If you need to make sense of the motorway system and can't tell one end of a map from the other, then try something new.

The latest version of Route Planner (2003) is all you need to get you painlessly from A to B.

Route Planner is a lot more than a motorway map. It allows you to design your own route from start to finish, taking advantage of all the sights along the way.

It offers detailed street maps of Great Britain and even allows you to plan your route round some of the major towns and cities.

The data is extremely accurate. I was even able to spot my old semi.

The software covers more than 1.6 million miles of road, shows 556,000 different locations and covers 50 countries.

It is relatively easy to use, providing you don't mind a user interface that looks slightly dated.

This really is useful software.

Price: £34.99
Contact: 0207 221460.

Feel-good factor: 8 out of 10.