Anyone planning a journey in the UK or Ireland will welcome the new Route Finder CD-Rom from Focus Multimedia.

You don't need to struggle with an atlas or maps, where your journey invariably finishes across the fold.

All you need to do is enter the start location and destination of your journey and, within seconds, the software calculates the best route to take.

If you are travelling to several places, the "via"

option allows you to select up to nine alternative destinations.

Route Finder can calculate not only the best route but several alternative routes, together with the distance in miles and the estimated time of arrival.

Print out a copy of your chosen route and carry it in your car or email the directions to friends and business associates.

The information on Route Finder covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and includes the latest road networks.

With more than 42,000 locations and 245,000 miles of road, it is an extremely comprehensive planner that also includes listings of ferries, railway stations and airports.

All that's left to say is "Bon voyage"!

Price: £9.99.

Contact: 01889 570156.

Feel good factor: 8 out of 10.