{"id":1504,"date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/map-reading-for-road-trips\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T09:54:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:54:32","slug":"map-reading-for-road-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/map-reading-for-road-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"Map reading for road trips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<header id=\"block_7a01a50169e5b248a14008d3cfbc0a95\" class=\"SingleHero skip-lazy default\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"SingleHero__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/activities\/map-reading\/\" class=\"category\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMap Reading\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"SingleHero__title\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMap reading for road trips\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row justify-content-center align-items-center SingleHero__author\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Zoe Homes\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"SingleHero__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished on \t\t\t\t\t\t<time datetime=\"2019-05-31T00:00:00+00:00\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">May 31, 2019<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dot\"><\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"SingleHero__thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53.jpg\" class=\"attachment-hd size-hd wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53-300x103.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53-1024x352.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53-768x264.jpg 768w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53-1536x528.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/zoeh_roadtrips_hero.7c19e4ab612d180dd9c4cc2761914d53-1376x473.jpg 1376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/header>\n\n\t\n\n\n\t\t<article id=\"block_5d3768c7a3d21cdbc9925d9753d6b618\" class=\"Universal Universal--post c-small default pt-default pb-default mt-none mb-none    \" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"InnerBlocks\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lead\"><\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<p>I wonder how many people even own a spiral bound road atlas these days \u2013 maybe I would be pleasantly surprised. But even if you do own one, how often do you actually flick through the pages working out the best route for your drive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like you, I might use digital apps and sat nav devices to hit the road for a day visit to a friend, or a local camping site for the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>That is until I\u2019m off on a proper road trip\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>and I like to go on those as often as possible.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips1.jpg\" alt=\"View from road trip\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A road trip, to me, is an excursion that is primarily about travelling by road to visit lots of places \u2013 whether that be one day out visiting three or four spots, or a week travelling a long an iconic route or stopping off in a different place each night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Exploring Great Britain\u2019s nooks and crannies by car and motorcycle is by far one of my favourite ways to spend a long weekend, week, or even longer. And for those I always grab one of my favourite OS Maps &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/os-road-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the green OS Road Maps<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 to plan my escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-little-known-green-maps\">The little-known green maps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These little gems offer a much more useful scale to someone using an engine than the traditional orange&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/explorer-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Explorer Maps<\/a>&nbsp;or pink&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/landranger-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Landranger Maps<\/a>&nbsp;are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They might be a \u201czoomed out\u201d OS Map, but they include everything you need for a road trip, including primary road destinations, all kinds of roads with colour classifications, notes on ferry crossings and toll bridges, and easy-to-spot icons for National Parks, beaches, tourist spots and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, because they are OS Maps, they also include&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/understanding-map-contour-lines-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contour<\/a>&nbsp;information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I\u2019m planning a road trip \u2013 such as the iconic North Coast 500 route in the very north of Scotland or something a bit more bespoke \u2013 I like nothing more than opening out a paper map on my dining table, studying it, and taking a highlighter and green fine liner to it to mark up the best looking roads, trailheads, viewpoints, and campsites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fact that, even though it\u2019s scaled back in terms of what most people consider \u201cOrdnance Survey mapping\u201d, I still get everything I need, including contour lines and terrain shading, so I can plot the best route for my trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I just love to get a real sense of what my trip might look like \u2013 and work out how long I might need in any given area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/maps\/paper-maps\/travel-maps\/road-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OS