

Southampton, UK to Edinburgh, UK - Google Maps - billpg
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=southampton&daddr=Edinburgh&hl=en&geocode=FYa_CAMdnpbq_ykJKRW-V4lzSDHwcdpMalqMpw%3BFWC7VQMdsFzP_ykjJpilALiHSDEnF-d8exTyZA&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=53.422628,-2.438965&sspn=6.916865,18.962402&ie=UTF8&ll=53.028,-0.285645&spn=6.980744,18.962402&z=6

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RiderOfGiraffes
I don't actually see what's wrong with that. If you ask to walk from
Southampton to Edinburgh it's going to give you the fastest route. Obviously
it includes the possibility of ferries, and so it's found the fastest route is
via France, Dover and Belgium.

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jvdh
If you're going to allow ferries, why not include trains? That's obviously
much faster and more direct.

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obeattie
I imagine it would if Google Maps had National Rail data for the UK

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bmunro
Google's directions from Sydney to Hobart take you to Hobart, IN, USA via
Japan and ask you to "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean", twice.

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&...](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=from:+sydney+to:hobart&sll=-33.623581,151.150117&sspn=0.036307,0.084543&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=2)

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francoisdevlin
Three times, actually. It counts Australia to Japan as Kayaking the Pacific.

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_0ffh
Actually, that's quite impressive. Though probably not the expected result,
it's surely faster than walking the whole way... =)

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edd
Google will often suggest ferry as a means to get somewhere when you try for a
walking route. Which as you point out is faster than walking the whole way. I
wish it could also take into account more public transport options though as I
am sure a direct train would also be fairly fast and require less passport
control.

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NickPollard
Plane would be quicker, my Dad used to commute (weekly) from Southampton to
Edinburgh. It's about 40minutes by air.

It would great to have something compute the 'fastest possible travel' from A
to B, including as many types of travel as possible. That way you could
compare train/ferry/plane/car/etc. for long journeys and optimize accordingly.

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arethuza
I like that the fact that once the ferry arrives at Rosyth it sends you up the
Forth and over the Kincardine Bridge rather than over the Forth Road bridge
that you would have just sailed under.

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tommorris
The alternative route where you walk across England to Birkenhead and then
take the ferry to Belfast is also pretty awesome. Four and a half days! Thank
you, Google Maps Chaucer Edition.

I know the train is expensive, but it may be worth it to get to Edinburgh in
seven hours rather than 3-4 days...

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clawrencewenham
The directions take you to Boundstone Ln in Lancing. I went to school at
Boundstone Community College on that street (actually just a High School with
some extra-cred classes). I'd walk the whole length of it twice a day because
I lived on Leconfield Road just off the southern hairpin, just after you get
on Sompting road.

So I've walked/cycled a fraction of that route at least a few hundred times.

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kez
To quote directly from the above link:

"Walking directions are in beta."

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edw519
Slightly off-topic, but not really...

This reminds me of a customer of mine who needed to rent 3 passenger vans to
move 20 of his people between the airport, hotel, and office for a project in
another city.

It cost $10 per day to equip each van with a GPS, but he didn't know how many
days he would need. Or he could just buy a GPS at Office Depot for $90, put in
into the lead van, and have the other 2 vans follow. Or just buy 3 GPS's in
case the vans didn't travel together. Their PHB asked me which made more
sense.

I told him to print google directions between the 3 locations and give them to
everyone. Free.

That would have required planning ahead. Instead, they bought the GPS's. I
don't work there anymore.

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frazerb
Love it. Also worth trying Southampton to Swansea :)

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srgseg
This really can't be right though...

[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=sou...](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=southampton&daddr=New+Mallow+Rd%2FN20+to:Edinburgh&geocode=FYa_CAMdnpbq_ykJKRW-V4lzSDHwcdpMalqMpw%3BFRJ4GAMd7Ix9_w%3BFWC7VQMdsFzP_ykjJpilALiHSDEnF-d8exTyZA&hl=en&mra=mr&via=1&dirflg=w&sll=51.68618,0.637207&sspn=12.246571,26.279297&ie=UTF8&ll=51.206883,-0.241699&spn=12.374799,26.279297&z=6)

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robinduckett
I would downvote you if I could, because you added a destination in ireland
for a walking route from southhampton.

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danparsonson
Indeed - who'd have thought that attempting to answer a silly question would
result in a silly answer?

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robinduckett
There are no silly questions or answers, just silly comments.

