How do I get my Garmin to take me on major highways?

Thanks. So is it better to have Traffic Trends on or off.

Lately, I have found that my Nuvi is taking strange routes. Going around when there is a straight path. Very unusual.

Check your avoidance and your routing preferences.

I have been getting strange routing from Garmin. Downtown in NYC on 7th street and need to get to queens. Garmin has me going uptown to midtown in midday traffic to go through the tunnel. checked Waze and it directed me to williamsburg bridge. faster time and less traffic. may need to start using Waze.

My Garmin likes to go out of her way to take an interstate - I generally have to custom route a better route which is both shorter and faster by not using Interstates at times.

Mine has the option to avoid interstates

One way to possibly solve the problem is to say highway fuel consumption is 90 mpg and city is 10 mpg. Then choose least fuel consumption instead of fastest route. I don't have my Garmin with me, so I don't have the words right, but I came across this years ago.

Also make sure you haven't selected avoid major highways.

interesting problem

I have not selected to avoidvoid highways since the point is that I want to take highways, yet Garmin insists on routing me through the cities instead of around the city on a loop highway.

I live west, slightly north, of Boston. If I want to go south or slightly southwest of Boston, Garmin sends me east of my home to suffer interminable traffic, lights, twisty turns, left-turn only lanes, etc. A virtual nightmare. While there is a very good route going west from home to a highway, and south to a minor state route, which I can then take east to get to my destination. Barely a light in sight, and, at noontime, no traffic.

One solution I've found is that I've saved to my favorites, the junction of my westbound highway and the north/south highway. Then I set my destination. Then I set another destination for this junction and when it asks if it's a new destination or via-point, I select the latter and it takes me to the highway first, then goes the highway route from there.

It still sometimes wants me to get off the highway too soon. So I check out my route on Google maps first; I know when to get off the highway. I stay until the right exit, let Garmin do its "recalculating." Then it's good about giving me good surface street directions to the exact address.

So in effect, I use internet maps to get a big-picture of the route, and use Garmin only for the local streets once I'm close. This is disappointing, but generally works. If I had to travel a long way in unknown territory, though, not so good.

You say you haven't set "highways" as an avoid but you didn't say what you have set as an avoidance. Having things like U-turns, toll roads and carpool lanes set as avoidances can make big differences in how your Nuvi routes around which maybe even more of an issue in and around large urban areas.

Welcome to the site.

We usually recommend the following.

There is a "Learn" button in the upper right of this page next to "red light cameras" that takes you to a Getting Started page. It is worthwhile visiting this page.

To make navigation easy, most browsers provide the following option. When you want to follow a link - but still keep your current page open - you can hold down the "Ctrl" key as you left-click on a link. That action will open a new "Tab" in your browser up on the "Tab" bar. When you then left-click on that new "Tab", you will follow the link - leaving the "Tab" you are now reading open and available to click on and return here.

So, using the "Learn" link, you might try the "Ctrl" - left-click sequence and then return here. You can return by either "X-ing" out of the "Getting Started" page (using the "X" on the "Tab" itself) or just left-clicking on the "Tab" for the page you are on right now.

Note that the Learn Button will give you access to two valuable reference pages -
the "Index" to all of the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and the Glossary of Terms and Links.

Since you are new here, I encourage you to go through a couple of the Tutorials.

The first link makes sure the settings on your computer are such that you can do more advanced POI loading.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30393

The next link helps you make a backup of your GPS by attaching it to your computer. (NEVER do anything to your GPS until you have a backup). It also assures that you put your (newer) unit into a state where you can see all of the folders there.
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30394

In trying to help you understand why your nuvi is not routing the way you think it should, we might be better able to help is we knew exactly what device it is. Your profile is not specific.

Also, the suggestion made by t923347 that you tell us what avoidances (if any) are set on your device will also help us respond to you.

Bear in mind that "shorter distance" is often part of problems such as these. I usually choose "faster time".

Let us know some more details and maybe we can figure it out.