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AdventuresGaia GPS

How I Used Gaia GPS to Navigate Italy

by Jules Semotuk
written by Jules Semotuk

Every year, I love reflecting on the adventures life has taken me on. For me, 2023 led to a different kind of adventure – traveling abroad to Italy. Typically, my adventures consist of a mix of Colorado hikes with my dog, the occasional local road trip to explore new trails and an annual trip within the US for a break when my budget allows for it. Then, in November 2023, my mom invited me on a trip to Italy, marking an exciting new chapter in my travel book as it would be my first time venturing outside of the United States.

Now, you may be reading this as a seasoned traveler who has explored a variety of places internationally (jealous!). But for me, as a midwestern-rooted girl now living in Colorado, the initial thought of traveling abroad was a little intimidating. My mom and I felt a mix of emotions as we planned our trip: excitement, wonder, nervousness, and curiosity, to name a few. What if we got lost? How would we know where to go? 

While we had done the usual trip planning of plotting out our days and activities with the help of a travel agent, I also knew that Gaia GPS would be there to help me navigate this new type of adventure.

To be honest, I didn’t realize how much Gaia GPS would come in handy during my Italy trip. I typically use it for hiking and local adventures in the woods of Colorado, but it turns out that Gaia GPS is great for any type of adventure—even navigating the cities and streets of Italy. The app gave me peace of mind knowing that I’d have reliable navigation in my pocket every step of the way. So, here are my tips and tricks on how you can use Gaia GPS when traveling internationally (or anywhere, really)!

Download Maps Before You Go

When traveling, there’s one thing you can count on—you’ll need to know where you’re going and how to get back. This is especially true if you’re in a foreign country where the local language may not be the same as your own.

Before we left for Italy, I made sure to download offline maps of the cities we would be visiting because I wasn’t sure what cell service would be like in places like Rome and Florence. Even with cell service available, you might not have a cellular data plan that covers international usage. While cell service is usually fine in larger cities, I believe it’s always a good idea to be prepared and download maps ahead of time for any adventure. For this trip, I used Gaia Topo and Gaia Topo Black and White, as they provided the clearest streets and landmarks, along with the bonus of major points of interest marked nearby.

Once I downloaded the maps, I spent a bit of time exploring the areas where we’d be staying and added waypoints for our hotels.

Pro tip: Utilize the notes feature when creating a Waypoint and include the hotel address—just in case you need it for a taxi or if you get lost!

Waypoints: Your Next Best Friend

If you’re not familiar with waypoints, they’re essentially location markers that help you remember important spots. In addition to marking our hotel and major landmarks, I used waypoints to keep track of memorable restaurants we visited and places that stood out to me. Sometimes when traveling, locations can blend together, but with waypoints, I could quickly pinpoint where we were and what we saw to reference it at any time. 

A great bonus feature of Gaia GPS is that you can add notes and photos to each waypoint. This came in handy when we came across memorable locations and restaurants I wanted to revisit someday.

Personalize Your Map With the New Photo Waypoint Feature

With the new Photo Waypoint feature, Premium members can now enhance their map experience by adding images to their waypoint icons on the web! Since this feature launched after my trip, I’ve been having a blast revisiting my waypoints and customizing them with my favorite photos. It’s a fun way to make my maps more personal and relive my adventures in a completely new way. Ready to take your own maps to the next level? You can start adding Photo Waypoints to your adventures by following the steps here!

Plot Routes to Estimate Your Walking Distance to Each Destination

One of the best parts about traveling to cities like Rome and Florence is exploring on foot. The streets are filled with rich history, culture, and charm—but they can also be a maze of narrow alleyways and winding paths. With Gaia GPS, I was able to plan out our walking routes between destinations before we even stepped out the door. Whether we were heading to the Colosseum in Rome or the Duomo in Florence, I used the route-planning feature to estimate the walking distance and pick the best path. This helped me estimate how long each excursion would take, allowing for some flexibility to stop for gelato or enjoy an impromptu café break along the way since our days were jam-packed with places to see.

