# Bikepackia guide (full text)

> Bikepackia is a route planner for multi-day bikepacking trips. Describe a trip or draw it on the map, and Bikepackia builds a route on real OpenStreetMap roads and tracks, splits it into rideable day stages, pins water, food and sleep stops, and exports GPX. Mec, the built-in AI route partner, plans and edits routes from plain-language requests.

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# Section: About Bikepackia

# What is Bikepackia?

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/what-is-bikepackia

Bikepackia is a route planner for multi-day bikepacking and cycle-touring trips. You draw a route on the map, or describe the trip to Mec, Bikepackia's AI route partner. Bikepackia routes it over OpenStreetMap roads and tracks, splits it into day stages, helps you pick water, food and sleep stops, and exports GPX for your phone or bike computer.

## Who it's for

Cyclists planning trips that last more than a day (single day trips are also supported), on road, gravel or a mix, who want each day worked out (distance, climbing, where to sleep, where to refill water) before they leave.

## What it does

- Builds a route between your start, end and any points in between, computed by a routing engine over OpenStreetMap data.
- Splits the route into day stages, each with its own distance, climbing and estimated ride time.
- Finds places along the way (water, food, groceries, bike repair, sights and places to stay) and pins them on the map.
- Lets you plan by conversation with Mec, which drafts the route, re-plans the days and answers questions like "make day 2 shorter".
- Exports GPX for the whole trip or for each day.

## Where you can use it

- The web planner at bikepackia.com/planner, in any modern browser. Planning on the map works without an account.
- The Android app, which is built around Mec and needs an account. It is currently in testing. There is no iOS app yet.

## What it doesn't do (yet)

- It doesn't avoid busy roads based on traffic data, and it doesn't use ride heatmaps.
- It doesn't book accommodation yet. It shows places to stay and links to their own websites.
- It doesn't offer offline map downloads yet (under development).
- The interface is in English. Mec replies in whatever language you write in.

## FAQ

**Is Bikepackia free?**
Planning on the map, splitting into stages, finding stops and exporting GPX are free, with no account needed on the web. Mec, the AI route partner, runs on credits, and new accounts get €2 of credit to start.

**Where does Bikepackia work?**
Routing works anywhere OpenStreetMap has coverage. Bikepackia also publishes guides to the EuroVelo routes in Europe.

**Does the AI make up the route?**
No. Mec works out what you want and asks for it. The route itself is always computed by the routing engine over real map data.

# Planning a route

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planning-a-route

You can plan a route in Bikepackia in two ways. Click your start, end and any points in between on the map in the web planner, or describe the trip to Mec in plain language. Either way, a routing engine computes the path over OpenStreetMap data, and you can then split it into days, add stops and export it.

## By hand on the map (web)

1. Open the planner at bikepackia.com/planner. No account is needed.
2. Set a start and an end, and add points in between to shape the route.
3. Choose your bike setup. The route and its distance, climbing and elevation profile update as you edit.
4. Split it into day stages, add stops, and export GPX.

## With Mec

Describe the trip ("4 days from Lyon to Geneva, around 70 km a day") and Mec sets the start, end and stops, asks about anything unclear, and builds the route with you. Mec needs a free account and runs on credits. On Android, planning is done with Mec.

## Bike setup

- Bike types: Traditional, Hybrid, Road and Shared, plus an e-bike switch.
- Road and e-bike change how the route is computed. Traditional, Hybrid and Shared currently use the same standard cycling profile.

## Map layers and places

The web planner can show water points, food, groceries, places to stay, bike repair, bike rental, toilets, fuel stations, charging points and sights on the map. Place data comes from OpenStreetMap. In France it also includes official tourism listings, which are marked as verified.

## Importing a GPX (web)

You can load an existing GPX track into the web planner. The track is used exactly as recorded, with the file's own elevation. It isn't re-routed or snapped to the road network, and imported tracks carry no turn instructions or surface data.

## Not supported yet

- Avoiding busy roads based on traffic data.
- Ride heatmaps.
- Enforcing a maximum gradient or a surface mix. Mec takes these preferences into account when it suggests options, but the routing engine doesn't enforce them.

## FAQ

**Do I need an account to plan a route?**
Not on the web. You can build, split and export a route without one. You need a free account to use Mec, to save or share routes, and to use the Android app.

**Can I import a route I already have?**
Yes, in the web planner. The GPX track is loaded as recorded, not re-routed, and you can then split it into stages and add stops.

**Does Bikepackia support e-bikes?**
Yes. Turn on the e-bike switch and the route is computed with an e-bike profile.

# Day stages, stops and places to sleep

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/day-stages

Bikepackia splits a route into day stages, either by number of days or by distance per day. Each stage shows its distance, climbing and estimated ride time. For each day you can pin stops such as water, food, groceries and bike repair, and choose where to sleep at the end of the stage.

## Splitting a route

- By days: choose 2 to 30 days and the route is cut into equal-distance days.
- By distance: choose a distance per stage from 10 to 200 km.
- With Mec: Mec can also split by a daily climbing budget and place day breaks at the foot or the top of a climb, so a hard climb doesn't straddle two days.

## What each stage shows

- Distance and total climbing.
- Estimated ride time, based on the routing engine's time for the whole route, shared out by distance.
- Its start and end, and the stops and place to sleep you've chosen for it.

