Mapping Your Way
Monday, October 27th, 2008A frequent question we are asked here at TravelGuidesFree.com is how to obtain road maps. Of course, anyone who is a member of an auto club can usually obtain various maps free of charge, and state welcoming centers are usually well stocked. But others are often at a loss about how to get their hands on this useful tool in planning their trip ahead of time.
Via U.S. Mail
Often it’s as easy as contacting the State’s Tourism Office or the destination’s Convention and Visitor Bureau or Chamber of Commerce and request that a road map be sent to your mailing address. Using a search engine such as www.google.com, type in the name of the state followed by the word “tourism”. Go to their website and look for information on obtaining maps or locate the toll free phone number and give them a call.
If you don’t want to wait for your map to arrive via “snail mail”, you can download one on your computer in minutes. Here are some resources we found to be helpful.
MilebyMile.com
This website contains road maps, road condition photos & Highway RV Travel Itineraries for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The way the information is gathered is rather unique. Local tourism business owners volunteer to “adopt” a section of a U.S. or state highway and make notes about attractions and their locations. MilebyMile.com then uploads the information to their website. Website users, therefore, get an “insider” look at the area and what it has to offer. The various maps are downloadable for your use.
America’s Byways.org
This website lets you choose an area you would like to visit and produces itinerary suggestions. We choose Billy the Kid Trail in New Mexico and the site planned a one-day itinerary, showing the time estimate to drive the byway, and describing four attractions to visit, the travel time from one place to another and the total distance traveled. Byways are also organized by categories and articles such as “Haunted Byways” or “Byways for the Gourmet Road-tripped”. Of course, area maps are available.
Point A to Point B
If you would simply like to download a road map from a certain starting point and ending at a known destination, you can choose from many good websites. Google, MapQuest, FreeTrip, and Maps.Live (all .com websites), will provide you with specific driving directions mile by mile as well as road maps of the trip. All provide printer-friendly versions.
Whether you request a State road map via U.S. mail or you simply download from one of the websites suggested above, obtaining road maps is a quick and easy process. If ordering one of the free travel brochures we offer on TravelGuidesFree.com will help with planning your road trip, don’t hesitate to order and you will receive the requested guide directly from our advertiser. We at TravelGuidesFree wish you safe and enjoyable trips on the many highways and byways you may travel!