We will be traveling to Wales this summer and I need maps that will help us find our way around. Is there a place to buy them in the U.S. either at a store or online? Who has the best maps? How detailed can I get them? I know I will be driving a lot of small back roads and city streets, so the more detailed the better. I also need directions for getting from Bristol Airport into Wales. Thanks, Diane
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
The Ordnance Survey "Landranger" or "Explorer" series of paper maps are good for visitors, lots of detail. See Bill Bryson's take on them in "Notes from a Small Island"
http://leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/paper-maps/paper-maps-ordnance-survey-great-britain
Available from Amazon.
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
Sorry, forgot to post this link for a route planner for your journey from Bristol Airport to Wales.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
Before I got my GPS (one of the best investments I've ever made), I would use Google Maps to print just the maps I needed and take them on my trip. You can print an overall view, then zoom in and print maps for closeup segments of your trip (even down to neighborhood view).
The "Get Directions" function is great. Before you go, visit Google Maps, click Get Directions in the top left, and enter the places you expect to drive from and to. It will give you maps of the routes, and turn-by-turn directions and a good estimates of how long it will take you to make each drive.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
OrdSurv maps are absolutely the best if you really need that large a scale. Fromers and Michelin also have real good ones (BaM and B&N bookstores have them). At any rest area along the highway you can pick up the British "A to Z" series which are useful. GPS is really, really useful.
To get to Wales, leaving the airport head toward Bristol, turn north on A4 then NE on M5 -- signs will get you the rest of the way (but you'll be taking the M49 to the M4). You'll know you're in Wales after you get across the bridge and start seeing signs in two languages, one of which is rather short of vowels. Aiport to Severn River is about a half hour