Enjoy the trip

Make your car journey more of a pleasure by planning ahead before you go. With a little help from three great services from Direct Line you can plan your route, prepare for touchdown by finding a map of the area you’ll be visiting, and even track down places of interest to visit along the way.

1. Plan your route

For some drivers, getting from A to B can be daunting if you’re not sure about the directions you should take. And if you’re driving alone, it can be hard – if not downright dangerous – to try and navigate a map when you should be keeping your eyes on the road.

Some drivers may have already addressed this problem by using a Global Positioning System (GPS) in their vehicle. By inputting departure and destination points this handy gadget can provide immediately visual digital directions from start to finish, feeding them out as you drive.

Those who don’t have the advantage of an in-car GPS can get a similar service from Direct Line’s Route Planner. Simply enter details of where you are driving from and where you want to go (you can input the full address, area, city or postcode depending on what information you have) – the Route Planner will work out tailored directions for you, choosing either the shortest or quickest routes. You can then print your directions for instant use, or arrange to receive them in an email for later use.

Click on ‘Options’ and the Route Planner can also give you a roadmap displaying the entire journey, the total distance covered, the kind of roads you will be driving on (e.g. motorways or A roads), the estimated time it will take, petrol cost and even the weather forecast en route. You can also request preferred stop off routes and inform the Route Planner of the kind of vehicle you are driving (e.g. car, caravan, van or motorcycle) so that it can advise you of any tolls you may have to pay along the way.

2. Find a map

Once you’ve reached your destination it can be really helpful to have a more detailed map of your destination – perhaps you’re making a business trip and need to scope out the area quickly for work or maybe you want to explore the area while visiting a friend or on holiday. You may even just need to download a quick map or somewhere closer to home if you are unfamiliar with an address you have been given and want to make sure you get there on time!

In all these cases, Direct Line’s Find A Map facility can help you in a jiffy. Simply tap in address, street name, postcode or area details and an instant printable map will be produced online. If you want to explore the area further, simply use the navigation tool in the centre to move up, down, left or right.

Each map comes clearly labelled with street and road names plus nearest underground or train stations, hospitals and police stations, and sites of interest including museums, sports stadiums and theatres. The facility can be used for places in the UK and throughout Europe and even includes a local weather reading so you don’t hit the streets unprepared!

3. Find points of interest

If you’re visiting the UK or Europe as a tourist, it’s always great to make the most of it and find out what you can do while you’re there. If you’re driving long distances, locating an interesting stop-off point that’s midway can help break up the journey and make travelling more fun.

Direct Line’s Points of Interest facility uses comprehensive data from the Michelin Green Guide to help you do just this. Simply type in the details of your trip online (e.g. postcode, region, area) – say you are driving all the way from the Yorkshire to Paris, for example – and the service not only comes up with directions but flags up key places that are located close by.

Welcome detours include museums and galleries, stately homes and cool shopping areas or markets. Click on an attraction you like the look of and you’ll then be given further points of interest that are in the vicinity of this too. The only problem that might arise is that you never get to where you want to go!

Make the best of your journey with Direct Line. Use our Route Planner facilities today and find out what a difference they could make.