ROAD MAPS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips2.jpg\" alt=\"OS Road Map\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It might sound odd, but road trips for me are part of slow and mindful travel; I love to spend time enjoying road and the scenery it takes me through, stopping regularly to admire the view and learn something about the area I\u2019m in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The planning of road trips using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/os-road-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paper maps<\/a>&nbsp;might be much more time consuming and involved than using an online map of one type or another, but it\u2019s honestly much nicer to travel a route that you\u2019ve chosen rather than allowing your satnav to decide where you are going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tips-for-planning-road-trips\">Tips for planning road trips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take to your dining table, lounge floor, or wherever you have space, and open out the whole map for the area you\u2019re planning to travel. It is so much easier to see the whole area than it is to have to keep scrolling around on a computer monitor (as not many of us have a 50\u201d monitor to play with at home!).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Remember that not all roads are equal! Use the coloured road classifications to choose your route based on the kind of road along which you want to travel. You can very easily see if the \u201cA road\u201d you\u2019re looking at is a dual or single carriageway, or even if it\u2019s a single-track road with passing places (particularly relevant up in Scotland). And you can also notice when a B road looks much faster than an A road because it goes though fewer towns. All this means you can easily avoid long boring stretches of dual carriageway if you\u2019re on a motorbike, or use them if you\u2019re in a hurry between two particular points of interest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Planning a motorcycle trip? Look for the most wiggly lines and heavily shaded areas \u2013 they\u2019re the most fun to ride \u2013 and string those bits together with interesting tourist attractions and viewpoints. You\u2019ll have a day out organised in no time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One of the benefits of planning routes electronically is that it gives you an idea of how long the miles might take. But grid lines on paper maps can do the same thing. On the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/maps\/paper-maps\/travel-maps\/road-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OS Road Maps<\/a>&nbsp;you\u2019ve got 10km (6 miles) to a square, and that along with knowing exactly the type of road you\u2019re going along means you can work out how much time you need. You might not know all the speed limits or traffic information, but you\u2019ll be able to tell how fast you might be going based on the type of road, terrain, and how many named places you\u2019re travelling through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips6.jpg\" alt=\"Bikes on road trip\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips5.jpg\" alt=\"Scenic view on the road trip\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There might not be a lot of detail for large towns and cities, but most importantly it is incredibly easy to work out how to avoid them! And if you want to head into a town, you can combine the paper map with an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=9&amp;v=mubUdqZaNsM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">electronic one<\/a>&nbsp;to find a good parking spot so you can explore the urban area on foot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Speaking of exploring on foot\u2026 If, like me, you like to combine road trips with short hikes, you have all the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/nationalparks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Parks<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/path-less-trodden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AONBs<\/a>, along with 100s of trailheads, to keep you going for days and days. And you don\u2019t have to know about them in advance because there are right there on the map for some ad hoc hiking if you find yourself with extra time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If it looks like one particular part of your route is less packed with viewpoints and nice things to visit, you can plan a quick jaunt on a motorway or another faster route to get through the miles quicker on that occasion. This is also very handy if you are somewhere and the weather turns \u2013 you might not want to be on the most winding and steep route if the views are suddenly non-existent, but would much rather find something a bit wider and straighter to get to your destination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is possible to navigate a whole road trip using a paper map \u2013 especially if you\u2019re going by car and have a passenger. Don\u2019t be afraid to draw on your map so you can quickly identify your route and stops, and then fold it up so it can easily be read either as you go along, or each time you stop. We did the whole NC500 this way and it worked an absolute treat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you do prefer to navigate the road with your sat nav (if you aren\u2019t skilled at remembering all the road numbers) \u2013 or at least want the peace of mind of having your overnight locations marked in there so you can turn to it if needed \u2013 you can plot your already planned route into your satnav (or create a gpx file to import into it). I always do this when driving or riding alone; I find this means I\u2019m much less stressed as I might be if relying on my memory, but I equally know that the satnav isn\u2019t going to take me a stupid way or stick to the motorways for the whole day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips3.jpg\" alt=\"Gravel road in a van\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/ZoeH_RoadTrips4.jpg\" alt=\"scenic view on the road\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-where-should-i-road-trip\">Where should I road trip?!