Zumo User Forums

I found a not-so-hard way of taking a route I created on Google Maps to my Zumo XT and just wanted to share with potential fellow travelers struggling to find a solution that just works.

First a bit introduction: For good or bad I am from the "lucky" young people that grow up with technology. I was used to get directions from my smartphone. Recently I got into motorcycles, and one thing led to another, now I'm about to do my first group ride around Europe with fellow bikers! Without doubt you need a proper satnav device on your bike - you can't use your precious phone. Given that we are doing a group ride you can expect that every member of the group needs to be involved in the process of creating the perfect route for our trip The easiest way for us was to use shared map on Google Maps - this way everyone can see, add destinations and everyone was familiar using it.

Without further ado let me tell you how I managed to get the Google Maps multiple destination route to work flawless on our Zumo XTs.

The first step is to open Google Maps on your PC with your account logged in. On the left side you will see "Saved". When you click on that a menu appears with your saved places, visited ecc. What you are looking for is the last tab - "Maps". Click on that tab and you'll see - "Create and manage maps in My Maps". Click on "Open My Maps". A new tab should open. Click on "+ Create a new map". When a new map has opened you can name it and then under the search bar you'll find a directions button (hover with the mouse on the buttons under the search bar and you'll find the one labeled "add directions"). On the left side appears a new layer with two destinations you can enter. Don't worry - you can add as many destinations as you want. You can modify the route by simply dragging it on the map - same as on Google Maps. After you are done modifying your route click on the three dots on the right side of the map name -> export to KML/KMZ. On the pop-up window you can chose to export the entire map or only layers from it. (I prefer exporting the layer with our final route as in our bike group every member created different layer.) Leave the boxes UNchecked. Download the file. When you download the file go to: https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ . Upload the KMZ file you just downloaded from G Maps and select to convert it in GPX. Download the GPX file. Here comes the tricky part.

When you download the GPX file you have to open it in empty Notepad file. When you open it things are pretty straight forward. You need to modify the following: Delete every line that starts with "<wpt", until you reach line "<trk>" - DON'T delete that. Check the name of your route in line "<name> </name>". When ready, save with "ctrl+S". Now you are all set and can send the GPX to your Zumo XT. It will load the route as Track. Open it and save it as Trip. It may suggest to recalculate the route but if you want the route to be 1:1 as in G Maps - decline. Now you are ready for the trip! Simply go to Apps -> Trip Planner -> Saved Trips and select the route you imported!

I know it is a bit long but since I couldn't find anything on the internet about this topic that just works, I decided to share my experience. I am aware that there exist ways of doing this with Basecamp, Garmin Explorer but I just don't like them. I wanted something that everyone knows to use, like Google Maps, and that was easy to modify the route.

Safe trips to everyone and don't be mad if I don't answer frequently - a trip is awaiting me

P.S. The lines in the GPX file "<wpt" are the points/destinations in your route. I prefer to delete them because the Zumo XT added them to my saved places. And I simply didn't like the idea. Feel free to leave those lines in the GPX file if you want to add the destinations to your favorites.

Thanks for the contribution @ggzmeg - and welcome to the forum.

Some people really like to use Google in order to send stuff to the Zumos, so your contribution will be helpful to them.

There are much easier ways - but they require a bit of learning - the benefit being that the track is much easier to create. People will mention Basecamp, MyRouteApp and Garmin Explore. And many others.

But there is no right and wrong way - all that matters is that you are able get the results that you need so that you can follow the roads that you want to ride.

Thank you! Yes as I mentioned in my post I'm aware that other methods exist. But as you said they require a bit of learning meanwhile almost everybody is familiar with the Google UI and the ways of navigating with Google Maps.

Appreciate your feedback! I hope someone will find my experience helpful and I totally agree with what you said: "there is no right and wrong way - all that matters is that you are able get the results that you need so that you can follow the roads that you want to ride."

As said above, no right/wrong way, but just my usual caution note: Google maps and Garmin maps will never be identical. This means that pre-flight checking can save you a lot of grief on the road. Not saying one is better than the other, just that because all maps are pictures drawn to represent the real world, they will differ. A waypoint that is just a few pixels off going from one version to another (sometimes even with an older and newer Garmin map) can change your intended route by a lot.

So for me, pre-flight works best in BaseCamp. at that point I figure it's easier just to plan in BC from the beginning, but I do indeed use Google maps in a browser to help see route details and the big picture as I construct it in BC.

-dan

I will try this, too.

