Monday, January 5, 2009

Travel Distances

Even if travel distances were the first concern of map makers the technologies we have developed so far allow us to calculate distances in miles, nautical and air miles or kilometers. The calculation of travel distances both on the highway and in cities remain essential for trip or vacation planning, thus you know how to appreciate the fuel costs as well as the the need for hotel reservations in case the journey extends on two or more days. The Internet is the richest resource for travel distances and calculators even if AAA and Rand McNally still remain the largest map companies in the United States with very good presences online too. Moreover, the competition is made tighter with the services offered by Google Maps and MapQuest.

Travel Distances

Google applications are really great for calculating travel distances, and it seems like they've kept their promise to dominate the web with the free services they offer to all searchers. For access to the Google Maps page you need to have a regular free Google account; after the entrance of the points of origin and destination, the distance measurement tools show all the distance specifics with utmost accuracy. Thus, besides the travel distances you can also click other links in the menu that give access to info on gas prices, great sights to visit and weather forecast.

Travel Distances

For the calculation of travel distances, Google is so far the most user-friendly program, but MapQuest should not be ignored either. This online service is also widely used thanks to the fast way of accessing the information: you just write the place of origin, arrival point and press enter. The screen will display not only a map and the travel distances, but indications for how to move around are available too. For the moment, MapQuest is preparing the release of a more comprehensive  program that would bring equal chances of popularity with the Google giant; this will most certainly trigger the introduction of other tools and functions to aid the web searcher even further.

Travel Distances

Presently, time and space perception has changed radically and the modern means of transportation reflect this change. The travel distances between LA and NY appear shorter by plane but longer by train or car. In fact, the relative part in the equation is not distance as such, but the way we feel it in relation with time. People often tend to say: how long does it take to get to location X instead of how far is location X? For car travelers, distances are then appreciated in terms of costs too: gas, food, lodging, they all have to be covered out of the personal pocket. Hence, make sure to calculate the travel distances well and include them in the overall planning for your trip.

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