I received Streets & Trips 2001 as a Christmas present. I was apprehensive at first about trusting a computer program to give me directions. It turned out the be the perfect gift as I was just a week away from heading on a long driving trip.

The part of Streets & Trips that is most helpful is the Route Planner. This part of the program is precise down to the exact street address (just amazing to me). You have many options for planning your trip such as planned stops, hotel/restaurant/attraction finder, and sidetrips. The directions also give you a travel time (based on MPH you input) and estimated fuel cost (based on current fuel cost and MPG that you input).

Another neat feature is choosing the route you want to take. You can choose between the Quickest Route, the Shortest Route, or the Preferred Roads route. These all offer similar directions for most places that I have mapped so far, but some could offer different choices.

If you know what city your going to but don't know where to stay around where your going, you can search for local hotels in the area. Streets & Trips will even give you the local phone number for reservations.

This program was on special during Christmas time. It costs $29.99, but had a $20 rebate. $9.99 for this program is a absolute STEAL. Whether or not this price is still valid, it is worth the $29.99, even if you don't do extensive travel. It's not like your going to need the 2002, version come next year. Roads don't change enough to warrant buying it every year in my opinion.

Another nice thing about this program is that it doesn't require the CD to run (although minimal install requires it). Therefore you can share this program with friends without them every needing the CD after you install it.

The final neat feature is the ability to download construction updates from the web. I have a cable modem and it only takes seconds, but I wouldn't think it took that long on 56K either. These construction zones can alter you travel routes and travel times. It is also helpful to know when your coming up on one while driving.

Recommended: Yes