With RouteYou, you can easily plan routes for all kinds of activities, such as walking, biking, motorcycling, horseback riding, and more. Use the app for quick and easy route planning, even when you're already on location. For more options and flexibility, visit the route planner on the website, our "Swiss army knife." Discover how you can create and customize your ideal route with the step-by-step guides below.
To the route planner
There are several ways to access the route planner.
You can access the planning module in the app in two ways:
-
At the bottom via the "Plan" button
-
Via the shortcut at the top of the homepage
There are three ways to open the route planner on the website:
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Via the main menu on the top left
"Plan a Route" "Create a Route"
-
Via the shortcut at the top
"Plan a Route" "Create a Route"
-
Via the direct plan button:
How to plan a route
Find out how here to plan a route step by step.
The options marked with a are only available with a RouteYou Plus account.
Once in the route planner, you will find five useful setting buttons at the bottom for planning a route that best suits your needs.
GOOD TO KNOW IN ADVANCE
- Depending on your account type and certain choices you make during the planning process, some buttons may not be available. These buttons are gray.
- A dark border around a green button means that you have already entered a value for that item.
- When you open the route planner, your most recently planned route is loaded automatically. Want to plan a new route? Click ‘Reset’ at the top of the white box.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE:
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First choose your desired
activity type.
This determines which routing will be used to generate the route. By default, we use RouteYou's "nicest" routing options. You can adjust these settings later by using the "More" button.
The routing options explained.
-
Choose the location you would like to map out
a route to.
The next steps depend on your choice of the type of route you want to create.
RouteYou suggests a well-thought-out, high-quality route based on your preferences. Afterwards, you can fine-tune the route even more: move or remove points, add extra stops, and integrate fun points of interest to make your trip even more special.
-
Choose your starting point.
You have 3 options:-
Search for start location:
Type the
address where you want to start and pick
one from the
suggestion list.
Recent searches appear at the bottom of the pop-up. - Current location: Your current location is automatically set as the starting point.
-
Select on map: Choose a
location on
the map. The linked address will be used
as the starting
point.
-
Search for start location:
Type the
address where you want to start and pick
one from the
suggestion list.
-
Give an indication of the desired distance for your route. Without this information, the system can’t generate a suggestion.
PLEASE NOTE
Distance accuracy depends on the selected routing network. For example, node-based routing uses a less dense network. As a result, the route may end up slightly longer or shorter than the distance you entered.
You’ll now see a first result:
The loop route appears on the map with a white box
showing the
route info.
Tap the box for a short preview of the
route details.
Start
navigating right away
or tweak the route further.
-
You can fine-tune the loop route
via...
A. the settings buttons at the bottom:
- You can adjust the selected options (activity, type, start/end point, or distance).
- Choose a wind direction for your loop (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW).
-
Use the
More button to further refine the
routing.
Available options automatically adjust based on your choices.
More info about the RouteYou routing options.
B. Edit
at the top of the white box.
Use this option to reroute your path via specific locations
by adding
via points.
A
waypoint pin appears in the center of the map.
Move the map until the pin is positioned correctly.
Tap the + on the waypoint pin to add this point as a
new
via point.
The point is automatically inserted at the most logical
spot in your
route.
C. the POIs button
next to the Start route button in the white box.
Use this option to guide your route past landmarks or
interesting
locations.
Choose a location from the available lists of landmarks,
rest areas,
parking spots, and other interesting places.
The location is automatically added at the most logical
position
in your route.
More info about adding POIs while planning a route.
-
Choose your starting point.
You have 3 options:-
Search start location: Type
the address
where you want to start and pick one from
the suggestion
list.
Recent searches appear at the bottom of the pop-up. - Current location: Your current location is automatically set as the starting point.
-
Select on map: Choose a
location on
the map. The linked address will be used
as the starting
point.
-
Search start location: Type
the address
where you want to start and pick one from
the suggestion
list.
-
Add an end point:
You get 2 options:-
Move the map to the desired
location
and tap the + on the waypoint pin
to add an (end) point to your route.
-
Tap the Overview button.
A pop-up appears
with your Route overview and an
option at the
bottom to add an end point.
Choose: search for end location, current location, or select on map.
-
Move the map to the desired
location
and tap the + on the waypoint pin
Repeat
these steps and plan from A to B, C, D, E, … until you’ve
built your
desired route.
- Tap 'Continue' at the bottom.
You’ll now see a first result:
The route appears on the map with a white box showing
the route
info.
Tap the box for a short preview of the
route details.
