Route Planning
Tools & Apps
Garmin GPS devices vs smartphone apps — tested on Route 66, NC500 and the Alps. Find the right tool for your tour.
For serious touring, nothing beats a dedicated Garmin GPS. If you're on a budget or want flexibility, REVER is the best free app. For European mountain roads, Calimoto's curvy routing is genuinely impressive. Scenic wins on polish. Google Maps is the universal backup.
Garmin Zumo XT2
Dedicated GPS Device · From £599 (device)
The gold standard for dedicated motorcycle GPS. Weatherproof, glove-friendly touchscreen, and motorcycle-specific routing built in. No phone required.
REVER
Motorcycle App · Free / Premium £3.99/mo
The most popular dedicated motorcycle touring app. Route recording, trip logs, community-shared routes, and a growing library of curated motorcycle roads.
Calimoto
Motorcycle App · Free / Premium £3.99/mo
Calimoto specialises in curvy route generation. Tell it where you want to go and it will find the most twisty, scenic roads available between A and B.
Scenic
Motorcycle App · £4.99/mo or £34.99/yr
Premium motorcycle navigation with the most polished interface of any app. Designed by and for motorcyclists — the routing engine understands what riders actually want.
Google Maps
General Navigation · Free
The world's most trusted navigation app. Not motorcycle-specific, but universally available, offline-capable, and the default choice for many riders abroad.
My Navigation Setup
Primary
Garmin Zumo XT2
Dedicated, weatherproof, reliable. Gloves on the whole day — never missed a turn.
Backup App
REVER
Free tier covers 95% of what I need. Community routes found me roads I'd never have found otherwise.
City/Exploring
Google Maps
Finding fuel, food and accommodation in towns and cities. Nothing beats it for this.
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