Exploring the Map Features on Expedia

QUICK LINK - FAST AND FREE MAPS HERE!

When you visit the home page of the Expedia website, you would be forgiven for taking a few minutes to find the tiny text link halfway down the left hand side of the page, which takes you into the section devoted to maps.

However once you have clicked through to the next screen you will find yourself at the gateway to exploring the world with Expedia.  The main page is laid out in a clear and simple way, making it easy to find exactly what you are looking for.

There are three main options available to you on Expedia, which are as follows:

Whatever area or location you are looking for, the search facility provided is quick and easy to use, and it certainly steers you in the right direction by giving you a list of options which match your search term.

Using the search facility

Expedia makes it very easy to find the location you are looking for by breaking the process down into several simple stages.  First of all you are asked which region your destination is in.  Three options are available to select here – Europe and North America (which will return a detailed street map for your use once your search query is complete) and the rest of the world, for which topographical maps are available.

All you need to do next is type in the name of the place you are looking for.  This should be a town or city as opposed to a region.  Expedia will then return a number of options for you to consider.  For example, if you search for Rochester the site will return nine results for you to choose from.  These include useful options which are often searched for by people wanting to visit the area, such as the Guildhall, the tourist information office, Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle.  Similar searches for other locations reveal that the main areas of most interest to tourists are also helpfully highlighted.

Once you have selected the correct location you simply have to scroll down and click on the ‘Find a Map’ link to see the map you have selected.

In the case of American destinations you are also able to search for a specific street address, which is an excellent feature to use if you are planning a holiday in the USA, as it enables you to check out the area you are thinking of staying in to see what facilities are available.

How user friendly are the maps themselves?

Once your search results appear, you will see a small map of the area you have selected.  This can easily be increased to a medium or large map if you wish to see it in more detail.

The maps on Expedia are powered by Microsoft, and the result of your query will return a map which has the place name you searched for marked with a push pin in the very centre.  A handy scale depicting both miles and kilometres is indicated at the bottom of the map to give you an idea of distances to and from places of interest.

From here you can either zoom in or zoom out, depending on your requirements.  As you do so the scale on the bottom of the map will change accordingly, changing to metres and yards as you get as close as the map allows.  As you zoom in you will begin to see notable landmarks labelled on the map.  A search for Oxford included popular venues such as the University Parks and the Botanic Gardens.

QUICK LINK - FAST AND FREE MAPS!

If you zoom right in you will get even more information about the local area, all of which is designed to be of interest for visitors to the area.  Main streets are clearly labelled, landmarks such as famous universities, shopping centres, cathedrals and of course the tourist information centre are all clearly indicated.

Other useful features

One excellent feature of the search results page is that you will also see a travel resources box on the left hand side.  This contains links to pages within the Expedia site which give you further information on relevant flights, hotels and car hire services nearby.  This is an extremely useful tool which saves you having to perform separate searches to get to the information you need.

You can also re-centre the map at any point you wish, simply by clicking on the point you need to put at the centre.  This can be quicker than using the map mover tool to move around the area, especially if you only want to see the roads and landmarks surrounding a particular spot.

Driving directions

You can also get driving directions from the site, by using a similar search query page to indicate your starting point, your destination and whether you want to travel by the quickest or shortest route.  This part in particular enables you to find the best route possible for your needs – something that not all sites offer.

You then simply choose your selection from the ones offered, as with the maps option above, and wait for your map and directions to appear.  As before you can zoom in and out as necessary, and print the scale of map you prefer to take with you on your journey.

You will also see a numbered list of directions to follow, together with the distance and estimated time for your journey.

If you need help

There is a small but useful section of FAQs included, which answers the more basic questions you may have.  There is also a link through to the much more comprehensive section entitled Help Using Maps, which tells you how to do everything in a clear step by step manner.

Finally, whenever you look up a map that you think you may need or use again, remember to save it in your own personal maps section.  You can do the same with driving directions as well, and whenever you revisit the site you simply need to go to your own page and print off the map you need.  This is a great time saver and provides a nice simple but useful touch on a site that is already extremely user friendly.

In conclusion

Expedia has clearly taken the time to create a well thought out maps feature that is highly usable and very efficient at providing the information that you are likely to need when planning a break away, whether it is a weekend in this country or a holiday abroad.

They are planning to add more detailed street maps of other areas as well in the near future, which will further improve a site that is already a delight to use.

QUICK LINK - FREE MAPS HERE!