I love the Michelin maps for Europe but now am going to be driving from San Antonio to Charleston, SC and would like to know the best map to buy.

Though I will be travelling the interstate, I would also like a map with good detail of lesser roads for detours and sight seeing.

I have heard that the AAA are good but don't know if they are available to non-members. If so where can you get one?

AAA has, in my opinion, the best road maps and some of the best information for local sights. Their regional guidebooks are given out free to members.

If at all possible, join AAA. The free maps and guidebooks alone are worth the price of membership. Furthermore, you also get the best emergency road service which is nationwide.

Oh, AAA will also draw up a detailed driving itinerary for you, if you want to give them your trip details.

Have a great trip!

I disagree on AAA maps. They tend to leave out Blue Highways and other important roads, especially the multistate ones.

I prefer individual roadmaps for each state that I'm going to do more than drive thru on the interstate. I find better bookstores often have a decent supply of various publishers' maps.

For online maps I like Expedia and Rand McNally who also sells maps online. Looks like they have closed all their retail outlets.
Mapquest seems like the most common link on many sites but I find their maps lack detail.

If you contact the tourism office for each state that you will be driving through, chances are good that they will include a map with the tourist info they send you. If not, pick them up at the first tourist info/rest stop you come to when you cross a state line.

I believe all the commerical road maps out there are based on three map makers: AAA, Rand McNally and Mapquest. Mapquest road maps are published by various companies - Michelin, National Geographic, etc...

When I was a truck driver, I used Rand McNally as my primary map, with a AAA atlas as a backup when things aren't 100% clear. But one thing I do not like about most road maps of the US is that the detailed maps are divided by states. Now, since states come in various sizes, the scale of each map is different. The Texas map (even in 4 pages) is less detailed than the one for Louisiana (two pages), for example.

That's why I'm now using a Michelin map. It's based on Mapquest map, and isn't divided by states. And its maps have only two scales - one for western US, one for the eastern states. It start from NW Washington, go east to N. Dakota, and then jump back to the west, and so on...

If you're used to European map books, you may find it preferable to others.

Anyways, I also agree that the free maps at each state's visitor center is often pretty good. Very detailed, often with some attractions information.

Unfortunately, if you're going soon, the Louisiana visitor center on I-10 just across from TX is still closed due to Hurricane Rita. I doubt you'll find the Mississippi one open either.

Just a comment on maps in general. Some of my children have developed the very bad habit of simply printing directions from the internet and not carrying maps in their cars. What do they do when there's a traffic jam? Or they simply want to try a different route? Or the directions are wrong? Certainly you need directions to a specific place but one of the joys of road trips is being able to take the road less traveled and not end up in another country. I love maps and would never dream of traveling without them. We got a general Rand McNally atlas at Walmart for $5 and used it till it fell apart. We also get individual state maps from visitor centers or grocery stores.

Easytraveler has given you excellent advice. As a member of AAA you can also get free road help if you need it (towing, battery boost, etc.) and you can get detailed city street maps at the major cities on your itinerary.

The maps and guidebooks are excellent, and, as an AAA member you will get discounts at many hotels.

Each state AAA office has specialized maps for sightseeing. For instance, in Washington State special maps are available for Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, and many other destinations.

The variety of maps available for California travel is staggering.

One extremely helpful feature of the guidebooks is that they often include restaurant suggestions in smaller towns, and I find their descriptions of mid-range restaurants to be very reliable.

If you are driving in Florida, your best bet will be the state of Florida's maps. Road construction is non-stop here and only the state knows the bottom line. You can get them at highway patrol offices.

We drive extensively in the IL, IN, MI states and I won't leave home without the Rand McNally individual state books in the car. They detail ALL the roads.

I have used the others and had occasions where mapquest ones were wrong and AAA were incomplete.

In my area, I know to use RandMcNally.

I agree 100% with the ones that state AAA maps are incomplete and not all that good, now. It was not always that way, until about 5 years ago they were excellent. They changed map makers about that time. You cannot beat Rand McNally now. Your local Wall Mart has the 2006 Rand McNally Road Atlas for $4.97. Hard to match anywhere else. The AAA Tour Books and Camp Books are still a lot of help, as are the regional maps. Then on the other hand you cannot top their road service.....

Frankly, one map will never do it. I rely on AAA to get me into an area, but I always buy a local, detailed map as soon as I'm close by -- though I've learned to look for dates, having been sold 5 yr. old maps at service stations. Also always worth opening the map just to see if it's legible, detailed enough, decently marked.

Some of AAA's city maps are decent, but sometimes other brands are better -- AND I swear sometimes the Rand McNally is the basis for the AAA map.

BTW, it's probably worth joining AAA just for the maps and being able to ask for the discount at motels.

I don't always recommend their driving instructions, however -- sometimes it's just a kid with a marker who can follow interstates. You're no better off with them than with MSN or Rand McNally on-line instructions -- and MapQuest has made some big booboos in my experience.

We've been touring the US for more than 25000 miles and always use the 1 : 1200000 Hallwag maps. They are based on the Rand McNally but much more refined and clear. There Swiss made.The whole of the US is covered by 11 maps.Paul

Thanks for all the advice.

I would join AAA except for the fact that I am a USAA member and we also get roadside assistance and discounts at hotels, rental cars, etc. I'm not sure it would be worth it just for the maps. Especially since USAA's is free if you have a policy with them.

I really like the book type maps with individual states. I know that the ones at the tourist bureau are more detailed but try to read one while you're in the car and forget about folding it back up!

I recently went on a daytrip to the Houston area and the Rand McNally that I had was about 5 years old and a few of the back roads had changed. So when I went to look at a new one I opened it to see if the changes were correct. The new ones didn't even show the area in question having any roads.

One piece of advice on the Rand McNally map/book from Wal-Mart. They offer two: one is the "normal" and the other is "large-print". I wanted the large print laying beside me so I could glance down at the map without much effort to read it if necessary since I travel cross-country...solo.
I found out that the large-print leaves out the majority of side roads and less-traveled highways. I ended up throwing the large-print in the trunk & staying with the regular print.

Thats the problem with most large print maps. I like the regular Atlas for planning and individual state maps for handy reference. The old eyes ain't what they once were..

what about a website that has good driving directions? Most of the ones I've found only give you the option of "shortest route" and "quickest route".

Are there any that I could say, for instance, "I'm going from San Antonio to Charleston but I would like to go through Jacksonville and then up the coast".

In other words, I tell them the route I want to take and they tell me the applicable highways and directions.

saiguanas - Just do two seperate searches. That's how I do all the time.