Route Planning Old School

[surveyor]

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

The route normally involves the A17. Not a nice road, and even less so with a caravan where my ability to overtake 40mph lorries is curtailed by the tts that won't overtake and leave no room for me to slot in. I'm also aware of road works at Kings Lynn that were seeing 7 mile jams last saturday. Not keen on that.

So I've got the map out. Can't remember the last time I did that and rather enjoyed it.

Anyone else go old school?

For the record we are travelling to Peterborough,then cross country to Wisbech, skirting south of Kings Lynn to rejoin our normal route at Fakenham.

[CrutyRammers]

Sat nav is useful if I need to navigate an unfamiliar town, otherwise I'll always use a map, I like to have an idea in my head of where I'm going rather than dumbly following a gps.

[Qwert1e]

To make it really sporting you need a map that's at least 20 years out of date!

[DaveGoddard]

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. I only normally use the shat-nav to find addresses within large towns/cities.

On country roads I sometimes navigate by pub signs...

[williredale]

I've never used a sat nav...

[Scousefella]

As my username suggests, I am not a native of Essex but that is where I live and work.

My job requires me to know Essex like a native and then some - I have never used a nav device, I have used local maps and followed my nose all the way.

I use country lanes and villages all of the time, little rabbit warrens they call roads, blimey I think Tom Tom would get frustrated!!!!

Hell, I could get you from Harwich to Stansted without using an "A" road.

[RDMcG]

SatNav is very useful but not for planning. I use maps for planning all the time.sometimes to a MapQuest and print it out...see how it looks or I trace it on the map,make adjustments. Always have current maps.

[knight]

Off to France next weekend and whilst I'll be taking a sat nav, I will also be taking a map as I much prefer to plan a route using one

[TLandCruiser]

satnav is ok, but sometimes the route they suggest does not account for traffic lights etc etc so sometimes local knowledge means its faster than the satnav route.

Edited by TLandCruiser on Saturday 2nd August 07:36

[JulianHJ]

I always plan on Google Maps and memorise the route. I've only recently acquired a sat nav, and whilst it's very handy, I've stuck to this method.

[Riley Blue]

surveyor said:

For the record we are travelling to Peterborough,then cross country to Wisbech, skirting south of Kings Lynn to rejoin our normal route at Fakenham.

I followed that route a couple of weeks ago: A17 from Newark, A15 from Sleaford then A47 towards Wisbech. It was surprisingly traffic free with no hold ups. Traffic into Bourne from the south was snarled up but we sailed through from the north.

I used a road atlas to plan it too then pissed off my satnav when I deviated from its preferred (A17) route. Satnav is useful even when no route planned as it has cameras on a database.

[RizzoTheRat]

I use maps for planning and then program the route in to my satnav. Best of both worlds, you get the benefits of a manually planned route with the satnav benefit of not having to stop and check your route.

[WalterMitty]

Google maps here. I have been known to write road numbers onto post-it notes stuck to the dash.

Nav is useful for towns but don't have one anymore.

[sawman]

surveyor said:

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

The route normally involves the A17. Not a nice road, and even less so with a caravan where my ability to overtake 40mph lorries is curtailed by the tts that won't overtake and leave no room for me to slot in. I'm also aware of road works at Kings Lynn that were seeing 7 mile jams last saturday. Not keen on that.

So I've got the map out. Can't remember the last time I did that and rather enjoyed it.

Anyone else go old school?

For the record we are travelling to Peterborough,then cross country to Wisbech, skirting south of Kings Lynn to rejoin our normal route at Fakenham.

I am off to hunstanton in a couple of weeks, thanks for the heads up on the hold ups at kings lynn - any idea if the roadworks are going to be around for a while?

[gforceg]

When planning a longish trip out I always try to avoid M-ways and major routes. So I get the maps out, plan a route with reference to google maps and then write out my own route plan (complete with my very own "icons") and off I go.

There are so many fantastic "old roads" within a mile or so of the current trunk route and almost completely deserted. Bliss.

[alpha channel]

Google Maps here as well, I then use street view to pick out landmarks to keep an eye out for with regards to turns, junctions, location of destination, etc...

[surveyor]

sawman said:

surveyor said:

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

The route normally involves the A17. Not a nice road, and even less so with a caravan where my ability to overtake 40mph lorries is curtailed by the tts that won't overtake and leave no room for me to slot in. I'm also aware of road works at Kings Lynn that were seeing 7 mile jams last saturday. Not keen on that.

So I've got the map out. Can't remember the last time I did that and rather enjoyed it.

Anyone else go old school?

For the record we are travelling to Peterborough,then cross country to Wisbech, skirting south of Kings Lynn to rejoin our normal route at Fakenham.

I am off to hunstanton in a couple of weeks, thanks for the heads up on the hold ups at kings lynn - any idea if the roadworks are going to be around for a while?

I saw something saying till 7th August. It is shown on AA route planner map etc. to keep track.

[ChasW]

I am not big SatNav fan. I find the instructions ore of a hinderance than a help. The features I value are ETA and traffic alerts. As I listen mostly to talk radio you get the alerts anyway.

[BritishRacinGrin]

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.

[Riley Blue]

gforceg said:

When planning a longish trip out I always try to avoid M-ways and major routes. So I get the maps out, plan a route with reference to google maps and then write out my own route plan (complete with my very own "icons") and off I go.

There are so many fantastic "old roads" within a mile or so of the current trunk route and almost completely deserted. Bliss.

I use or avoid motorways depending on which car I'm in. If in my Audi, motorways give the best mpg and are effortless. If in my Riley, though the car is 'motorway capable', I prefer A and B roads as they're much more enjoyable. In both cases I'll have the satnav on with its route planned (usually the fastest) to see if my own route planning can beat it.

I agree about using 'old roads' in preference to current major routes; the A4 is often better than the M4 and the A1 has an excellent road running parallel to it for much of its length, the old Great North Road.