VEHICLE ROUTE PLANNING SYSTEM

Vehicle route planning system (10) has in-vehicle route planning computer (12) which receives trip data, including at least one destination. Trip data is provided to the computer either by wireless communication link (20B) between remotely located radio transmitter (44) and vehicle antenna (20) or by remotely located media writer device (46) writing the trip data on removable storage media device (30) which is then provided to an in-vehicle media reader device (31). Vehicle operator enters trip data into remotely located apparatus (at 40) which translates trip data into electrical signals that are subsequently coupled to the in-vehicle computer (12) which uses data for calculating desired vehicle route to specified destination via fixed road paths. Preferably the system (10) is a vehicle navigation system (10) which utilizes radio receiver apparatus (20, 21) for transmitting the trip data to the in-vehicle computer (12) and also for coupling dynamic route traffice information, other than information specified by the vehicle operator, to the in-vehicle computer (12).