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The universal format

Using a GPX file.

A GPX file holds a sequence of geographic points describing a track. It is the universal format for routes: it moves between every app and every GPS head unit without loss and without conversion.

By Paul Sokol · Updated 17 September 2026 · Where these figures come from

What a GPX contains

A GPX is a text file listing points — latitude, longitude, and usually elevation. Nothing else. Not the surface, not the direction of travel, not the accommodation: all of that comes from the app that reads it.

  • A track — the dense sequence of points that draws the route. The heart of the file.
  • Waypoints — named markers, sometimes added by the author: villages, water points, passes.
  • Elevation — often present, sometimes wrong. Many tools recompute it from a terrain model.

Where to find GPX files for French routes

Main sources of GPX files for French routes.
SourceWhat you findConditions
France Vélo TourismeThe official cycle routes and greenways, section by sectionFree download, reuse subject to conditions
OpenStreetMapSignposted route relations, exportable as a trackODbL licence, free reuse with attribution
Komoot, Ride with GPS, BikemapCommunity-plotted routes, GPX exportAccount required; reuse often restricted
Tourist board websitesLocal loops and regional variantsHighly variable quality, worth checking before leaving
HaltaThe 74 routes already split into stages, with the places to sleep around themFree, data under the ODbL licence

From track to trip

  1. Check the track first of all

    Open the file on a map and follow the line with your eye. A GPX uploaded by a stranger can run along a dual carriageway, a private track or a path no loaded bike will get down.

  2. Check the distance and elevation

    Compare them with the figures published by the official source. A large gap points to an incomplete track or an unexpected variant.

  3. Split it into stages

    Spread the distance across achievable days, then set each day’s end at a real place to sleep rather than at a round number.

  4. Find the places to sleep on each stage

    And their real detour from the track — not their straight-line distance, which ignores hills and rivers.

  5. Load the track onto the head unit or phone

    Checking that offline maps for the area are downloaded. A GPX with no base map is just a line in the void.

Halta imports a GPX and splits it automatically into daily stages, with the distance and elevation of each, then shows the places to sleep around every stage. See the guide to splitting a route.

Frequently asked questions

What is a GPX file?

A GPX file is a text file listing geographic points — latitude, longitude, often elevation — that describe a track. It is the universal exchange format for routes, readable by every app and every GPS head unit.

Where can you download GPX files for French cycle routes?

France Vélo Tourisme publishes the official cycle routes and greenways section by section. OpenStreetMap allows signposted routes to be exported under the ODbL licence. Komoot, Ride with GPS and Bikemap host community-uploaded tracks.

Does a GPX file contain accommodation?

No. A GPX contains only track points, and sometimes named waypoints. Accommodation, surface and services always come from the app reading the file, never from the file itself.

How do you check that a GPX is reliable?

Open the track on a map and follow it with your eye, then compare its distance and elevation with the figures published by the official source. A large gap points to an incomplete track or an unexpected variant.

Can you import a GPX into Halta?

Yes. Halta imports a GPX file and splits it automatically into daily stages, with the distance and elevation of each, then shows the places to sleep around every stage.

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