New GPS software, covering the whole of France, provides in-car running commentaries via Garmin Sat Navs
Fascinating audio descriptions, automatically trigger on the Sat Nav’s loud speaker within a few miles of each location
All the benefits of a personal tour-guide within a credit crunch budget 

A new Sat Nav guide will alert people driving around France to its greatest historical sites as they tour the country.  The low-cost software, which works on GPS equipment such as market leader Garmin, responds to satellite prompts as cars approach places of historical interest throughout France, delivering fascinating information narrated by a friendly voice through the Sat Nav. It means motorists will no longer remain oblivious to the cultural treasures around them as they cruise along the roads of France.

The software package, costing £19.95 for a download, features a total of 620 sites in France.  Each location has been carefully researched and created, over 3 years, providing the listener with an engaging 2 minutes of commentary as they approach or drive by. 

Through the launch of this innovative product, French partner ZeVisit, which works with many of the tourism agencies and offices in France, saw an opportunity to reach the Sat Nav generation.  “At ZeVisit, we strongly believe that audio is the only media that can make you feel strong emotions. What better than making every journey an emotional journey full of stories and imagination as well?” said Yann Le Fichant, CEO of ZeVisit.

RoadTour’s inventor, Daniel Taylor found that driving the roads of Europe could be a highly frustrating experience; “Sat Navs are great in getting us from A to B but hopeless at connecting us with the rich heritage of Europe” said Daniel.  “There are times driving France’s clear motorways, when you might as well be driving through England for all you’re finding out. Our goal with our French partner, Zevisit, is to bring France’s fascinating history, beautiful environment and rich culture to the millions of people who sometimes just drive straight to Provence, barely stopping for fuel on the way”.

RoadTour works with Garmin Sat Nav equipment to trigger audio commentary and pictures of key attractions, including towns, villages, castles and battlefields.  The system does not require the driver or passengers to touch any buttons since the audio just pops up, in a similar way to the traffic warnings on the radio. And for those more interested in directions than history...RoadTour even pauses for traffic directions!

Examples of commentaries include Rouen and Alsace;

“We’re in the middle of the 14th Century and it is half past eight in the morning in La place de Vieux Marché in Rouen.   Joan of Arc is being brought to the centre of Rouen in a cart, her head shaved and escorted by 120 British soldiers. The Bishop of Beauvais, who supports England, reads the sentence for herecy, “We declare that you, Joan, corrupt member, must be rejected from the unity of the Church so that you won’t contaminate the other members. For this we reject you, we remove you and abandon you”. An immense crowd came to see the execution. Afterwards, when the executioner put out the fire, he got a huge surprise; Joan or Arc’s heart had remained intact! Because the English feared it would become a relic, they decided to throw her remains into the Seine and since then it is said that the Seine from Rouen to the sea is holy.  When nearly 20 years later, the King of France, Charles the 7th, took back Normandy from the English, he ordered a cross to be erected in her memory on La Place de Vieux Marché.”

 “Alsace became part of Germany in 1871, when a far reaching city planning project was set in motion. The German empire decided to move its political and administrative headquarters to the old city centre of Strasbourg, close to La Place de la Republique...this is truly several cities in one. It is a city that is Catholic, Protestant and Jewish all at once and the three architectural styles co-exist marvellously.  According to local, Roger Siffert, Strasbourg is like a very beautiful woman wearing a superb tuxedo but with tennis shoes or boots on her feet...in Alsace, they would say ‘pretty like a punch in the eye’!”


RoadTour France costs a one-off £19.95 and can be downloaded from www.roadtour.co.uk.