Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The 20 Best French Google Maps Mash-Ups

Today we have a guest post by Renaud Euvrard, who has been the French contributor to Google Maps Mania since 2006. His blog, Renalid.com, is one of the most important French blogs about the geoweb, "geo"mashups and neogeography.


This selection of the best french Google Maps mashups is also published today on Renaud's blog Renalid.com. You can also view these 20 mash-ups on this excellent video Renaud created and edited himself :


Les 20 meilleurs Mashups français from Renaud on Vimeo.

Social Websites


DisMoiOù (in French) - TellMeWhere (English language version)Dis Moi Ou

DisMoiOù ("TellMeWhere") is much more than a directory. Social website, DisMoiOù can also find the right addresses proposed and commented by users.


My opinion: DisMoiOù offers real interaction between its users.

Discover DisMoiOù:
- Official launch of dismoioù
- Dismoiou: the first french social website for local information based on the Google Maps API

Nomao
Nomao
Nomao is a simple service that allows sharing of events or places on a Google Map. The toolkit is perfect if you wish to inform your family or community of your favourite places.

My opinion: Through a fun design Nomao encourage users to share their "spots" :-)

Discover Nomao:
- With Nomao, share your places (in French)
- Nomao growing (in French)
- 7000 concerts and events for the "Fete de la Musique" available on an interactive map with Nomao (in French)

Panapa
Panapa
Panapa allows users to share the places they love or that they find useful. This may be a place for a picnic, parks or art galleries. Panapa uses tags and other feeds on a simple interface.

My opinion: The interface is simple and effective.

NavX
The objective of NavX is to give users of GPS navigation, the ability to create, organize and share geolocated content.

My opinion: A great mash-up, Navx is a website that uses the Google Maps API for Flash.

Discover Navx:
- NavX: new platform for content LBS (preview of the private beta)
- Navx, beta open!

Urbamania
Urbamania
Urbamania is a site where users can share the places they have discovered (restaurants, shows, movies, ..) with the community and the results are directly displayed on a map. Urbamania integrates Google Maps to display each place and event.

My opinion: Reading information on the map is easy through the use of icons

Pilipili
PiliPili is a website that displays addresses, events and good plans (coupons) in your city (in France): Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse. The site has a nice interface where the screen is used efficiently.

My opinion: the search results are clearly accessible on the map

Cars & Travel

MonsieurParking.com
monsieurparking

The MonsieurParking.com website is devoted entirely to rental parking spaces. Using the site it is very easy to find an available parking space that matches your criteria.

My opinion: This map truly provides a great local service

AlloGarage.fr
AlloGarage.fr is a website guide that helps motorists to discover garages from the testimonies of other motorists. The garages can be ordered through the advice of others and this allows car owners to avoid scams. More than 12,000 garages are referenced. Only moderate opinions and objectives are published.

My opinion: There is simple and clear presentation of the results using Google Maps icons highlighting each garage. A great achievement!

V-Trafic
vtrafic
V-Trafic is a mash-up of Google Maps which brings together a number of different application data : national traffic in real time, weather, webcams, news info (partially visible after registration).

My opinion: The essential information is immediately accessible.

Velo'v
Originally called monvelov.com, then unvelovite.com, this mashup allows you to locate and view real-time availability of "velo'v" in Lyon (free availability of bikes). Developed initially by Jean-Louis Baudoin, a passionate developer, the site was taken over by the official website of "velo'v."

My opinion: a mashup pioneer, very well done, providing a real service to its users.

VeloInTheCity
velointhecity
VeloInTheCity aims to facilitate the use of bicycles through a free service. An interactive Google Map can locate stations for free bicycle service in the cities available (Velib', Vélo'v, Le vélo, Vélo Toulouse, Velam, V'eol, Vélo à la carte, Bicloo, Vélos jaunes, BIP!, Vélocité-Besançon, Velodi, Velo'+).

My opinion: a complete site in its category with an interface which really works!

Rental

Zilok
Zilok is a new concept, a rental market, where anyone can rent any property. All searched property is tagged on a map where you can refine the search to view only the results near your location.

My opinion: A great integration of a streamed GeoRSS allows for real-time research.

Trip

TVTrip
tvtrip

Like Trivop, TVTrip is another player offering video guides for hotels. TvTrip offers a video guide for hotels in Europe to bring transparency to the preparation of your journey through video reviews. A number of hotels in major cities in Europe are available (3 stars minimum). TvTrip hotel reviews are "independent and objective".

My opinion: As with Trivop, I like the integration of video directly into Google Maps.

Sport

Rollers & Coquillages
Rollers & Coquillages is an association that organizes a famous weekly roller in Paris on Sunday afternoons from the Bastille. Their site offers an interactive Google Map highlighting the next week's route.

My opinion: a beautiful integration

UtagawaVTT
utagawavtt
This site lists more than 2000 mountain bike routes (over 80000km!) in France (and neighbouring countries) proposed by riders through their GPS (tools increasingly riders or hikers). All courses are visible on a Google Map, and Google Earth via the browser plug-in ,with plenty of information (indications on the spot, comments, photos…).

My opinion: a wealth of information for hikers to mountain bikers.

Real Estate

Keltoa
Keltoa is a community portal and a social network for real estate. Keltoa have developed a real estate community, where individuals and professionals can exchange ideas and meet.
The search for property contains advertisements, sales and rentals coupled with Google Maps, to explore a district's centres of interest or amenities (markets, nurseries etc…).

My opinion: Keltoa offers a simplified search. The interface is efficient and enjoyable.

Bmykey
bmykey
BmyKey is a French property mashup with a nice design that integrates Ajax, comments, rating, rss, and widget. You can use the site to look up facilities and services near the property concerned (schools, doctors, shops, nurseries, etc)!

My opinion: BmyKey is a website with a clean and very accessible interface, offering flexibility of use.

SeLoger.com
SeLoger.com, the No. 1 real estate site on the Internet in France, has established a very interesting mash-up of property and Google Maps. The mash-up display real estate prices and their evolution in real time on the basis of prices for the sale of over 600,000 properties.

My opinion: truly relevant information, easily accessible through the Google Map

Immoplaza
immoplaza
Immoplaza is another site of real estate ads. Like its competitors, the site offers users as much information on property as on their environment. Incorporating a dynamic map, Immoplaza can, in addition to locating properties, indicate a range of information about the district, such as the success rate bachelor, proximity to nurseries, video or supermarkets.

My opinion: I appreciate the simplicity of design and clear access to information.

Geek

ParisParis
ParisParis is a mashup integrating many places in Paris in many categories, such as post offices, McDonalds, Starbucks, H & M stores, Sephora, Darty etc…

My opinion: It is rare to see a mash-up gather so much information.

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