A map does a lot more than prevent you from getting lost. It enables you to see things you would have otherwise missed and to take the quickest, safest route to your destination, allowing you to enjoy your getaway with as little complications possible. Below are our recommendations for maps to take along with you on your next jaunt.

Flashmaps
These utilitarian maps are great source visitors who want a detailed, inside look at a country's greatest cities. Each guide is packed with descriptive reviews of restaurants, entertainment, accommodations, service information, and more. Listings are organized by activity and category; up to 60 pages of color maps for neighborhoods, restaurants, museums, parks, and more. You'll find loads of useful information, from hospitals to bus lines, nightlife and zip codes.

Fodor's Citypacks
A full-color, pocket-size guidebook and a folded color map, bound together in a sturdy plastic sleeve. There are color photos throughout and reviews of the top 25 sights. All entries are keyed to a grid location on the included map.

Let's Go Maps
The Let's Go Map Guides are maps on the outside, pocket guidebooks on the inside. A colorful laminated map surrounds thirty or so pages of information about the area, complete with facts about food, transportation, culture and more. They take a unique approach, and will easily fit into a glove box or briefcase.

MapEasy
The MapEasy series is fun and easy to use. Big print and detailed artwork make them simple to read, and locations can be spotted quickly. All major attractions are included, as well as several minor ones, all of which are accompanied by sketches so you can actually see what you are looking for. (The Paris map has surprisingly deft drawings of the Eiffel Tower and Pantheon.)

The legends are color-coded, differentiating hotels, restaurants, retail locations, attractions, parking areas, airports, public phones and trains; streets are clearly marked, making navigation look easy.

Rand McNally
You can never go wrong with Rand McNally. Try an EasyFinder or a folded map for U.S. locales; the folded maps are cheaper but you can write on the EasyFinder. Its laminated covering allows you to make notes, then wipe it off. This series combines a folded map with the durability of lamination. Fold it to display your route, then refold it for your next trip. In addition, they've added a new international series which includes insets of major cities, city-to-city mileage charts, and travel information. Designed for travel, these maps fold into a compact size that is easy to carry.

Also try their MapGuides, a map and guidebook in one. They are compact folded maps which open to show both the metro area and the center city. Find popular hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping and more.

Online Guides
When driving, why burden yourself with cumbersome maps that are bulky and difficult to fold? If you want the quickest route, you can find driving directions readily available on several Web sites. Customize your route to include popular landmarks, lodging and restaurants.

A fan of relaxing country drives? Online map services can help design your route with as few highways as possible. You can even save money by printing detailed city maps. A few of our recommendations include:

Mapquest

Yahoo! Maps

Google Local

Map Nation

Mappy

For trips to Europe, Multimap.com is an essential travel tool.