How to Change and Edit a Route on Google Maps

If you’re planning a road trip and are wondering how to plan a trip on Google Maps, there are a few “insider hacks” that you may find helpful, either for the planning phase of your journey or when you’re already on the road. Most would say that Google Maps is very user-friendly and has made it easy for app users to navigate through the app and use functions that allow them to see a path from point A to point B. There’s so much more to Google Maps, such as 10-stop journey functionality, reorganizing destinations, the ability to update routes and information for users worldwide, and more. If you’re taking a Google Maps road trip, you’ll definitely want to take a look through our guides below!

How to plan a road trip on Google Maps

This is where you want to start. Before you even get in your vehicle or head to the Google Maps edit route option, you should look at your desired stops and determine how many stops you anticipate having along the way. Obviously, you’ll have your end destination, but add any particular points of interest, food stops, toilet breaks, gas stops, and any other spots you are interested in visiting. From here, note if you have a list of greater than 10 destinations; if you do, skip ahead to the second section of this article and read “Option 2”. Additionally, if you have less than 10 stops, but aren’t interested in spending time optimizing the journey manually, head to “Option 2”.

If you’re looking for help with a simple point A to point B trip, here’s how you can create a Google Maps plan for your road trip:

Grab your device and open up the Google Maps app
Put the address of your end destination in the search field at the top of the screen
Tap that ‘search’ button and let Google Maps plan road trip trip for you
To view the map from a zoomed-out perspective, tap on ‘Directions’
Google Maps will show you the main route options available to you; a blue line will highlight the fastest, and others will be in dark gray
Choose which route to take; you can also select options such as ‘avoid tolls and highways’
When you’re ready, hit the ‘start’ button, and the voice and screen prompts will snap into action

How to change a route on Google Maps, with comprehensive customization

We promised you info on how to add multiple stops to your journey; there is more than one way to do this. One from directly within Google Maps and one using MyRouteOnline for more comprehensive road trip planning
Option 1: From within Google Maps

Open your Google Maps app on your mobile device
Tap the ‘Directions’ button
Enter your existing address or the address you’ll be starting your journey from
On the left of the screen, click the ‘Add’ button to add stops along the way
You can repeat this process as much as you need to, until you reach a total of 10 destinations; this is where Google Maps maxes out
Click on one of the highlighted routes to see your directions
To manually change your route, press and hold down on a selected destination and drag it to where you want it along the journey

The great thing about this option is that if you encounter a spur-of-the-moment idea or have an unexpected need to stop somewhere, you can easily do this on the road while your road trip is in action. Just have a passenger manually enter the info or pull over safely to do it yourself.

Option 2: Using Google Maps and MyRouteOnline together!
With this option, we’re going to rewind a bit. To begin with, you don’t even need Google Maps open. First, list all destinations with complete addresses of where you want to stop; ideally, put all of this information together in one place like an Excel Spreadsheet. Once you have registered and signed in with MyRouteOnline, open up the app and import your list of required destinations. Next, click ‘Plan my route,’ and MyRouteOnline will systematically create the most efficient road trip trajectory for you!

Now, open up Google Maps on your mobile device and share the route. From here, things operate as they would from within Google Maps!

If you’re planning an EPIC road trip with lots of stops and sightings along the way, MyRouteOnline and Google Maps will be your best friends on the road. Share your route with us, we’ll be happy to view it.
Plan your Route Today, Try it for Free!