Difference between Zumo and Google Maps

[R800]

Hi there,

trying to sort out a few routes in Scotland and having a bit of an issue...

One route: Fortwilliam - Mallaig Ferry - Loop of Skye - over Skye bridge to Plockton.

Garmin Zumo 350 319km and 4hr10min

Google Maps route planner 316km and 5hr554min

Very confusing. Which one is more accurate or which one is more realistic on a motorcycle???

Cheers
Rory

 

[leedude03]

they will never be exactly the same due to their routing engines being different, how do you have the zumo set up, (shorter distance/faster time avoid motorways). . have you made the route up in basecamp or mapsource, or just on the zumo?, if using any of the maping programs including google maps its yourself who has the last say on where the route takes you, unless you are just using a point from a to b and letting the prog decide.
as to what is the best route drag your little man down to street view in google maps and have a look around the routes to give you an idea.

You may find a few routes in this file from a earlier post.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jemh0pw57h... uk.gpx?dl=0

 

[Wapping]

The routes differ by only 3km over their total length of more than 300km. That's a difference of under 1%, so (for the sake of anything better) let's assume that they are near enough following the same roads. If you'd post a detailed picture (or better still a link) of the two routes we'd maybe be able to see if that is a reasonable assumption to make or not.

Staying with the assumption, the only difference between the two is the time taken, which differs by 1 hour and 40 minutes; a considerable difference. The reason can be as simple as one or both of the pieces of software has made a mistake in its calculation. How long do you think it will take you to ride / drive 315 or 320km, not forgetting that the times displayed are probably non-stop?

Other posissibilities include:

The two different pieces software have significantly different average speed assumptions. Your Garmin device maybe knows that you are a hooner par excellence, so has significantly reduced its estimation of the time you'll take

One of the two has no inbuilt speed limit knowledge over some of the roads, so it guesses.

There is a simple plotting error between the route created in Google maps, over that created on your Garmin device

Something else, up to and including demonic possession

 

[R800]

Well they both appear to be exactly the same routes, Iv chosed specific roads etc not just point to point...
Iv also created the map in Google maps and uploaded it to the zumo and still the same difference...

And all routes I try seem to have the same difference... If it's 40 mins on Google, it's 30 on the garmin and roughly the same ratio the whole way up...

 

[Wapping]

There you go, then. It's a difference in their average speed assumptions. The whys and wherefores will remain forever a closed door and best left that way. Once opened, who knows what other mysteries will escape to torment us.

 

[leedude03]

Not knowing your exact routes i have made a best guess and calculated two routes one in map source and one in google, google gave me 6hr 12min and map source gave me at first attempt 4hrs 48min, i then adjusted the traveling speeds in mapsource by 10mph lower and got a result of 5hrs 50min, i can only presume that google will be taking in road conditions and traffic this may be causing the difference in time, there is also your ferry time to take into account google may differ from base camp.
My routes are just rough so end and start are not identical.

maps below

 

[spm0912]

Very confusing. Which one is more accurate or which one is more realistic on a motorcycle???

The answer is neither. Route planning software is designed to get you from A to B in the least time, as has been said depending on the parameters that are set there will be sometimes large differences in route, time and distance and of course in the real world there will be other variables that will affect the time taken. FWIW I've always found Google route planner to over estimate the time it will take, Base camp is nearly there but you need to be nudging over the posted speed limits for most of the journey, easy in France, not so in the congested bits of the UK, Tom Tom with iq routes is I've found the most realistic but it will still only route you on the bigger faster roads which are not the best biking roads usually.
So, get a paper map (or look at the via michelin website), plot your route using whatever info you can get to sue out the better biking roads then get onto Base camp and plot your waypoints, then shape the route to fit your planned roads. Voila you will now have a route with an estimated duration, take that as a guide, add time for stops and be realistic about where it is you're riding (Scotland = less traffic=more likely to be riding at posted speed limits). I know the area you are planning to ride in has fewer roads so you're choices are limited but you'd be surprised how many stunning biking roads you'll miss by following sat nav routing software

 

[Tomcat]

Hi there,

trying to sort out a few routes in Scotland and having a bit of an issue...

One route: Fortwilliam - Mallaig Ferry - Loop of Skye - over Skye bridge to Plockton.

Garmin Zumo 350 319km and 4hr10min

Google Maps route planner 316km and 5hr554min

Very confusing. Which one is more accurate or which one is more realistic on a motorcycle???

Cheers
Rory

I reckon on averaging 40mph on non motorway roads, maybe a little more if there are few towns and villages. If you're travelling with a group add in time for coffee and lunch stops, if you're by yourself you might get in a coffee & fuel stop and still maintain the 40mph average. The 40mph assumes you stick to town speed limits but take liberties on open roads. So on this basis your route would be about 5 hours.

 

[AberdeenAngus]

One includes ferry time and the other doesn't.

 

[Wreford Miles]

For the route in question...

I'd suggest memorising the three or four (if you want detail) turns in your head, switch the satnav off and enjoy the view

 

[AberdeenAngus]

For the route in question...

I'd suggest memorising the three or four (if you want detail) turns in your head, switch the satnav off and enjoy the view

What he said. You ain't going to get lost and you can't keep to any hard schedule. Just explore and enjoy!

 

[R800]

Not knowing your exact routes i have made a best guess and calculated two routes one in map source and one in google, google gave me 6hr 12min and map source gave me at first attempt 4hrs 48min, i then adjusted the traveling speeds in mapsource by 10mph lower and got a result of 5hrs 50min, i can only presume that google will be taking in road conditions and traffic this may be causing the difference in time, there is also your ferry time to take into account google may differ from base camp.
My routes are just rough so end and start are not identical.

maps below

They seem to be exactly the routes I tried.... How would I adjust the travelling speeds on the zumo directly or is that possible?

 

[R800]

That's just not how I like to do it... Iv done some pretty big trips compared to this and have experimented with using gps and not and for me, I get a lot more out of the trip if I get a prompt through my sena every so often to take a turn etc.

With only a few days, needing to get to certain accomodation and making ferries, I want to make the most of the trip. Also found I was wasting time in not so great places when Icoujd have been somewhere nicer when just winging it!

But it's different strokes for different folks, just my thing

 

[leedude03]

They seem to be exactly the routes I tried.... How would I adjust the travelling speeds on the zumo directly or is that possible?

Not 100% on this but as far as i know you can only adjust your driving speeds via mapsource or basecamp, i dont know if they are transfered via the route when its sent to the gps device, logic would tell me it is not, your gps should give you a time scale that will of course alter as you go slower or faster or even after a stop.
Maybe just keep an eye on your destination arrival time.

 

[Pablo1]

In mapsource, click on edit menu top lhs of screen, select preferences, select routing, click on driving speeds, voila.

 

[leedude03]

In mapsource, click on edit menu top lhs of screen, select preferences, select routing, click on driving speeds, voila.

.

just curious does this apply to the question, (quote) How would I adjust the travelling speeds on the zumo directly or is that possible.

 

[Sleepy]

.

just curious does this apply to the question, (quote) How would I adjust the travelling speeds on the zumo directly or is that possible.

It's not possible.

 

[steve hughes]

Does Google maps interrogate current traffic and allow for that. It certainly does on my phone.

 

[Wapping]

The bod's plan involves Scotland. They don't have traffic.

 

[DerekP]

As a slightly separate question; does the Zumo calculate your average speed from your previous "performance"? I've noticed on a regular fast trip of 200 miles to the south that the Zumo estimate seems to be a little shorter each time I go. Imagination? I'm not sure! Cheers, Derek

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