Thanks for sharing.

ggzmeg wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 2:50 pm When you download the GPX file you have to open it in empty Notepad file. When you open it things are pretty straight forward. You need to modify the following: Delete every line that starts with "<wpt", until you reach line "<trk>" - DON'T delete that. Check the name of your route in line "<name> </name>". When ready, save with "ctrl+S".

I've tried your method and it works. I like new viewpoints on creating routes/track, and your post is certainly a new viewpoint. But for anyone who dislikes modifying the track with Notepad, here's an alternative to the manual editing as quoted.

You can use Javawa RTWTool, that you can download from: https://www.javawa.nl/rtwtool_en.html (See also: viewtopic.php?t=2376)

Note: You open a KMZ/KML file directly in that tool, you dont need to convert it to GPX first with gpsvisualizer.
See the screenshot how you can use the tool to achieve the same as with your manual editing.

FrankB wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 6:34 am You can use Javawa RTWTool, that you can download from: https://www.javawa.nl/rtwtool_en.html (See also: viewtopic.php?t=2376)

Note: You open a KMZ/KML file directly in that tool, you dont need to convert it to GPX first with gpsvisualizer.
See the screenshot how you can use the tool to achieve the same as with your manual editing.
kmz2gpx.jpg

Sorry for the late reply but me and my friends did a really long trip around EU.(6 000 km for beginners like us was a pretty big trip). And after the trip I got all caught in work...

Your advice sounds intriguing and I will try that for sure. It seems even easier with this Javawa RTWTool

Just want to give a little update about the trip to everyone reading the post. Me and everyone in the group really appreciated how pleasant was the trip thanks to our prior organization. We were 5 motorcycles each with a rider and a pillion. Being able to use GMaps gave everyone the opportunity to easily familiarize with the route and the cities we were visiting. Everyone was able to express their wishes and preferences for the route and it was visible to everyone - there was no need for us to gather every evening and discuss - one simply made the changes and left a comment for the rest. I am not gonna lie by saying the ladies were the happiest as they were able to make reservations and plan sightseeing in advance

Thank you all for the advices, safe riding and joyful trips!

Hi. I followed the first part of your instructions fine but then I got lost at the end when you said use GPS visualizer to convert the files and then copy to notepad and save. If you copy data to notepad and save it, it ends up as a txt file not a GPX?
The you mention sending to Zumo - exactly how do you send a txt file (or GPX for that matter) to a Zumo 660? Do you mean connect to PC and then use MS Explorer to copy to GPX folder?
So I did download as GPX in the end and I didnt need to edit (just clicked on a link titled "right click on the download following link to your hard drive" which was a GPX which I then copied to my GPX folder and rebooted it and it found something to import, but my only choices were Tip Logs and Tracks, neither which match your description?
Then the final piece, Simply go to Apps -> Trip Planner -> Saved Trips and select the route you imported
Which "Apps" are this? I don't have an App called Trip Planner on my Zumo? Do you mean Google Maps? Why would I need google if I have downloaded the route to the Zumo directly?
So I was all good until the instructions kind of got confusing, maybe I am supposed to know the simple things but nothing using this Garmin seems simple to me.

Malcolm,

Note that the title of this thread, which is in the zumo XT section, is "Google maps trip to Zumo XT." Your 660 does not have apps; the XT does.

-dan

danham wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 1:29 pm Note that the title of this thread, which is in the zumo XT section, is "Google maps trip to Zumo XT." Your 660 does not have apps; the XT does.

That is an excellent catch @danham

@malcolml10 - you can still carry out similar procedures with the 660 although the 660 does not recognise the distinction between Via and Shaping points that the later Zumos with the Trp Planner app recognise. Most of what I remember about the 660 is derived from my first attempt to document satnav behaviour just before buying my 590. In that document I reported:

For the return journey I used a Google map, exported by Visualiser to GPX and put on to the memory card. Zumo
imported the route from the GPX track that it recognised. The route was originally plotted correctly, with all of the slight
detours. However, as soon as I ignored one of the route points, Zumo 660 calculated a brand new route from where I
was to the end point. It completely ignored all of the remaining points that I had plotted in Google Maps. By aborting
the navigation and reloading the route, all would be restored - until the next time I ignored a route point.
It is worth considering that if you use Google Maps, its good idea to have the ‘Recalculate’ warning turned on. If it is
turned off, you would never know that the route that you entered is no longer being followed.

The restart of the route works very well with the 660, because no matter what route points you have plotted, as soon as you join the magenta line it starts to navigate you from there. If you want to continue that discussion, please create a new thread in the 660 section so that we don't hijack @ggzmeg's original contribution.