Navigating with TomTom
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The following notes should be enough to get you started. For general help please refer to the TomTom website.​
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​Step 1 Download the route files
Save the route files you received from Ian in a folder on your PC.​​​
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​​Step 2 TomTom MyDrive
Open the TomTom planning website.
If you have not already got a TomTom account you will need to create one.
Sign in.
Upload the route files by clicking on the 3 horizontal lines.​​
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Click on My items.
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Click on Routes.
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Click on Import GPX file.​
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Go to the folder where you have saved the GPX files and double click on a file.
2 items will appear in the list on the TomTom screen. The top one will start with the number of the file and below it another will start with Track. You only need to keep the Tracks, you can delete the others either on the TomTom Planner website or in the app (see Tracks vs Routes below).
Click on the Track to open it.
Click the slider/button next to “Sync this route as a track with my devices”.
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The slider/button will change colour when the route has been synced.
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If you have the TomTom app open on your phone at the same time the Track should appear in My Routes almost straightaway. If you are using a separate TomTom device it will load the route when you turn the device on for the first time after syncing (you may need to wait a couple of minutes for the new Tracks to appear).
Click “Return to My Items” to go back to the list of Tracks and repeat the above for each GPX file.
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​Step 3 TomTom app
Install the TomTom Go Expert: Truck GPS app on your phone.
The email address you sign into the app with must be the same as the one you use for your TomTom account.​​
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Step 4 Connect your TomTom account to the app
From the menu click on TomTom Services.
Select MyDrive sync.
Go back to the menu and click on Settings.
Click on Map & Display.
Click on Downloaded maps even though it might say Up to date.
Click on Europe even though it might say Up to date.
Click on Add.
Choose the countries you would like to download (remember to select all of the regions you will be visiting) then click on Download. This will take some time so be patient.
Go back to the menu and click on My Routes. You should now see all of the routes you have synced to your device.​​​
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Step 5 Start navigating
From the menu click on My Routes.
Click on the Track you would like to follow.
Use 2 fingers to zoom in/out on map.
Click on Drive.
Click on To Nearest Point.
Click on the X to end the route to choose a different one.
Click on the compass/arrows to change the view.​
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Start driving...
...and enjoy!
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TomTom app data usage
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If you are concerned about using too much data while navigating with the TomTom app you can disable data in your phone. The app will continue to work perfectly well using GPS but you will not receive live updates for things such as traffic delays and speed cameras.
Tracks vs Routes
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If you navigate using a file name which starts with a number instead of Track and you happen to go off the route by mistake or because you are forced to (due to a diversion for roadworks or an accident, etc.), if the section you missed includes a waypoint your device will try and take you back to it even though it will be behind you and may be inaccessible.
The benefit of a Track is that if you leave the route your device will direct you to the nearest place on the track, it will not force you to go back to a missed waypoint.
You should always sync, and then follow, the Tracks.
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Common issues
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Route does not appear in the app
​Go back to step 4 and make sure you have downloaded all of the maps for the country you will be driving in. Some larger countries are split into regions so you will need to select all of the relevant areas.
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Route is displayed as a straight line
Refer to "Tracks vs Routes" above.
You will sometimes see a straight line between the start and end points if you have synced the route which starts with a number. You should always sync the routes that start with Track e.g. use "Track-2.3 hotel from chimay exact" and not "2.3 hotel from chimay fast".
It's a good idea, but not essential, to delete the routes starting with a number. You can do this on the TomTom Planner website or in the app.
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Other issues
It's vitally important that the email addresses you have used for the TomTom planning website and the app are the same so that the website and app are linked to each other. If they are different you will not be able to install map updates, the routes you upload to the website will not appear in the app, etc.