On-line RoadTrip Planners

[dominiqueyou]

Does anyone know of any good online road trip planners? I've tried a few like freetrip.com, mapquest, rand mcnally, tripking, etc. but am not finding what I want. Many of these sites are only for within the U.S., and I am starting in Canada. Also, they don't let you really add in short stops along the route. Anyone have any ideas?
By the way, if you haven't tried the above sites they may be helpful (to those less picky than me;)

[Mark Sedenquist]

As a professional roadtrip planner, we have tried all of the on-line tools, and would agree that they tend to be a little clunky to use. RTA, like a dozen other firms, has been working on developing a series of self-directed roadtrip planning services. It is very complicated to create an integrated system that actually works. It is extremely likely that the development costs for the RTA system will exceed $500K. While it is a given that a version of the eventual tool will remain "free" to consumers, the reality is that the the fully-functioning tool will be offered on a fee basis. In the meantime, the "best" roadtrip planning tool is the one that has existed since humans first began to explore... A paper map, color-coded with pins/markers/notes/icons. Have fun!

I haven't found an online tripmaker that works anywhere as nice as software you can by. My favorite is Microsoft Street and Trips. It really is worth the few dollars to purchase it.

Utahtea

[Hue]

I would definitly agree, MS Street and Trip is the best for planning a roadtrip.

[PNW Judy]

I agree...I love MS Streets & Trips and use it a lot. Last I saw it, it was only about $15 with a rebate coupon. Judy

[dominiqueyou]

Thanks for the suggestion. I never knew there was such software, I will look for it.

If you belong to Costco they always have it in my area. You can also find it online.

Utahtea

[dominiqueyou]

Just a note. MS Streets & Trips costs $70 in Canada, with a $15 rebate. A little pricey, but I hope it'll be worth it. I have to play around with it a bit yet.

[PNW Judy]

It sounds like you've already bought the $70 package. I am pretty sure you will find that it is worth it. I use mine all the time and it has never failed me.

If you haven't bought it yet or can take it back, you might want to check around on the internet for lower prices. MS comes out with a new version each year. The version I'm using is from 2000 and I haven't noticed any problems with it yet. I'm sure that I will update it eventually as there are always new roads being built, etc., so at some point, it won't be as accurate as now.

But I'm sure the changes are minimal each year so, if you can find last year's version, I'm sure you can save a few bucks.

[imported_dominiqueyou]

Thanks for the tip. Actually I had checked online and it was cheaper (plus you could find older versions) but I was in a bit of a hurry to get it as I leave in 3 weeks. Also, when you have to order to Canada with duty, exchange rate, shipping, it can end up costing a lot.
I would definitely suggest searching the internet though for those that have time.