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?
Get a Mio or something with the same interface as the Mio if you want simple and fast rout optimization features.
does the tom tom 720 allow you to input your destination by coordinates instead of an address?
Yes, although it won’t accept just any random set of coordinates. They must be close enough to a mapped road that it knows where you want to go.
I am a pest control technician and I need a gps that will allow me to pick the smartest route between stops…I get paid per stop and entering in multiple locations and finding the best route to fo to one after the other (time wise) is what I really need I am looking at the Magellan Maestro 5310 – North America…is this a good one to consider? any other suggestions?
Ryan, no– the Magellan will allow you to enter all of the locations in a route, but it will only sort them from closest to furthest which isn’t really the same as checking to see what the most efficient order is. You will want to check out the Garmin Nuvi 700 series (and above) for that type of use.
Hi Tim,
I’m relatively new to the delivering world, and during a typical day have to deliver packages to 50+ locations. I’m struggling simply because my current GPS system only takes me from point A – B, and then have enter C and so forth. It doesn’t optimize my routes especially on side streets, where I should have gone to C first because A and B are later down the road, so end up 1. wasting gas and 2. passing stops, driving back and forth etc. It would really help to have a gadget, which would allow me to enter all my stops and have them organized in the most efficient manner. I’ve read through all the comments, and it’s been suggested the Garmin Nuvi 700 series is the device to purchase for route optimization; however at the beginning of the page, under Route Optimization section, an update disclaimer states “The new Nuvi 700 series including the Nuvi 760 (review) do include true route optimization.” Could you please suggest a GPS system where I can enter all my delivery locations for a day, and the GPS will optimize the routes?
I will be grateful for any advice you can offer.
Also, in addition to my question above, what is the maximum number of locations that can be entered at once for route optimization? 10, 20, 50… Thanks!
Yaz, I’m not understanding your question. You appear to be looking for a device with route optimization, the Nuvi 700 series has it, as is confirmed by the sentence from the review you quoted. I don’t see any disclaimer.
The number of vias allows is listed in the Specifications column on each product page.
I’m a real estate agent and I’m in the market for a new GPS unit that will tell me the best routes between 10 to 20 or more homes. Could you please suggest a GPS system where I can import all my home locations for a day, and the GPS will optimize the routes?
I’d check out something like the Garmin Nuvi 750.
Hello:
This definitely appears to be the right forum to ask some real world GPS Questions: I would appreciate any feedback you can provide me.
I am also in sales and would really prefer to use a single device (with address book, calendar, email integration and of course GPS functionality. ) The device I had in mind was the Blackberry Storm. It appears that it offers all the other business features….. but not sure if the GPS functionality has improved. I used the TELENAV GPS service on my older Blackberry but sad to say it did not offer any type of Auto Route Optimization or Multiple Destinations!!!!!!! ….. I did recently learn that Verizon did open up the Storm GPS functionality (so you can install other GPS products). So are there any software based GPS products out there (i.e. Garmin Mobile 5.4.2, Tom-Tom) that do offer some of these advanced features ?? Also what about a related feature …. To find closest destinations. I tried this with a Magellan Unit …..where you could upload all your customer addresses as custom waypoints. This was very helpful in locating other customers that may be in the area.
thanks,
Vinnie
I don’t spend much time with the software based GPS solutions– I work mostly with the hardware (PND) style GPS devices.
hello,
I’m a patient rep. and need to visit several patients in one day, 20-30 a day. It usually takes me one day to organize all my visits using a map.I got the Tom Tom XL one thinking it will build me a route, by adding several addresses and it will tell me to go from A to B and C … it was the first time I shop for a GPS and little I knew. After reading your reviews I realized it did not offered the features I was looking for and I returned it. Now I’m shopping for another one and it looks like the Garmin Nuvi 750 or 760 will do what I need, is that correct ?Will they only take up to 10 entries ? At some point on your reviews you mentioned that the routes are not exactly the shortest ones ? Any other one with more than 10 entries ?
thank’s for your help !
Elizabeth
You can use the TomTom XL to create a single route to multiple destinations. The feature is called TomTom Itinerary Planning. What it won’t do is tell you which order is the most efficient to visit all of those locations. For that you would want the Nuvi 500 series or greater like the 750 you mentioned.
