Helper guide

Routing styles

Each leg between two stops can use its own style. Set a default for new legs in the app; change one leg at a time by Shift + clicking the route line on the map, then picking a style in the popup.

• Fast

  Get there quickly on the most direct drive the router offers.

  • Optimizes for the shortest travel time on main roads. This is the default when you want a straightforward A-to-B trip.
  • When OpenRouteService is configured, Fast uses the fastest preference. Without it, directions come from OSRM (public demo servers in development).
  • Does not add automatic sight stops or hunt for winding back roads.

• Balanced

  Everyday driving — practical roads without the scenic detour logic.

  • A middle ground between speed and road variety: recommended routing without the extra alternatives and scoring used for Scenic.
  • Use this when you want normal highway and arterial driving, not a curated road-trip corridor.
  • Per-segment overrides still apply; a single leg can be Scenic while the rest stay Balanced.

• Scenic

  Longer, windier corridors on smaller roads within your detour budget.

  • Requires OpenRouteService. The server requests several route alternatives, then picks one that is longer and more sinuous (within your scenic detour limit, default 50 km extra vs the shortest option).
  • Favors smaller roads and avoids motorways where the router allows it. The line on the map is green.
  • Does not automatically insert sight stops — use Find sights along segment in the route popup when you want suggested pull-over stops.
  • Very long legs (roughly 95–100 km) may fall back to a fastest corridor when alternatives are unavailable; you will see a notice on the route.

Find sights along a segment

Shift+click a route line and choose Find sights along segment. Govia routes that leg with its current style (Fast, Balanced, or Scenic), searches for ranked viewpoints and attractions near the corridor, and can add up to a few sight stops spaced along the middle of the drive. Sight stops appear in your stops list (purple markers) and can be removed like any other stop. OpenRouteService is required for this feature.

OpenRouteService

Scenic routing, finding sights along a segment, and avoiding highways need an OpenRouteService API key on the server. Fast and Balanced can use the public OSRM router when no key is set.

Scenic detour limit

For Scenic legs, Govia keeps extra driving within a budget (default 50 km longer than the shortest option for that leg). Routes that would exceed the budget are filtered out before picking the best scenic candidate. Your saved tab remembers this value when you change it in the app.

Mixed styles on one trip

Multi-stop trips are built leg by leg. You might use Fast for the highway sprint to a region, then Scenic for the sightseeing loop, and use Find sights along segment on any leg when you want suggested stops. When legs use different styles, a notice may mention that styles were mixed; each segment still shows its color on the map.