Sunday's track is stuck on your watch and tomorrow's route is not on your GPS yet. With MapPlanner you export a route as GPX, KML or TCX to take it on your wrist or handlebars; you import a GPX file, FIT or KML to bring an outing back onto the map with its distance, elevation and duration. You plan on a big screen, then head out on the trail; afterward, both end up in one place.
Export a route to your watch or GPS
You can download the file from two places. In the planner, the export buttons appear below the map as soon as your route is drawn, with no need to save it first. For a saved route, they sit in the download section of its page, next to the printable roadbook.
Once the file is downloaded, transfer it to your device with the manufacturer's app or software. All that is left is choosing the right format.
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
GPX, KML or TCX: which format to choose
- GPX is the universal format for GPS devices and most sports apps. Exported from a saved route's page, it also carries your waypoints: bivouac, water source, hut.
- KML opens the route in Google Earth or Google My Maps.
- TCX is a navigable course that Garmin, Wahoo, COROS and Apple Watch import directly, so the watch guides you along the route.
FIT is for importing: it is the format most watches use to record your outings.
Import a GPX, FIT or KML track
A track recorded by your watch, downloaded from a website or sent by a friend can be loaded from the home page or from the route creation menu. Drop the file in or pick it: GPX, FIT, KML and GeoJSON are accepted.
The track appears on the map straight away with its distance, its elevation and, if the file holds timestamps, its duration and breaks. Give it a name, check the activity and visibility, then save: it joins your routes, ready to analyze or share.
Planned the route in MapPlanner before heading out? From its page, replace the planned line with the track you actually recorded. You keep the same route, now with the data from the real outing.
Tips for a smooth transfer
- A short, clear name before exporting: it is what shows on the watch screen; long names are shortened in the TCX file.
- Download before you leave, while you still have signal, then check the route shows up on the device.
- Changed the route? Export it again and replace the file on the watch with the new version.
- For a hike with a bivouac, add your stops, save the route, then export the GPX from its page so the waypoints travel with the track.
- For a trail run, load the TCX onto your watch the night before, then import the FIT when you get back to compare plan and reality.
Free GPX export and the Explorer plan
GPX export is open to everyone, with a limited number for visitors and a little more with a free account. KML and TCX exports, like track imports, need a free account, again with limited use. The Explorer plan makes imports and exports unlimited and also shows the heart-rate chart for tracks that contain heart-rate data.
Your next outing belongs on your wrist: draw it in the planner and download the GPX in one click.
GPX import and export: your questions
Is GPX export free on MapPlanner?
Yes, within limits: a few exports without an account, a few more with a free account and no limit with the Explorer plan. KML and TCX require a free account.
Which file formats can I import?
GPX, FIT and KML files, as well as GeoJSON. Importing requires a free account.
Can I export a route as a FIT file?
FIT is for import. To load a route onto a watch, use GPX or TCX, which Garmin, Wahoo, COROS and Apple Watch import directly.
How do I send a route to my GPS watch?
Download the GPX or TCX file from MapPlanner, then transfer it to the watch with the manufacturer's app or software.
