Step 5: Upload and inspect your GPX

Use this article when you already have a route file and want to get it into TRIPS so the planner can start working.

Once the route loads, the planner can use the Route and Segments tabs.

If no route is loaded, most planning tools remain unavailable.

Before you start

• Make sure the file is a .gpx route you actually want to evaluate.
• If the file came from another tool and already looked odd there, fix that first before blaming TRIPS.
• If you are deciding between several export versions, start with the cleanest one that matches the full route.

Quick workflow

1. Open TRIPS.
2. Click Upload GPX on the map.
3. Wait for the route to draw on the map.
4. Confirm that Upload GPX changes to Replace GPX before you do anything else.

Step 1: Open the planner with a clean expectation

Start on the main planner screen.

Before uploading, treat the map like a blank canvas:

• if you already have another route loaded, decide whether you want to keep working on it or replace it
• if you are comparing alternate GPX exports, upload only one at a time so the result is easy to interpret

Your goal in this step is simple:

• know which file you are about to load
• know that the next visible route on the map should be coming from that file

Step 2: Use the upload control and choose the GPX file

Use the planner's route upload control and select the file from your computer.

Do this:

1. Click Upload GPX.
2. Pick the .gpx file you want to plan from.
3. Wait a moment for TRIPS to process it.

Check this before moving on:

• the button now says Replace GPX
• a route line appears
• the Route and Segments tabs are available for route work

If it does not look right:

• cancel and retry with the GPX you meant to use
• go back to Choose and prepare a GPX for TRIPS if you are not confident the file is clean
• re-export the GPX from the source app if the route looks incomplete or malformed

Step 3: Inspect the route before you continue

Do not immediately start splitting the trip into days.

First, sanity-check the upload:

• does the route appear in the correct area on the map?
• does it look complete instead of cut off?
• does the shape match the route you expected?

This is the fastest place to catch the wrong export, the wrong segment, or a damaged file.

At this point, make sure:

• the route starts and ends where you expect
• the map is showing the route you actually meant to plan
• obvious side trips or bad geometry are not sneaking into the plan

Step 4: Confirm the planner has unlocked route-based tools

After a successful upload, the planner should let you work with route-based planning features.

After a route is loaded, you can:

• open the Route tab and review the Route Snapshot
• open the Segments tab and place campsites or split points
• inspect day-by-day itinerary outputs
• compare alternate trip assumptions against the same route

This is also the point where you should confirm the onboarding state is still simple:

• stay in Basic mode for now
• avoid jumping into deeper Pro-only controls before the route and day structure are in place

If Replace GPX does not appear or the route line does not draw, retry the upload before doing anything deeper.

Step 5: Move into Basic-mode setup before deeper iteration

Once the route is visible and Replace GPX is shown, the next job is to turn the route into days.

Most users should do these next:

1. Stay in Basic mode and fill out the core planner inputs with grounded values.
2. Add campsites or split points to create a day-by-day itinerary.
3. Review route and day outputs before touching advanced inputs.
4. Save the trip once the plan becomes worth keeping.

If the route does not look right

Check these first:

• the GPX is the route you meant to load
• the file is not empty or malformed
• the route geometry looks complete on the map

If the upload succeeds but the route still looks wrong, try re-exporting the GPX from the original source and loading it again.

If the issue starts earlier than upload, go back to Choose and prepare a GPX for TRIPS.

What to do next

• Step 6: Stay in Basic mode and set planner inputs
• Step 7: Split a route into days
• Review route and day outputs

Next step

Next... Step 6: Stay in Basic mode and set planner inputs