Driving route software
 

I am looking for a program where I can input addresses and have them sorted into the fastest route order for driving. I am currently using Ubuntu 9.04, Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, so I can get my windows machine off my desk.

just use google maps or something like that. No need for dedicated installed software really anymore.

Does Google maps allow for multiple stops? Like 20?

Last month I went on vacation and was planning multiple stops on Mapquest and it had a limit. When I did a Google search for routing it took me to a site that did the route for $5. You'd think if Google Maps could do it they'd have sent me there.

the problem is I need to route this stuff several times a month,I'm a field rep for a property management office and have to deliver notices to people who don't pay their rent...we manage like 600 units all over L.A. county.

Responding to my own post:
I found that Google Maps does allow for up to 25 stops. It doesn't have a route optimizer but since you can see the stops on the map you can move stops around from A-Y. Pain in the wazoo for doing it on the regular basis but for my one time need in July it would have been fine.

Mapquest actually allows for this somewhat as well but not as many stops. (On the other hand they have a "move up"/"move down" feature so you don't have to do the cut and paste to move things around I had to do on Google Maps.

This might be a good OSS project. One of my neighbors recently got a job where he had to demo some products at every Home Depot and Lowes in the state. He asked me If I knew of any web sites that would allow him to enter all the addresses (preferably in a CSV file) and then decide the most efficient route to take. As the OP said, mapquest and google maps allow you to enter around 25 but they only give you the directions in the order you enter them, no real route optimization unless you do it yourself. I'm interested in working on something like this. I'm sure the major shipping companies FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.. must be using some commercial route logistics software but I hadn't come across anything free/web based. If anyone does know of a free web based app that meets this need please chime in.

I'm not so much concerned about free or web based,I used to use MS Streets and Trips, where all you do is set your start point enter all the addresses then choose your end point and hit optimize route. It was great but I don't use windows anymore at my office, nor do I want to.

There is a web site for this and it allows you to import an Excel file. That is what I actually used for my July trip. It was $5 for the one time use but they also have subscription service available if one is using it more than once. Tip - Don't put your home location in the spreadsheet as it asks for the home after the upload and seemed to get a bit confused by it. Also it allows you to download to Garmin and other devices - I didn't do that.

http://www.trackroad.com/