## Stops along a stage

Search for places near a stage and pin them to your plan: water, food, picnic spots, groceries, bike repair, bike parking and sights. Ask Mec ("somewhere for lunch around the halfway point of day 2") and it searches near that point, recommends a few, and pins them on the map. It only adds one to your route if you say so.

## Where to sleep

- Choose a place to stay at the end of each stage: hotels, hostels, guest houses, campsites, chalets and motels.
- Mec can suggest a place for each night and move a stage's end to it.
- When you finish planning with Mec on the web, it lists each night's stay with a link to the place's own website where one exists.
- Bikepackia doesn't take bookings itself, and it doesn't list wild or dispersed camping spots.

## FAQ

**Does Bikepackia balance climbing between days?**
The manual split balances distance. Mec can also split by a daily climbing budget and put day breaks at the top or bottom of climbs.

**Can I book accommodation in Bikepackia?**
Not yet. Bikepackia shows places to stay along each stage and links to their own websites, where you book directly.

# Mec, the AI route partner

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/mec

Mec is Bikepackia's AI route partner. You describe a trip in plain language and Mec drafts the route, splits it into days, finds stops and places to sleep, and makes changes like "make day 2 shorter". Mec never draws the route itself: the routing engine computes every path over real map data. Mec needs a free account and runs on credits.

## What Mec can do

- Draft a route from a description, asking about anything it needs to know first.
- Re-plan the days: change the number of days, move where a day ends, split by distance or by climbing, or find a different way for one day.
- Find places near any point of the route (water, food, groceries, bike repair, sights, places to stay), recommend a few, and pin them on the map.
- Answer questions about the route, such as how much climbing it has and where the big climbs are.
- Remember your preferences. Say "I always avoid city centres" and it's saved to your profile for every trip. Say "skip cities on this one" and it applies to this trip only.
- Reply in the language you write in.
- On Android, use your current location as a starting point.

## What Mec won't do

- Draw or invent a route. Mec asks the routing engine, so every line on the map follows real roads and tracks.
- Enforce traffic or gradient limits. Preferences like these shape its suggestions, but the routing engine doesn't enforce them.
- Book accommodation, or check live ferry timetables.
- Help with things unrelated to planning a bike trip.

## Where Mec is available

Mec is in the web planner and the Android app. On the web, you can also plan entirely by hand without Mec. Android planning goes through Mec. Either way, you need to be signed in.

## Cost

Mec spends credits for each reply, based on how much work the reply takes. New accounts start with €2 of credit. See the Credits and pricing page.

## FAQ

**Why does Mec need an account?**
Mec runs on AI models that cost money per reply. An account gives you a credit balance, starting with €2 of free credit, and saves your preferences and conversations.

**Can Mec plan a route in my language?**
Yes. Mec replies in the language you write in and switches if you do. Place names stay as they are on the map.

**Is the route Mec makes safe to ride?**
Mec's routes follow real roads and tracks from OpenStreetMap, but always check the route yourself before riding, especially busy roads and unpaved sections.

# Exporting GPX

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/gpx-export

Bikepackia exports routes as standard GPX files you can load into any bike computer or navigation app that reads GPX. On the web you can export the whole trip, one file per day, or all days in one file. Exports include elevation, your stops as named waypoints, and turn cues. Exporting is free.

## Export options

| Where | What you can export |
| --- | --- |
| Web planner | The whole trip, one file per day, or all days in a single file with one track per day. Downloaded in your browser. |
| Android app | The whole route, through your phone's share sheet. Per-day files aren't available on Android yet. |
| Shared trip page | Signed-in viewers of a shared trip can download its GPX. |

## What's in the file

- The route track with elevation.
- Your stops and places to sleep as named waypoints, tagged by type so devices can show a matching icon.
- Turn cues (up to 200 per file), written in English.

## Devices and apps

The export is a standard GPX file, so it works with bike computers and apps that import GPX, such as Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead and phone navigation apps. Bikepackia doesn't sync directly with any device or app. You download the file and import it yourself.

## FAQ

**Do I need an account to export GPX?**
Not in the web planner. Export works without signing in. The Android app requires an account for everything.

**Can I get a separate GPX file for each day?**
Yes, in the web planner: export one file per day, or one file with a separate track for each day. The Android app currently exports the whole route only.

# Accounts, saving and sharing

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/accounts

You can plan a route on the map, split it into stages and export GPX in the web planner without an account. A free account adds Mec, saved routes, private share links, saved preferences and €2 of starting credit. The Android app requires an account.

## Without an account (web planner)

- Build routes on the map, choose a bike setup, and see the elevation profile.
- Split into day stages, show map layers, and search for stops.
- Import and export GPX.
- Your work isn't saved to an account. Sign in before you leave if you want to keep it.

## With a free account

- Mec, the AI route partner, with €2 of credit to start.
- Saved routes, available on the web and in the Android app.
- Share links for your trips.
- Saved ride preferences and notes Mec follows on every trip.
- Your conversation history with Mec.

