Route Planners

Route planners on the Web make navigating as easy as pointing and clicking, literally; their search engines allow you to simply supply your departure and destination points to receive a description of the fastest routes. If you require extra information, you can often choose a long description over the standard short one, and can even ask to steer clear of toll roads. Should tolls be inevitable, you can calculate their total cost on your route.

One of the most helpful aspects of any good trip planner is its ability not only to map your journey but also to locate bathrooms, gas stations, and restaurants on the way. No longer do you have to drive down the highway praying for a rest stop within the next five miles, since the route planner will pinpoint several for your convenience. The most detailed sites also suggest nearby tourist attractions in case you need to break up the monotony of the drive or entertain restless children. Some will even tell you how much gas money you’ll need if you input the size and guzzling capacity of your vehicle.

Respected travel planners from the pre-Internet days, such as Michelin and the Automobile Association, have launched websites packed with tips to get you started. MapQuest, however, currently leads the pack as the most popular online pathfinder in the U.S. By allowing you to enter the street address of both departure and destination, MapQuest provides an extremely detailed map of the area and its surrounding streets. It then lets you click on a set of categories (Schools, Entertainment, Transportation) to focus on specific services and institutions, plus provides incisive driving instructions to supplement the map.