[boplicity]

Looking for trip/route planning software. Mapquest is OK but you have to trick the software into taking the roads you want instead of the quickest/most efficient roads. Something that allows you to print out maps and share the route with others would be good too. All I have found so far is Microsoft's Streets and Trips but they don't have a demo. Anyone use this or have a better suggestion?

Thanks,
Miles

 

[ScottRNelson]

Daffe uses the Microsoft one. You can see samples at sfbmha.com, although that site is rather hard to navigate currently (at least for me). Here's a pointer to a sample: http://www.sfbmha.com/rides/CC/PinnaclesV1/Pinnacles v1.0.htm

 

[boplicity]

Looks good, I'll check it out. Thanks!

 

[Darkmonster]

I find www.randmcnally.com VERY good, specially as I am still new here, its accurate down to about 50 feet........

You can join up (free) and have a little address book etc, also you can plan road trips, it gives weather, attractions & road construction updates too.

Have a look!

 

[DaffeDuc]

if you have a PDA running the Microsoft OS, you can download the maps to it from MS Street & Trips.

It's better than mapquest as well as Rand McNally. I tried them all.

I recommend MS S&T

 

[dwo74]

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2004 is out. Buy at Sam's club for about $30.
DeLorme Street Atlas 2004 is a bit more cost and also somewhat more detailed than microsoft.
I think for the moeny, Microsoft is a good value.

 

[Skier]

www.viamichelin.com

 

[DaffeDuc]

you can find MS-S&T at Amazon.com here for the same price as Sam's ($40 - $10 rebate = $30)

 

[Speeddog]

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2004 is out. Buy at Sam's club for about $30.
DeLorme Street Atlas 2004 is a bit more cost and also somewhat more detailed than microsoft.
I think for the moeny, Microsoft is a good value.

I just bought MS&T 2003 about a month and a half ago..

It's good stuff, lots quicker and more tweakable than the online stuff (that I've tried).

 

[will]

I use Microsoft MapPoint. I think its basically the same as streets, but adds datapoint stuffs. I love its route planning and gives you features like "find stuff within 2 miles of your route" and it will plot every gas/food/stop within those ranges on your whole trip. Although, I havn't found a way to update this data yet. It does download construction info for you and will warn you of possible slowdowns.

 

[mmoore]

The one thing you need to know about MS Streets 'n Trips is that you have to tweak some settings buried in the options to get an interesting ride. The default is to get you on the closest 8 lane superslab and keep you there until you arrive. Ugh! You can set the options to tell it you hate highways and looooovvvvve secondary roads, or you can set "stops" at points on roads you want to ride and it *should* route through them in a sensible way. This is all not so intuitive, but once you've got the route you want the timings, gas stops, motel info etc. are quite good.

 

[boplicity]

Thanks for all the info guys, I bought MS S & T 2004. So far so good!

 

[CRASH!]

Hey Miles!

Did I hear you just volunteer to be NEMHA ride planner? ;D

The radio thing is good too. My twins have Motorolla FRS's, so I just need to buy the headsets and steal their "walkie talkies" for rides!

 

[boplicity]

Haha, what have I gotten myself into!

Yeah, I'm looing forward to seeing if the new headset will have a working transponder (last one was broken they said). Supercheap alternative to Chatterboxes and the like.