Route Planning Tools

In the panel of your planned route, there are additional tools for working with the route.

Selection of Transportation Type

When planning a route, you can choose the type of transportation – by car, public transport (currently only on a computer), bike, on foot, on skis (worldwide) and by boat (only in the Czech Republic). For planned routes, only the types of transportation available for the specific route are displayed.

Below the transportation method selection, there is a button for refining transportation settings. You can refine planning through toll sections, prefer outdoor paths or routes suitable for road cycling. When traveling by car through multiple countries, you can choose whether to avoid toll roads in a particular country or not.

Planning Route by Car

When planning routes by car, you can use options to find the fastest route with traffic (reflects the current traffic situation, including current travel speeds on roads – in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria). The fastest (without traffic data) and shortest route types reflect the average speed on those roads. You can also choose to avoid toll sections. For online planning, the route always avoids currently valid closures, while for offline planning it avoids regularly recurring closures.

In the Options dropdown menu, you can enable the “Avoid tolls” option, which allows you to plan a car route only through sections where it is not necessary to pay tolls or have the appropriate highway vignette. In countries where you want to use toll sections, the planner displays information about the length of toll sections from the total route length in the given country. If you have Premium, you can also plan a route that only avoids highways.

Planning Route by Public Transport

Planning a route by public transport is only available on the web. Here you can choose the direction of departure or arrival and the specific date and time of the trip. More detailed information is available in the Public Transport guide.

Planning Route on Foot

When planning routes, you can check the preference for hiking routes leading past points of interest over the shortest possible routes. As a Premium user, you can also use the option to plan an optimal route through via ferratas, with a sports stroller on a paved surface, or if you want to go jogging in nature. For online planning, the route always avoids currently valid closures. Regularly recurring closures are also avoided offline. For planning a walking route, a speed of 4 km/h is used, which changes according to the elevation profile. With a Premium membership, you can set the speed of all types of walking routes according to your own needs.

Planning Route by Bicycle

When planning routes by bicycle, you can use route options for bike touring, mountain or road biking. Bike touring prefers bike paths and bike routes, mountain biking plans the route on trails and forest roads in more challenging terrain, and road biking prefers bike routes and paved roads. If you are a Premium user, you can also plan a route optimized for gravel or trekking bikes on dirt and forest roads or less challenging terrain, or choose a special option for sport scooters that prefer bike paths and good surfaces. Online planning always avoids currently valid closures. Regularly recurring closures are avoided offline too. The planning speed is 18 km/h, which changes according to the elevation profile. As a Premium user, you have the option to set the speed for all types of bike routes according to your needs.

Planning Route on Skis

You can also plan a route on cross-country skis, and as a Premium user also for ski touring on ski and specialized ski touring routes. The planning speed is 6 km/h, which changes according to the elevation profile. As a Premium user, you have the option to set this speed according to your needs.

Planning Route by Boat

For planning routes on selected river sections in the Czech and Slovak Republics, no selectable options are generally available. The planning speed is 4 km/h. As a Premium user, you have the option to set this speed according to your needs.

User Speed

If you have a Premium subscription, you can set your average user speeds for outdoor activities (walking, cycling, skiing, water sports) and their subcategories. This can be set in your account settings (on the computer at the top right under Profile/Settings, in the app in Menu Settings/Premium features). The average speed on flat terrain is always indicated. You can reset the set speed to default values at any time. If you don’t have an active subscription, you will see default average speeds for outdoor activities, but you cannot change them in any way.

Route Restrictions

There are restrictions for different types of transportation.

Restrictions for cars:

  • Closure: Section is currently closed
  • No Entry: Section in a restricted entry area (traffic sign or barrier)
  • Restricted entry area: Hospitals, etc. (section in a closed area. Entry may be limited or subject to a fee)
  • Pedestrian Zone

Restrictions for bicycles and pedestrians:

  • Area with restricted entry/access: Section in a closed area. Access/entry may be limited or subject to a fee
  • Prohibited bicycle/entry: Section in a military area
  • Prohibited bicycle/entry: Section with restricted access to protect nature

Saving to My Mapy

The Save tool stores the planned route into My Mapy for later use on a computer or in the mobile app. Saving requires you to be logged in. You can edit, remove, and add new waypoints to your previously saved routes at any time, choose different transportation methods, etc.

Any change made to an already planned and edited route will turn the green Save option into a red Save option. The following options will appear:

  • Save changes: The changes made will be saved to the existing planned route and replace the original planned route
  • Save new: The changes made will be saved as a completely new route, leaving the original planned route unaffected. In the case of choosing Save New, the standard save route name and folder location menu will appear again

Sharing Route Link

The Share tool generates a shortened link that leads to the map with the planned route just as you see it yourself. Simply copy the link and send it to someone. The shortened link is permanent, and its lifespan is not limited. You can also share the current screen on social media.

The route can also be shared using a QR code that you can download as an image in JPG (pixels) or SVG (vectors) formats on the web. You can further use the downloaded QR code in your printed materials.

Export of Planned Route to File

Under the Export option, there are links to download the route for uploading to GPS navigations. Exports in GPX format are supported. When exporting to *.gpx, two types of output are distinguished (route – only breakpoints, track – the entire route).

  • By car: Export to *.gpx = route and track
  • By bike, on foot, on skis: Export to *.gpx = track

Finding Accommodation at Destination

The Find accommodation at destination button redirects you to Booking.com, allowing you to easily book accommodation at your intended destination.

Weather on the Route

If you activate the weather display on the route, you can choose from three types of weather to track (temperature, precipitation, and wind) and the planned time and day of departure. The weather will be displayed for individual parts of the route on the map, including the estimated time of passing through the specified locations. Weather information is available for both routes and trips. In the bubbles on the route, besides the main information (icon, temperature, wind, precipitation), the time is also displayed. A forecast up to 5 days ahead is possible. Weather data is provided by Windy.com.

Elevation Profile

The Show Elevation Profile tool draws the ascent and descent pattern on the route or during nearby trips. When moving the mouse over the route, a gray vertical line appears on the corresponding point of the elevation profile on the web version. Similarly, when moving the mouse over the elevation profile, a white dot appears at the corresponding point of the route on the map.

The elevation profile is calculated from a digital terrain model composed of multiple data sources:

  • In the territories of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the model obtained photogrammetrically from aerial survey images is used
  • Abroad, the SRTM model is used, supplemented with the Aster, NASA Earth Observatory model for the north and south

The stated ascent and descent values are approximate. For calculation, small terrain irregularities are ignored, but critical breakpoints are retained.

Itinerary

The itinerary is only available on a computer. By clicking the Itinerary button in the right panel under the planned route, you can view a detailed breakdown of the navigation. The list includes street names or road designations, segment lengths, and turning directions at intersections. Moving the mouse cursor over the itinerary will mark the current location on the displayed route with a circle.

Didn’t find your answer?

Check out what people are saying in the forum. They share their questions, tips, and experiences to make Maps.com even better.

Ask a question