What is the best map service to use?

[TMETSJETSYT]

Google Maps with Android Auto works just fine for me. I've played with Waze before, but with an albeit small sample size, Google Maps was more accurate on ETAs in the Denver metro.

Normally, I use Apple Maps with Apple CarPlay, this is because the detailing of Apple Maps is better, like it has state highway shields, instead of just normal shields like on google maps, and it shows on a map when a stop sign or light is coming, and it also has other special shields, like NY State Pkwys (Taconic Sate Pkwy, Hutchinson RIver Pkwy, NY Thruway, NJ Tpke, GSP, Atlantic City Expy, and more.)

[TMETSJETSYT]

Yeah, your right.

[Henry]

I'm old-school that way, so Rand McNally for me. But if I have to use a computer or cell phone, I'll just go on Google Maps, because I love being able to see various scenes from actual places in StreetView.

[hbelkins]

A cousin of mine is planning a trip to Vermont, and he's going to start out in Bennington. He's going to use AAA to see how they route him, but I was absolutely amazed to see how Google Maps routed the trip.

My initial thought was I-64/I-79/I-68/I-70/I-81/I-88 to Albany.

Google said to go through Lexington, Cincy, and Columbus. Second choice was staying on I-78 at Harrisburg, then I-287 and the Thruway. Third choice was US 220/I-99 to I-80 to I-81 to I-84 to the Thruway.

[webny99]

A cousin of mine is planning a trip to Vermont, and he's going to start out in Bennington. He's going to use AAA to see how they route him, but I was absolutely amazed to see how Google Maps routed the trip.

My initial thought was I-64/I-79/I-68/I-70/I-81/I-88 to Albany.

Google said to go through Lexington, Cincy, and Columbus. Second choice was staying on I-78 at Harrisburg, then I-287 and the Thruway. Third choice was US 220/I-99 to I-80 to I-81 to I-84 to the Thruway.

What in particular is amazing about that routing? It's pretty straightforward, and if not for truck traffic, you could pretty much set cruise control all the way from Columbus to Albany.

[Rothman]

A cousin of mine is planning a trip to Vermont, and he's going to start out in Bennington. He's going to use AAA to see how they route him, but I was absolutely amazed to see how Google Maps routed the trip.

My initial thought was I-64/I-79/I-68/I-70/I-81/I-88 to Albany.

Google said to go through Lexington, Cincy, and Columbus. Second choice was staying on I-78 at Harrisburg, then I-287 and the Thruway. Third choice was US 220/I-99 to I-80 to I-81 to I-84 to the Thruway.

Terrain is much easier and roads much faster taking the Ohio route.

[hbelkins]

A cousin of mine is planning a trip to Vermont, and he's going to start out in Bennington. He's going to use AAA to see how they route him, but I was absolutely amazed to see how Google Maps routed the trip.

My initial thought was I-64/I-79/I-68/I-70/I-81/I-88 to Albany.

Google said to go through Lexington, Cincy, and Columbus. Second choice was staying on I-78 at Harrisburg, then I-287 and the Thruway. Third choice was US 220/I-99 to I-80 to I-81 to I-84 to the Thruway.

What in particular is amazing about that routing? It's pretty straightforward, and if not for truck traffic, you could pretty much set cruise control all the way from Columbus to Albany.

You're going out of your way west to end up going east. A routing through Lexington or Cincinnati is not something I would logically consider for any destination to the east of me.

I'm pretty sure that Google has told me in the past to go through Lexington and Cincy to get to Erie, when my logical thought would be to go through Charleston on I-79.

[1995hoo]

^^^^

Agreed. That's one reason I don't think any one particular service is "best" –it depends on your specific needs at any given moment.

I will say I was messing with the street view type feature for Lower Manhattan on Apple Maps the other day and I liked the way it was in a pop out window with the map still available to allow for easily dragging the map to move the camera location. Google Street View has been, I guess I'd say inconsistent lately–sometimes getting the camera to move at all is very difficult.

Following up on the comment above, I was just playing with Apple Maps' street view feature on my iPhone. Here's a screenshot of what I meant about the pop-out window showing the street view. Rather than dragging the binoculars around, you can slide the whole map if desired.

[jeffandnicole]

A cousin of mine is planning a trip to Vermont, and he's going to start out in Bennington. He's going to use AAA to see how they route him, but I was absolutely amazed to see how Google Maps routed the trip.

My initial thought was I-64/I-79/I-68/I-70/I-81/I-88 to Albany.

Google said to go through Lexington, Cincy, and Columbus. Second choice was staying on I-78 at Harrisburg, then I-287 and the Thruway. Third choice was US 220/I-99 to I-80 to I-81 to I-84 to the Thruway.

What in particular is amazing about that routing? It's pretty straightforward, and if not for truck traffic, you could pretty much set cruise control all the way from Columbus to Albany.

You're going out of your way west to end up going east. A routing through Lexington or Cincinnati is not something I would logically consider for any destination to the east of me.

I'm pretty sure that Google has told me in the past to go through Lexington and Cincy to get to Erie, when my logical thought would be to go through Charleston on I-79.

If you're using Google Maps, it's very much operates as "at this time, do this". If it's not the most logical routing, there could be certain issues along what would appear to be the most logical route. If there's a crash causing a road to be closed, that issue going on now isn't going to be an issue when the trip is actually taken.

It also doesn't think ahead.  If you're looking at an 8 hour route leaving at 4pm, it's probably going to detour you around certain cities and areas that are experiencing rush hour congestion.  When you get to that area at, say, 9 or 10 PM, the quickest route probably won't be the same route Google Maps was telling you at 4pm.

That said, since the friend is in the planning stage, they can look at Google Maps at different times of the day to determine how traffic tends to be at those times.  This is obviously going to be way more trouble than what most people will do when planning a trip, but it's better than looking at the route once and basing their travels on that "in the moment" review.

[vdeane]

^ There's also the "depart at" feature that allows one to set a date/time to begin the trip but then instead of a single time, they give a range (I'm curious if the long range is the one where the person never exceeds the speed limit, but have never been able to confirm that).  As such, I still find it to be easier to look at Google Maps at a similar time/day of week as to when I plan to take the trip.

It's worth noting that Google's congestion factoring isn't real time, but based on when it expects you to get somewhere given the departure time.