Send MapQuest, Google Maps Directions to Garmin
Garmin and MapQuest announced today that coming around April 15th you will be able to create a route within the MapQuest site, and send that route to your Garmin GPS. This functionality joins a growing list of applications and websites that no longer force the user to enter in destinations from the tiny touch screen keyboards found on most GPS devices.
“Our relationship with MapQuest gives our users even more of what they’ve come to expect from their Garmin products — ease of use and an array of options,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Planning a trip, whether it’s to a new restaurant, a business meeting or a family vacation, has never been easier or more efficient.”
The feature will be via USB directly to the device, therefore it should be compatible with the vast majority of Garmin auto GPS devices.
In Addition Garmin announced a similar feature will be available on Google Maps starting tomorrow.
Tim,
It seems as tho Garmin is making a lot of partnership moves lately. Having not been involved
(at least seriously) until fairly recently, is this somewhat new on Garmin’s part? Appears there’s a big push to add features and conveniences over the past 6 months.
I’d say it is somewhat new, yes. However it isn’t unique to Garmin either– as GPS becomes more mainstream companies are finding more ways to incorporate GPS and other location based services into their products.
I can’t find the way how to use this features on maps.google.com . I created a route – so, how to transfer it?
Snix, you can’t actually transfer a route, only the address of a destination. After going to Google maps, type something like “starbucks near [zipcode]” in the search box. Click the ‘Send’ link at the top right of the map, then click the GPS tab. Select which item you want to send, select Garmin as the ‘Make’ and then click the Send button. You will then be directed to garmin.com where it will format and transfer to your GPS (if you have the necessary software installed).
Re routes link to GPS from Google, I cannot find Re sending maps through Google LInk to Garmink,
My link on shows Email and IM, unable to find the GPS link???
I would like to purchase a nav aid for my truck. I go on cross state or country trips and predetermined routes. I want to go my way! Google map works very well choosing a route and allowing modifications that make the route as I choose. Until Garmin provides this feature I will stick with my GPSmap 76.
Phil, Garmin does provide the feature. That is what this article is talking about. Simply create the route in MapQuest, and you can send it to a compatible Garmin device.
Seems to only allow single point down load. I am looking for user selected arbitrary routes with turn by turn instructions. This would allow me to make routes like RAGBRAI in Iowa.
That isn’t correct, Phil. Through MapQuest you are given the option of transferring individual waypoints, or you can transfer the entire route. Through MapQuest you can sent an arbitrary route.
I’m confused. It seems I can transfer a destination I find on Mapquest, and it will show up on my Garmin. But if I try to add a route (I frequently prefer Mapquest’s routes) nothing is added to the Garmin, even though my computer says it has been successfully added. Tim wrote “you can transfer the entire route.” Huh? What am I doing wrong?
Which Garmin do you have? After transferring the route, you need to import the route through the ‘My Data’ function on the Nuvi.
Hi Tim. Thanks for the fast reply. I have a Nuvi 260. I am unaware of a “my data” function–would I have had to add a storage card to get this functionality? There is a slot, but I never added one–didn’t see the point.
The 260 doesn’t support routes, so it doesn’t have this function. Thus you will only be able to transfer locations, and not routes.
Tim, Well…which one should I have bought? Unfortunately, those charts they have which should explain what all the features are available can be extremely confusing. What should I have been looking for? Thanks again for your reply.
In the Nuvi lineup, the 700 series, 800 series, and 5000 series devices support saved routes.
It would be great to download Google Map Routes to Garmin GPS units. (including the entry level models). Google Maps routes are very easy to set up by point and click with the mouse. (No addresses needed). Then with mouse drag and grab route legs to place on road of your choosing. With this I could have my Garmin lead me along my complex route as I planned.
This is what I want to see…is there anything for Google Maps to transfer a route file to a GPS Garmin or TOMTOM?
No, Google Maps currently only supports sending individual locations (waypoints/favorites), not routes
At http://coulouris.net/biking/Garmin605.html I describe a diy way to do it. I use an Edge 605 bike-specific GPS, but it should work on other Garmins.
MAPQUEST DOES NOT PROVIDE A DROP DOWN LINK TO SEND TO MY GARIM GPS. HOW DO I SEND TO MY GPS HAVE FIREFOX 3.0
Near the top of the page, next to the Print button.
Tim
There is no drop down menue next to the print icon
I use firefox 3.0…I tried internet explorer and the send icon IS there not when I use firefox 3.0
It sounds like you don’t have the Garmin plugin installed in your FireFox browser.
