Are there any online websites where I can punch in my destinations and be able to print out a simple map. My parents want to follow our progress. I've used Google maps in the past, but it tends to print out a too large an area, and I lose detail. The map is not very clear. Mapquest seems to have the same limitations.
Warren
Your parents might be better off following an actual online map rather than a print version. Google maps and Mapquest and Bing maps are really designed more for providing directions than illustration purposes. You can create custom maps with Google Maps and share them.
If they really need a print version, you might do better taking a screenshot of the area you want. Then you can zoom in as much or as little as you like. You might need to print multiple pages.
Or you might want to buy a map of the area you're visiting.
If anyone does know of an online map that prints the kind of view you're looking for, I'd be happy to know about it too!
You might take a look at mappy.com to see if that would meet your needs. It provides localized maps, as detailed as you want. I often print their detailed map on the back of each hotel reservation confirmation. That way, I have a map of all the local streets and alleyways – including those that are too small to be included on a typical city map.
EDIT: You can also flag the location of your hotel and/or other sites of interest before printing the map from mappy.com. And the website does exist in various languages, so you may need to poke around a little to find the English version – I'm not remembering the actual address for the English version.
The English version to Mappy: en.mappy.com,
http://en.mappy.com/#/0/M2/THome/N0,0,-0.12618,51.50015/Z3/
Do your parents really want that much detail? When my daughter spent two months travelling around Australia, I printed a map of the whole country and just flagged each city as she got there.
How about a big paper map from the bookstore?
Mappy.com did the trick. Thanks
Sherry,
Printing on the back of your hotel reservation printout is a brilliant idea! It takes no extra paper (bulk/weight), it's in hand when you need it, and when you're done in that town both the reservation and map can be culled from your bag.
Warren,
It might be a lot of fun for your parents to travel vicariously, and follow your escapades on a travel blog. In addition to "living" your travels, some Blogs had a map, which can be enlarged to show the destinations on the trip more clearly. Have a look at TravelPod for one example.
Why not just install Find My Friends app on your tablet/mobile phone so that they can track where you are when connected up to wifi? They can then zoom in or out as much as they want. This is how my mum keeps track of where I am when abroad and my brother who lives in Australia, so she knows when to call us.
My folks are in their 80's. Using apps and reading on the computer "ain't" their thing. It took two years to convince them to pay their bills online and yesterday Dad tell's me he likes the convenience now.
Thanks for the suggestions. I run it by them.
Warren