## Sharing a trip

- Routes are private until you share them. Sharing creates a link, and you can turn it off again.
- Anyone with the link sees the trip's name. To see the full trip, they sign in with any Bikepackia account.
- A shared trip shows the map, stats, elevation and day stages. Viewers can download the GPX and save their own copy. Stops and places to sleep aren't included.
- In the Android app, sharing sends the route's GPX file rather than a link.

## Deleting your account

Email contact@bikepackia.com from the address on your account with the subject "Delete my account". The request is completed within 30 days.

## FAQ

**Is a Bikepackia account free?**
Yes. Creating an account is free and comes with €2 of credit for Mec.

**Can other people see my routes?**
No, not unless you share one. A shared route is visible only to people who have the link and sign in, and you can stop sharing at any time.

# Credits and pricing

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/credits

Bikepackia charges only for AI. Planning on the map, routing, stages, stops and GPX export are free. Mec, the AI route partner, spends credits on each reply. Every new account gets €2 of credit when it first signs in. Credit is shown in euros.

## Free

- Building and editing routes on the map.
- Splitting into day stages, map layers and searching for stops.
- Importing and exporting GPX.
- Saving and sharing routes (with a free account).

## Spends credit

- Mec's replies. The cost depends on how much work a reply takes: a short answer costs less than planning a whole multi-day trip.
- Small AI tasks that run for you, such as naming a Mec conversation, or summarising the chat when you save a route planned with Mec.

## Credit packs

| Pack | Price | Credit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | €9 | €9 |
| Pro | €19 | €19 |

Credit is sold at face value: you pay €9 and get €9 of credit. Buying credit isn't open yet. The packs are marked "coming soon" and you can ask to be notified. Until then, every account has its welcome credit.

## FAQ

**Is Bikepackia free?**
Planning, stages, stops and GPX export are free. Only Mec, the AI route partner, uses credit, and new accounts get €2 to start.

**Can I buy more credits?**
Not yet. Credit packs (Starter €9, Pro €19) are coming soon. You can still plan by hand for free once your welcome credit is used.

**Is there a subscription?**
No. There's no subscription. You only spend credit when you use Mec.

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# Section: The web planner

# The top bar

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/top-bar

The top bar runs across the top of the web planner and holds everything about the route as a whole: its name and save status, undo and redo, the Route menu (start a new plan or open a saved one), the GPX menu (import or export), Share, Save route, and your account menu.

![The Bikepackia planner with the top bar highlighted: the Bikepackia logo, a DRAFT · UNSAVED tag, the route name 'Annecy → Chambéry', undo and redo arrows, the Route and GPX menus, and the Share and Save route buttons.](/guide/planner/top-bar.jpg)
The top bar, with a route in progress.

## From left to right

| Control | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Bikepackia logo | Goes back to bikepackia.com. |
| Status tag | Shows whether the route is a draft, has unsaved changes, or is saved. |
| Route name | Click it to rename the route. It starts as "Untitled route" and becomes "start → destination" once you set both. |
| Undo and redo | Step backwards and forwards through your edits. The keyboard shortcuts are Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Shift+Z (Cmd on a Mac). |
| Route menu | Start a new plan, or open one of your saved routes. |
| GPX menu | Import a GPX file into the planner, or export the current route. |
| Share | Creates a link to the route. Needs an account. |
| Save route | Saves the route to your account. Needs an account. |
| Account | Your profile, preferences and credit balance. |

![The Route menu open in the top bar, showing 'New plan' and a 'Your routes' list that reads 'No saved routes yet'.](/guide/planner/top-bar-route-menu.jpg)
The Route menu: start again, or reopen a saved route.

![The GPX menu open in the top bar, showing two items: Import GPX and Export GPX.](/guide/planner/top-bar-gpx-menu.jpg)
The GPX menu: bring a track in, or take your route away.

## Saving and sharing

You can plan, split and export without an account. Saving and sharing need you to sign in, and the two buttons say so until you do. Saved routes then appear in the Route menu and in the Bikepackia app.

## FAQ

**Why are Save and Share greyed out?**
You're not signed in. Planning and GPX export work without an account, but saving a route and creating a share link need one.

**Can I undo a change in the planner?**
Yes. Use the undo and redo arrows in the top bar, or press Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Shift+Z (Cmd+Z and Cmd+Shift+Z on a Mac).

# The Route Assistant tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/route-assistant

The Route Assistant tab is where you plan by conversation. Type what you want ("3 days from Annecy, about 60 km a day, quiet roads") and Mec asks anything it needs, then builds and edits the route on the map beside you. It's the first tab in the left rail, and it needs a free account.

![The Route Assistant panel highlighted on the left of the planner: a row of mode pills reading PLAN, REFINE, FINE TUNE and RESEARCH, a text box prompting 'Tell Mec what you want. Region, days, surface, vibe…' with a Generate button, and three starter suggestions.](/guide/planner/route-assistant.jpg)
The Route Assistant tab before the first message.

## What's in the panel

- The message box: describe the trip, or ask for a change to the route you already have.
- Starters: example requests you can open and use as a starting point.
- The mode pills (Plan, Refine, Fine Tune, Research): these show which mode Mec is working in on the current turn. They're an indicator, not a switch — Mec picks the mode itself as the conversation moves on.
- Tappable replies: when Mec asks a question it offers short answers you can tap instead of typing.