I still cannot send ending stops to my garmin through firefox 3.01 I have downloaded the current communicator and the drop down menu does not appear next to the print button It does however appear when I use Internet Explorer is there something worng with firefox…please don’t tell me to download the communicator to firefox ..is there setting on firefox that need to be installed…thank you …Joel
I DID this — the instructions were in the most recent edition of Popular Science. But I threw the mag away and I can’t remember how I did it. Firefox 3.0.1. I didn’t get much confirmation that the destination was downloaded to my Garmin Nuvi, but it was and when I put it in the car I was able to get the destination.
when a mapquest route is uploaded to the garmin 750 does the spoken street names feature still work?…
Yes, it is no different than if the route was created on the 750.
When using the FM radio feature to hear the Garmin commands through the car speakers on the Garmin 750, you must tune to an unused radio frequency, meaning no music. Is there a way to get the commands thru the speakers and still listen to music?
The only way to do it would be to load music on the GPS and play it. Otherwise if you tune your car stereo to listen to the GPS– it will listen to the GPS.
I have a garmin nuvi 200. How can I get a map from mapquest. It said it has been sent. I can’t find it on my GPS.
Terri – You can send individual locations, but you cannot send a “map” to any GPS and you can only send “routes” to the 700 series and above.
Tim, How do I delete the info that I have in My Data file. The only items left are these info, MapQues with numbers next to them. I don’t want to delete my Favorites just the MapQuest numbers.
Ray, you can find them on the mounted drive when connected via USB. I don’t recall if there is a way to delete them from the device itself– I don’t have one with me right now to test on.
After using the “drag and drop” feature on Mapquest to creat a different route, and sending it to my garmin gps device, I receive the original driving directions. How do I get the new route?
Tom, did you use the Import feature in ‘My Data’ to import the route? I assume you have a Nuvi 500, 700 or 800 series?
I’m having the same trouble. I create a drag-and-drop route in Mapquest, I transfer it to my Nuvi 760, I load it from “My Data”, but the route that appears on my Nuvi is a new route that the GPS has calculated between my start and end points, not the route I had originally plotted in Mapquest.
Steve that is somewhat by design. It is a bit of a misnomer to say that the “route” is transfered. Any “points” used for the route in MapQuest will be sent to the GPS, and then the Nuvi will calculate its own route between those points (aka waypoints). So if you build a route with just a starting address and ending address, the Nuvi could calculate a different route.
If you add a few via points (waypoints) to the route and then send the route, the Nuvi will get the starting address, ending address, and any waypoints you have specified. The more waypoints you build, the less likely the Nuvi will route a different way.
Update. You CAN download a route from MapQuest to Garmin. I just did it to my nuvi 265WT. Now how to access it is another matter.
Well, that is the point. The Nuvi 200 series can’t import the route. So the fact that you can send it to the GPS is pointless because you can’t do anything with it.
There is a fantastic program that allows you to transfer a route created in Google Maps to TomTom called Tyre. You actually create the route within the program, but it uses Google Maps. Then you just save the file to the ITN folder in the TomTom. Is there something similar for Garmin? I have a Zumo 550 for my motorcycle.
T.Y.R.E. will work with Garmin too. Or use Mapquest. Or use Garmin Mapsource.
Very cool. I didn’t realize T.Y.R.E. could be used with the Garmin…but I just got the Garmin so please pardon my ignorance.
Don’t feel bad. Almost no one does. I just happened to notice it mentioned on T.Y.R.E’s website one day when browing thru it.
I created a map in MapQuest and made some changes to the route. When I send it to my GPS it has the original route not the one with my changes. What am I doing wrong?
You might not be doing anything wrong. When you create a route in MapQuest and send it to the GPS, what is sent over is the starting location, destination, and any additional waypoints you add between. The Nuvi then calculates its own route between those points– which may or may not be the same as the route MapQuest picks between those same points. The more waypoints you add to the route in MapQuest the less likely the Nuvi will calculate a different route.
OK. Just picked up my first GPS, a Nuvi 265WT. Perhaps the technology just hasnt advanced as much as I want, or maybe Im not using it the way its intended, but I find that its missing some fundamental routing functions that I want. #1: for local routes where I know the best route from experience, the unit continues to force its best route. #2: it doesnt seem that I can specify an exact route by either specifying one or excluding parallel streets.
Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.