Travel Planning Resources

Routing around construction would be nice, but that isn't a GPS option. I use Streets & Trips to plan my long distance routes which has the ability to display areas having construction. Not all areas are shown, and the unit won't automatically reroute as many locations are not in areas covered by the unit's traffic coverage.

Knowing where construction is helps, but many times there is no effective way to avoid those work zones. The best advice for driving in them is to slow down and observe the construction zone speed limits. Many areas are now aggressively enforcing those lower speed limits.

The traffic option on some GPS units might be helpful, but that only works when you are approaching the problem. By that time it is too late to avoid, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area.

I have found that the Department of Transport sites for most states serves as the best source for construction information. I tend to start planning our big trips several months in advance, so checking these sites is part of the planning process. As stated above, sometimes there is NO way to avoid construction tie-ups!

I use MS Streets & Trips and Mapsource to plan my LONG trips.
With Streets & Trips you can put in time elements for your stops such as overnights etc and program in Rest Stops, lunch breaks to get a more accurate assessment of total travel time.

Have a 33 day - 7000 mile trip to Canadian Maritimes planned for May-June. Using S&T took the pain out of planning.

I agree with MRken I use S&T and it makes for better trip planning and in most cases shows where construciton is so you can plan for it or try to go around. Makes planning more fun.

I also use MS Streets & Trips. When you put in your trip, it will do a snap-shot of construction along your planned route at that particular time. When you get ready to actually leave do a refresh and check for updated info. Another useful tool is to call the Highway patrol in the state you come into (they usually post on the hwy the number like *HP, etc) and check the construction status with them - I've used this many times with great success.
I've found the traffic on my Garmin to be great if you're in areas like Atlanta that provide the FM info on traffic, but out in the boondocks or many smaller cities/towns there is no traffic/construction that I'm aware of with the traffic function.

Actually, maybe Garmin ought to consider something like this with their connected GPS units. When you enter a route, it could check the State DOT web pages for what ever states that you would travel through, and detour around areas under construction!

Hope this doesn't sound too old-fashioned, but the AAA online Trip-Tik has very complete information about construction. If you're a AAA member, website access is free and well worth the membership cost, especially when you add in the discounts and roadside assistance. (Sorry if this sounds a bit like a commercial!)

Also, on a trip last summer we noticed that the Garmin unit routed us around a construction area, so I think the Traffic feature does some of that if there's actually any time savings. Maybe not as well as some of the other programs, but it does have that capability.

The solution lies with your Garminfone. With that you have access to android apps such as Google Maps, Waze, etc. which will alert you to real time traffic delays including construction.

In addition to those identified in previous posts, you can find lots of information and links regarding national traffic and road closures at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/index.htm#trff.

The nationwide information available there includes, but is not limited to: Intellicast Highway Conditions, National Weather Service, Weather Channel Travel Weather, Smart-Traveler Information, Traffic.com, TravelForecast.com, I-95 Corridor Coalition Traveler Information, I-95 SafeTrip-21 Long Distance Trip Planning Web Site, I-95 Travelers Alert, and links to all State DOTs.

Then, there is "511", the Federal Communications Commission’s designated nationwide three-digit telephone number for traveler information.

I also used the AAA trip Planner along with Mapsource to plan my trip to Myrtle Beach this past October.

However, these sites show where the construction is supposed to be and it usually gives the entire stretch that the contract is stated to be. It's still a crap shoot.

You could avoid the construction and learn that the delays were so minor that it cost you more time than it saved. Patience can often be a virtue in these cases, so just slow down and stay observant of the traffic.

That is a great tip. Perhaps Garmin should consider incorporating that into the connected Gramin Nuvi 1695!

haven't used AAA Trip-Tik since I traveled to Houston Tex and they had me take the scenic view of Texarkana, and sat and waited 20 minutes for a train to pass, when it they had sent me down one more exit on the express way I would have missed it all.

As I remember, there's been a lot of construction in Texarkana. I remember last summer we got all screwed up because the Garmin didn't have the temporary roads created by all the construction. Maybe AAA is having the same problem. I've generally had great success with AAA, but that's not to say it's perfect.

WAZE ... try it out ... new crowd sourced traffic and road map. Owned by Google Maps. App for smart phones

I use S&T as well, and set scheduled stops every 2 hours for 15 minutes. These stops won't put you at a rest area or specific exit, but it helps with the time planning, to give a reasonable idea of where you will end up for the night.

I make sure that I show my start time and stop times for each day, to improve timing. I then use EPE to force the route that I want and that includes each day's night stop. I set each day's night stop as my daily final destination. This is not perfect, but it gives you a sense about how long until you get there. When I'm within about 2-3 hours, I hit McD's or any place with free wifi and book a motel. If I'm way off, I alter my plans.

I've also used CAA/AAA Trip Tik which also shows construction. However, I have found that construction info is not always accurate. If you plan to route around it, you might find it's either already done or hasn't started. Any bypasses might be almost as busy as the main road. Traffic on the Garmin can help and it will give you a warning about construction and other delays.

Microsoft no longer supports S&T. Can you still get traffic?

From what I have tried no there is no more support for highway construction.

The last few times I tried, it didn't appear to download anything, and when finished, it set up the same Data Out of Date message.

Okay if I toot my own horn here?
An excellent alternative to Microsoft S&T is Road Trip Planner for the Mac:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/road-trip-planner/id80507124...
It uses Apple Maps, which is getting better, and will mention any road problems, such as road construction or closed due to bad weather. There's also a free iPhone viewer app for it. If you read the reviews you'll see it has a few converts from MS S&T.
I'm tooting because I wrote the app.

Go ahead. Toot away.

Does it require an internet connection? If it does, it's not a replacement for S&T. I'm sure you did a great job, though.