Even if travel distances were the first concern of map makers the technologies we now have available 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 one can 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. Google and MapQuest are other major players in the online map competition.
Google calculators for travel distances dominate the web, particularly since together with this free service you are offered a whole range of options. A Google account is all you need to get access to Google Maps; after the entrance of the points of origin and destination, the distance measurement tools show all the distance specifics with utmost accuracy. Moreover, besides the travel distances you can also click other links in the menu that give access to info on gas prices, weather forecast and nice sights to visit.
For the calculation of travel distances, Google is so far the most user-friendly program, but MapQuest should not be ignored either. The positive reviews come from to the fast way of accessing the information: type the place of origin, arrival point and press go. 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 yet another complex 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.
The meaning of short and long travel distances has been altered with the existence of alternative transportation means. The travel distances between Los Angeles and New York would thus be long by car or train, but short by plane. In fact, the mobile element in the equation is not distance as such, but our perception of it in terms of 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 mean money. Hence, make sure to calculate the travel distances well and include them in the overall planning for your trip.