Can you look for alternative routes with Garmin Nuvi 205w??

[Burakiosaurus]

Hi Guys,

I was recently advised to pick up a Garmin Nuvi 205w in Halfords as I just required a basic, entry level Sat Nav for ocassional use and have used friends TomTom's before.

However, I cannot find any way to find an alternative route once I have entered the post code and have been able to do this on every single TomTom model I have borrowed from friends (and they have been models which are 2-3 years old, V1's and V3's I think).

Does anyone if the Nuvi 205w offers this feature? If it doesn't, then I am going to take it back and ask for a refund or to exchange for a Tom Tom as it was missold to me.

Thanks in advance guys

 

[Deleted member 207985]

I have a nuvi 250 and a 625. Both can do as you require and I suspect yours can to.
Having found that the route the nuvi has seleted for you is not what you want; find a place on the route that you want it to take and make that a "Favourite". Now, having told your nuvi to "Go" to the final destination you require, immediatly (or later), go to the menu - Go To - Favourites - find and highlight the extra route point you recently created - You will be asked if you want to make this your new destination, or, use this point as a "via point". select "via point". A new route will now be calculated from where you are to your destination, but the route will include the via point you want.

With my 265 (at least) I can insert more than one via point if needed.

 

[Burakiosaurus]

that does seem awfully fiddly just to get an alternative route up.

My situation is, I live outside of London but often have friends that liveon it's outskirts, so don't want to have to travel in central London to get to them (where the traffic is awful).

I'd rather take the motorway and drive constantly, it might be a longer distance to ge there but will take the same amount of time when you factor traffic in to the equation.

The TomTom had a button which you just pressed and it would calculate an alternative route for you.

Still not sure on this one

 

[Deleted member 207985]

It is not really fiddly, you soon get used to it. The Tom Tom may well calculate an alterative route, but will it really be the one you want? My method ensures it will be Q.E.D.

 

[kipster]

Would changing the route preference settings help, e.g. selecting fast route?

 

[Deleted member 207985]

Would changing the route preference settings help, e.g. selecting fast route?

Your suggestion is a good one. However; in my experience, this will cause the route to be around towns rather than though them - which is usually good (but time of travel may make it not so good). But; even with "faster time" set. Sat navs still have a marked preference for minor country roads - even if they are slow because they are hardly wide enough for one vehical. We have often found ourselves on roads with grass growing down the middle and the hedge rattling both sides of the car! This situation is tolerable if you are not in too much of a hurry and not towing a trailor! I suppose technology has not been able to take the narrowness of a road into account. If that could be done then the satnav could give you the option of avoiding such roads - as does already happen with say "toll roads" or "Motorways"

 

[graygo]

that does seem awfully fiddly just to get an alternative route up.

My situation is, I live outside of London but often have friends that liveon it's outskirts, so don't want to have to travel in central London to get to them (where the traffic is awful).

I'd rather take the motorway and drive constantly, it might be a longer distance to ge there but will take the same amount of time when you factor traffic in to the equation.

The TomTom had a button which you just pressed and it would calculate an alternative route for you.

Still not sure on this one

Why on earth would you use a satnav in this situation?
If a satnav (using complicated algorithms) works out a route and you decide that another way is better then ignore it!

 

[mrash]

This is why you should really look at the navigon range, as it gives you 3 routes to choose from and displays each one graphically as well as giving you time/distance information. The garmins, sadly, while probably the most robust units out there, have lagged behind quite a lot in terms of its software and route calculation.

 

[graygo]

This is why you should really look at the navigon range, as it gives you 3 routes to choose from and displays each one graphically as well as giving you time/distance information. The garmins, sadly, while probably the most robust units out there, have lagged behind quite a lot in terms of its software and route calculation.

Got to disagree with you I'm afraid.

I can't get my head round why you would want 3 different route options!!

When I put a destination into my satnav I want it to tell me the best route not give me a choice of 3 so that I have to decide what's best. Garmin does that!!

 

[mrash]

Got to disagree with you I'm afraid.

I can't get my head round why you would want 3 different route options!!

When I put a destination into my satnav I want it to tell me the best route not give me a choice of 3 so that I have to decide what's best. Garmin does that!!

Well as the OP has said, he wants different route options, as do a lot of people. There are lots of reasons why you would want different route options without having to go through menus and spending 15 mins trying to get the kind of route you want (avoiding tolls, avoiding traffic, avoiding low bridges, using mainly motoryways etc).... They may want the fastest route, shortest route, or most economical route. The navigon gives you choice and shows you a map with a graphical display of all 3 routes clearly and concisely. Just because the garmin doesnt offer it, doesnt mean people dont want it, obviously...