## What Mec does here

- Builds a first route from your description, asking about the region, the number of days or anything else it's missing.
- Changes the route you already have: shorten a day, move where a day ends, route via a town, swap the bike type.
- Finds places (water, food, groceries, repairs, sights, places to stay) near a point of the route and pins them on the map.
- Answers questions about the route, such as how much climbing day 2 has.
- Remembers preferences you state, either for every trip or just this one.

Everything Mec does here lands on the same route as your own edits, so you can switch between the tabs freely, and undo works the same way for both.

## Account and credits

The Route Assistant needs a free account, and each reply spends credits. New accounts start with €2 of credit. The rest of the planner (the map, Trip points, Stages, GPX export) works without an account and doesn't use credit.

## FAQ

**Why is the Route Assistant locked?**
You need to be signed in to use it. Sign in with a free account and you get €2 of credit to start.

**Can I choose whether Mec plans or refines?**
No, and you don't need to. The pills across the top show which mode Mec chose for the current turn; it switches modes itself as the conversation moves from a first plan to fine detail.

**Does Mec draw the route itself?**
No. Mec works out what you want and asks the routing engine for it, so every line follows real roads and tracks from OpenStreetMap.

# The Trip points tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/trip-points

The Trip points tab is where you build a route by hand. Set a start and a destination, add waypoints in between, and choose the bike profile the route is computed for. It's the second tab in the left rail and works without an account.

![The Trip points panel highlighted: a WAYPOINTS list with 'Annecy, France' as point A and 'Chambéry, France' as point B, an 'Add waypoint' link, a 'Reverse' link, a BIKE PROFILE selector with Traditional, Hybrid, Road and Shared, and an Electric bike toggle.](/guide/planner/trip-points.jpg)
Trip points, with a start and a destination set.

## Setting the points

- Type a place name into the start or destination field and pick from the suggestions.
- Or click the map to set the start, and right-click it to set the destination.
- Add waypoint puts another point in between, to force the route through a place.
- Drag the handle on a point to reorder it; the × removes it.
- Reverse flips the whole trip, so you ride it the other way round.

The route recomputes as soon as the points change, and the distance, climbing and elevation profile at the bottom of the screen update with it.

## Bike profile

| Setting | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Traditional, Hybrid, Shared | Everyday cycling profiles. These three are currently computed the same way. |
| Road | Favours sealed roads suited to a road bike. |
| Electric bike | A separate switch. It adjusts how the route treats gradient, and the daily range used when the trip is split into days. |

When a route has more than one sensible option, the planner offers alternatives above the map (Route 1, Route 2, Route 3) with each one's distance and climbing, so you can compare before choosing.

## FAQ

**How do I make the route go through a particular town?**
Add it as a waypoint in the Trip points tab, between your start and destination. The route is then computed through it.

**Do I need an account to build a route by hand?**
No. Trip points, the map, stages and GPX export all work signed out. Saving the route is what needs an account.

# The Stages tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/stages

The Stages tab turns a route into a day-by-day trip. Choose how many days you want, or how far you want to ride each day, and press Apply. Each day then gets its own card with distance, ride time, climbing and descent, the stops you've pinned, where you sleep that night, and its own GPX download.

![The Stages panel highlighted: a 'Split into 3 stages' box with By days and By distance options, a NUMBER OF DAYS slider set to 3 reading '≈ 20.5 km/day · total 61.4 km', an Apply button, and a Day 1 card showing 20.5 km, 1h09, 753 m climb, 356 m descent, a GPX button, a POIs section, sleeping spots and a 'Climb to 413 m' highlight marked Cat 1.](/guide/planner/stages.jpg)
A 61 km route split into three days.

## Splitting the route

- By days: pick the number of days (2 to 30) and the route is cut into days of roughly equal distance.
- By distance: pick how far you want to ride each day (10 to 200 km) and the planner works out how many days that takes.
- The line under the slider previews the result before you commit, e.g. "≈ 20.5 km/day · total 61.4 km".
- Apply splits the route. Clear removes the split and gives you back a single continuous route.
- Mec can also split by a daily climbing budget, and put the day breaks at the foot or the top of a climb.

## What each day's card holds

| Section | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| The header | The day's distance, ride time, climbing and descent, plus a GPX button for that day alone. |
| POIs | The stops you've pinned to that day: water, food, groceries, repairs, sights. |
| Sleeping spots | Where the day starts and ends. Change lets you pick a different place to stay, which moves the day's end. |
| Stage highlights | The climbs in that day, with their category, length, average and maximum gradient, and height gained. |
| Add to stage | Search for a place near that day and pin it to the plan. |

Once a route is split, the day boundaries also appear on the map as numbered markers, and the elevation profile at the bottom is banded and labelled by day.

## FAQ

**Can I download a GPX file for a single day?**
Yes. Each day's card in the Stages tab has its own GPX button, next to the day's distance and climbing.

**How do I change where a day ends?**
In the day's Sleeping spots section, press Change and choose a different place to stay. The day's end moves to it. You can also ask Mec to move a stage end.

**Does the split balance climbing as well as distance?**
Splitting by days or distance balances distance. If you want the climbing spread evenly, or day breaks placed around climbs, ask Mec in the Route Assistant tab.

