GPX has three ways to describe something on a map, and choosing the wrong one produces a wonderfully useless result.
A waypoint is one place. A route is an ordered plan from point to point. A track is a line made from many recorded positions. Your Google Maps list of restaurants, campsites, viewpoints, or customer addresses is a collection of waypoints. It is not a route, even if you intend to visit the places eventually.
That distinction is the whole trick. Export the list as GPX waypoints and Garmin, OsmAnd, and many outdoor apps know what to do with it. Turn the same list into a track and the app may draw a giant zigzag from the first saved place to the last.
The short version
- Open the saved list in Google Maps on a computer.
- Scan it with ExportMyMap.
- Choose GPX and download the file.
- Import the file as waypoints, favorites, or saved locations in the destination app.
If you need a spreadsheet rather than a GPS file, use the Excel and Google Sheets guide. GPX is for putting points back on a map or a navigation device.
What ExportMyMap writes into the GPX
The file follows GPX 1.1 and keeps the structure deliberately plain. Every saved place with usable coordinates becomes a
- latitude and longitude;
- the place name;
- the address, when Google provides one;
- your personal note, if you choose to include notes;
- a link back to Google Maps, when available.
There are no
Ratings, review counts, phone numbers, photos, and opening hours do not fit neatly into the common waypoint fields that GPS apps agree on. If those details matter, download a CSV copy or an Excel workbook as well. Use GPX for navigation and the table for research.
Step 1: Open the list you actually want
Open Google Maps in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Arc on a computer. Sign in to the account that owns the places, click Saved, and open the list itself: Starred places, Want to go, Favorites, Travel plans, or a custom list.
If a Starred list appears to end at roughly 200 places on desktop, stop there. Exporting the visible portion gives you a perfectly valid but incomplete file. Use the Google Takeout method for more than 200 Starred places first.
Step 2: Scan the places
Install the ExportMyMap Chrome Extension, open it over Google Maps, and select the list. Let the scan finish before pressing an export button.
The extension uses your open Maps session to read the list and obtain coordinates for the places. It does not need your Google password, and the GPX is generated locally in the browser.
The free version covers the first 10 places; a paid plan is required for the full list.
Step 3: Download GPX
Select GPX from the format choices. Turn on notes if your own comments need to travel with the points, then download the file.
Give it a useful name before it disappears into the Downloads folder. dolomites-huts.gpx will make sense next summer; places (7).gpx probably will not.
Do not open the file in a word processor and save it again. GPX is XML, and smart quotes or invisible formatting inserted by an editor can make a valid file unreadable. If you need to inspect it, a plain-text editor is safe.
Step 4: Import it into the destination
The wording changes from app to app, but look for an option such as Import GPX, Import waypoints, Favorites, or Saved locations.
Garmin
Garmin Explore can import a GPX and sync the resulting waypoints to compatible paired devices. The exact route, the web limit of 500 waypoints per import, and the BaseCamp alternative are covered in the separate Google Maps to Garmin guide.
OsmAnd
Start from My Places → Favorites, then import the file. Starting from the Favorites screen matters because it tells OsmAnd to treat the waypoints as favorites rather than trying to interpret the file as a track. Follow the OsmAnd walkthrough for Android and iPhone menus.
Google My Maps
My Maps accepts GPX, but KML is a more natural fit for a set of map placemarks and preserves the list name as the document name. The My Maps import guide uses KML for that reason.
Another map app
Check whether the app says it imports waypoints, not just tracks. Some fitness apps accept GPX only as a recorded activity. A waypoint-only file can be valid GPX and still be the wrong kind of GPX for that particular app.
Check the file before blaming the app
Drop the download into the free GPX validator. For this export, the useful summary is simple:
- waypoints: approximately the number of places you selected;
- routes: 0;
- tracks: 0.
A small difference in waypoint count usually means one or more saved entries had no usable coordinates. A result showing routes or tracks means the file was converted somewhere after export or you selected a different GPX file.
If the destination wants another format, convert the file locally with the GPX to KML, GPX to GeoJSON, or GPX to CSV tool. Keep the original GPX beside the converted copy so you always have a clean starting point.
What GPX will not do for you
Waypoints do not create a sensible visit order. They do not account for roads, opening times, ferries, or the fact that two pins close together on a map may be separated by a mountain. Build a route later in the navigation app using the handful of places you plan to visit that day.
GPX also does not keep a live connection to Google Maps. If you add ten more places next month, export a fresh file. Treat it as a portable snapshot: easy to store, easy to re-import, and independent of whichever map app you use next.