La Route Buissonnière is not like other navigation apps. Where an ordinary sat nav looks for one thing only — the fastest route — we look for the most enjoyable one: the route that goes around the cities and the main roads, and takes you past the villages, the heritage and the open country of France.
What we believe
Sat navs taught us to get from A to B as fast as possible. We gained time, but we lost something on the way: the pleasure of driving, the discoveries, those small roads where you come across a viewpoint, a château, a village you would never have met on the motorway.
La Route Buissonnière rests on a simple idea: that the drive can once again be the best part of the journey. Take your time. Breathe. Get out of the stress of the big built-up areas. And sometimes pay less, by avoiding the tolls.
A name with a history
"La route buissonnière" echoes the French expression l'école buissonnière — playing truant, slipping off, treating yourself to a happy detour. But it is also a nod to a real page of French history. In 1955 a tourist road was created linking the Paris region to Lyon, designed to connect the big cities without going through a single one, by way of the finest landscapes. It was already called… la Route Buissonnière.
How it works
You enter your start and your destination, optionally one or more cities to avoid, and the app plots a route that favours small roads and good places to stop. You still get a proper sat nav, with turn-by-turn voice guidance, but one that takes you the lovely way. And all of it with respect for your privacy: no account, no advertising, no selling of your data.
Who is behind it?
A Base Lunaire project
Designed and built in France by Audrey Morin (Base Lunaire), out of a wish to make you love the road again.
A question, an idea, a magnificent corner of France to show us? Write to us at bonjour@laroutebuissonniere.com.