Topo map, satellite view or OS Maps: which one should you use to plan your hike? In the MapPlanner route planner you never have to pick just one. Switch base maps with a single tap, keep your route exactly where it is and let each map show you something new about the terrain.
Ten base maps, ten ways to read the ground
The MapPlanner map is the one that opens by default. It stays clear at every scale and its legend separates trails, tracks, roads and main roads. It is also the map that shows waymarked hiking trails, a great help when you want your walk to follow maintained paths.
Each of the other maps has its own job:
- OSM, the classic OpenStreetMap map, for finding a street or a landmark in town;
- Outdoor, MapPlanner's outdoor map, with contour lines labeled in meters or in feet if you work in miles;
- Satellite, to see the ground as it really is: a clearing, a scree slope, the exact edge of a forest;
- IGN, SwissTopo, OS Maps and USGS Topo, the national mapping agencies of France, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States, with the symbols you already know;
- OpenTopo, a worldwide topographic map that takes over wherever no national map is built in;
- Cycle, the OpenCycleMap map, which brings cycle routes to the fore.
Plan your own route
MapPlanner helps you calculate distances, elevation, duration and plan your hikes, runs and bike rides on an interactive map.
- Automatic distance & elevation calculation
- Topographic, satellite maps
- GPX/KML export for your GPS
- Real-time GPS tracking
Switch base maps without losing your route
A button in a corner of the map shows a thumbnail of the current base map. Tap it and every map appears as a thumbnail: the ones you can use on one side, the ones in the Explorer plan on the other. Pick one and the map changes instantly, with your route still drawn on top. The base map never touches the route or its stats.
The same panel lets you make the text bigger or smaller, which helps a lot when reading place names on a small screen.
Contour lines and 3D terrain to judge a slope
On the Outdoor map, contour lines appear as you zoom into your area and get closer together the further in you go. Tightly packed lines mean a steep hillside: checking them is second nature for hikers and trail runners before they commit to a section.
The 3D button among the map controls tilts the view and raises the terrain, on the MapPlanner map as well as on satellite view. Valleys, ridges and passes take shape, so you see at once why a loop racks up so much elevation gain. To travel the whole route this way, the 3D fly-over replays it as a flight over the landscape.
Our tips for picking the right map
- Draw on the MapPlanner or Outdoor map, then switch to satellite view to check any section you are unsure about: a path on a map can cross a very real boulder field.
- In the mountains, read the contour lines and then turn on 3D before you settle on the route.
- Outside France, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States, OpenTopo is your go-to for reading the relief.
- For a bike ride, the Cycle map helps you stay on roads and paths designed for cyclists.
- On a phone, enlarge the text and go fullscreen to draw in comfort.
Free maps and maps in the Explorer plan
With or without a free account, you plan on the MapPlanner map and on OSM, with the legend, fullscreen, geolocation and the text size setting. You can also give the 3D view a free try. The Explorer plan unlocks the eight other base maps (the Outdoor map and its contour lines, satellite view, the IGN, SwissTopo, OS Maps, USGS Topo and OpenTopo maps plus the cycling map) and makes 3D unlimited.
One route, many perspectives. Draw your next hike in the planner and flick through the base maps until one of them tells you what you need to know.
Your questions about base maps
Can I use OS Maps for free in MapPlanner?
OS Maps is part of the Explorer plan. For free, you plan on the MapPlanner map and on OpenStreetMap, which is all you need to draw a route and get its distance, elevation gain and duration.
Where can I see contour lines?
On the Outdoor map, once you zoom into your area. The IGN, SwissTopo, OS Maps, USGS Topo and OpenTopo maps also show the relief, each in its own style.
Does the 3D view work on a phone?
Yes. The 3D button works in your smartphone's browser just as it does on a computer, on the MapPlanner map as well as on satellite view.
Does my route change when I switch maps?
No. Distance, duration and elevation stay exactly the same: only the background changes.
