Making customized travel plans is now easier than ever with today?s launch of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2013, the new edition of the company's trip-planning software.

Current users of Streets & Trips will find the new 2013 version offers a sleek look in high contrast designed for easier viewing, updated maps of the United States and Canada - including 150,000 new miles of roads since the 2011 version was released - and more than 2.5 million points of interest. Longtime fans will also find they can now turn all pushpin names on or off with a single click, and they can create larger drive times for more flexibility in trip planning.

"A new feature people are really going to love is the online ratings and reviews. Customer ratings and reviews on restaurants, hotels and more take the guesswork out of deciding where to go," said Larry Petersen, software design engineer at Microsoft. "Streets & Trips 2013 adds upgrades our customers have asked for, including 600,000 more points of interest than the previous version."

The 2013 version of Streets & Trips is designed to help travelers plan their trip start to finish - generate maps and directions, customize with start and stop times, and add notes such as reservation numbers or operating hours - all without an Internet connection.

Microsoft Streets & Trips is available for purchase today, online at the Microsoft Store (http://www.microsoftstore.com) for an estimated retail price of US$39.99. Microsoft Streets & Trips with GPS Locator is available for US$69.99. A free 14-day trial version is also available at http://www.microsoft.com/streets/travel.