# The Trip preferences tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/trip-preferences

The Trip preferences tab holds the settings that describe the trip rather than the route: how many of you there are, how you sleep and eat, your pace and budget, when you start, and any notes. Mec reads these when it suggests stages, stops and places to stay.

![The Trip preferences panel highlighted, listing TRAVELERS (1 traveler), SLEEP (Any), LUNCH (Any), PACE (Standard), BUDGET (Mid), START, DATES, SCENERY and NOTES (all 'Not set'), with an 'Edit trip preferences' button underneath.](/guide/planner/trip-preferences.jpg)
Trip preferences with default values.

## The settings

| Setting | What it affects |
| --- | --- |
| Travellers | How many of you are riding. |
| Sleep | The kind of place you want at the end of a day: hotels, hostels, guest houses, campsites and so on. |
| Lunch | Whether you'd rather stop at a café or carry a picnic. Mec searches accordingly. |
| Pace | How hard you want the days to be, which shapes the daily distance Mec suggests. |
| Budget | The price range Mec keeps to when it suggests places. |
| Start | The time of day you set off, used for ride-time estimates. |
| Dates | When the trip happens. |
| Scenery | The kinds of landscape you'd like the route to favour. |
| Notes | Anything else in your own words, e.g. "we'd rather avoid city centres". |

These are advisory: they shape what Mec suggests and asks about, not the geometry of the route itself. Press Edit trip preferences to change them.

## Trip settings versus your profile

This tab holds the settings for the trip on screen. Your account also has saved preferences that apply to every new trip, including the notes Mec remembers when you say something like "I always avoid busy roads". You can see and edit those in your account.

## FAQ

**Do trip preferences change the route itself?**
No. They shape what Mec suggests — the days, the stops, the places to stay — but the path is computed by the routing engine from your points and bike profile.

**What's the difference between these and my account preferences?**
This tab applies to the trip you're planning now. Your account preferences apply to every new trip, and Mec follows both.

# The map and the stats bar

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/planner/map

The map fills the right-hand side of the planner. Map content switches the base map and turns on what you want to see (water points, repairers, places to stay and more), the controls on the right zoom and locate, and the stats bar underneath shows distance, ride time, climbing, descent, difficulty, average speed and the elevation profile.

![The planner's map area highlighted, showing the route from Annecy to Chambéry with numbered day markers, climb badges reading '413 m · 4%' and '453 m · 6.1%', the Map content and Preferences menus at the top right, zoom and locate controls on the right edge, and Climbs and Cycle network toggles at the bottom left.](/guide/planner/map.jpg)
The map with a three-day route, its day markers and its climbs.

## On the map itself

- The route, with numbered markers where each day ends once you've split it into stages.
- Climb badges showing the height gained and average gradient of each climb.
- Route alternatives across the top when there's more than one sensible way, each with its distance and climbing.
- Climbs and Cycle network toggles at the bottom left, for climb shading and signed cycle routes.

## Map content

![The Map content menu open, with a BASE LAYER group offering Bikepackia, OSM, Aerial photos and Topo, then toggles grouped under BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE (Bike parking, Bicycle pumps, Repairers, Charging stations), USEFUL AMENITIES (Water points, Toilets, Picnic areas, Resupply) and TOURISM.](/guide/planner/map-content-menu.jpg)
Map content: the base map, and what to show on top of it.

| Group | What you can turn on |
| --- | --- |
| Base layer | Bikepackia's own map, OSM, Aerial photos or Topo. |
| Bicycle infrastructure | Bike parking, bicycle pumps, repairers, charging stations. |
| Useful amenities | Water points, toilets, picnic areas, resupply. |
| Tourism | Bicycle rental, accommodations, touristic sites, restaurants. |

The Preferences menu next to it toggles the cycling-infrastructure styling of the map. Place data comes from OpenStreetMap, with official French tourism listings added in France.

## The stats bar

![The stats bar highlighted below the map: DISTANCE 61.4 km, TIME 3h 26, CLIMB 1834 m, DESCENT 2045 m, DIFFICULTY 'Very hard', SPEED 17.9 km/h average, an elevation profile banded and labelled D1, D2 and D3, and tabs for Directions, Road surface, Road Type and Daily brief.](/guide/planner/map-stats-bar.jpg)
The stats bar, with the elevation profile split by day.

- Totals for the route: distance, estimated ride time, climbing, descent, a difficulty rating and average speed.
- The elevation profile, banded by day once the route is split, so you can see which day holds which climb.
- Directions: the turn-by-turn list for the route.
- Road surface and Road Type: what the route is made of, when the routing engine reports it.
- Daily brief is not available yet.

## FAQ

**How do I find water along my route?**
Open Map content and turn on Water points under Useful amenities. You can also ask Mec to find water near a point of the route and pin it to a day.

**Can I see the route on satellite imagery?**
Yes. Open Map content and pick Aerial photos as the base layer. There's also a Topo map.

**What does the difficulty rating mean?**
It's a summary of the route's distance and climbing, shown in the stats bar next to the totals. It's a guide, not a grading standard.

---

# Section: Your dashboard

# The Routes tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/dashboard/saved-routes

The Routes tab of your dashboard lists every route you've saved from the planner. Each one shows its name, status, bike type and when you saved it, with buttons to open it in the planner, mark it a favourite, rename it or delete it. Reopening a route loads the exact plan you saved — it isn't re-routed.

