Before you calculate
You need at least two stops in your Route Explorer list before you can calculate a route. Add stops using the location search field or from your Travel Library.
Running the calculation
- With two or more stops in the list, click the Calculate Route button at the bottom of the left panel.
- A spinner appears while the route is being calculated.
- When complete, each stop row shows the distance (km) and drive time (minutes) to the next stop.
- The summary bar at the bottom shows total distance and total drive time.
What the numbers mean
- Distance is the road distance in kilometres between consecutive stops, not straight-line distance.
- Drive time is an estimated driving duration based on road type and speed limits. It does not account for traffic, stops, or rest breaks.
- Total distance is the sum of all leg distances.
- Total drive time is the sum of all leg durations.
The map
After calculation, the route is drawn on the map in the right panel. Each stop is shown as a numbered circle. The route line follows the actual road path between stops.
If a leg could not be calculated (for example, if a stop has no road access), that leg is shown as a straight dashed line between the two stops.
Reviewing the route
Check each leg for:
- Unexpectedly long drive times that may need to be split across days
- Legs shown as straight dashed lines (indicating a routing problem — see troubleshooting)
- Stop order that could be improved (use the Optimize button)
After reviewing
Once you are satisfied with the route:
- Click Plan a Trip to send the route to the Trip Builder
- Or adjust stop order and recalculate
Tips
- Recalculating after reordering stops updates all distances and times automatically.
- If you add or remove a stop after calculating, the previous results are cleared and you need to recalculate.
- Drive times are estimates. Add buffer time for long driving days, especially in winter or on mountain routes.