How to make a custom road trip souvenir map
Souvenir Maps turns any trip route into something you can showcase on your wall. It's free, only takes minutes, and you don't need an account.
We built Souvenir Maps ourselves (Jon and Kelly, the couple behind Road Trip Locals) because we wanted our own road trips hanging in our home, not buried in a camera roll.
Make your souvenir map in five steps
- Add your stops. Search for a city, state, country or landmark (national parks included!) or click the map to drop a pin anywhere. Reorder stops with the arrow buttons, and swap any stop for a different place without starting over.
- Show how you got there. Driving legs follow real roads between stops, so the route looks like the trip you actually took. Flights are drawn as a clean straight line, and trains as a dotted one.
- Make it unmistakably yours. Choose colors for the land, ocean, lakes and route, pick your pin shapes, and decide which city names, state lines and labels to show. Drag any label or dot exactly where you want it, and resize them.
- Preview your map. Add a title and subtitle, choose your fonts, pick a print size from 4 × 6 up to 18 × 24 inches, and frame the map by dragging and zooming until it looks right.
- Download and print. Download a print-ready PNG before you close the page, then take it to any photo counter, upload it to an online print shop, or print it yourself.
A souvenir worth giving, too
People make these for all kinds of trips:
- A national park road trip you never want to forget
- An anniversary or honeymoon route, framed as a gift
- A move across the country or a bucket-list drive
Tips for a print that matches your screen
Prints sometimes come out darker or warmer than they looked on screen. The preview includes Lighten for print and Cool for print sliders that adjust only the land, ocean and lake colors — your route, dots, labels and text stay exactly as designed. For a large poster, order a small test print first.
Print it, then frame it
A printed map is nice, but a framed one is a keepsake! We print ours at 18 × 24 inches and frame them in white woodgrain, which matches our home decor.
- Download your map and upload the PNG to a photo counter or online print shop like any other photo.
- Order the same size you downloaded. For a large poster, a satin finish keeps glare down once it's framed.
- Order a small test print first if you can — it's the cheapest way to check the colors.
- Frame it, and hang the trip where you'll see it every day.
Our pick: the 18 × 24 white woodgrain frame we use for our own maps.
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Common questions
Is Souvenir Maps really free?
Yes. It's free to use and you don't need an account. Open the map maker and start adding stops.
Can I start from one of your road trips?
Yes! We've started maps for some of our favorite road trips from Road Trip Locals. Open the map maker, find the Road Trip Locals section, and choose one of the public maps. It fills in the stops for you, and you can change anything you like before you download.
What's the quickest way to go from trip to souvenir?
Use our favorite template! We saved the look we use for our own maps, so one click applies our colors and settings. Choose it from the public templates in the Road Trip Locals section, then add your stops.
How do the routes work?
For each stop, choose how you got there: drive, fly or take the train. Driving legs follow real roads between the two stops. Flights are drawn as a straight line, and trains as a dotted line.
What print sizes can I make?
4 × 6, 5 × 7, 8 × 10, 11 × 14, 16 × 20 and 18 × 24 inches, in portrait or landscape. The download is sized for the print you choose.
What's the best size for a framed road trip map?
We print ours at 18 × 24 inches and frame them in white woodgrain.
Where can I print my map?
Anywhere that prints photos or posters, such as a local photo counter, an online print shop or a store like CVS. You download a PNG and upload it like any other photo.
Why do my prints look darker or warmer than my screen?
Screens emit light and paper only reflects it, and print shops often add a warm tint. The map maker has Lighten for print and Cool for print sliders that adjust only the land, ocean and lake colors to compensate before you order.
Still planning the trip itself?
Road Trip Locals has travel guides and road trip itineraries to help you plan the route you'll turn into a map. Explore Road Trip Locals.