Hit these websites before you hit the road

ByABC News
May 21, 2009, 7:37 PM

— -- Road trips have come a long way from when drivers would head out with a set of gas station maps and hope for the best. Arm yourself with for the voyage by hitting these sites before you hit the road this summer.

Mapping sites

All online mapping sites provide basic point-to-point driving directions, but there are some unique features that make each worth a stop:

MapQuest (mapquest.com): Offers fuel cost estimates for your itinerary, and directions can be sent to a GPS device or OnStar.

Google Maps (maps.google.com): Google Maps lets you switch from driving directions to pedestrian and public transportation options (for select cities), which can be helpful in deciding whether to ditch your car to see a certain attraction.

AAA Maps (aaa.com): Includes content from AAA guidebooks with its driving directions, plus its itinerary builder includes construction updates.

Gas

Fuel Cost Calculator (fuelcostcalculator.com): Enter your city pairs and vehicle make and model and this site will calculate how much fuel you'll use and the total gas bill for your trip.

Daily Fuel Gauge Report (fuelgaugereport.com): This site tracks daily fuel price averages for 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a graph showing 12-month averages by state.

Gas Buddy (gasbuddy.com): Tracks stations with the lowest gas prices, as reported by travelers, across the USA and Canada.

Construction, tolls and traffic

TrafficLand (trafficland.com) offers live traffic cameras for dozens of U.S. cities, and can be accessed from a mobile phone for real-time updates while you're on the road.

E-ZPass (ezpass.com): Drivers in the congested Northeast can save a bunch of time with these automatic toll transponders. They're administered by state offices and you don't have to live in the state from which you purchase one.

State Transportation Sites:Be sure and check the official transportation site of every state you plan to drive through to find out about any road construction, closures or detours that may affect your route.