Google Maps: walking directions

[Terry Pinnell]

I've frequently used Google Maps for driving directions but only just
looked at its alternative for WALKING. Anyone else tried this please? I
have a couple of initial queries:

1. It appears to assume an average walking speed of 3 mph for any walk.
Unrealistic in my experience. A walk of say 12 miles would take me over 5
hours, not 4, assuming occasional rest stops. Including 'comfort' stops -
although those might prove problematic, because...

2. It also assumes walking entirely on roads. In many cases these are
country lanes with no pavements/sidewalks and quite frequently bounded by
hedges or ditches etc, with little opportunity to escape traffic.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[Roger Chapman]

I try to avoid walking on roads as far as possible but when I do I
suspect my average speed would be closer to 4 mph than 3 unless the
roads are seriously hilly. Out hillwalking and 2.2 mph or thereabouts is
what the gps average usually shows and for the short walks I do these
days I can almost guarantee to beat my old enemy Naismith's time. (20
minutes for every mile plus 30 minutes for every 1000 feet of ascent).

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Walton Hill.
101 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

[Ben]

On 16/03/2011 13:42, Terry Pinnell wrote:

It completely ignores public footpaths/bridleways (unless they happen to
conincide with some sort of road, even if it's just a farm track).
Therefore, for the kind of walking we're talking about in this
newsgroup, it's pretty much useless.