Also keep in mind that most people do not want the GPS to give them the shortest route possible. Most people want the fastest (time) and not shortest (distance). The shortest route tends to take more time than the fastest route.
Is there a GPS that will allow me to enter all the routes required to pass through a State with all the route changes required by a States Permit.
Hello
I have been looking for a GPS navigation System that would allow me to enter at least 100 different routes from original location to destination. The only thing that would be different from other GPS systems is that the point to point to point locations would be intersecting streets, roads, highways or interstate roadways. The only one I found so far was a WorldNav 3500 GPS for Commercial Trucks. Is there another or even a better one that someone would suggest I look into.
Any Garmin Nuvi 500 series or higher, or any TomTom “GO” model will do that. They are all better than the WorldNav.
Thanks Tim, I’ll look into those…
I need to upload multiple addresses daily to a GPS device that will allow route optimization. Is there a program out there that is available to prevent manual entry of these addresses? You would think there was a way to sync a computer, and a list of addresses to the Nav device so all the addresses were incorporated automatically. I need a program and the right device that will interface with it, preferably a device for commercial vehicles. I emailed Garmin but the tech there didn’t think Microsoft Map Point would work, he was not familiar with it.
Hi: I’ve been working with multiple point routes & a new Garmin Nuvi 750 for about a month – it does NOT do multiple point routes well – often when I leave a point it tries to return to the same point. Then I have to manually delete the point, recalculate the route, etc. etc. In short it didn’t work & I’m going to sell it on ebay. I have talked w/ Garmin support several times & they are surprised that it doesn’t work for me – maybe my unit is bad???
Thanks Martin. I sure will look even closer with that information.
Martin, I’ve never heard of the issue you describe. I doubt the unit is bad. The only way I can imagine it would do what you describe is if you are selecting a via point that is on a road with a median or a divided highway and your via point was placed on the “wrong” side, causing the GPS to want to turn around and go back to the via point in the “correct” direction for where you placed the point.
I purchased the nuvi 760 after reading the advice on this page. After using the unit for a while, I have found the unit to be painfully “buggy” when navigating routes. I too have been routed round and round in circles going back to the previous point over and over. Another fun little glitch is finding all your via points tend to dissappear for no apparent reason. It is extremely frustrating to spend 20 minutes inputing all your addresses and POOF gone after a couple of stops. You HAVE to keep a paper log of which addresses you have been to so you can sort out a new list and re-input that one when the NUVI decides to erase all your via points. Trust me, frustration is not the correct term, it becomes anger after a few of these incidents, at least for me. I thought I had found a way to quickly route through multiple addresses and earn more money HAHA I’m out $320 and back to using map books.
Disclaimer: In Garmin’s defense: I have not contacted them to try to resolve this issue. I need a frustration pause break before dealing with that.
That is strange, Lee. I’ve been using that feature on the 760 a couple of times per week for the past year and a half. I’ve never had it forget one of the intermediate points and I’ve never been routed back to one of the stops I had already been to. Not sure what to tell you.
Well Lee and Martin…sounds like Tim purchased the only working nuvi 760 that, well is working…I think I’ll steer away from the Garmin Nuvi products altogether….Sounds like there is just too much product issues…I will still look into other products…I have used the Magellan for a year but wanted to up-grade….I guess the WorldNav 3500 GPS for Commercial Trucks would be still in the picture right now…
I’ve used optimized routes on my 760 since November of 07. While I don’t input 25+ stops at a time, I do often enter a half dozen or so. I’ve never had a stop “disappear” either. I have had a few instances where my nuvi did not register one of my vias and continued to try to route me to it. In has nearly always been because I did not get close enough to the stop to register, either because the address is not properly marked in the map, or in the case of some businesses, the entrance or parking area I used is not the one being used for the poi location. Many commercial stops have more than one entrance. If you’re far enough from the entrance the map thinks is right, then the nuvi never “sees” you reach that via. I’m sorry that I can’t tell you exactly how far from the location you need to be for it to be marked as visisted, but I think I recall it’s something less than 100′. If you think you’re having problems with Garmin’s optimized routes, one thing to check is what application update you’re using. 4.2, and perhaps 4.1 as well, introduced issues with routes with more than 6 stops. It would drop one of them, I don’t recall whether the first or last, and for some users enter one of them twice. If you are using either 4.6, or the latest 4.8, that problem no longer exists. Nor did it exist prior to 4.0. In literally thousands of posts I’ve read concerning nuvi 7×0’s (believe me, I have seen a LOT of posts in a LOT of forums), I’ve never seen mention of the dropped vias outside of the application versions I mentioned, so you are unique if you’re using the latest. On stops not registering, yes it’s mentioned every once in awhile, but it’s certainly nothing common. If you truly deliver for a living, and have 50+ stops a day, it’s going to happen with you. Pretty unlikely you will have 50 locations all properly marked in the map database on a daily basis. But I have used a competitors route optimization side by side with my nuvi. The competitor did optimize, but not nearly as efficiently as my Garmin. It’s a very rare pnd feature, and tough to get right. My Garmin generally does.
