Route Planning Old School

[MajorProblem]

I've never bothered with a sat nav, I just use Google Maps on my iPhone.

[delboy735]

I've never used Sat-Nav. Always preview a map and get an idea of raods to take, and try to avoid the major routes once I'm close to the area I need to be in.

[vrsmxtb]

Not sure I understand the sat-nav snobbery, other than some old fashioned real men use maps and don't need to be told where to go thinking.

Personally, what could be better than a device, which if you buy a decent one, plans your most efficient route taking into account traffic conditions. I can count on one hand the amount of times a sat-nav has let me down. More often than not, it is when I think I'm being smart and ignore the route it wants to take me that I've got stuck and cursed my decision.

It'd be interesting to see a navigation challenge: map vs. local knowledge vs. satnav. I'm sure it'd be pretty close.

[Crosswise]

I once attempted to use the 1957 edition of the AA Road Book, that wasn't successful, but I did enjoy trying! Google maps tends to be a whole lot more up to date.

[surveyor]

I'm going to add a bit while I am frantically re-planning.

I travel country wide for work. I use Sat Nav all the time, particularly for the traffic.

On this journey it's not going to look at the traffic until my diversion routes are very restricted, particularly with the caravan. Hence I'm making my own route.

Predictably I now need to pick up pills for the dog from the vet, which is 30 miles off the route I had planned because the local office does not open on a Saturday. My route plan is now up the creek.

[delboy735]

vrsmxtb said:

Not sure I understand the sat-nav snobbery, other than some old fashioned real men use maps and don't need to be told where to go thinking.

Personally, what could be better than a device, which if you buy a decent one, plans your most efficient route taking into account traffic conditions. I can count on one hand the amount of times a sat-nav has let me down. More often than not, it is when I think I'm being smart and ignore the route it wants to take me that I've got stuck and cursed my decision.

It'd be interesting to see a navigation challenge: map vs. local knowledge vs. satnav. I'm sure it'd be pretty close.

I don't think it's a case of SatNav letting us down, it's just a bit more "interesting" when you deviate from the norm.....however, if I had to drive for a living, I'd probably invest in a decent SatNav. For recreational driving, it's a map book every time...oh, and some good old fashioned road signs to help :-)

[swisstoni]

Recently had to resort to the old map when on holiday in UK. Phone apps don't seem to work properly when out of 3G range and my TomTom just loves to take me down the narrowest roads it can find regardless of whether I set it to shortest or fastest route preference. Apparently there is a special version for caravanners and others who don't want to end up wedged between hedges in the West Country.

[vrsmxtb]

delboy735 said:

vrsmxtb said:

Not sure I understand the sat-nav snobbery, other than some old fashioned real men use maps and don't need to be told where to go thinking.

Personally, what could be better than a device, which if you buy a decent one, plans your most efficient route taking into account traffic conditions. I can count on one hand the amount of times a sat-nav has let me down. More often than not, it is when I think I'm being smart and ignore the route it wants to take me that I've got stuck and cursed my decision.

It'd be interesting to see a navigation challenge: map vs. local knowledge vs. satnav. I'm sure it'd be pretty close.

I don't think it's a case of SatNav letting us down, it's just a bit more "interesting" when you deviate from the norm.....however, if I had to drive for a living, I'd probably invest in a decent SatNav. For recreational driving, it's a map book every time...oh, and some good old fashioned road signs to help :-)

Sure for recreation, and a fun challenge on its own then map planning is still great. Also, yes it is very easy to travel hundreds of miles across the country on motorways and A-roads using just the signage and cursory glances at a large scale map of major routes, with traffic alerts on the radio.

However, where I find satnavs most useful is quick and efficient navigating round towns and cities, finding specific locations (only as accurate as the information you give it of course) and re-directing around traffic issues. I would hate to drive for business without one.

[LimaDelta]

I love maps. I have them on my walls and I've planned far more expeditions than I will ever drive. There is something which stirs the imagination when poring over a real map, which I don't get from simply entering a postcode into my dashboard. Sat nav is fine around town when I need to find somewhere in an unfamiliar area, or if I'm in a hurry, but that is rare. I managed to find a friends house on the Devon/Cornwall border (from Newcastle) with five lines of road/junction instructions on a post-it on my steering wheel, so they are far from essential, but I imaging would reduce the stress levels if you are someone who needs to drive everyday for work.

