GPS routing for Denmark

[patricktaylor]

We're at the planning stage of our Denmark tour in May. On last year's tour we often got lost trying to find the cycle route on the way out of a town. Once you're on the route it's mostly fine but over two weeks we wasted a few hours going the wrong way, or asking for directions from people who don't speak English or who didn't know the way themselves.

However, on Bikely (and other online routing websites that rely on Google Maps), the Danish cycle routes are not marked, so you can't plot a GPS route along them. From Esbjerg to Viborg, for example, you can clearly see the cycle route on Google Earth, but not on Google Maps.

So I'm thinking of giving up on this one and just using a paper map like last year, with the eTrex Legend HCx + City Navigator Europe map purely to display where we are, or perhaps to record our track instead. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's toured Denmark with a GPS, especially whether there's a way to plan a GPS route along the Danish cycle routes (or another way to navigate using the GPS).

[andrew_s]

Have a look at Denmark on http://www.openstreetmap.org/index.html

The mapping isn't complete so you'd probably want Garmin CN as backup, but quite a lot of cycle routes seem to be on.
In the UK you can get predigested Garmin extracts (eg from http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps) that will route along cycle routes. You should be able to find Danish data somewhere without having to get into downloading it fromOSM and converting it yourself.
eg look at this site: http://openmtbmap.org/about/autorouting/

[sbseven]

Following on from andrew_s comment, BikeRouteToaster will show OSM mapping (standard and cycle specific). It will also autoroute using the OSM data (including cycle routes) rather than the google data if required. This assumes, of course, that the OSM mapping is good enough in the areas you are travelling.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_ ... n/Download lists some OSM garmin map (gmapsupp.img) downloads including the one mentioned above. There are also others who do the same thing not on that list.

Shaun

[patricktaylor]

Thanks for the replies. Still investigating.

I've just noticed my City Navigator Europe NT microSD card is for Benelux + France, and only shows main roads in Denmark, which I think is from the Garmin base map, not from the SD card.

So I'm thinking of buying Europe NT City Navigator 2010 on DVD, which apparently now shows Denmark in full detail (although there's also a Nordic version of City Navigator). Maybe I can use this DVD in MapSource and plot the route on my PC, then upload it to the device, assuming the DVD version shows cycle routes as well as roads. Even if it doesn't, I might still manage.

Does a DVD version of City Navigator also allow me to load the map to my GPS?

[Mark_C]

It's possible to plot a path in Google Earth, save as a .kml file and then use (free) conversion software to a generate .gpx file. This can then be imported into the eTrex as a route.

If you opt for direct routing, as opposed to auto routing, in practice, you will be able to follow the route with the eTrex even in you don't have the detailed Garmin maps.

[patricktaylor]

It's possible to plot a path in Google Earth, save as a .kml file and then use (free) conversion software to a generate .gpx file. This can then be imported into the eTrex as a route ...

Gosh. You're right. I've done it. What is neat about this is how you can limit the number of trackpoints to where you actually click on the route.

Many thanks.

[andrew_s]

With the DVD version of City Navigator, you register it and your GPS with Garmin via the interweb (you send them the ID of the CD and the ID of the GPS, they return an unlock code that allows data download). Once this is done. you can download chunks of the data onto an SD card and use it in your GPS. The card is usable only with the GPS you registered. When I got my DVD copy, you could register with two different GPSs, so it was your choice whether you shared with someone else or kept the second registration back in case of a GPS upgrade or failure. The DVD maps themselves can be installed on any PC - it's just the download of data onto a usable card that is restricted. It may be that now you only get one GPS unlock code per DVD - check.
A 1GB SD card will hold routable data for UK, Ireland, France, Benelux, Spain, Portugal (more or less). Data is sold preloaded on card for pairs/groups of countries - UK&Ireland, Spain&Portugal, France&Benelux etc. If you have to buy 3 cards, the DVD would have been cheaper (or it would last time I checked prices).

[ebygomm]

Hi, we did most of the Danish section of the North Sea Cycle Route last year.

We took paper maps (in the form of a North Sea Cycle Book) with us, but we hardly ever referred to them whilst on the road, they were more for planning breaks, overnight stops etc. There were very few places where the signs were missing and we had to double check the direction.

We took our gps just to measure what we did along the way

If you do want to plot your route I'd second the recommendation of bike route toaster, I plotted some sections of the route using this once we got back as we weren't always able to charge the gps.

The route we did is available here as a gpx file

http://www.ebygomm.ourownlittleworld.or ... Day1-5.gpx

Trip report is here, with gpx files for individual days

http://www.ebygomm.ourownlittleworld.or ... cle-route/

[patricktaylor]

Andrew, thank you. That's very helpful. I'll probably buy City Navigator Europe NT on DVD. It's about £65 and includes Denmark. Even if I plot the route beforehand (visually on Google Earth, say) the detailed map will be there if needed, and I suppose we might change course en route and switch to Autorouting.

As I'd like to track the actual route taken, I might get another GPS purely for that purpose.

Mind you, it was fun last time, asking people the way. I asked an elderly non-English speaking Danish chappie which way to Brande? He didn't know what I meant, so I tried: "Brande? Brunde? Brander? Brende? Brant?". Then he twigged: "Ahhh... Brrrrrrrrrande!" Another time, a Danish cyclist led us along back roads for about 10 miles of shortcut towards the place we wanted to go. So you get to meet the people by not knowing the way.

ebygomm - thanks too. I agree, re bike route toaster but it doesn't seem to include cycle routes as such. We tended to miss the cycle route signs mostly when cycling out of towns. BTW I enjoyed your website.

[ebygomm]

We tended to miss the cycle route signs mostly when cycling out of towns

The north sea cycle route doesn't really pass through many larger towns, so there wasn't normally a choice of routes in and out so I guess that helped us too

I'll get the other half to search round some Danish websites (he's Danish) to see if there's anywhere that has the cycle routes electronically. Is there any area in particular you are interested in?

[patricktaylor]

... Is there any area in particular you are interested in?

Jutland and Funen at present. Still planning though.