![The Bikepackia dashboard with its three tabs highlighted — Routes (selected), Preferences and Credits — above a 'My routes' heading, filter chips reading All 1, Favorites 0, Draft 1, Planned and Completed, and one saved route card.](/guide/dashboard/tabs.jpg)
The dashboard's three tabs. Routes is the one you land on.

## Finding a route

The filter chips above the list narrow it down, and each carries a count: All, Favorites, and then one chip per status — Draft, Planned and Completed.

## What a route card shows

![A saved route card highlighted: the title 'Annecy → Chambéry', a heart, pencil and bin icon at the top right, a DRAFT badge with 'TRADITIONAL · SAVED 1 MIN AGO', an 'Open in planner' button, and the endpoints 'Annecy, France → Chambéry, France' underneath.](/guide/dashboard/route-card.jpg)
One saved route, with its status, bike type and actions.

| Item | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Name | What you called the route when you saved it. The pencil renames it. |
| Status badge | Draft, Planned or Completed — how far along the trip is. |
| Bike type | The bike profile the route was planned for. |
| Saved … | When you last saved it. |
| Heart | Marks the route a favourite, so the Favorites filter finds it. |
| Bin | Deletes the route. |
| Open in planner | Reopens the saved plan in the planner, exactly as you left it. |
| Start → end | The first and last points of the route. |

## If the list is empty

A new account has no saved routes, and the tab offers a button through to the planner instead. Build a route there and press Save route in the top bar, and it appears here.

## FAQ

**Where do I find routes I saved?**
In the Routes tab of your dashboard on bikepackia.com. They're also in the Bikepackia Android app, on the same account.

**Does reopening a saved route change it?**
No. Reopening loads the exact plan you saved, including its stages and stops. It isn't recomputed, so nothing moves behind your back.

**Can I get a saved route back after deleting it?**
No. Deleting is permanent, so export the GPX first if you might want the track later.

# The Preferences tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/dashboard/ride-preferences

The Preferences tab holds the defaults Bikepackia fills into every new trip: group size, accommodation, daily rhythm, trip preferences, bike and terrain. It also holds your standing notes — freeform rules Mec follows on every trip — and your email-updates choice. Changes save automatically, and you can still override anything for a single trip.

![The Preferences tab of the dashboard: a 'Preferences' heading explaining these are defaults pre-filled into every new trip, a note that changes save automatically, an 'ON THIS PAGE' list (Group, Accommodation, Daily rhythm, Trip preferences, Bike & terrain) and a Group card with 'Default number of travelers' set to 1.](/guide/dashboard/preferences.jpg)
Preferences, with the section list on the left.

## The sections

| Section | What it sets |
| --- | --- |
| Group | How many of you normally ride. |
| Accommodation | The kind of place you normally sleep in, and a fallback when it isn't available. |
| Daily rhythm | Your usual pace, daily distance and start time. |
| Trip preferences | Budget, lunch style and the scenery you favour. |
| Bike & terrain | Your usual bike, whether it's electric, and the surface and climbing you're happy with. |
| Custom preferences | Standing notes in your own words (see below). |
| Email updates | Whether Bikepackia may email you about new features, route ideas and offers. |

These are defaults, not locks: every new trip starts from them, and you can change any of them for a single trip in the planner's Trip preferences tab without touching what's saved here. Edits here save as soon as you finish a field — there's no save button.

## Standing notes

![The Custom preferences section of the dashboard: 'Standing notes — freeform rules Mec honours on every trip, including ones it saved from your chats', an 'Add a preference…' field with an Add button, and an Email updates card with an unticked consent checkbox reading 'You haven't made a choice yet.'](/guide/dashboard/preferences-custom.jpg)
Standing notes, and the email-updates choice.

- Write rules in plain words, like "no highways ever" or "loves bakery stops".
- Mec follows them on every trip, and adds notes here itself when you tell it something durable in a chat ("I always avoid city centres").
- They guide what Mec suggests and asks about. They don't change how the routing engine draws the line.
- Email updates are off until you tick the box, and you can untick it at any time. Important service messages are sent either way.

## FAQ

**Do I have to save my preferences?**
No. Each change saves by itself as soon as you finish editing the field.

**How do I stop Mec suggesting something I never want?**
Add it as a standing note under Custom preferences, e.g. "no campsites". Mec follows your standing notes on every trip. You can also just tell Mec in a chat and it saves the note for you.

**Will changing my defaults change trips I already planned?**
No. These are the starting point for new trips. Routes you've already saved keep the settings they were planned with.

# The Credits tab

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/dashboard/credits-and-activity

The Credits tab shows what's left in your wallet, in euros, and every movement in and out of it. Credit is only spent by the AI route partner; the rest of the planner is free. Buying credit isn't live yet, so the packs are marked coming soon and every account runs on its €2 welcome credit.

![The Credits tab: a 'Credits & billing' heading explaining the wallet powers the AI route planner and each chat turn deducts a small amount, a beta notice reading "You're in the beta — purchases aren't live yet", and a CURRENT BALANCE card showing €2.00 available to spend in the AI chat.](/guide/dashboard/credits-balance.jpg)
The balance card, in euros.

