If you’re travelling to Europe and you want to make the most of your journey, then being fully informed is crucial. The more you know about where you’re going, why you’re going there and what you want to achieve before you go the better you’ll be able to plan and the fewer problems you’re likely to encounter.
As such then you’re likely to look at Europe maps as you prepare to set off and use them to help plan. But what kind of map will you be using? And how will you find the right kind for your travels? Here we will look at the different kinds of maps, and thus the different kinds of Europe maps, and what each one is for:
Political Maps of Europe : Political maps are the maps that most of us are most familiar with. These are the maps that separate each country using a different colour and an outline thus enabling you to see quickly which country is which. Political maps of Europe then will show you where France is and where it borders onto Germany etc. Usually these maps also indicate the capitals and major cities (with the former marked by a star in a circle).
Physical Maps of Europe: Physical maps are another common type of map which shows the physical features of a particular area. Here colours will be used to attempt to indicate different land elevations, while you will also see various rivers, lake and mountains marked on. If you’re visiting a specific country these are useful for getting a feel of the terrain.
Topographic Maps of Europe: Topographic maps are a more technical version of physical maps which use contour lines to show elevation and mountains. These also map particular kinds of rocks, and are generally only used by geologists, engineers and hikers.
Road Maps of Europe: Road maps are of course maps which show all the roads you might need to use when driving in an area. Also called street maps, this is what you’ll need if you get lost in a big town or city. Thankfully you can pick them up easily from most gas stations.
Economic/Resource Maps of Europe : These are maps which show particular natural resources or economic activity. Not something you’ll likely need for travelling, but interesting Europe maps all the same.
Climate Maps of Europe: Climate maps are a bit like heat vision and use a universal color chart to indicate weather and precipitation (which means snow or rain). If you’re choosing where to holiday and you want somewhere nice and sunny, then these maps can tell you a lot at a glance.