Navigate to Your Destination

Although I had pre-plotted most of our routes, there were many times (if not most of the time) we found ourselves wandering off the beaten path. It’s easy to get turned around in new cities, especially when you’re exploring with no specific plan. Gaia GPS offers a Driving Directions feature that was a total lifesaver when we found ourselves walking through Rome and the maze of Florence’s narrow streets. With just a few taps, you can quickly select a waypoint and get turn-by-turn walking or driving directions to your destination.

While the Guide Me feature is useful for plotted routes, I ended up relying on the Driving Directions feature much more often throughout the trip. It was perfect for those spontaneous detours when we found ourselves wandering to unplanned destinations and I didn’t want to bother plotting a new route every time we stopped. While it’s labeled as “Driving Directions,” this feature also works great for walking directions to any chosen waypoint. Click here to discover more about how to use it!

Record Your Tracks

One feature I didn’t use on this trip, but would definitely recommend for future adventures, is the track recording option. If you’re a fitness enthusiast or just want to track how much ground you’ve covered, Gaia GPS allows you to record your movements throughout the day. Since we averaged about 20,000 steps per day, it would have been fun to visually track our progress as we explored different parts of the cities. In the future, I’ll definitely use this feature to get a detailed record of all the places we visited. Plus, it’d be cool to look back and relive our exact routes. 

Pro tip: When recording your tracks for longer adventures, stop and save the track recording when you stop for a break so that you have different sections of track recordings versus one continuous track. This allows for optimal app performance and also gives you the flexibility to organize your adventures afterward.

That’s a Wrap!

At the end of the trip, I decided to create a folder in Gaia GPS to organize all the waypoints and routes from our adventure. This made it easy to reference the information later, whether I wanted to relive a specific day or share recommendations with friends. Bonus tip: I used the shared folder feature so that my mom could have access to our adventure data, too!

For a more tangible keepsake, I created a photo book of our trip, including a screenshot of the map of Italy, using waypoints to mark the cities we visited. It was a fun way to reminisce about the places we explored and the memories we made. I did this by using the Print Map feature and exporting a PDF map file of Italy. I then imported the PDF file into the photo book platform I used.

Traveling through Italy was truly a dream come true, and I’m so glad I had Gaia GPS to guide me along the way. Whether you’re planning an international adventure or a road trip closer to home, Gaia GPS is the perfect tool to help you navigate and document your journey, ensuring you never lose your way—no matter where your adventure takes you. Safe travels and happy exploring!

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A hiker walks over a ridge with a snowcapped peak in the distance.
AdventuresGaia GPS

Record a Track to “Crush it 4 Climate”

by Abby Levene
written by Abby Levene

Whether you cherish skiing the perfect line, hiking up to breathtaking views, or overlanding through enchanting desert planes, we share common ground. We are united in our love of the world around us. And we can come together to protect these places we love to play.

This March, hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts are joining forces for our planet. We are proud to stand alongside climate change nonprofit Protect Our Winters as it brings recreationists of all types and creeds together to advance non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations. Together, this “Outdoor State” — the symbolic collection of folks from all across the country who love recreating outside — holds collective bargaining power that any individual could never attain.

You can join the Outdoor State by participating in POW’s month-long “Crush It 4 Climate” campaign. The goal is simple: get outside for a chance to win a slew of incredible prizes — including a free Premium Membership from Gaia GPS! From finding new hikes, to navigating in the backcountry, to recording your adventures, Gaia GPS helps people explore and stay safe in the backcountry.

Over here at Gaia GPS, we are joining the “Crush it 4 Climate” campaign by getting outside and recording a track of that activity. Yes, it’s that easy! Here’s how you can join us:

“Crush It 4 Climate”

Five skiers skin up a ski slope.
Lap 2 of 20. Photo: Ramsay De Give

The beauty of the “Crush it 4 Climate” challenge is anyone can participate. There is no one “right way” to “crush it for climate.” Gaia GPS writer and editor Abby Levene (who also happens to be on the POW Athlete Alliance) climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest (29,032 feet) on skis.

On March 10, Abby and a couple other POW athletes set off into the pre-dawn darkness and skinned up Ski Santa Fe. Once they reached the summit, which tops out at over 12,000’, they skied back down and started climbing back up again. They repeated that 20 times, for a total of 15 hours and 40 minutes.

