Mapquest Europe is site that features free web direction services online. Using the site, attracted users can get driving directions and plan out their road trips clearly. It was started in the late nineties in southern Chicago but later transfered to western Pennsylvania. The website is owned by the well known internet giant, AOL and is consistently one of the most popular websites in the internet. As of the late 2000s, the company has been solely based out of Denver, Colorado. In the mid 80s, a company specializing in cartography commenced designing maps using sophisticated computer systems designed for their clients. Much of the system used for creating these maps was used later when Mapquest.com was launched by the group in 1996. The corporation, to make some added attention for the website, changed its name to MapQuest a few years later. They later on sold the complete site and business in 2000 to AOL. MapQuest supplies its end users with a user friendly layout, up to date driving directions, and satellite imagery. There is also an option to view a route from road view. Street view is particularly valuable in that it offers users a in depth look at the area they will be arriving at. This element comes in usable for those who are walking rather than driving. The complex route planning tool lets people easily and rapidly put together a driving route. Using it, they can add extra stops and short breaks as well. Just add the breaks in, whether they are motels, gasoline stations, or rest stops, by means of the easy to use menus, and the website will impulsively recommend the shortest way. Gas costs, vital to nearly all drivers these days, can be factored into a trip as well. The resourceful site, when asked to, will suggest the shortest ways to go and the most affordable gas stations along the way. It does this by keeping track of city gas prices in a number of different locations and updating them numerous times a day. The website is beneficial at saving previously searched for and used destinations as well. This small factor means fewer finding and typing for users. Areas such as your home address, out of town relative’s home, and that restaurant in the town will be saved and ready for the subsequently time you need them. This can help save an huge amount of time for the site’s many users. The firm launched a state-of-the-art cellular phone application last year that is doing very well. The tool downloads onto a compatible smart phone and is used virtually just like the original website. It features live traffic updates, an auto reroute, and turn by turn navigation. It turns any phone into an efficient and costly global position device and is fully open. The various features of Map Quest allow its clients to find more than just directions alone. The popular site has plenty of helpful tools that will you to your destination swiftly, effectively, and safely. The traffic maps, gas price tools, and route builder all make driving in familiar and new places easier.