## Your balance

Credit is shown in euros, at face value. The card warns you when the balance is running low. Only the AI route partner spends it — building routes on the map, splitting them into days, searching for stops and exporting GPX cost nothing.

## Top up

![The lower half of the Credits tab: a 'Top up' section with a Starter pack at €9.00 adding €9.00 of credits and a Pro pack at €19.00 adding €19.00 of credits, both with a greyed-out 'Coming soon' button, and a 'Recent activity' table with columns When, Reason and Amount showing '2 d ago — Welcome credit — +€2.00'.](/guide/dashboard/credits-activity.jpg)
The packs, and the activity list underneath.

Two packs are planned — Starter at €9 and Pro at €19, each adding that much credit. Buying isn't switched on yet, so both buttons read "Coming soon".

## Recent activity

Every movement in or out of your wallet is listed with when it happened, why, and how much. The reasons you'll see:

| Reason | What it was |
| --- | --- |
| Welcome credit | The €2 added when you first signed in. |
| Credit pack purchase | Credit you bought (once buying is live). |
| Chat usage | A reply from the AI route partner. |
| Web search | A web search the assistant ran while answering. |
| Refund | Credit given back. |
| Adjustment | A correction made by Bikepackia. |

Entries are also tagged by where they came from — Web, Mobile or API — so a shared account can tell which device spent what.

## FAQ

**Why did my balance go down?**
Something asked the AI to do work: a reply from the route partner, or a web search it ran. Recent activity lists each one with its cost. Map planning, stages and GPX export never spend credit.

**Can I buy more credit?**
Not yet. The Starter and Pro packs are shown as coming soon while Bikepackia is in beta.

**What happens when my credit runs out?**
The AI route partner is what needs credit. You can carry on planning routes by hand, splitting them into days, adding stops and exporting GPX without it.

---

# Section: Developers and AI agents

# Bikepackia for developers and AI agents

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/developers

> Available on request: The Bikepackia API and MCP server are currently available on request only. Contact our sales team to get access. Contact sales: contact@bikepackia.com (subject "Bikepackia API access request").

Bikepackia runs an MCP server that lets AI agents and assistants plan, refine and export bikepacking routes for a rider. An agent sends a plain-language brief, and Bikepackia returns a route built on real map data, with day stages and a GPX file. Agents sign in with a Bikepackia API key and spend that account's credits.

## What you can build

- An AI assistant that plans a multi-day bike trip from a sentence like "3-day gravel loop from Lyon, avoid highways".
- A travel or outdoor app that hands riders a rideable route with day stages and a GPX file.
- A chat workflow that refines a route over several turns ("add a rest day before the climb") and reads back its safety scorecard.

## How it works

The agent never draws the route itself. Bikepackia's planner turns the brief into routing requirements (start, end, days, surface, daily distance), and a routing engine computes the actual path over OpenStreetMap data. That's why every route an agent gets back follows real roads and tracks.

- The MCP server exposes four tools: `planRoute`, `refineRoute`, `exportGpx` and `getRouteSafety`. See the MCP server page.
- Each call is authenticated with an API key tied to a Bikepackia account. See the API keys page.
- Every planned route is saved to that account, so an agent can refine or export it minutes or hours later.

## Pricing

Agent calls draw from the same credit balance the account uses in the Bikepackia apps. Planning and refining spend credits because they run the AI planner. Exporting GPX and reading the safety scorecard only read a route that's already saved, so they don't use the AI planner and don't spend credits.

## FAQ

**Does Bikepackia have an API?**
Yes. Bikepackia offers an MCP server for AI agents, authenticated with an API key. It is currently available on request: contact sales to get access.

**Can ChatGPT, Claude or another AI assistant plan routes with Bikepackia?**
Any MCP-compatible AI client can connect to Bikepackia's MCP server and call its route-planning tools, once you have an API key.

**Does the AI invent the route geometry?**
No. The AI only works out what the rider wants. The path itself is computed by a routing engine over OpenStreetMap data.

# Bikepackia API keys

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/developers/api-keys

> Available on request: The Bikepackia API and MCP server are currently available on request only. Contact our sales team to get access. Contact sales: contact@bikepackia.com (subject "Bikepackia API access request").

A Bikepackia API key lets a program or AI agent act on a Bikepackia account through the MCP server. Keys start with `bpk_`, are sent as a standard bearer token, are shown only once when created, and spend credits from the account that owns them. Each account has at most one active key.

## Using a key

Send the key as a bearer token in the `Authorization` header of every request to the MCP server:

```http
Authorization: Bearer bpk_<your-secret>
```

Discovery calls (`initialize` and `tools/list`) work without a key, so a client can see what the server offers before you connect it. Every tool call needs a valid key. A missing or invalid key gets a `401` response with an explanation.

## Keeping a key safe

- The full key is shown once, at creation. Bikepackia stores only a hash, so a lost key can't be recovered, only replaced.
- An account has at most one active key. Issuing a new key immediately revokes the previous one, which is also how you rotate a key.
- A key can do anything the account can do through the MCP server, including spending its credits. Treat it like a password.

## Billing

A key has no separate balance. It draws from the owning account's credits, the same balance the Bikepackia apps use for Mec. Routes planned with a key are saved to that account.

