Path and procedures to other planets/moons

[Bothersome]

Anyone got any most efficient tips on what way to get to say Jool or other planets from low orbit Kerbin?

In other words, there are many ways to get there, but one is usually most efficient for fuel or time, but not usually both.

For instance, I plotted a course to leave low orbit from the Mun to Jool with only about 1850 dv. But it requires first getting to the moon. Which seems to be a waste. There are other paths that can be much more efficient. Straight out from Kerbin but would need a large boost in dv on the last orbit before escape. What is generally the best way? Using the Mun for a sling shot doesn't appear to be the best way. Sure it saves a bit on Kerbin escape, but then you have to add a ton of dv (usually about 2500 or so) after. Going straight from low Kerbin orbit seems to work better but requires a quick and fast burn to stay on course.

Just want to know your way, why it's best. Thanks.

[Pulstar]

Due to the oberth effect burning from a Low Kerbin Orbit is definitely the most efficient way. As you mentioned the problem is that you need lots of thrust but there is a simple solution, you do multiple burns at the periapsis which will form where you burned. Still, depending on where you want to get to you may not have enough time to finish that. Then I recommend doing it the lazy and inefficient approach of getting into a bare-minimum solar orbit outside of kerbin's SoI and planning a transfer burn from there, at the very least those burns tend to be more accurate so you waste less time saving/reloading.

[Crush]

When going to the outer planets like Jool, doing a gravity-assist around Duna can save some fuel. But while this might even save mission-time, it costs you real-world time, because a gravity-assist maneuver takes a lot of time to plan and execute.

[Jason Patterson]

Is it safe to assume you know about launch windows and the like? http://ksp.olex.biz/ gives reasonably good ejection and phase angles for making interplanetary burns. It's definitely cheapest to make your burn from LKO. It ought to be possible to set up a gravity assist past the Mun that gets you there, but getting the launch window right so that the minimal amount of delta-v gained from your Mun flyby actually helps you is tough. A gravity assist from another planet is also possible, but those kinds of things almost never happen to line up right and you wind up wasting more fuel getting there in the long run.

[Bothersome]

Thanks guys, Wonderful answers you gave me. I had suspected the same but was unsure if there were a more efficient method.

Catching a moon acceleration would be tricky on the timing. I usually don't have that kind of dedication to it. Right now I'm setting up a test burn from the very edge of Kerbin SOI (still an orbit but just barely). Then I'm gonna race in and sling away. I set my apoapsis toward the sun so that when I race in at Kerbin, I hope to sling out at about 90 degrees or more to the east (the direction Kerbin is traveling around the sun). If I sling back inward to the sun a little, it will be ok. It just shortens my mission time a bit by not taking such a long way around the sun.

By the way, I'm "trying" to do this with Ion engines on a 70 ton craft (car and lander). I figure I'll have to start the "burn" five hours or so before periapsis. Since I won't have the time to burn at periapsis. My total burn time (Xenon Gas) on the craft is 9.6 hours. I've estimated I'd only need 6.5 to 7 hours worth to make the one-way trip. I used a regular pusher ship with nukes to get it to highest Kerbin apoapsis. It's still on the way up btw. So I have yet to try the manuever.

Thanks for the answers guys.