Multi Destination Routing - Muliple Vias
One feature you might hear from time to time talked about is Multiple Destination Routing, or having the ability to have multiple “vias” per route. Is this an important feature? Should you look for this in a GPS device? It all depends on the types of routes you take. Here is our guidance.
The simplest form of routing is when you enter in a destination and the GPS figures out how to get there from where you are now. In this scenario, there are two points/waypoints of the route; your current location and the destination.
One Via Per Route
However sometimes you might have a more complex route you would like to take. If you need to go pickup something to take to another location, you now have three waypoints for the route; your current location, the location where you need to pickup something, and the final destination.
There are a couple of ways you can handle this. With the simplest GPS devices without multiple destination routing you can simply set your GPS to navigate to the first location and then when you arrive ask it to route you to the final destination. For the majority of auto GPS users, this will work fine and not having the ability to program in multiple via points won’t be a big deal.
Some devices (notably most of the Garmin auto GPS systems) will allow you to enter in one “via” point. The way you do this is to create a route to your final destination and allow the GPS to calculate the route. Then create a route to your waypoint (via point). On these devices the GPS will then ask if you want that location to be a new final destination, erasing the old route, or inserted into the current route as a via point. Again, this simple functionality will work for most people.
Multiple Vias Per Route
However there are times when you might want more than one stop in the route. If you are a sales rep, in real estate, or a delivery person you might need to go to several stops. If your GPS does not support multiple vias per route you could enter in all of your addresses individually, then navigate to each one, one at a time.
However this might not be too convenient. It also doesn’t allow you to get a big picture of your entire day. You might want your GPS to give you the total time it will take to drive the entire route (excluding time spent at the stops) to see if you can fit in one more call. This is where having multi destination routing can really help.
Another scenario is driving on long, extended routes. Let’s say you are taking a long drive that will pass through multiple large cities. Many of the cities might have alternate routes around the city to avoid inner city traffic. These routes might not be seen as optimal by the GPS because they are longer. With multi-destination-routing you can setup via points along the bypass around each city. The GPS will then know to route you around each city. This is the way I commonly use the feature.
Route Optimization
Once you have multiple destinations laid out in one route, some GPS devices have a feature called “route optimization which will take the waypoints you have entered, and sort them in an order based on how close one waypoint is to another. This would be useful in the example of a sales rep. However, take this feature with a grain of salt and understand the limitations.
I learned the hard way that route optimization doesn’t necessarily mean it will find the most efficient order to visit each location. Instead, what the GPS will do is look at your current position and then find the first waypoint (destination) that is closest to your current location. Then it will find the next waypoint that is closest to the first waypoint, and so on. This doesn’t necessarily produce the most efficient order. So as of now when you hear “route optimization”, take that feature with a grain of salt.
Update: The new Nuvi 700 series including the Nuvi 760 (review) do include true route optimization.
Feature Considerations
If you are looking for a simple device, you might not need a GPS with multi-destination routing. It isn’t found in many of the popular GPS devices (although we think it should be an option) and many people who own GPS devices with that feature have probably never used it.
But if you frequently visit a number of different locations in one day or want complete control over the route you take, you will want to take a hard look at devices which offer multi destination routing.
Anyone have a list of the GPS units that offer route optimization?
Charlie, depends on what you mean by ‘route optimization’. I really don’t know of any that are currently offering what I would call route optimization. Most that offer something similar offer route sorting.
Doesn’t the new Nuvi 700’s (750,760,770) offer the auto sort multiple destinations we have all looked for? Doesn’t this calculate the best route for multiple destinations rather than from piont 1 to point 2 than point 1 to point 3 and so on?
Ryan, my understanding is that the Nuvi series, like many other devices with multi destination routing, really offers route sorting, not optimization. In that case it simply sorts the list from closest to furthest away rather than optimizing the list for the shortest overall trip. However I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet on a 700 series.
Ryan - Good news, the Nuvi 760 does support route optimization rather than just simple route sorting.
Tim - if a unit allows multi waypoints can I use it for cruising cross country in an indirect route through many small villages - building my own route as it were, instead of the GPS’s idea of how I should travel to a destination?
Yes, with up to as many via points as the device allows. (Typically 20-50).
I really need a device that would optimize my sales route for the day and give me a total mileage at the end. Besides the Garmin 700 series, is there anything else you can recommend?
Phil, if you need route optimization then the Garmin Nuvi 700 series is really the only way to go.
How do you preprogram desinations with the 350 via a computer
tkenny - If you mean the Garmin Nuvi 350, you can’t. It doesn’t offer that function.
Does anyone have a list of GPS’s that offer multi-destination programming? I don’t need the optimization feature, just the ability to enter in multiple destinations at the beginning of my day.
Karen, just go to our homepage, and click the ‘multi destinations’ box in the ‘find auto GPS’ section.
I’m a real estate agent and I’m in the market for a new GPS unit that will tell me the best route between several homes.
I have been looking at the tomtom go 510. Does that unit do route optimization?
I currently have a Magellan 860T which does do optimization. Any comments on that unit?
Thanks
The 510 offers multi-destination routing, but no route optimization.
I work for FedEX Freight. I use the microsoft streets and trips software. It DOES have a route optimizer. In fact I think they coined the phrase. I have used it and found the following. Type in all address’ use route optimizer and it will take you to all of them if it has them in its database. However I have found that after I insert all address’ I can look at their position on the screen and route faster. Unfortunately I have to use my laptop for this feature. I love the big screen though. Note: you can zoom in and out and see all your destination’s and change the order you want them listed. If you use the optimization feature you are locked in until you delete some and start over…. All in all I love being able to use multi destination but have found the route optimizer only useful when I have a few stops and at that point it is still easier and faster to look at the map and put them in the order you want.
I’m shopping for my first GPS and am trying to narrow down my choice based on what I think I’ll use. One newer feature that doesn’t seem to be emphasized that much but sounds like a major breakthrough is being able to enter destinations verbally. Is this feature not perfected yet? Also, it would seem that buying a factory installed car unit would mean that you’re likely to have obsolete technology very quickly given how fast improvements are introduced for after market units. Other than a nice big screen incorporated into your dash why would you go this route?