New Roads - route planning resource

[Boxsterjon]

This looks very interesting for those of us who like a good road trip:

https://newroads.co/

I’m looking forward to testing it out on my June Pyrenees escapade.

[jimmsy]

Is it paid for?

If it's just using AI, I wonder if just going straight to Gemini (due to Google maps routes being generated) is easier and free.

[Groomio]

Powered by AI, fuelled by your passion and focused entirely on you.


Pricing information here

https://newroads.co/how-it-works/

Edited by Groomio on Friday 16th January 11:31

[Omaruk]

In July I used Ai to curate me a driving holiday in Spain and Portugal worked out fantastic and some superb places to stay. I refined it further with some locations and duration changes and specifying paradors as a hotel preference. Here is the intial output

Here's a 7-day driving route through Northern Spain, focusing on scenic roads and historic towns:

Day 1: Santander to Oviedo (Asturias)
- Start in Santander
- Drive the CA-180 and AS-117 through the Picos de Europa mountains
- Scenic mountain passes and winding roads
- Overnight in historic Oviedo
- Distance: Approximately 350 km
- Highlights: Stunning mountain scenery, twisty roads

Day 2: Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela
- Take the AS-14 and OU-540 through Galician countryside
- Winding rural roads with minimal traffic
- Explore Santiago de Compostela's historic old town
- Overnight in Santiago
- Distance: Approximately 330 km
- Highlights: Galician landscapes, medieval architecture

Day 3: Santiago de Compostela to Porto, Portugal
- Take coastal N-552 and scenic N-641
- Cross into Portugal via beautiful rural roads
- Explore Porto's historic center
- Overnight in Porto
- Distance: Approximately 300 km
- Highlights: Coastal views, Portuguese wine country

Day 4: Porto to Salamanca
- Take N-222 (one of the world's most beautiful drives)
- Cross back into Spain via scenic rural roads
- Explore Salamanca's historic university city
- Overnight in Salamanca
- Distance: Approximately 380 km
- Highlights: Douro Valley, historic architecture

Day 5: Salamanca to Bilbao
- Take CL-510 and BU-V-5112 through rural landscapes
- Scenic mountain roads in Cantabrian range
- Explore Bilbao's modern and historic attractions
- Overnight in Bilbao
- Distance: Approximately 360 km
- Highlights: Mountain passes, Basque countryside

Day 6: Bilbao to Pamplona
- Take scenic mountain roads through Basque Country
- BI-623 and NA-140 offer excellent driving routes
- Explore Pamplona's historic center
- Overnight in Pamplona
- Distance: Approximately 310 km
- Highlights: Mountain twists, Basque culture

Day 7: Pamplona back to Santander
- Take NA-150 and CA-270 through mountain landscapes
- Return to Santander via scenic mountain routes
- Distance: Approximately 300 km
- Highlights: Final mountain driving experience

Road Characteristics:
- Minimal motorway use
- Lots of twisty mountain roads
- Scenic rural routes
- Challenging driving for sports car enthusiasts

Recommended Car Preparation:
- Ensure good brake condition
- Check suspension
- Carry spare tire and basic tools
- Have navigation with offline maps

Tips:
- Start early to enjoy daylight driving
- Check road conditions in mountain areas
- Have a flexible schedule for stops and photography

This route offers:
- Approximately 2,130 km total
- Varied landscapes
- Historic towns
- Excellent driving roads
- Minimal motorway driving

[Jameskirby]

I m one of a few who was lucky enough to be a pre-launch tester for New roads!
I can definitely vouch for how good it is, I would plan road trips with my mates searching out locations and stops for hours and putting it all together myself. Gave New roads a go and that was all done for me in less than 5 minutes.
Don t get me wrong, occasionally the route or stops need a bit of tweaking but you just go back to the chat and ask it to change to what you need. From what I gathered from brief conversations with the creators, they have spent a lot of time and effort training the AI to know details about the cars you re using and the roads it s sending you down.

I m genuinely very excited for the launch tomorrow so everyone else can have a play with it and plan their road trips too!

Edited by Jameskirby on Wednesday 21st January 22:26

[hkwc104]

Hi, thought I'd jump in here as I'm part of the team behind New Roads. Firstly thanks for the kind words @Jameskirby.

I'm excited to announce that we have launched today so please go check us out if you haven't done so already - any feedback would be really appreciated.

Just picking up on some of the points above, unlike the generic AIs that some have mentioned, New Roads has been built with driving and road trips in mind and the team behind it are all lifelong petrolheads - so we like to think we know a thing or two about what makes a memorable drive. It's also worth pointing out that during beta phase we had all sorts of drivers and cars put it through its paces - from seasoned road trippers in GT3s and LongTails doing multi-day European trips to less experienced drivers doing day trips in hot hatches and sport cars - to ensure it worked as we intended, with some absolutely brilliant feedback.

Is it absolutely perfect? No - this is Gen 1 after all. But it already offers a number of genuinely differentiated features that tools like ChatGPT or Gemini simply don’t:

- Our datasets include vehicle-specific details such as length, width, height and ground clearance. That means routes aren’t just matched to your driving style, but to your actual car. This mean no more being sent down single-track lanes in a seven-foot-wide Lambo (if you're lucky enough to own one)
- We ve curated a bespoke set of APIs that give us insight into road surfaces, so we know where speed humps are, which roads have been freshly resurfaced, and which ones are in need of repair.
- When we recommend stops - restaurants, hotels, etc. - we include direct booking links, keeping everything in one place and automatically added to your itinerary.
- We list petrol stations along the route, including which ones stock super unleaded and the current price.
- The entire route, including all stops, can be exported straight into Google Maps with a single click.

Hopefully that gives you all a bit of insight into what New Roads is all about and would be happy to take any questions.

Edited by hkwc104 on Tuesday 3rd February 11:22

[JurassicGTS]

Just had a look at this, looks a superb tool.