Travel Directions and Map To and From
Destination
From LoveToKnow Travel
AAA has been doing it for years, and now several websites have made it possible to print travel directions and map to and from destination in a matter of minutes. Mapquest and Google Maps are two websites that offer online driving directions similar to those that the American Automobile Association's customers have been requesting for years.
AAA Travel's popular service is called a TripTik, and offers more than travel maps; TripTiks are maps with a route highlighted on them and turn-by-turn directions. Before the Internet, TripTiks could take up to two weeks to arrive from AAA in the mail. If this is time you don't have, planning your trip online is another option. Nowadays, the TripTik idea is right on your home computer. On the AAA website you can request, receive, and print your driving directions in a matter of minutes. Don't have an AAA membership? Not to worry: AAA's online tool, as well as Google Maps and Mapquest, does not require a membership.
Online Travel Directions and Map To and From Destination
All three websites allow you to create and print driving directions that are specific to your start and end point. You simply type in a departure address and an arrival address and click 'Go'. The computer then generates your unique driving directions from, quite literally, door to door. In addition to the driving directions is a specification of how many miles this route is and approximately how long it will take you to drive it.
Your route is also highlighted on an accompanying map. The map can be zoomed in and out in order to see more or less detail at a glimpse. If you'd like getting home to be as easy as getting to where you were going in the first place, you can simply reverse the directions after printing the initial directions and then print the reversed directions as well.
Beyond The Basics
An additional handy feature of all three websites is that you can change your route by hand. Using your mouse, you click on the highlighted line that indicates your route, drag it to another road, which then recalculates both your travel directions, and map to and from destination. Your driving time will be recalculated, as will the total number of miles of your modified route. In this way, you can choose a smaller highway over a bigger one, or choose a section of road that you know is particularly scenic.
Each of the three websites has some unique features that the other websites do not have.
Google Maps
Many people love the different views that are available on Google Maps. By clicking on the different types of map, you can see the terrain, the roads with route numbers, or even get a satellite view. If you haven't done it yet, take a peek at your home address on Google Map's satellite function—you've probably never seen your house from this angle before!
Mapquest
For the technology lover, Mapquest is a playground. Your custom directions can be printed, but they can also be sent to your cell phone or to your OnStar System!
An additional advantage of Mapquest is that you can choose options before the computer selects your route. Choosing 'shortest time' generates the quickest itinerary from point A to point B; selecting 'shortest distance' keeps the number of miles you drive between point A and point B minimal. Additionally, you can check boxes instructing the trip planner to avoid highways, avoid roads that require paying tolls, and avoid seasonal roads…all handy features in their own right.
AAA
The online TripTik planner allows you to add AAA-approved hotels and restaurants along the highlighted driving directions so you know where the closest decent accommodations are. This function also allows you to enter attractions that are fun diversions for the whole family.
Printing Tips
Most people choose to use their online-generated driving directions by printing the itinerary. For those with InkJet printers, a few tips apply:
- Select 'print in black and white' if you don't mind your map not being in color (this saves you a lot of ink)
- Print only the directions (text) instead of the directions and the map. Whether you print in color or in black and white, the map can take a considerable amount of ink.
- If you don't want to print, sending (by email) and linking (to a website), are two alternatives.
Got a trip to plan? Hit these websites to make your planning a cinch.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 872 times. This page was last modified 16:19, 14 December 2008.
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