How to Create a Driving Route Using Online Maps

You have to pick up the kids from their field trip, go to the new dentist, then meet the girls across town. These are all unfamiliar places and you don't have a GPS in your car. Before you go, create a driving route that will optimize all your stops in a methodical fashion with an online map. If you have Internet access and a printer it's easy to type in all your destinations and plan a sensible trip.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a mapping website. There are several good choices: Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSN Live Search and Mapquest. Each of these can send a map with driving instructions to a cell phone or by email and also provide real time traffic conditions and satellite imagery of the route.

2. Open the mapping website of your choice.

3. Enter the origin of the trip where you will begin.

4. Enter the destination address.

5. Add any additional destinations.

6. Print out the map and follow the turn by turn directions to each stop along the way.

Tips & Warnings

• Google map has the ability to drag the route with the mouse to easily customize the trip. However, Mapquest will allow you to reorder the different stops (waypoints) to make a more efficient trip. So no matter what order they were entered, you can go back and rearrange the stops to suit your schedule or for the fewest miles.

Resources

• Google Maps
• Yahoo Maps
• MSN Live Search
• Mapquest