I have been happy using MapBlast because I think it has realistic driving times (i.e. shorter than others), but I can't seem to get it to work for me now. Are there any other favorites out there? How do you find the driving times compared to actuals?

We've had very good luck with MAPQUEST. It's very easy to use and the driving times are fairly accurate.

Jane, can't understand why MAPBLAST isn't working for you.
Type in the following URL:

http://www.mapblast.com/myblast/index.mb

Then, click on "directions."

I also use MAPQUEST.

Jane, I use Mapquest and Expedia has one, too.(Expedia.com)

My husbands favorite to use is Mapquest..he says they even show you where you can find ATM machines...thought that was pretty interesting..he also uses Mapblast which he likes a lot.
If you are going from City to City and don't need a particular address then I like www.freetrip.com - we have used it a couple times and it had really accurate driving times from where we live to Orlando last year and then from here to Boulder, Co the year before..actually almost to the minute.
We are going to New Orleans soon and I found a map called Map Easy at the bookstore and it is really neat..it shows all of New Orleans and the surrounding area and shows where hotels, restaurants and attractions are located.

Frankly, I think one has to be very wary about all map programs, first because keeping things up to date is a problem. But even more, accuracy has been a problem for me -- and esp. with MapQuest. At first I thought I was just having trouble reading the maps, then I searched for my own address, and MapQuest put it several blocks away, with my street intersecting a street that it does not. Another problem with MapQuest is that it omits streets and street names increasingly as you zoom out and sometimes as you zoom in -- so that all you may have is your street and one other, which is no help if you get lost. The store-bought paper maps are subject to inaccuracies because they are out of date, but at least you can re-orient if you get lost -- or decide to go somewhere else.

If there is a better online mapping program -- one that preserves details and at least the roads it does have are in the right place -- I'd love to know it.

I don't know if it's any better than the others, but I like freetrip.com

I use Microsoft Streets & Trips 2001 CD which I found to be uncannily accurate when it calculated driving times. Accurate to within a few minutes when I made a 9 hour trip to FL and also same for other smaller trips. It has an option to add how fast you will travel over the posted speed limit on all roads. It asks how many stops you'll make and it will calculate gas expenses and lots and lots of other things like the nearest restaurants, rest stop, things to see, etc. You can also update it online with any road construction going on in the country at no extra cost. You can sometimes get this $20 CD for free because there is regularly a $20 rebate offered with it. Go figure. One downside is that I found a few streets misnamed and you have to get the next year's CD for any updates/corrections. It is however a lot faster to navigate (can be linked to a GPS) then web based mapping systems).

Delorme's products are very good. Has 3 options; fastest, shortest & scenic. Found fastest to be very accurate, both in directions and time. Takes fun out of planning

This story illustrates my flakiness better than any flaw with the program, but I post it as a warning. I went on a business trip recently that involved visiting a client in a somewhat remote area. I used MapQuest to get an idaea of how long the drive would be from the city I flew in to. It worked very nicely, and all went well until I found myself in the center of their town, WITHOUT A CLUE how to get to their house! I had foolishly not used a specific address (since at the time I originally input the data I was thinking strictly about driving times). MapQuest got me to exactly where I asked it to-- which didn't happen to be where I wanted to go!

As I said, more me than the software...GIGO!

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2001 is GREAT. It has never steered me wrong, and was correct to within 10 minutes on any one leg from Florida to Nebraska to SD to ND to Las Vegas. The best thing about it is that it when you plan your trip it automatically goes out on the web for updates before it gives you a route and tells you if there is construction along your route. The ONLY time it was wrong was when it told me road constuction would be completed on the 8th and on the 9th (a.m.) there were still workmen there. But I don't feel that was a problem with the program, just a time-overrun on the part of the construction company (and I was prepared for that eventuality--road crews frequently take longer than planned).

Chalk one up for MapBlast. I went searching for this thread (which I remembered recommneding various sites) because MapQuest, which I have used successfully many times, didn't recognize either my starting or ending point. MapBlast drew me a nice little map without any trouble. I've never encountered MapQuest simply not recognizing a valid address before.