Multimap UK (multimap.co.uk) provides great street maps, route planners and driving directions.

The main competition for Multimap UK comes from Google Maps and MapQuest. But there are many other good mapping companies out there. Don't think only of Multimap, and its main competition, when you are looking for maps. Compare Multimap UK to other mapping services to find the best ones for your various needs.

To get a Multimap UK only map, go to the Multimap home page on the UK site (multimap.co.uk) and type in an address, town, or postcode. On clicking the Find button, the location is shown in a map of the area.

Multimap UK also provides web based facilities for finding driving directions, route planning, and locating businesses.

Multimap UK v. Google Maps

Multimap UK only recently added draggable driving directions, following the lead of Google Maps. With draggable driving directions enabled you can directly  alter any route shown on a map with your mouse. As you drag the cursor over towns and features the route automatically alters along with the driving directions. If you use this feature often, keep checking the offerings from both companies, they are likely to compete heavily to optimise this very useful feature. At the time of writing, dragging the driving directions on Google Maps is faster, and the map is better defined.

In 2009 Google Maps started rolling out its Street View UK product, to great controversy. Multimap UK have responded by launching an advertising campaign targeting the advantages of MultiMap over Google Maps.

Multimap UK only features

Using Multimap UK

Finding a map in Multimap UK couldn't be simpler. From the Multimap UK homepage simply enter the address, town, or postcode in the appropriate field.

Multimap UK provides useful information on the maps obtained via the search field, including links to appropriate Wikipedia entries, and details of features useful to travellers, such as icons of tube stations, railway stations, parking facilities, tourist information offices, and a lot more. These are neat features that are great complements to facilities provide by Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, MapQuest, and other map sites.

The overhead pictures provided by Multimap UK are often the clearest you can find on the web. So if you want to know what a UK destination looks like, Multimap UK is a good place to start. But Google are working hard to catch up, and provide street level views that often provide a useful supplement to the Multimap pictures.

Not only Multimap UK

Multimap UK gives you access to maps from many other countries, Multimap is not for the UK only. In fact, Multimap provides driving directions for more countries than MapQuest. MapQuest only provides details for North America and Europe. Multimap provides driving directions for many other locations, from Australia to Turkey, from Russia to Malaysia.

Multimap UK history

Multimap UK (multimap.co.uk) began life by selling maps for a few pence over the internet. The power of its software and the success led to Microsoft acquiring Multimap UK in 2008. Multimap UK offer the same service as before the Microsoft acquisition.

Multimap UK - Ordnance Survey Maps

One advantage that Multimap UK has over most other mapping companies is the provision of Ordnance Survey maps. Multimap Ordnance Survey Maps can be embedded in your web pages, and you can customize tools for using the map, or add points of interest. Such features can be used freely for non-commercial purposes, but commercial ventures require some payment to MultiMap. Multimap UK have quite stringent copyright conditions for the use their maps, as do the Ordnance Survey, so check the Terms and conditions on the Multimap UK site before thinking of embedding any of their maps.

Multimap UK News

Feb 24th, 2010 Multimap UK might benefit from Google antitrust proceedings by shopping comparison sites Foundem and Ciao, who have complained to the European Commission, accusing Google of posing "an immediate threat to competition and innovation." Google's share of the  UK mapping market spiked in early 2007, and Multimap UK's share dipped sharply, along with that of other mapping companies like Streetmap.co.uk. Google argue that the complaining companies might be unduly influenced by Microsoft.

Nov 17th, 2009 Multimap homepage adds a link to Bing maps to demonstrate Multimap UK only maps at work on bing.com. Compare Bing maps and Multimap maps and you will see they look similar and offer similar features, like Ordnance Survey, London Street maps, draggable routes and a London tube overlay. Microsoft has been using Multimap's mapping engine behind much of its map based software since Microsoft took over Multimap.

Multimap UK visitors in 2009 - Between November 2008 and November 2009 the number of visitors to Multimap UK website remained around the 2000 visitors a day mark.

Multimap UK in Welsh - Since November 2004 Multimap UK  provided "Travel Directions" service on Cardiff University's web site in Welsh! Check their website to see other language features.

Multimap UK - Summary

In summary, Multimap UK (multimap.co.uk) provides superb schematic maps, useful 'real world' views, and access to many sources of pertinent information. It also provides driving directions, but MapQuest UK is difficult to beat in this respect.

Google Maps features that supplement Multimap UK (multimap.co.uk), for instance, Street Level maps. This nicely complements Multimap's bird view. Whatever your mapping needs, you should take a belt and braces approach, and explore maps & directions from a variety of map sites. Multimap UK (multimap.co.uk) should certainly be one of those sites.