# Free but better alternatives to Map Quest **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025 "2004-06-18T13:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/1 "2004-06-18T13:03:57Z")
Yesterday I got lost on my way to a new job assignment because my MapQuest directions did not make sense. Gas is just too expensive (and my car’s AC too weak) to let that happen again. Are there any better but free alternatives available? ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/2 "2004-06-18T13:32:48Z")
Mapblast is pretty good. It seems to be the more accurate of the two IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/3 "2004-06-18T13:34:29Z")
This service has free samples, but you need a GPS to make it work. [http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive\_Eagle](http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive_Eagle) ---
**Author:** ![Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayfield_St.Cloud)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/4 "2004-06-18T13:42:15Z")
I personally like [www.randmcnally.com](http://www.randmcnally.com), but I can’t honestly say whether it’s better than mapquest, since I don’t use mapquest. Give it a try and compare. ---
**Author:** ![Iacob\_Matthew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Iacob\_Matthew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iacob_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/5 "2004-06-18T16:11:48Z")
I’m going to second mapblast and also suggest yahoo maps, for the bottom of the suggested barrel. You said “better than Map Quest.” Considering how the two times I’ve used it, it twice sent me to a non-existent exit and once said “take the exit,” without telling me which one or where to, that leaves a long list available. ---
**Author:** ![HoldOnThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@HoldOnThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldOnThere)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/6 "2004-06-18T16:18:24Z")
I would love to find a site that creates driving directions using a waypoint. In other words, go from here to there and include this point in the route. ANy one know of such a feature, free or not? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/7 "2004-06-18T16:46:27Z")
There is no factual answer to this question. What sites are better is a matter of opinion. Off to IMHO. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/8 "2004-06-18T17:26:36Z")
While I hate to say the phrase “Microsoft does it right,” in the case of web maps they do. [MapPoint](http://www.mappoint.com) has higher-quality maps. I haven’t tested their directions, but you can try it out and see if the directions make more sense. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/9 "2004-06-19T21:58:49Z")
i’ll second [randmcnally.com](http://randmcnally.com) ---
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/10 "2004-06-20T00:58:46Z")
Not exactly a map tool, but [http://www.keyhole.com/](http://www.keyhole.com/) has a really cool application. It lets you zoom in nearly anyplace in the world from satelitte photos. Also not free, but fun to play with for the 30 day trail. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/11 "2004-06-20T12:17:26Z")
This is not a free alternative but IMHO a far superior one. MS Steets and Trips, usually w/ a rebate it goes for about $25. The advantages, well the main advantage is it’s fast and doesn’t require an internet connection. The full program loads to the harddrive if you want so no CD’s are needed. It also prints out some pretty good maps, also it will give you the waypoint if ou wish to use a gps to find a location. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-but-better-alternatives-to-map-quest/251025/12 "2004-06-20T20:34:22Z")
[http://mapsonus.switchboard.com/](http://mapsonus.switchboard.com/) allows waypoints. It can also plan a shortest route connecting a number of waypoints, but it’s not guaranteed. (And for the highest resolution aerial photos available for free for selected urban areas, go to [http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/index.html](http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/index.html).