“While skinning up and skiing down a ski resort 20 times is not the same thing as scaling the world’s highest peak, it filled me with wonder over the magnitude of both Everest and earth at large,” Abby says. “When I finally reached the equivalent of the highest point on the planet, I was exhausted and depleted. But I was also filled with immense gratitude and respect. From the backyard to places as far away as Everest, the world is so beautiful and vast. Plus, what a privilege to get to spend the whole day outside doing something I love! In my opinion, there’s no greater motivator to want to help save our home planet than to go play on it.”

You can see Abby’s “Everesting” track here.

Screenshot of Gaia GPS tracks from Abby's "Everesting."
Abby’s track from ski “Everesting.”

You certainly do not need to do something as extreme as Abby! Round up your family for a walk around the neighborhood or go hike that trail that’s been on your bucket list for ages. If you get outside this month, you are taking action for our planet. And while you’re out there, record your activity in Gaia GPS so you can share it with friends and encourage them to get outside, too.

Record a Track in Gaia GPS

Two people look at Gaia on their phone while gazing at mountains in the background.

To record a track of your activity, first you will need to download Gaia GPS onto your phone. When you’re ready to start your adventure, open the app.

Next, tap the “Record” button on the top left of your screen. If you don’t see the “Record” button, you can add it by following these directions. Or you can simply tap the circle with the “+” in the middle (top right of your screen). From the menu that pops up, tap “Record a Track” (first option). You’re ready to hit the trail!

When you’re done with your activity, simply tap the timer on the top left of your screen. Select “Finish Track.” Alternatively, once again press the circle with the “+” in the middle. Hit “Finish Track.”

From here, you’ll be able to view your track, including all the stats like distance traveled, elevation gain, and time elapsed. You can also give your track a name, and make your track visible to the public if you wish.

Create a Free
Gaia GPS Account

Join the Outdoor State

Four skiers stand in the darkness in a line with their headlamps on. They are smiling for the camera.
The calm before 29,032′. Photo: Ramsay De Give

Once you’ve recorded your track, you’re ready to join the Outdoor State! Share your track with your friends and family to encourage them to get outside, too. Then simply click the button below:

Crush It 4 Climate,
Win Prizes

Bonus: we want to see how you are “crushing it for climate!” Share your tracks on social media, along with the hashtag #CrushIt4Climate and tag @GaiaGPS in your post. One more lucky winner will receive a free Premium membership. The Crush It 4 Climate campaign ends on March 31, so get outside over the next week and share those tracks. We look forward to joining you outside!

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Gaia GPS

Use Your GPS Tracks to Update OpenStreetMap

by Kate Dougherty
written by Kate Dougherty

In a recent blog post, we showed you how to join OpenStreetMap and help build an open map of the world, alongside millions of other map editors. That post focused on editing the map by comparing it to aerial imagery.

This new article covers how to use your GPS recordings (such as those you might make in Gaia GPS), to edit roads, landmarks, and other information into the map. Remember, OpenStreetMap doesn’t just mean roads – it includes trails and everything else of interest to hikers.

Record GPS Tracks and Waypoints

First, you need to go take a hike or something similar, and record tracks and waypoints. With Gaia GPS:

    • Download maps (iOS/Android) of the area you plan to explore ahead of time so they’ll be available without a strong internet connection. 
    • Start recording (iOS/Android) your track. 
    • It’s easy to add photos along your route (iOS/Android); the app will automatically geolocate or “attach” them at the proper locations. 
    • After you’ve finished recording your track, you’ll see a waypoint pin at the location where the photo was taken. Simply tap the pin to see your photo.
    • You can use your photos to contribute to OSM too, but we’ll leave that for another post.

        Completing Your GPS Track

        Once you’ve finished recording your track, you’ll have the option to customize its name (iOS/Android) and add it a folder (iOS/Android). If it’s one of several trails you plan to hike in Yosemite, for example, touch the folder icon to add the track to a new “Yosemite” folder.

        Gaia GPS will save your track and edits automatically, so there’s no save button on this screen. When finished, use your Android’s built-in back or undo button or tap done on an iOS device to exit the window and go back to your map.