## Limits

These limits apply only to traffic authenticated with an API key, never to riders using the Bikepackia apps. They are per key, and the values below are the current defaults, which may change.

| Limit | Default | When you hit it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Requests per minute | 30 | `429` with error `rate_limited` and a `Retry-After` header |
| Requests in flight at once | 3 | `429` with error `rate_limited` and a short `Retry-After` |
| Length of a brief or instruction | 4,000 characters | Rejected by the tool's input validation before any planning runs |
| Spend per day | €20 of credits | `429` with error `daily_cost_ceiling_exceeded` until the next day starts (00:00 UTC) |

The daily spend limit applies on top of the account balance. It stops a leaked or runaway key from draining a well-funded account in a single day.

## FAQ

**How do I get a Bikepackia API key?**
API access is currently available on request. Contact the Bikepackia sales team and they will set up access for your account.

**Can I have more than one API key?**
No. Each account has at most one active key. Creating a new key revokes the old one.

**What does an API key cost?**
The key itself is free. Calls that plan or refine a route spend credits from the account that owns the key.

# Bikepackia MCP server

Source: https://bikepackia.com/guide/developers/mcp-server

> Available on request: The Bikepackia API and MCP server are currently available on request only. Contact our sales team to get access. Contact sales: contact@bikepackia.com (subject "Bikepackia API access request").

Bikepackia's MCP server gives any MCP-compatible AI client four tools: `planRoute`, `refineRoute`, `exportGpx` and `getRouteSafety`. With them an agent can plan a bikepacking route from a plain-language brief, refine it with follow-up instructions, download its GPX and read its safety scorecard.

## The tools

| Tool | What it does | Input | Returns |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `planRoute` | Plans a new route from a free-text brief. Takes a while (often tens of seconds) and sends progress notifications. | `brief` (up to 4,000 characters) and optional `constraints` | Route summary, day stages, safety scorecard and a `routeId` |
| `refineRoute` | Runs one more planning turn on a saved route with a follow-up instruction. Also sends progress notifications. | `routeId` and `instruction` (up to 4,000 characters) | Same shape as `planRoute` |
| `exportGpx` | Fetches the GPX file for a planned route. Quick, no progress events. | `routeId` | `filename` and the `gpx` XML |
| `getRouteSafety` | Fetches the route's safety scorecard. Quick, no progress events. | `routeId` | `safetyScore` (0–100), `safetyReview` and `safetyFlags` |

## What a planned route contains

- `routeId`: the saved route's id. Pass it to `refineRoute`, `exportGpx` and `getRouteSafety`. The route is saved to your account, so the id keeps working later.
- `bikeType` and `isEbike`: the bike setup the route was planned for.
- `distanceKm` and `ascentM`: totals for the whole route.
- `stages`: one entry per day, with start and end coordinates, `distanceKm`, `ascentM` and a `difficulty` of `easy`, `moderate` or `hard`.
- `safetyScore`, `safetyReview` and `safetyFlags`: an overall 0–100 score, a short written review, and flagged stretches, each with a `severity` (`medium` or `high`), a reason and its length in km.

The safety scorecard is an early, advisory estimate that is still being developed. Don't rely on it for safety decisions, and don't present it to riders as a verified assessment of the roads.

## Optional planning constraints

`planRoute` understands the brief on its own, but you can pin details with `constraints`. Every field is optional:

- `origin`, `destination` and `isLoop`: where the trip starts and ends.
- `days` (1–30) and `dailyDistanceKm` (20–250): trip length and daily distance.
- `surface`: `road`, `gravel`, `mtb` or `trekking`. `avoidHighways` defaults to true.
- `waypoints`: coordinates the route should pass through.
- `travelers`, `accommodation`, `lunch`, `pace`, `scenery`, `budget` and `startTime`: trip preferences that shape stages and stops.
- `notes`: anything else, as free text.

## Connecting a client

The MCP server address is shared with you when access is granted. Most MCP clients take a configuration like this; the exact format depends on the client:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bikepackia": {
      "url": "<address provided with your access>",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer bpk_<your-secret>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Discovery (`initialize`, `tools/list`) works without a key. Tool calls need one. See the API keys page for authentication and limits.

## Errors and long calls

- A failing tool call comes back as an MCP tool result with `isError: true` and a readable message, not as a transport error, so the calling model can see what went wrong and adjust.
- Planning and refining can take tens of seconds. If your client sends a `progressToken`, the server reports a progress notification for each planning step.
- A single planning or refining turn stops after 40 internal steps rather than running forever.
- Rate, concurrency and daily spend limits return `429`. See the API keys page.

## What the server doesn't do

The server offers these four route-level operations only. The fine-grained editing controls of the Bikepackia planner are not exposed. Route geometry always comes from the routing engine, never from the AI model.

## FAQ

**Which AI clients work with the Bikepackia MCP server?**
Any client that supports the Model Context Protocol over HTTP and lets you set an Authorization header can connect.

**Can an agent change a route after planning it?**
Yes. Call `refineRoute` with the `routeId` and a plain-language instruction such as "make day 2 shorter". It returns the updated route.

**What is the MCP server's address?**
The address is shared when access is granted. Access is currently available on request: contact sales.