You've probably encountered Google Earth or StreetView before. But you may not have come across a rather neat web-based system that ties the 2 products together and produces an excellent driving simulator.

Just type in 2 addresses and press the Go button to generate a route. Then press the Start button to start the simulator, and watch as the entire route of your journey is simulated on the screen in real time (or faster if you change the settings).

Because the system uses Maps and StreetView, most of the real scenery and buildings that appear on the route will be included. So if you need to drive somewhere new for the first time, this is a great way to learn the way.

You can find the driving simulator at You must login or register to view this content.

If you don't already have the Google Earth browser plug-in installed, you'll be prompted to do so first.

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