You've decided you want to go on a trip, so you need a map. Or maybe you want to get an idea of the terrain of a particular area of the country in which you live. Or perhaps you want to get a good satellite view of the city of New York. With so many different maps and map services available, especially on the Internet, how do you know which is the best one for YOUR needs?.
For the purpose of this article we'll concentrate strictly on travel because the options available to you there alone are numerous.The sad truth is, when most people plan a vacation that requires them to travel by car they settle for the maps that they are given by the travel agency or the car rental. These are not the best quality maps. If you're going to need a map then you should invest in a good one and the right one.
The type of map that you will need depends on the type of vacation you're planning to take. Below you will find several examples where certain map buying strategies are recommended by the experts in this area. Yes, the same people who give you that cheap map that comes with your car rental.
If you're planning to take an extended vacation in just one country then the best thing for you to do is to buy a road atlas that contains very detailed maps of the country's complete road network. You won't want to be traveling down a road and no know it's a dead end because your map doesn't have the road even listed.However, if you're planning on driving through a region of a country then you should get a high quality folded map of the region.
These are commonly known as sectional maps. They aren't as detailed as the road maps but will give you the main info you need to get around such as major highways.If you're going to be driving through several countries then it is a good idea to get a set of high quality integrated maps. This way you can easily flip from one map to the next when crossing over from one country to another.If you're going to be staying in a big city for your vacation then it's important to have a detailed street map that also focuses on tourism. In this case usually your better hotels and tourist agencies will have maps that will suit your needs when trying to find the best place in town to get a foot long hot dog.
If you're going to be doing any hiking or biking, then it's best to have some topographical maps in order to get an idea of the terrain. The last thing you want is to be taking your bike up a 3,000 foot mountain range unless you're used to doing something like that.If you're going to be taking a cruise then what you're going to need is a pocket size world atlas.
This will allow you to follow your route and make a geographical note of each port you arrive at. Most cruise lines will be able to provide you with a map that should fill your needs.If you're going to be taking a tour you probably won't need a map for navigation but you are going to want one that shows all the main points of interest in your tour so in case you ever want to go back and visit one of these on your own you'll know where they are located.Yes, there are many types of maps even for travel. Choosing the right one can mean the difference between an enjoyable smooth trip and one that you will probably want to forget soon after coming back home.
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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Maps
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By: Michael Russell
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