Driving directions are presented where a maneuver in the driving directions includes a road symbol and an action symbol. A road symbol identifies the road involved in the particular maneuver, and an action symbol identifies an action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver. In one example, a road symbol, an action symbol and narrative text may be presented in displayed or printed driving directions. In another example, a road symbol and an action symbol may be used to describe a maneuver presented by an on-board or mobile navigation system when the vehicle in which the navigation system is present approaches the point at which the maneuver is to be taken. The road symbol and the action symbol may be presented with, or without, narrative driving directions.