          • Next, export the GPX file for your track. You can do this from within the app (iOS/Android), or by downloading the file from GaiaGPS.com. By default, your data will sync to gaiagps.com anytime you launch the app when connected to the internet.

        Uploading Your GPS Track to OpenStreetMap

        While OSM won’t automatically convert your track into a trace on the map, contributors can use it as a guide to add it manually. You can either trace over the path yourself, or make it public so other editors can access it.

            • Click GPS Traces at the top of the screen. You’ll see a list of the most recently uploaded traces.
              • Click Upload a trace at the top of the screen.

        Openstreetmap, gaia gpsClick on GPS Traces at the top of the screen to upload your file to OSM.

        openstreetmap, gaia gps

        You’ll see a list of the most recently added traces. Click Upload a trace to add yours.

          • On the next page, browse to select the location of the GPX file on your computer. You can also include a description, add tags, and set its visibility to Public. Click what does this mean? next to the visibility drop-down for more information on visibility types.
            • Click upload (the upload button is hidden by the dropdown in the screenshot below).

        openstreetmap, gaiagpsSelect and describe your file, then set its visibility.

        You’ll receive a confirmation of your submission, and a message saying that you’ll be notified by email once it’s been added to the OSM database. This usually happens within a few minutes. When you receive the email, click on the link to see the OSM page for your trace.

        openstreetmap, gaiagpsYour track’s page on OSM. Click edit to start editing the map at that location.

        Using Your Trace to Edit OpenStreetMap

          • Next, click edit to view your track superimposed over aerial imagery within the default editor. The track is so detailed that it may seem difficult to trace. But not to worry – OSM actually has three editors. One of them, Potlatch, will automatically smooth out and simplify the line.
            • To view and edit your trace in Potlatch, click the down arrow next to the Edit button at the top of the screen, then select Edit with Potlatch 2 (in-browser editor). You can also follow these steps to access Potlatch directly from your file’s OSM home page.

        openstreetmap, gaiagpsYour track is superimposed on top of imagery in the default OSM editor.

        While Potlatch looks different from the default editor, it works in much the same way. OSM displays basic instructions at the bottom of the screen.

        openstreetmap, gaiagps

        The trace is simplified in the Potlatch 2 editor.

        Simply click on a blank (unmapped) area of the map to start drawing a new way. Since your trace isn’t officially part of the map yet, OSM considers it a blank space.

          • Click on your track’s starting point to begin tracing over it, and click to add nodes where it begins to turn. The Potlatch editor makes this process much easier. Since Potlatch smoothes out your track, you’ll need fewer nods and less time to trace it.
        openstreetmap, gaiagps

        Follow your track to add it to the map as a new feature.

          • When you’re finished tracing, press enter on your keyboard (or double-click on the last node).
            • Next, you’ll need to add tags on the left. While the left panel may seem a bit crowded and complex when compared to the default editor, the idea is the same, except that Potlatch uses icons to offer a quicker, more visual way to tag features.
              • Set the feature type. Click Unknown, then choose Paths, then Footpath.
        openstreemap, gaiagps

        Tag the new feature.

        There are several tabs in the left pane; the first two are the most relevant to my path through Ringing Rocks Park.

          • After adding basic information on the first tab, click on the second tab and add a tag for the Surface field. In the example below, I’ve tagged the trail as an unpaved surface.
        openstreetmap, gaiagps
              • Feel free to explore the remaining tabs and add more information.
                • Click the Save button at the top of the screen to save your edits.
                  • You’ll be prompted to add a description of your edits for the community. For example, I wrote: “Added the trail/footpath that goes through Ringing Rocks Park.”
                    • Be sure to tweet or Facebook your edits to get your friends mapping too.

        Check back a bit later, and voila, your travels are now on the map for all to see!

        image (6)

        Your track is now mapped and visible to millions of users.

        Learn More about Uploading GPS Traces to OpenStreetMap

        Recording, uploading, and using your GPS tracks to contribute to OpenStreetMap is really quite simple and fun. You may just find yourself wanting to know more. Here are a few resources:

         

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