Alternative Driving Directions to Google/Mapquest?

May 21, 2007 3:47 PM

Driving Directions Filter: Is there another online service like Google maps or Mapquest that will allow me to customize part of my route?

We're driving from DC suburbs in Virginia to get to I70 in PA. I know the way that Mapquest and Google driving directions give me, but I want to avoid that route (around the DC beltway and up 270) as I know the day and time I have to go there will be rush-hour traffic a-go-go. I want to maybe take either I66 to I81 or out through Leesburg and pick up Rt 15, but I would like to compare mileage and total estimated time, but I seem to be forced to take either the most obvious route or the most obscure using Mapquest's advanced directions (not so advanced really as the only choices are no toll roads, no highways, etc).

So is there another service that will let me customize part of my route and then give me the best option after my chosen route is over or am I just looking for something that doesn't really exist?

posted by 543DoublePlay to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Best answer: Yahoo Maps will let you do a point-by-point route map. I used it when I found the same deficiencies in Mapquest and Google.
posted by Zosia Blue at 3:54 PM on May 21, 2007

Try the CAA/AAA TripTik Planner. Enter your start and end locations then use the Modify Route tool to select the roads you want to use.
posted by saraswati at 4:00 PM on May 21, 2007

http://www.viamichelin.com
posted by rumbles at 4:08 PM on May 21, 2007

Google Maps will also now let you do point-by-point. Just pick a destination that you know will force the first part of the route (e.g. Leesburg), then at the bottom of the directions click "Add destination..." and put in your ultimate goal. I've found that one intermediate destination is usually enough to serve my purposes in this regard, but you can chain as many together as you'd like to create your desired route.
posted by Partial Law at 4:28 PM on May 21, 2007

randmcnally.com has interesting options for optimizing your route by selected options. You can choose "shortest route" and get more use of state and county highways with lower overall mileage, or "fastest" which keeps you on Interstate and Defense highways where practicable. Plus they have multiple stop capability, and also offer paid "Premier" results with additional options that interoperate with various GPS and handheld PDA units. They maintain one of the largest and most accurate GIS databases for North America, and their directions are frequently of higher quality, in my experience, than Google or particularly Mapquest, because of their editorial efforts to maintain their GIS in supporting other commercial products they offer.
posted by paulsc at 5:00 PM on May 21, 2007

Whereis.com Might just be Australian though, not sure?
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 6:40 PM on May 21, 2007