Need a map recommendation

[et sanctus]

Hey StP...

I am about to leave the comfort of my house in Denmark and start a journey throu europe.
Before i do so i want to acquire a decent map. I was hoping that someone could recommend me one.
I should be lightweight, and show both highways and railroads.. Gas stations would be nice as i will be hitchhiking most of the time.

What kind of map would you recommend?

Also if anyone know a good book of wild edibles in europe. One thats meant to take with you in the field, not a huge tome..

Thanks
Et Sanctus

 

[roguetrader]

well for wild edibles Food For Free by Richard Mabey is an English language classic and widely available, both new and used as a field size paperback - eBay probably got it..... as far as maps are concerned, you'll probably need a few - most that cover the whole of Europe are good for rough route planning but the scale is usually too small to see much detail - i suppose a fully detailed map of Europe would be about 6 inches thick ! i found the Michelin brand maps good, packed with information, but like i say you probably need one for each country you plan on spending any significant time in, although often a few countries are grouped together in one map e.g Spain / Portugal / Balearics.... Belgium / Netherlands / Luxembourg

 

[Tony Pro]

Food for Free is a great book; I have both the regular and the tiny paperback. But I'm pretty sure it focuses on British plants, so doesn't include all the tasty plants of southern Europe which are way better (wild asparagus, onions, artechokes, figs, carob? Yes please!). I'd definitely be interested in a book that covers all of Europe.
As for maps, I prefer the spiral-bound kind since they don't get damaged easily, and you don't have to spread them out like the big paper maps. Downside is they're more expensive and heavy. AA Road Atlas is good, and has service stations marked on it.

 

[roguetrader]

i agree spiral bound is better, the Michelin ones i suggested are generally so

@et sanctus do you have a tablet or Kindle ? i'm wondering if its possible to buy a digital map of Europe... this would save a bit of weight in your pack but then you gotta charge the sucker.... solar charger ?

 

[Matt Derrick]

i'm not sure about your region, but here in the states we have 'pocket atlas'-es, basically a small book/map that fits in your pocket, and shows the majority of highways (and some train lines) throughout north america. i'm sure there's gotta be some kind of equivalent in your area?