Start
navigating right away
or tweak the route further.
-
You can adjust your route using...
A. the settings buttons at the bottom:
-
You can still tweak the options you’ve already set (activity, type, start/end points).
TIP
'Distance' and 'Direction' only apply to loop routes. For routes you design from A to B, they’re determined by the via and end points you choose. -
Hit the 'More' button to fine-tune
your
routing.
The available options automatically adjust based on your choices.
More info about RouteYou routing options.
B. 'Edit'
at the top of the white box.
Use this to reroute your trip via specific spots by adding
via points
or a new end point.
-
Add a via point
A
Move the map until the pin is in the right spot.
Confirm to add it as a new via point.
It automatically gets placed in the most logical spot on your route.
-
Add an end point
Tap the 'Overview' button.
Scroll down and pick 'Add End Point'.
Choose how to set it: search for an end point, use your current location, or pick on the map.
Tap 'Next'
to confirm
C. the 'POI' button
next to the 'Start Route' button in the white box.
Use this to guide your route past landmarks or interesting
spots.
Pick
a location from the offered lists of sights, rest stops,
parking,
or other cool spots.
It
automatically gets placed in the most logical spot on
your route.
More info about adding POIs while planning your route.
Satisfied with your route?
-
Start navigation immediately using the "Start Route"
button.
The route will then be automatically saved under "My Routes".
-
Select "Save" in the white box at the
top right.
You can now set the details of your route and save the route under "My Routes" to navigate later.
TIPS
- Want to start over? Use the Reset button at the top of the white box.
-
Want to undo one or more steps? Use the Undo button
at the top right.
In the route planner, you will see
-
a map on the right that you can use to plan
your route. With the map layers icon
on the top right, you can set various map layers and map details that can make planning your route easier.
-
On the left is the planning module with many
options and functions to best tailor the route to your needs
and preferences. Depending on certain choices you make, you will
be offered different options.
The first choice to make is whether you want a route from A to B or a loop route.
The main difference is how the route is planned:
- If you want to go from A to B, you plan your own route step by step. This gives you complete control over the route you you want to take, with the option of choosing specific via points yourself.
- If you plan a loop, RouteYou will automatically generate a route based on your preferences (see below).
In both cases, you can adjust the result.
TIP
If you choose a route from
A to B, you still have the option of returning to
A and making it a loop. When you start planning,
a specific button will appear at the bottom:
Return to starting point
When you start planning, this icon
appears, allowing you to turn the
elevation profile on
or off.
On this elevation profile, as well as in the lower left corner of the map, you can read the total length of your planned route. This will help you to accurately estimate the distance.
For both A to B routes and loop routes, you can choose a specific mode/activity type for which you want to map out a route.
The icons let you choose between walking, biking, motorcycling,
horseback riding or boating. Via the three-dot icon,
you can access the remaining options and see even more
choices. Depending on what you choose, other routing
options will be offered in the next step.
The routing you choose determines which type of road
will be followed when planning your route. If you pin
via points to plan your route, a route will be calculated
between those via points based on a specific routing
method.
The most classic routing methods are the shortest
and the fastest routes. RouteYou also offers
an option to choose the most scenic routes!
When planning a loop route, two additional items will appear in the planning module:
- The length slider allows you to set the desired length of your route.
- The compass lets you set the direction (relative to your starting point) in which the loop route should be planned.
-
The From bar is at the bottom of
the planning module.
You can use this to enter your starting location, or you can click on the desired location on the map. -
For a route from A to B, there is also a To
bar.
Use this to enter the next location or your end point. -
As you plan, Via address bars will
also be displayed
This is where the locations of your intermediate via points are entered.
The"Add Destination" button allows you to add Via address bars when planning a route from A to B.
At the bottom of the planing module you will see a white
bar containing a number of faint sticky buttons. These
become visible as soon as you start planning. The white
bar is "sticky," which means that it remains visible
and is presented on top of the information in the left-hand
column. This is to make sure that it is easily accessible.
These sticky buttons give you direct access to certain functions:
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Undo: this allows you to undo your last action. For example, you can remove your most recently added via point.
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Redo: if you have undone an action that you want to keep, you can redo it with the push of a button.
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Return to starting point: complete your route from A to B by having the system generate a route back to your starting point (A) based on the set routing. This is how you can map out your own loop route
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Save: This opens the pop-up for saving your route.
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More: Here you have two additional options:
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Add a point of interest: add new points of interest yourself while planning. (More info)
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Clear route: clear the already planned route and start over.
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