map2gpx.fr

What It Is

map2gpx.fr is an online route-mapping tool created by Thomas Muguet. It is mainly designed for planning hiking and similar routes on a map, then exporting them as GPX, KML, or GeoJSON. It uses Géoportail/IGN data, so this French version is explicitly limited to French territory; the page also notes that the international version is map2gpx.eu.

Core Features and Ecosystem

The tool lets users add markers point by point on a map and automatically calculate a track based on registered roads or paths. When automatic routing is unavailable, users can switch to straight-line drawing. Users can move, delete, and insert intermediate markers, set stage points, close loop routes, and click on a route or marker to view data. It also provides elevation and gradient charts; the gradient is an estimate calculated by the site and is for reference only. For map layers, the default view overlays semi-transparent IGN maps on aerial imagery, and it also supports slope maps, OpenStreetMap, Thunderforest Outdoors, OpenTopoMap, wmflabs Hike & Bike, and others.

Open Source, APIs, and Documentation

The project code is available on GitHub under the MIT license, making it suitable for developer review and reuse. The page lists dependencies including Leaflet, jQuery, Chart.js, FileSaver, togpx, tokml, togeojson, Leaflet Routing Machine, as well as the IGN Elevation API and IGN Geocoder API. Note that the text only states that these APIs and libraries are used internally; it does not provide an official third-party API/SDK or full developer documentation. The page explains the main interaction flows and is fairly complete as user documentation, but information on deployment, self-hosting, and extension is limited.

Pricing, Pros, and Cons

The captured text does not mention fees, subscriptions, or payment methods. Combined with the MIT open-source information, it can be considered to offer at least a free-to-use service and an open-source codebase. Its strengths are that it is lightweight, supports common formats well, and provides practical outdoor-route features, especially for quickly generating GPX/KML/GeoJSON files. Its drawbacks are the clear geographic limitation of the French version, the possibility that automatic route calculation may fail, a French-leaning interface and documentation, and a lack of information about commercial support, team collaboration, or account features.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is suitable for individual users and developers who need to plan hiking routes within France, view track files, and export common GIS/navigation formats. The text does not describe access from China, and because it depends on multiple overseas map and IGN services, real-world availability needs to be tested. If it is not usable, alternatives such as QGIS, Google Earth, Garmin BaseCamp, OpenRouteService, Komoot, or map2gpx.eu may be considered.