eTripCafe - The Art of Travel / Physical Maps   No Trip Selected
 
For both pre-trip planning and helping to navigate to your desired sites and activities, maps play a crucial part in any trip.

Plan your trip by researching your locations using map images, creating custom maps highlighting locations, marking and bringing physical maps with you providing a complete view of all your locations and using your phones GPS Navigation taking you directly to your desired locations.
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eTripCafe - The Art of Travel
Physical Maps Pre-Travel

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Although maps can be accessed online and can even be customized as described on our other pages, we are limited by the size and detail that can easily be displayed on computers and mobile devices.  Having a large map such as the one shown below will greatly assist you with the planning process and organization of your activities.  Physical maps can easily be taken with you providing an overall view of all your trip. ng an overall view of all your trip. ding an overall view of all your trip. ng an overall view of all your trip. overall view of all your trip. ng an overall view of all your trip. overall view of all your trip.

Having a large map in front of you will give you a birds eye view of the entire location allowing you to easily group activities together and plan what you want to accomplish in an area to optimize your time.

Mark your map to show the locations you plan to visit such as hotels, tourist attractions, metro tops, important streets, etc.

Write directly on your map, circle locations and highlight streets to mark locations.

Use Transparent Post-it Tabs to mark map locations.  Number the tabs to correspond with your notes showing the location and subway lines/stops helping with your navigation.

Even if you have found a map online or have purchased a map, you may be able to find a better and more useful or detailed map upon your arrival.  Most major tourist locations will have specialized maps listing tourist sites and activities that you may not be able to find online prior to your departure.  It's also a good idea to pick up a small pocket metro map listing the subway lines and stops.

  • Hotels should provide you a free area map.
  • Newsstands should have maps available for a small fee.
  • Subway and Bus Stations should also have maps.
  • Tourist Information Centers should have free or inexpensive maps.

Borch Maps

http://borch.com/englisch/frame_neu/frameset.html

* Also available on Amazon

Our city map of choice

This is a high quality, soft folding laminated map.  Compared to the Lonely Planet map of Paris shown below, it's larger and slightly heavier but is far more detailed, covering a much larger area of Paris.  In fact, the Lonely Planet map cut off much of the outer areas we were interested in.  The map also contains a metro system map on the backside.

Borch uses a patented lamination process to cross the folds of the map, making it easier to read and even easier to refold. The tough but non-toxic lamination material degrades to oxygen and water in a landfill environment. Before then, the map is practically indestructible in your backpack or suit coat pocket, and can even be written on temporarily with dry-erase markers.

  • Durable and waterproof
  • Easy-fold format and convenient size
  • Soft Laminated
  • Full color and easy-to-use
  • Extensive street and site index
  • Covers a larger area of the city
  • Detailed
  • Dry erase marker compatible

Lonely Planet Maps

https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/categories/maps

* Also available on Amazon

If you are looking for a smaller lite weight map, this is a good choice but keep in mind that it lacks the detail and coverage you will find in the same map of Paris by Borch shown above.  map of Paris by Borch shown above.  map of Paris by Borch shown above.  map of Paris by Borch shown above.  The map also contains a metro system map on the backside that is large and easy to read.

Their maps are durable and waterproof.  City maps come in an easy-fold design held inside a handy slipcase. Detailed and easy-to-read, they’re printed in full color to make travelling and trip planning a breeze. Made for the urban explorer, each map is packed with top sights, expert advice, a transport map and a useful street index.

  • Durable and waterproof
  • Easy-fold format and convenient size
  • Handy slipcase
  • Full color and easy-to-use
  • Extensive street and site index
  • Images and information about top city attractions
  • Handy transport map
  • Practical travel tips and directory
  • Itinerary suggestions