>From this side of the pond (US) when we plan our trips to Europe we stock up on the latest Michelin maps and frequently visit http://viamichelin.com and http://www.theaa.com for online planning. Last year we also bought some digital map counters which roll on the map and calculate the mileage in kilometers or miles. In fact that was when I discovered that the scales on some Michelin maps were incorrect. Nevertheless, today I received Route Planner 2003: Great Britain & Europe from an outfit called Map & Travel. After installing it and downloading the fix for Internet Explorer 6, I began trying it out on Jan's upcoming drive from Vienna to Barcelona. Wow! I decided to try the option that gave me every bit of driving information and 153 pages later I had an extremely complete package, turn by turn, of how to get there. Of course, Jan is not going to heft 153 pages of route directions in her luggage, but I am sure that there is a lesser option and I am having fun playing with it.

By the way, for my US colleagues, you cannot purchase it in the US. I had to order it from Amazon.com in the UK, have it shipped to a UK address and forwarded to Massachusetts. I assume that we will eventually get it here. Meanwhile....

Tom, watching the snow come down and playing with a new toy, in Carlisle.