Guides
Route planning, answered.
Plain, tested answers for planning days of stops: Google Maps' limits, getting addresses out of a spreadsheet, ordering stops, and getting the route to whoever drives.
Route planning basics
- How route optimization works (in plain English)Route optimization explained: how addresses become coordinates, a distance table, a stop order and a route on real roads, plus what TSP and VRP mean.
- Route planning mistakes that cost small businesses moneyTen route planning mistakes that waste miles and hours, from unchecked pins and the wrong start to ZIP codes that lose a zero, and the fix for each one.
- Can ChatGPT plan a route with multiple stops?ChatGPT can suggest a stop order but doesn't measure road distances on its own. What chatbots do well in route planning, where they slip, and what to use.
- Microsoft Streets & Trips and MapPoint replacement: what to use nowMicrosoft Streets & Trips and MapPoint are discontinued. What each did, from multi-stop routes to Excel pins and printed maps, and what replaces it now.
- SpeedyRoute shut down: what to use insteadSpeedyRoute closed in February 2025. What to look for in a replacement multi-stop route planner, and how to move your address list into a new one.
Google Maps & maps apps
- How to add more than 10 stops in Google MapsGoogle Maps allows 10 places per route. Three ways to drive more than 10 stops: chain several routes, use My Maps, or plan in a route planner and export.
- How to add multiple stops in Google MapsStep by step: add multiple stops in Google Maps on a computer, Android or iPhone, reorder or remove them, and what to do when you need more than 10.
- Does Google Maps optimize routes with multiple stops?No. Google Maps keeps stops in the order you enter them. How to put addresses in order yourself, or optimize the route first and drive it in Google Maps.
- How many stops can you add? Limits in Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and MapQuest (2026)How many stops you can add in Google Maps, Google Maps links, My Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and MapQuest, in one sourced table checked October 2026.
- How to add multiple stops in Apple MapsAdd multiple stops to a driving route in Apple Maps on iPhone (iOS 16+), how many it takes, and how to get an optimized stop order into Apple Maps.
- Can you add multiple stops in Waze?Waze lets you add one stop to a drive, not a list. How to add it, and how to run a 20-stop day in Waze by planning the order first and going stop by stop.
Spreadsheets & addresses
- How to map addresses from an Excel spreadsheetMap addresses from Excel: tidy the sheet, put every row on a map as a pin with Google My Maps or a route planner, check the pins, then plan the drive.
- How to import addresses from Excel into Google Maps (My Maps)Upload addresses from Excel or a CSV to Google My Maps step by step, within the 2,000-row limit, and what to do when you need a route, not just pins.
- How to combine address columns in Excel (street, city, state, ZIP)Combine street, city, state and ZIP columns in Excel or Google Sheets with TEXTJOIN or &, keep leading zeros on ZIP codes, and clean up stray spaces.
- Why addresses land in the wrong place on a map (and how to fix them)Why addresses land in the wrong place on a map: the usual geocoding causes, from missing ZIPs to rural roads and new builds, and how to fix each one.
Planning routes
- How to find the shortest route between multiple stopsFind the shortest, most efficient route between multiple stops: shortest vs fastest, why it's hard, ordering stops by hand, and when to use an optimizer.
- How to plan a round trip route with multiple stopsPlan a round trip route with multiple stops that starts and ends at the same place: why the best order changes when you return, and how to set it up free.
- How to send a multi-stop route to a driver's phoneSend a multi-stop route to a driver's phone as Google Maps links, a shared page with a QR code, a printed route sheet or a spreadsheet, and the catches.
- How to calculate mileage for a trip with multiple stopsCalculate mileage for a trip with multiple stops: the total in Google Maps (up to 10 places), every leg from a route planner, and why the order matters.
- How to plan a road trip with multiple stopsPlan a road trip with multiple stops: order the stops so you never backtrack, split the drive into days, and load it into Google Maps 10 places at a time.
Delivery
- How to plan routes for multiple driversPlan routes for multiple drivers: split the stops by area, ZIP or day, balance each driver's load, optimize every route and send each driver a link.
- How to plan delivery routes (from a spreadsheet to the driver's phone)Plan delivery routes from your order spreadsheet: clean the addresses, import them, split stops by driver, optimize each route and send it to a phone.
- How to cut fuel costs for a small business fleetCut fuel costs for a small business fleet: drive fewer miles with better stop order and zones, idle less, keep tires and vehicles in shape, and track it.
Free tools
Do it in your browser, no account.
- Google Maps multi-stop link builderPaste any number of addresses and get Google Maps directions links, split into legs Google Maps accepts.Open the tool
- Address list cleanerCombine street, city, state and ZIP columns into one clean address per line, and remove duplicates.Open the tool
- Route cost calculatorWhat a day of driving costs in fuel, wear and wages, and what a shorter route saves over a year.Open the tool
- Stops per day calculatorHow many stops fit in a working day, given time at each stop and driving between them.Open the tool
- Route planning spreadsheet templateA free CSV and Excel template with the columns route planners read, plus a filled-in example.Open the tool
- Traveling salesman solverClick to drop points and watch the shortest loop through them get found, step by step.Open the tool
Plan your next route in minutes.
Paste your addresses or drop in a spreadsheet, optimize the order with one click, and send it to your phone. Free to start, no credit card.
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