Online Route Planner Test

Are you at a loss when you read a map? Then you need an online journey planner. We test eight of the best...

Auto Express Car Reviews

April 2008

Portable sat-nav systems are continually coming down in price – but they’ll never be free! So if you need directions from A to B and you’re not a whiz with a map, all you need to do is head for your PC and find an online route planner.

There are a number of websites offering step-by-step routes for drivers. Pioneered by recovery organisations such as the AA and RAC, these clever web-based programmes give you turn-by-turn guides to get where you’re going. Most require only postcodes before they come up with a printable set of instructions, which you can give to a passenger to read as you drive.

But don’t think all offer the same service. As with sat-nav, directions and mapping quality differ, while some programmes tie in other information such as traffic news, weather and what’s available en route. So which are the web wonders? We put eight to the test.

The Test

Key here was ease of use – we wanted to find a route quickly and simply. We counted the number of clicks needed from the homepage to getting directions, and wanted information to be
calculated swiftly and be easy to print out.

We chose routes to our central London office, and compared them with the results from our reigning sat-nav champ – the Garmin nüvi 760. The ability to tailor routes was a bonus, as was information on points of interest (POI).

Verdict

ROUTE planners are appearing online all the time, but this test proves there are big differences between them. The easy-to-use Multimap secured victory because it was the only site to match our sat-nav’s sensible routing. ViaMichelin’s detailed directions helped it take second, while the fast Green Flag site picks up third.