Route
The Route is your journey — the path your video follows across the map. You build it out of segments, where each segment is one leg of the trip: a flight between two cities, a drive to the trailhead, a hike to the summit, and so on. You can use a single segment or chain many together to tell the whole story.
How a route is built
Think of your trip in legs. For example, you might drive from home to the airport, fly to Bangkok, take a car to your hotel, then ride a bike down to the river and follow it by boat. Each of those is a segment, and AvoMap draws each one the right way.
The magic is that each type of travel follows a different path:
- A drive between two cities follows the roads and highways.
- The same trip by bike avoids the highways and takes friendlier roads.
- A flight connects the two points with a smooth, direct line.
You just tell AvoMap how you travelled, and it draws a realistic path for you.
Ways to travel
When you add a segment, you choose how that leg was travelled:
| Type | Best for |
|---|---|
| Flight | Trips between airports or far-apart cities |
| Drive (car / motorbike) | Road trips on highways and main roads |
| Bike | Cycling routes that avoid big roads |
| Walk / Hike / Run | Footpaths, trails, and mountain routes |
| Train | Journeys that follow the railway lines |
| River Route | Ferries, rivers, and trips along the water |
| Custom | Full control when you want to draw the path yourself |
Adding a segment
There are two easy ways to add a leg to your route. Either way you start by choosing the travel mode, then set where the leg begins and ends. In the editor you can also press N to jump straight to the add-segment view.
Search for a place
Use the search box to find a town, a landmark, an airport, or a train station, then pick how you travelled there. AvoMap works out the path for you.
You can search the whole world, or narrow the results to just places, airports, or train stations.
Matching results are listed and pinned on the map, so it's easy to tell apart the many places that share a name.
Pick a result and AvoMap zooms straight to it, ready to drop in as your next waypoint.
Click on the map
If you already know where you're going, just click the spot on the map. AvoMap connects it to your last point using the travel type you picked.
Before a leg is added, AvoMap previews it as a dashed line so you can check the path — then confirm to drop it onto your route.
Either way, you choose the travel type for each new point, so a single trip can freely mix flights, drives, and hikes.
Starting from a recorded GPS file
You don't have to build every route by hand. If you already recorded your trip — with a GPS watch, phone, or bike computer — you can bring it straight in instead of retracing it point by point.
When you start a new project from the home screen, choose Upload GPS File and pick your GPX or KML file. AvoMap reads the recorded track and lays it onto the map as your route, ready to open in the Route tab.
From there it behaves like any route you built by hand. You can:
- Reroute or adjust parts of it, and trim where it starts and ends.
- Add more segments onto either end — for example, a flight to reach the trailhead before your recorded hike.
- Add pauses to linger on a highlight, and set the camera and line style just as you would otherwise.
Which file should I use?
GPX and KML are the standard files exported by most fitness apps, GPS watches, and route planners. Either works — just export your activity and drop it in.
Custom routes: draw it yourself
Sometimes a trip goes off the beaten path, or you want a specific look. Custom routing gives you full control. Instead of sticking to one travel type, you drop points on the map and connect them exactly how you like.
Click to add points, then drag them to fine-tune the shape. For each stretch you can choose how the line is drawn — follow the roads, follow a river or railway, or just connect the dots with a straight line.
Drawing styles for custom routes
- Direct line – connects your points with a clean, straight line. Perfect for oceans, flights, or a simple look.
- Car / Motorbike – follows main roads and highways.
- Moped – sticks to smaller streets and avoids big roads.
- Road bike – favors paved, bike-friendly roads.
- Running – prefers footpaths, parks, and quiet streets.
- Hiking – follows trails and handles steep, mountainous terrain.
- Train – runs along the railway lines.
- River – follows rivers and waterways.
- Shortest path – the most direct connection between points, ignoring roads.
Mix and match these within one custom segment to capture even the most unusual journeys.
Reordering and editing
Your route is a list of numbered stops with a leg between each one. Select any stop to open its options — preview the leg, reroute it, add a pause, adjust its camera, or delete it.
Your segments appear on the timeline in the order you travelled. You can select any segment to change how it was routed, adjust where it starts and ends, or remove it. Add a pause between segments when you want the video to linger somewhere special — the shot holds on that spot for a moment before the journey continues.
About the numbered bubbles
The numbered bubbles on the map are only a preview to help you build your route — they won't appear in the final rendered video.
Timing your route on the timeline
Once your segments are in place, their timing lives on the timeline at the bottom of the editor. Every segment appears as its own block in travel order, and the length of your whole video is the sum of those blocks — so you set the pacing by deciding how long each leg plays.
Drag the edge of a block to make a leg longer or shorter, add a pause to linger somewhere special, or cut and merge segments to reshape the trip. It's all covered in detail on the Timeline page.
Tips
- Build in order. Add segments in the order you travelled so the story flows naturally.
- One trip, many modes. Don't force everything into one travel type — switch freely leg by leg for the most realistic result.
- Use custom routing for detail. When the automatic path isn't quite right, drop your own points and drag them into place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add a route to my map video?
Open the Route tab, then either search for a place or click directly on the map. Pick how you travelled — fly, drive, cycle, hike, train, or boat — and AvoMap draws the path for you.
Can I combine different types of travel in one trip?
Yes. Every leg of your journey can be a different type, so you can fly to a city, drive to a town, then hike to a viewpoint — all in one route.
How do I draw my own path instead of following roads?
Use Custom routing. Drop points on the map and drag them into place, then choose whether each stretch follows roads, rivers, railways, or a straight line.
Can I import a route I already recorded?
Yes. When you start a new project, choose Upload GPS File and pick your GPX or KML file. AvoMap lays your recorded track onto the map as a route you can edit, extend, and style in the Route tab.