When I did bike trips I used a simple walking GPS (Garmin eTrex) into which I entered the Lat/Long of my overnight stop and it provided an arrow and a distance. No maps or traffic, or even roads. I knew if I was heading the right way, and getting closer, but I was free to explore interesting roads and get lost a little if I felt like it. It was a great compromise for me, and surprisingly effective.

[Riley Blue]

MajorProblem said:

I've never bothered with a sat nav, I just use Google Maps on my iPhone.

I do sometimes but I find it navigates best when it's connected to satellites...

[PomBstard]

I worked for FedEx for a while in the early 90s and learned my way around the whole of the westcountry and SE Wales, including the Forest of Dean and all the little lanes in every village, using maps and hand-drawn sketches. That's Cheltenham down to Burnham, and Marlborough across to Pontypridd. Sure, sat nav might be able to tell me where I needed to go quicker, but the manual method meant I learned it to the point of knowing just about every house number and name in the feck-knows how many square miles it all added up to, and the quickest way between each.

Still don't use sat nav now, but mostly cos I just don't need it over here. A quick skim of Google maps, or equivalent, and its all fairly obvious from there. Unless something's happened on the F3, then its all sh!t anyway.

[MajorProblem]

Riley Blue said:

MajorProblem said:

I've never bothered with a sat nav, I just use Google Maps on my iPhone.

I do sometimes but I find it navigates best when it's connected to satellites...

That's what I do, it has gps.

[RizzoTheRat]

MajorProblem said:

Riley Blue said:

MajorProblem said:

I've never bothered with a sat nav, I just use Google Maps on my iPhone.

I do sometimes but I find it navigates best when it's connected to satellites...

That's what I do, it has gps.

So you mean instead of using satnav you use satnav?

[Marvib]

RizzoTheRat said:

So you mean instead of using satnav you use satnav?

I was about to make the same comment

Google maps on your phone IS satnav.

[leafspring]

I tried using a sat nav once... everytime I looked at it a message on screen said either "Finding satellite" or "Calculating route"

I was on the M25

An AA Road Atlas saw me to the West coast of Scotland from Medway no problems at all, haven't used a sat nav since.

[FunkyNige]

surveyor said:

Am off tomorrow to Norfolk with a Caravan (sorry folks)!

In Norfolk it's often better to plan it a bit in advance as when looking at a map it can be obvious what's the 'main' way into a village and which route is likely to have grass growing down the middle of the lane, satnav can take you down some interesting routes!
It also says 'turn right' down country lanes that turn 90 degrees right, and sometimes doesn't mention you're coming up to a crossroads that you need to give way at.

I always plan my route first but leave the satnav on so it's ready for the last mile and I've got an ETA.

[coppice]

Make a point of using my 1974 Shell road Atlas on touring blats to Scottish Highlands in my Seven; not much has changed.. Trouble with being entirely sat nav dependent is that it turns many drivers into passive and ignorant dorks with no idea where they are or why..

[chilistrucker]

BritishRacinGrin said:

DaveGoddard said:

Before a long journey I usually scribble down the road numbers I'll be using, then read them out to myself until I can recite them without looking.

Wahey it's not just me!

I always set the SatNav up though, but the volume is always at zero so it doesn't get on my nerves... it's just a backup and helps quite a lot for the final miles of the journey when you're getting off the motorway and onto smaller unfamiliar roads.

And another 1 here. I always use the satnav but also with the volume down, but its a handy tool as the e.t.a time comes in handy when at work as gives a good indication as to when we'll arrive at the next gig.
I couldn't be without my UK and European maps though, especially as on the longer drives its handy to know if mountain ranges, or scenic routes, etc will be on the route.

[OldBuoy]

I asked one of the young lads at work to give a guy a lift home. He said "is their a car with nav I can use".

I thought for a moment (the fleet consisted of a couple of run-abouts). No sorry but I'm sure Mr Wasisname knows his way home.

Lad thinks for a moment and say's yes but I've got to find my way back.

[SeeFive]

I tend to use sat nav all the time these days.

In the old days, I would use a map to make a list of roads and major towns and follow those waypoints on the signs as I went.

I had a show to do a show in York for a couple of days but had mislaid the power cable. The sat nav got me there but due to paying absolutely no attention to how I got to the venue or my hotel other than blindly following Claire's instructions. When the battery ran out it was surprisingly difficult to recognise any features on the route I needed to take to get about. Weird feeling of total lack of bearings given I had already done the journey.