The Web's Best Mapping Sites

Google Maps and MapQuest

Google Maps

When I think of mapping sites, I think Google. So it's too bad that the service's interface is so cluttered, especially compared with the clean interfaces of the other top mapping sites I visited.

One of the best things about Google Maps is that it lets you dynamically change the route of a trip: Start a route with a mouse click, choose the start and end locations, and then just drag a section of the route and drop it elsewhere on the map. In a flash, the directions on the map change--as do the written directions. That's a great feature for rerouting if you should discover a backup on your route (and you will, trust me) by clicking the Traffic button.

Right-click the route to add more yellow pushpin stops, or add stops via the written directions in the Search Results panel; or you can drag and drop written instructions to rearrange the route.

Google Maps also lets you create your own mashup by adding content from hundreds of sources. For instance, the My Maps feature can now display elevation contour lines or gas prices (the latter via the Gas Buddy plug-in).

You can save up to 100 map locations, but doing so requires that you log in to a Google account (click Sign in to start creating one). To make your maps easier to retrieve, use Google's My Maps tab. Another option is to create a link for sending maps via e-mail. However, the only data you can send to a cell phone is a business location.

Unfortunately, Google Maps' annotation tools are paltry compared with those of Ask City and Live Search Maps. Google does let you add placemarks and include .rtf, .html, and other files; you can draw segment lines and shapes, but you can't draw circles, and you can't embed text directly on the map.

Even worse, I spent way more time figuring out the service's controls than I did actually creating and annotating my maps. Google Maps simply isn't as easy to use as Live Search Maps or Yahoo Maps. After much struggling, I discovered that the annotation tools were available only if I chose Create new map under the My Maps tab.

I was also bewildered by the right-click options, which changed depending on the map view. For instance, a "clear map" button to start over was available in a business search, but not in the map's own search feature.

MapQuest

If you're looking for an easy-to-use mapping service that's not all fancy-shmancy, AOL's MapQuest may be for you. The site focuses primarily on routing and directions, though you can zoom in on specific map locations. To get directions, enter an address or intersection as the starting location. Ditto for the destination. (Click the Maps icon if you just want to explore a map.) You can exclude seasonally closed roads.

MapQuest's step-by-step directions feature expandable maps highlighting each turn or other instruction; click Open or Close at the top of the map to expand the directions.

Clicking the route's starting point or endpoint brings up the helpful 'Zoom to Street Level' link; you have the option of switching to a hybrid satellite view, too.

One nice MapQuest feature is the ability to reorder your route by dragging and dropping the written locations to a new spot on the list. It seems silly, though, that MapQuest doesn't let you save a multistop route.

To arrange for maps on the go, use the Send to Cell option, which dispatches a text link that you click on your mobile phone to open the map and directions in the phone's browser.

The flashing, twirling ads on MapQuest are annoying; they'll eventually stop--until your pointer touches the ad.