POI's Along a Route

I don't think Garmin allows you specify a distance from your route to search for POIs.

But you can use the "Near" button when searching for POIs to limit the search to your current location, another location, your destination or along your route (the last 2 only being available if the Garmin is in navigation mode. It will display the closest 50 POIs for your search criteria.

For custom pois you can use Extra Poi Editor. You can download Extra Poi Editor at http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor to do what you want. Here is the instructions .

How to include custom pois for a route and save as a GPX file.

1.Using Excel or Notepad make a csv file to include your start, via points and destination point for trip.
2.Open in Extra Poi Editor and save as a Garmin GPX file.
3.Open the GPX file in Mapsource.
4.Select under edit New Route.
5.On left click Insert Waypoint.
6.Go down the waypoints and highlight the first one and click ok.
7.Repeat until all waypoints are now showing. Click ok at top.
8.You will now see your route.
9.Go to file and select save as and select a GPX file.
10.Open the GPX file in Extra Poi Loader http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor
11.Select Merge Open under file and load the custom poi files you want to include in your route.
12.Once all files have been loaded go to edit and select Find Poi on route.
13.You will get a pop up for how far to search off route. Insert the miles for search and click ok.
14.You can go to view and select View all Pois on Map.
15.Once view is completed select close map at bottom.
16.Go to file and select save as Garmin GPX.You now have a file with custom pois with the distance you requested.

Note When you download Extra Poi Editor if you get message about OCX file missing scroll down on the main page and under troubleshooting you will find the Extra Poi Editor Installer that you will need to download.

You can also use the feature on your gps to search along the route but will not narrow it down like the above instructions.

Certainly seems like there would be a demand for Garmin to build in an automated function like Extra Poi. Many people would like to "see" what campgrounds are available near their anticipated stopping point for the day, but few will go through the time consuming process described above. I suppose if you knew exactly what route you were taking and exactly what area you wanted to stop at each day, then you could spend the time and meticulous process to edit your route at the beginning of your trip, but probably not practical for most.

You can also tell the unit to "search along my current route" which will bring up locations near the route of travel. You have to have an active route for this to work and how far off the route it searches I have no idea. My guess from the times I've used it is a mile or two along either side.

If you put the stopping point for your route on the gps you have option to select custom or internal pois at my destination.Also along the route as I posted above.

Edit.Once you start navigation select where to,near at bottom of screen then my destination.Select your custom or internal pois.

Let's play around with this and se if we can do something that you might like.

Let's assume that you want to look at campgrounds near your destination for tommorow.

On the GPS touch
Where To > Near (button at bottom of screen)

Then you will get a screen that shows

• Where I Am Now
• A Different City>
• ---- two other grayed out choices

Note: let's remember that there are the two grayed out choices for later

Select "A Different City" then press Ok

On the next screen, enter the name of the city nearest your destination (which, if it is a campground, will likely be outside the city)

Once you enter the name of the city (for testing I entered Cleveland, so why don't you do that just to follow along) press "Done".

You will see all of the cities whose name is 'Cleveland" - turns out there are 32, by the way. I chose Cleveland OH.

Press the down arrow to get to Extras. Then, pressing Extras will get a screen that says Custom POIs. Press "Custom POIs" and then do what is necessary to select your campground POI file.

You will be shown the 50 campgrounds nearest to Cleveland OH. You will see distance "as the crow flies" and the direction ( N, NE, S etc) from Cleveland OH.

Hopefully this will let you make an informed choice.

Now, remember that there were two options that were grayed out. they were

• My Current Route
• My Destination

If you are navigating, these options would be what you might select.

Great tips and tutorial! I knew there was some way to jump to a destination and search in that vicinity, but had no idea I could search along a route. I guess I need to practice with my hardware before asking dumb questions! I've had the 750 a year or so, but living in a rural area seldom use it unless I'm on a trip. Anyway, thanks to all who responded. I know you have saved me a bunch of time having to discover this stuff on my own!

I must admit that in trying to answer a question, I often come across knowledge that was always there for me to acquire but I had never thought to look.

Thanks to charled45 for getting me thinking about it when he used the word "near".

Or you could just pull up a POI of a place in mind, pick the cloest one (they appear at top of the list as the cloest ones) as you drive along.

It was great. As I recall, there was a box to check and all the custom POI's would just show up on the map. Very nice.

We do a lot of traveling since we have retired so I have a file of Choice Hotels on my Garmin (with their program I have received 6 free nights in downtown LA this year) and usually in the evening I put up my Choice Hotel POI and figure out where we will stop.
As I travel I can enter the state I am in and have Garmin tell me the height of the mountains around me or passes I am going through or I can enter historical markers and be able to read what the markers around me are.
Your GPS is as good as the information you put into it so any problem encountered in finding places must be placed upon the owner. You get what you reap.

If you are driving your route and want to be alerted if a campground is being passed add the word TourGuide at the end of the filename, e.g. KOA TourGuide.gxp. Load files with POI-loader manual mode, set alert for 26,000 feet (approx 5 miles).

Use TourGuide carefully as popular POIs will drive you nuts, e.g. Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Burger King, Seven-Eleven. Maybe set these alerts at 5,280 feet (1 mile).