When baby boomer travelers are on a road trip, do they prefer a map or GPS to get them to their destination?

We are in the beginning planning stages of another road trip with our great friends from Michigan.  As I was contemplating our destinations, and beginning to formulate routes, distances, lunch stops, hotels, and such, I began to wonder how other baby boomer travelers map their routes.  Do they use a map, or a GPS as they travel?

We polled nearly 17,000 fans on our Facebook page and found that 25% of them use paper maps, 15% of them use a GPS, 2% of them print out a Google Map/MapQuest, and a whopping 58% of them responded that they use both a map and GPS during their travels.

58% of Boomer Travelers use Map and GPS During Road Trips!

Here’s a few of their responses:

• Joey –  Both!!! Usually GPS, we call her ‘Wanda’ since she helps us wander about the country!
• Peggy –  Both. GPS loses signal in some areas of the mountains so you are out of luck if you don’t have a paper roadmap.
• Keith –  Whatever gets me there!
• Cindi – Both. I love my GPS, especially in cities and towns that are new to me, but I grew up with paper maps (and a father who was civil engineer) and I still love using maps and atlases to plan the details of a road trip (often in conjunction with Internet mapping programs).
• Barbara –  Map for long distances but GPS for finding a specific address in the city
• Erika –  I use Gypsy, the little lady who lives in my iPhone.
• Cheryl –  Both – don’t totally trust the GPS, it’s taken me down some crazy paths!!
• Grannies on Safari –  We love both! Something so organic and real about unfolding a good old fashioned map!
• Tango Diva –  Both! But there is nothing more fun to look at than a paper map on a long trip.
• Judy –  I’ve got gypsy in me.  Just go the way I want to go.  More fun!
• Sharon – Combination of both…Mainly using the paper map to verify that the GPS knows what it’s doing!!!!!!
• Ralph & Marjorie – Record the map directions on smart phone then just have wife play it…

How we do it: Map or GPS?

• We always start with Google Maps to determine our destination, routes, and most importantly, the time and distance from destination to destination.  There’s nothing worse than spending all of your time in the car and not out exploring.  We try to keep our time in the car no more than 4-6 hours/day, if possible.
• During our trip, we have our destinations plugged into the GPS.  However, as many have eluded to above, we like to have a physical map in our possession should the GPS not pick our desired route, or, as sometimes happens, sending us to “God knows where”.

How about you?  When you’re on the road, do you prefer a map, GPS, or both?

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