Why choose Cartovia?
Cartovia is a specialist online shop - maps, travel guides and accessories for self-reliant travellers. Not a generalist marketplace, not a third-party reseller: a small team of travellers that has curated, verified and shipped its own catalogue since 2010. With over 20,000 references, we are one of the world's most comprehensive specialist map retailers, with particularly deep coverage of European cartography.
This page sets out the practical reasons why more than 160,000 customers have chosen us — and answers the questions we hear most often. If you knew us before September 2025 as MapsCompany (internationally) or La Compagnie des Cartes (in France), you're in the right place: same company, same founders, same catalogue, now unified under a single identity. For the founders' personal story and the company's history, see About us.
A specialist shop, not a generalist
Selling maps properly takes real product knowledge: telling an IGN TOP 25 from a SÉRIE BLEUE, knowing when 1:25,000 serves you better than 1:100,000, understanding why a particular wall map ships rolled in a tube rather than laminated. We do that work — publisher by publisher, listing by listing.
Our catalogue covers hiking, cycling, road travel, wall maps and 3D relief maps, travel guides and globes. If a map exists, there's a strong chance we already stock it — and if we don't, tell us: we work with most publishers and can usually track it down.
Up-to-date editions, not dormant stock
An outdated map can compromise a trip — repaved roads, closed shelters, new trails not shown, redrawn borders. That's why we actively track new editions across all our main publishers — IGN, Michelin, National Geographic, Reise Know-How, Tabacco, Borch, Freytag & Berndt, Kompass, among others — and refresh stock with every release.
When a new edition is announced for the near future, we flag it on the relevant product page. If you're unsure whether a specific map is the latest version, write to us before ordering — we'll check and reply.
Recognised expertise in the map industry
Selling maps since 2010 gives you time to learn. Christian, co-founder of Cartovia, is also a member of the IMIA (International Map Industry Association) and contributes there on e-commerce topics. Cartovia maintains direct relationships with most major European and North American map publishers.
That proximity to publishers means we can announce new releases, often receive editions before general distribution, and — important for you — avoid the inaccuracies you sometimes find in product listings elsewhere. When we describe a scale, a paper type or a wall-map mounting system, the information has been verified.
For the full picture, see our list of publishers.
Customer service run by the founders
Cartovia is a family-run, fully independent business. Valérie leads the catalogue and customer service; Christian handles the website, marketing and technical operations. Two practical consequences: emails you send are read by people who know the products, and decisions about what we sell — or don't — are made in-house, not driven by an algorithm.
We answer in French and English, on weekdays usually within the day, on every topic: choosing a map, route advice, wall-mounting questions, order tracking, returns. Writing to us means reaching real people, not a chatbot script.
Fast shipping, simple returns
Orders ship from four warehouses — France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States. A large part of our catalogue is dispatched from the warehouse closest to you, which keeps delivery times and shipping costs low. Most orders leave our facilities within 24 to 48 working hours.
We ship worldwide, with our largest customer bases in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and regular shipments throughout the rest of Europe and beyond. Shipping rates and free-shipping thresholds vary by destination.
For returns, the standard window is 14 days from receipt, which applies in most destinations. Specific conditions vary by country — always check our Shipping & Returns page before ordering to confirm the timeframe and process applicable to you.
Secure payment, multiple options
Checkout runs on Shopify Payments, certified PCI-DSS Level 1 (the strictest standard in the industry). We accept major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay. No card data passes through or is stored on Cartovia's servers.
For schools, libraries, public institutions and corporate buyers, we also accept official purchase orders, mandates and Chorus Pro invoicing for French public bodies. See our page for educational institutions or contact us directly.
Frequently asked questions
Why buy from Cartovia rather than from Amazon or a general bookshop?
Three main reasons. Specialisation: 20,000+ specialist references, against a few dozen at a general retailer. Freshness: we track new editions and refresh stock with every release, whereas a generalist marketplace often lets old editions sit in third-party catalogues. Advice: if you're hesitating between two scales or two publishers, or looking for a specific area, you can email us and get a reasoned answer — not an automated reply.
Are your maps up to date?
Yes. We work directly with our publishers and reorder with each new edition. When a new version is announced for the near future, we flag it on the relevant product page. If you have a specific question before purchase, write to us — we'll check the exact edition currently in stock and reply.
Which publishers do you work with?
We carry most of the major map publishers: IGN, Michelin, National Geographic, Reise Know-How, Tabacco, Borch, Kompass, Cordee, Lonely Planet, Hachette, Gallimard, Petit Futé, Le Routard, Georelief, 3D Map, among others. The full list is here.
How long does delivery take?
Weekday orders generally leave our warehouses within 24 to 48 working hours, dispatched from France, Belgium, the United Kingdom or the United States depending on product availability. From dispatch, typical delivery times are 1 to 3 working days within France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, 2 to 5 days within the UK and Ireland, 3 to 7 days for the rest of Europe, and 1 to 3 days within the United States from our US warehouse. Full details, transit times to other destinations and carriers are on our Shipping & Returns page.
Can I return or exchange a map?
Yes. The standard window is 14 days from receipt, applicable in most destinations, provided the product is in good condition (not written on, not unfolded beyond reasonable inspection, original packaging where possible). Refunds are issued within 14 days of return receipt. Specific conditions vary by country — see our Shipping & Returns page for the rules applicable to your destination.
Do you have a physical shop?
No. Cartovia is online-only, which lets us offer a 20,000+ catalogue — impossible to maintain in a physical shop — and competitive pricing. We compensate with detailed product listings and personal advice by email.
Are my payments and data secure?
Yes. Checkout runs on Shopify Payments, certified PCI-DSS Level 1 (the strictest industry standard). No card data passes through or is stored on Cartovia's servers. Our policies are GDPR-compliant; you can read them in our privacy policy.
What if I can't find the map I'm looking for?
Write to us via the contact page, telling us the geographical area, the desired scale and the intended use (hiking, driving, cycling, decoration). We know publishers' catalogues well and, in most cases, we can either add the map to the site or point you to the best existing alternative.
Do you offer terms for schools, businesses or institutions?
Yes. We regularly work with schools, universities, libraries, public institutions and corporate buyers. We accept official purchase orders, mandates and Chorus Pro invoicing for French public bodies. More information on our page for educational institutions, or contact us directly.
How are Cartovia, La Compagnie des Cartes and MapsCompany related?
It's the same company. MapsCompany was our international brand, and La Compagnie des Cartes our French-market one — both running since December 2010. In September 2025, we unified them under a single name: Cartovia. One brand, one site, one catalogue and the same team — Christian and Valérie Baudchon, 100% owners since day one. Customer accounts on the previous sites have been migrated and remain functional. The full story is on our rebranding blog post.
Is Cartovia a real registered company?
Yes. Cartovia is the trading name of two companies, both 100 % owned by Christian and Valérie Baudchon: Moose Crossing SARL (France) and Chromatic Enterprises Inc. (Canada). The business was founded in December 2010 as La Compagnie des Cartes and rebranded to Cartovia in September 2025. All legal mentions are accessible from the site footer.
Looking for a specific map, a particular scale, an obscure area or a region poorly covered elsewhere? Write to us — we know most publishers, and if the map exists, we'll help you find it.
— Christian & Valérie Baudchon, founders of Cartovia
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A few of the catalogue's most-visited entry points.