A Travel Map Makes All The Difference To A Holiday!
One of the most exciting things to do before embarking on a holiday to some exotic location, is to peruse the vast array of travel maps available. In the preparation of planning travel to a foreign country, it is easy to forget that a good map can be just as useful as a guidebook. Under some circumstances, travel maps may even help to get you out of a dicey situation, and can sometimes lead you to undiscovered, reach places your guidebook did not show you. Maps are also an extremely concentrated source of information, can be inexpensive and very light to carry. International travelers should recognize the value of travel maps as crucial to advance planning, because often local sources can be both difficult to find and unreliable.
Which travel map should I buy? How do I make maximum use of it? These are the confusing questions that people are confronted with, and so most of them prefer not to use travel maps at all. A travel map gives a picture of the entire area, as well as detailed information and directions on how to reach the features depicted there. Small-scale maps concentrate on giving a wide picture of the area, whereas the larger-scale maps give area information plus other details. So large maps are more advisable.
The symbols on travel maps are the cartographer’s shorthand, and must be explained. Usually there is a legend, or box showing the meaning of each symbol. Each symbol can be decoded quite easily on the map once you have located the legend. Some travel maps are more detailed than others, giving every street name and main building, while others show only hotels, restaurant and entertainment sites. Still others are more historically and culturally focused, so may leave out necessities and expand on the points of interest. The decision about what is shown on any given map is normally determined by the cartographer and publisher, and is often about their own particular style than it is of convention.
For the traveler, most travel maps that they will choose will either be topographical or thematic, or a combination of the two. Topographic maps shown the general ‘lie of the land’, featuring physical features, type of terrain, location of water sources, forests, marshes, roads, railways, and other lines of communication, be they man-made or natural.
What are thematic maps? These are trekking and tourist maps. While trekking maps give trekking routes covering rivers, canyons, ridges and settlements on the route, tourist maps are quite different. A tourist map depicts main roads, frequently used sites and walks. Museums, beaches, main cities and picnic areas–can be found on a tourist map. They are not really concerned with showing geographical areas in detail. The trekking maps act as guides for well-known routes. If the adventurer wants to go off into unknown areas, he is advised to choose a more detailed map.
So now that you are familiar with the scale and features of travel maps, compare the various kinds of maps, and choose what suits your holiday plans the best!
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