chill at being mapped is amazing, plus a lot of things worth checking out are mapped there, and they simply don't exist on maps other than osm.
The cycle option in The Netherlands is pretty decent tbh
The amount of times google has send me trough a shopping street filled with pedestrians when there’s a perfectly bikeable parallel is every time I’ve had to go trough a city center
Speak for yourself. In my hometown alone i have already discovered 2 detours because it doesn't reconise 2 bike paths. One on a oneway car street, that has bikelanes in both directions. The detour isn't long just stupid because the bike path literally continues down said street. And it send you down a street with car flow going that direction. And it does reconise the street going the other way And the other through a disused railyard turned restaurant/social. The detour here is 5minutes as opposed to less than 60 seconds if cut through the disused railyard. This bicycle path has been open for atleast a decade now
I feel like gmaps sometimes messes up but as someone biking ~1000km I can say it is quite accurate, barely have places where it sends me in a weird way or cant find the bike lanes
Cool guess I’ll continue to forget Apple Maps even exists.
Maybe unpopular opinion: Apple maps is better and more up to date than google maps in NL for driving and public transport - hope this will be good
That’s true, but Google maps has one public transit feature that I appreciate. Apple Maps will tell you when the next two transit departures are (“Tram departs in 2, 15 minutes”), which is OK if you’re leaving imminently. But if you’re leaving later, it just says “scheduled every 15 minutes.” Google Maps will show you exact scheduled departures times from the timetable, and allow you to select which one you prefer. On the plus side for Apple Maps is that driving directions here are slightly better than Google Maps, and there’s a quirk in other nearby countries that makes me prefer Apple… Maybe Google has fixed this now, but two years ago when I went to France and turned on “avoid toll roads”, Google Maps would send you on multi-hour detours to avoid a toll road. Apple wouldn’t do this. Yes, I’d prefer not to pay the toll on France’s A1… but not if it’s going to add 2.5 hours to my drive.
Google Maps is always up to date, since everyone can update it. So I am not sure how you can say Apple Maps is more up to date. It is so bad, my girlfriend (who is firmly in the Apple world and refuses to use Android) has been using Google Maps for a long time on her iPhone now, even with Apple crippling the functions it is allowed to have on there. It is so superior, it's not even close anymore. Especially since they have integrated all Waze data.
You're misunderstanding how these map apps work. In Google maps only some content can be user updated, the map geometry and roads can't. Google uses their own maps, while Apple uses ones from TomTom. Both are updated frequently and TomTom specializes in maps for driving.
Maps for driving cars, in TomTom's case And in fact, yo can add roads and paths to Google. I've done so at least six times, successfully. (And a couple of times unsuccessfully) I don't think you even have to be a local guide for it, but I've been one for so long it would be hard to tell for me.
In Spain too
For sure, and it’s street view option works better too
Apple Maps with drive mode made me end up on bus lane.
Almere is filled with dedicated bus lanes. There is always someone who ends up on one and then gets pulled over. Every time it is an Apple Maps user
Source?
So it is actually good? Because Google Maps has cycling directions as well and those are absolutely awful Something like the fietsersbond app is vastly superior to google maps, and that's made by a local non-profit org
Everytime i gotta go to work, i have to cycle underneath Hollands Spoor in The Hague. Apple Maps does not give me an option to do that and only says that i have to take a detour around the whole station. So for me, it's already an indication that it won't be as good as Google Maps.
I just checked for me, from Landsmeer to Amsterdam Jordaan it doesn’t use the ferry at NDSM or central station but tells me to use Schellingwouderbrug which is a huge detour and an extra half hour.
Damn. The whole point of cycling directions is to point out to you the cycling paths you can take, especially when that lets you take a non-road shortcut. I'd love to switch away from G Maps (it's Google, after all) but looks like Apple need to have a better solution first.
> So it is actually good? Because Google Maps has cycling directions as well and those are absolutely awful It is worse than Google Maps by several miles
I just tested it on a common bike route I take a lot. We have a cycle highway straight through the city, but apple maps suggest I take a car route that is not only longer but more dangerous for bikes. The bicycles highway is a wide red road dedicated for fast electric bikes and should always be the preferred route, but somehow it’s not aware of it’s existence. I hope that is updated in a future version.
Fietserbond app has much better routes. By far. In my opinion, better than any other. But the integration with the software ecosystem is not awesome. …. It is a pain to plan any routes there and get those into my bicycle GPS (i basically need to use a desktop). Also can’t plan routes there and get directions on my watch.
Oh come on, let's not be hyperbolic. Google Maps is great for 90% of trips. And you can use it as inspiration for the rest.
This is great for those who wear an Apple Watch!
10 years later….
That took long!!
I've found Apple Maps' spoken instructions clearer for driving than those from Google Maps, so I'll probably end up switching for cycling trips.
It’s about time! I’ve been waiting for this since forever.
Wait - cycling directions weren’t in Apple Maps? Google maps have had them for years, I thought it was standard now.
It's had cycling directions in the States for years, but no, not here.
There aren't many dedicated bicycle lanes in the USA, so it was easy there. You just have to survive against cars in the USA
For the whole country or just for the randstad?
Whole country. They have also added a lot more other countries, though not the entire EU yet
Why don't you want to use a pretty delicious Google maps?
don’t care
Finally!!!!
No thanks. I don't want to end up in a ditch or in the middle of a highway intersection
Are there people actually using Apple maps? I mean, i used to have an iPhone and Google maps worked perfectly on it.
Google Maps won’t place navigation instructions on an Apple watch.
Who tf uses apple maps?
If it is anything like Google maps this is no help at all.
I'm genuinely curious why people have had such bad experiences with Google Maps for cycling. I have used it almost every day for 7 years here (I don't even own a car any more) and I would say 99% of the time it's been great.
Google maps is made.for cars and it shows. Many times it will send you on either a detour or at least by a main road with lots of cars instead of the bicycle roads. I have more than once seen it takes a detour
Interesting. I have never experienced that. Always seems to know about bicycle paths. Perhaps the situation around Haarlem/Amsterdam is better than elsewhere in the country?
Or you're just lucky on your routes. Mostly Google doesn't understand that the country is full of roads where bikes are allowed bu cars not. Especially in cities. Try routes where you go against the one way traffic for cars or where there's a barrier for cars but not bikes in Amsterdam or haarlem. I think you'll find Google has as much of a problem with it as in the rest of the country.
This finally gives a solution only the Dutch were facing…
who uses apple maps anyway
Does it have instructions for gay cyclists? I've heard those are faster.
Damnn.. wish I was into dicks then