U.S. road maps are great for getting a sense of the general terrain and area you are entering. They allow you to see a larger radius that can encompass several counties or even states. This does not usually happen with GPS devices, which usually only provide a view of several blocks at a time. A study conducted at the University of Tokyo in 2008 found that people on foot make fewer errors and reach their destinations quicker by using paper maps than by using GPS.
U.S. road maps are becoming harder and harder to find, but you can usually get them for free or for a very low price at most gas stations. If you are on a tight budget, they are a useful way to get around without paying extra for GPS, whether it's located in your car (which can cost over $100) or on your cell phone (cell phone GPS costs extra per month).
If you are not very tech-savvy, you're probably used to using paper road maps to reach your destinations. Despite the advent of GPS, U.S. road maps are still effective travel aids. However, you might want to consider using GPS while you're behind the wheel: a study conducted at the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan in 2007 found that drivers reached their destinations more quickly by using GPS instead of paper maps.
U.S. road maps are effective, but they have several limitations that you should keep in mind. They are not updated as frequently as GPS, so you'll be unaware of any traffic or road construction that could hinder your travels. It also generally takes longer to plot the fastest routes with a paper map than with GPS. This doesn't mean that U.S. road maps should be ignored altogether; however. It would be a good idea to use them together with GPS so you can be as informed about your route and your area as possible.