A quick comment on the Worldnav devices. I’ve never seen one single verified post praising it. Nearly every positive comment I’ve seen can be identified as originating from the owner of WorldNav or their offices either thru the IP address or the specific words used. If you have a pocket-full of money and nothing else to spend it one, go for one. Know that there’s no such thing as getting your money back. There’s an entire site dedicated to exposing the Worldnav company fraudulent practices and device failures. Happy to point you that way if you insist.
Hi, I have a Garmin c330, and looking to upgrade soon. One complaint I have with the c330, is the ‘route via’
enter a route from a to b, but enroute I do a search for gas station or some other POI. The C330 won’t distinguish between POIs that are enroute vs. ones that I have to circle back to.
Which GPS will route me to one that is still within my current route, and wonn’t take me backwards.
Trey
I run a delivery route with about a 100 stops per day and would like to use a GPS. But I was wondering if there is some type of computer software out there that would allow me to input all 100 addresses via a keyboard (laptop) instead of inputing them all into a GPS system with multi destination routing.
Microsoft Streets and Trips..Or Delorme….I like the Streets and Trips better because it is easier…
We are a florist. We have 15 deliveries to make in a route. We use streets and trips and it works fine. I would like to download the optimized route from Streets and Trips or some other software into a GPS unit and then have the GPS unit navigate my driving.
I am looking for a GPS to which I can upload from my computer a list of destinations. Typically, I have about 25 destinations per day to upload. I would prefer if the GPS optimized the route for shortest travel time, but this freature is not essential as I already have computer software that performs the same function. Thank you for your time.
I do real estate appraising, and own a MIO C520.
I use multiple stops daily; the 520 does not properly “optimize” a multi-stop route, and appears to get confused by more than 3-4 stops.
Worse yet, it frequently forgets a stop in the sequence.
I see the Garmin 7xx series *and* 5xx series (? Did I get that right?) have route optimization that works well.
I wonder why the manufacturers don’t come up with a specialized (premium-price ?) unit that really does this extra job right.
I’m certain there is a strong market for this. 100,000 appraisers in USA for starters, surely 5x that many Truckers, Delivery People, etc., and then the Realtors!
I am a sales person,
I do sales from Alaska down to San Diego and more. I got my first GPS 2 years ago, it was a SONY. I loved it. I used to input 20+ addresses and my SONY used to organized them by however you want: by distance or by time. It made each individual stop like a regular stop, giving you the travel time everytime you arrived at an address. At the end of the trip it told you the total driving time and distance. Not only that but I was able to see POIs all the way during my driving.
To make this short my SONY GPS stop working (charging) and they not longer make GPSs, so the guaranty of the store gave me a Garmin, then a Tomtom, then a Magellan, then an Insignia, and now a pay more to get a Garmin nuvi765t, I ready used for couple of days, and I am not happy with it. It optimize the addresses and will use them as Way-Points, so if you miss the screen cause you were driving, forget about, it wont tell you that you have arrive at one of your stops. To bad for $300+
Where is the software that SONY had on their GPSs? How kill the SONY GPS?
Is there any gps out there that you can route optimization? Buy downloading a list into the gps?
Yes, Garmin has several models that offer that function. The most common are any of the 7xx series nuvis. Even the new Garmin “live” 1690 would work for you. That device has a lot of funcionality not offered by any of the other major guys.