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a good place to start for guaranteed amazing road tripping here in the UK, I recommend the north of&nbsp;Scotland&nbsp;(the iconic NC500 or something else \u2013 there isn\u2019t any bad scenery up there!), or down in the&nbsp;South West&nbsp;like Devon and Cornwall where there are beaches and moorland views galore. Plus any of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/nationalparks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GB&#8217;s 15 National Parks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you don\u2019t own the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/os-road-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OS Road Map<\/a>&nbsp;for your local area, I would highly recommend treating yourself to one \u2013 you never know what interesting things you might find!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/best-road-views-in-britain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BEST ROAD VIEWS IN BRITAIN<\/a>&nbsp;<br><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.osmaps.com\/map-ranges\/os-paper-map-ranges\/os-road-maps\/\">SHOP OS ROAD MAPS<\/a>&nbsp;<br><a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/driving-holidays-in-the-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DRIVING HOLIDAYS IN BRITAIN<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on map reading, take a look our collection of guides. We have those for <a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guides-map-reading\/\">beginners<\/a> just starting out on their map reading journey, as well as those who are more <a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guides-map-reading\/\">advanced <\/a>and looking to hone their skills or set themselves a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"MetaShare\">\n\n\t\t\t<button id=\"likeButton\" data-nonce=\"26fcc9d63c\" data-postid=\"1504\" class=\"Button Button--default Button--icon likeButton\"><span class=\"likeButtonText\">Like this guide<\/span><svg width=\"21\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.4947 3.09742C8.5448 1.39335 5.66108 1.04464 3.42166 2.95804C0.999337 5.02773 0.647396 8.5134 2.56291 10.9783C3.29002 11.9139 4.70917 13.3196 6.07302 14.6069C7.45283 15.9092 8.82946 17.1399 9.50834 17.7411C9.51258 17.7449 9.51691 17.7487 9.5213 17.7526C9.58512 17.8092 9.66457 17.8796 9.74074 17.937C9.83194 18.0057 9.96286 18.0909 10.1377 18.1431C10.3701 18.2124 10.62 18.2124 10.8524 18.1431C11.0272 18.0909 11.1581 18.0057 11.2493 17.937C11.3255 17.8796 11.405 17.8092 11.4688 17.7526C11.4732 17.7487 11.4775 17.7449 11.4817 17.7411C12.1606 17.1399 13.5373 15.9092 14.9171 14.6069C16.2809 13.3196 17.7001 11.9139 18.4272 10.9783C20.3353 8.52288 20.0377 5.01032 17.5597 2.95074C15.2954 1.06872 12.4424 1.3927 10.4947 3.09742Z\" fill=\"#186571\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row justify-content-center MetaShareSocial\" aria-label=\"Share\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"X\" class=\"Button Button--default MetaShareSocial__button MetaShareSocial__button--x\" id=\"share-twitter\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><g transform=\"translate(-173 238)\"><path d=\"M18.9.75h3.68l-8.04,9.213L24,22.5H16.594l-5.8-7.6L4.156,22.5H.474l8.6-9.854L0,.75H7.594L12.837,7.7ZM17.61,20.291h2.039L6.486,2.843H4.3Z\" transform=\"translate(173 -237.625)\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"  class=\"Button Button--default MetaShareSocial__button MetaShareSocial__button--f\" id=\"share-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><g transform=\"translate(-89 238)\"><path d=\"M14.186,24V13.2h3.279L18,8.4H14.186V6.062c0-1.236.032-2.462,1.759-2.462h1.749V.168A19.34,19.34,0,0,0,14.671,0C11.5,0,9.508,1.989,9.508,5.64V8.4H6v4.8H9.508V24Z\" transform=\"translate(89 -238)\" fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"likeCount\" class=\"likeCount\">Liked by <span id=\"likeCountValue\">0<\/span> users<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"MetaShare__hr\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"MetaShareAuthor\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"MetaShareAuthor__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Zoe Homes\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Long gone are the days when we plan our car and motorcycle journeys using large format map books. So, what&#8217;s the best modern-day option to plan that perfect road trip? We explore the best options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"activities":[36],"locations":[],"class_list":["post-1504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","activities-map-reading"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Map reading for road trips | GetOutside | OS GetOutside<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Long gone are the days when we plan our car and motorcycle journeys using large format map books. So, what&#039;s the best modern-day option to plan that perfect road trip? We explore the best options.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/map-reading-for-road-trips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Map reading for road trips | OS GetOutside\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Long gone are the days when we plan our car and motorcycle journeys using large format map books. So, what&#039;s the best modern-day option to plan that perfect road trip? 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