Are Gandalf's action worthy of critic?

[Coffeehouse]

I just re-read the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring and came across a part which I hadn't really thought that much about before until now. The scene is where Frodo has just been informed about the incredible danger that he is in and the true power of the ring, not least it's rightful master.

But when he asks for advice, bewildered as to where to go or what to do with the ring, Gandalf seems to give anything but the kind of cool advice that you would expect from a seasoned wizard...

- 'No indeed!' said Frodo. 'But in the meantime what course am I to lake?'
- 'Towards danger; but not too rashly, nor too straight,' answered the wizard. 'If you want my advice, make for Rivendell. That journey should not prove too perilous, though the Road is less easy than it was, and it will grow worse as the year fails.'
-'Rivendell!' said Frodo. 'Very good: I will go east, and I will make for Rivendell. I will take Sam to visit the Elves; he will be delighted.'
He spoke lightly; but his heart was moved suddenly with a desire to see the house of Elrond Halfelven, and breathe the air of that deep valley where many of the Fair Folk still dwelt in peace.

I was startled to read that he is actually advicing Frodo to head towards Rivendell as if it were a thought he just pulled out of the air. Not too hard, not too easy sort of, but he makes no attempt to educate Frodo about why Rivendell would be a good place to go, who could help him there, how long such a trip would take and last but not least how he is to get there. Frodo, who has never been outside of the Shire, wouldn't have the faintest clue as to the distance (except for the odd map that Bilbo would have lying around) and so it seems kind of vague to say "Not too rashly, not too straigth". What is rash? What is too straight? How would Frodo possibly be able to judge that?

Apart from his advice it was a long line of purely coincidental, lucky encounters that brought Frodo from A to B. Gandalf on the other hand, gave Frodo two simultaneous storylines. One was that he was in incredible danger and that he would have to leave his home and head off. Yet on the other hand he rarely divulges any practical information, instead insinuating that going after Bilbo's birthday is too late, but that too soon would be rash. Frodo is then left up to himself to make up a plan involving him moving out of Bag End, 'faking' it to the entire town of Hobbiton, and stealthely moving off without any idea as to the time pressure he really is under. Gandalf seems to lend very little advice to how he is to do this. Instead he mostly seems to keep his thoughts to himself, giving clues that keep Frodo guessing instead of being plainly fortright with him. As if it were a game...