Free GPX Merger: Combine Multiple Camino Stage Files into One Continuous Route

GPX Merger: join all your daily stage files into one single route

If you have ever downloaded GPX files for a Camino, you know how it works. You find a website or a guidebook that offers stage-by-stage files. You download them all. Suddenly you have a folder with 20, 30, or even 40 separate files. One for each day.

Each file is useful on its own. But what if you want to see your whole Camino as one single line on one map? Or share your entire journey with family in one file? Or load one file onto your phone instead of 30?

That is what the GPX Merger does. It takes all your separate files and joins them into one continuous route. It is one of our free GPX Tools.

This guide explains everything slowly and clearly, even if you have never joined files before.

🧰 What the GPX Merger can do for you

Here is a simple overview of every feature. Do not worry if some terms are new. We explain them below.

1. 🔗 What the GPX Merger does (in plain English)

The GPX Merger is a joining tool. Imagine you have 30 photographs of a long hiking trail, each showing one small section. You want to line them up to see the whole trail in one picture. That is what the Merger does for your route files.

What you can do with it:

• Load several GPX files at once
• See each file shown in a different colour on the map
• Choose whether to keep the markers (places you saved) from all files or just some
• Choose what to do with the time information
• Combine everything into one continuous line
• Download the single merged file

What it is NOT for:

• It is not for editing individual points or markers (use the GPX Editor for that)
• It is not for splitting a long route into stages (use the GPX Splitter for that)
• It is not for drawing new routes (use the GPX Builder for that)

Think of the Merger as your digital glue stick. It takes separate pieces and sticks them together into one.

2. 🎯 When you might use this tool

Before your Camino

Most pilgrims download stage-by-stage files from guidebooks or websites. These are organised by day but they are separate files. The Merger lets you:

• See your whole Camino on one single map
• Know the total distance from your front door to Santiago
• Share your full route with family in one file instead of 30
• Load one file onto your phone instead of managing many

After your Camino

If you recorded each walking day on your phone or watch, you probably have one file per day. The Merger lets you:

• Combine all your recorded days into one complete track of your whole pilgrimage
• Upload the full journey to Strava or Garmin Connect as one activity
• Create a digital souvenir that shows your entire Camino as one line
• Share your complete journey with friends

When combining different routes

If you want to create a custom Camino by mixing sections of different routes:

• Load the first section (for example, the Camino Frances to Burgos)
• Add a section from a different route (for example, a coastal detour)
• Merge them into one hybrid route
• Check the total distance fits your timeframe

3. 🗺️ What you see when you open the tool

When the page loads, you see:

The title at the top – It says “GPX Merger” with a short sentence explaining the tool.

The big map – This takes up most of the screen. Once you load files, each one appears in a different colour. This helps you see where each stage starts and ends.

The floating panel on the right – This small box contains all the controls. You can hide it by clicking the “minus” button if you want to see more of the map.

4. 📋 A closer look at the floating panel

4.1. Loading your files

At the top of the panel:

• A button that says “Add Files” or similar
• A message saying “0 files selected” (this changes as you add files)
• A hint that says you can also drag and drop files onto the map

Click the button, find your GPX files on your computer, select them all, and click Open. Each file appears in the list and shows as a different colour on the map.

4.2. The file list

Once files are loaded, you see a scrollable list showing each file name. At the top of the list there is a “Clear all” button (usually in red text). Click this if you want to remove all files and start again.

4.3. 📍 Choosing what to do with your markers (waypoints)

Markers are the pins you or the file creator placed on the map. They might mark albergues, cafes, viewpoints, or other points of interest. You have three choices:

• Keep all – This keeps markers from every file you loaded. Choose this if you want all the information preserved.
• First file only – This only keeps markers from the first file. Choose this if only the first file has useful markers.
• Discard all – This removes all markers. Choose this if you only care about the route line, not the pins.

For most pilgrims, Keep all is the best choice.

4.4. Choosing what to do with time information

GPX files can contain time data (when you started walking, when you finished, etc.). You have three choices:

• Make sequential – This adjusts the times so they flow smoothly from the start of the first stage to the end of the last stage. This is the best choice for most people.
• Preserve original – This keeps the original times from each file. Use this if you recorded the files yourself and want to keep the actual recording times.
• Remove timestamps – This deletes all time information from the merged file. This makes the smallest possible file.

For most pilgrims, Make sequential is recommended.

4.5. 🔀 Joining style: one line or separate sections

• Single track – This combines everything into one continuous line from start to finish. This is what most people want.
• Multiple tracks – This keeps each day as a separate section inside one file. Use this if you want to preserve the day-by-day structure.

For most pilgrims, Single track is the right choice.

If you choose Single track, an extra option appears:

• Connect tracks – If there are small gaps between your stages (for example, one stage ends at a church and the next starts 50 metres away), ticking this box draws a straight line to bridge the gap.

4.6. Simplify after merging

If you are combining many files (like 30 stages for the Camino Frances), the merged file can become very large. Ticking the Simplify after merge box automatically makes the file smaller after joining.

This is a good idea if you are merging more than 10 files.

4.7. The statistics panel

Once files are loaded, a small panel shows:

• Files – How many files you loaded
• Points – Total number of track points across all files
• Distance – Combined distance of all tracks

4.8. ⚡ The Merge button

The big button that says “Merge Tracks”. It is greyed out until you load at least one file. Click it when you are ready. A message saying “Merging tracks…” appears with a spinning circle while the tool works.

4.9. 📊 The results box

After merging, a box appears with:

• A message: “Merged GPX ready”
• Download Merged GPX – Saves the combined file to your computer
• Start Over – Clears everything so you can load new files

5. 👣 How to use the GPX Merger, step by step

Step 1: Load your files

Click Add Files. Go to the folder where you keep your GPX stages. Select all the files you want to merge. (Tip: hold down the Ctrl key on Windows or Command on Mac to select multiple files.) Click Open.

Each file appears in the list. The map shows each stage in a different colour.

Step 2: Check the file list

Look at the list and make sure:

• All the files you want are there
• They are in the right order (the merger joins them in the order they appear)
• There are no duplicates or wrong files

If a file should not be there, click it and press the Del key on your keyboard. Or click Clear all to start over.

Step 3: Choose your settings

For markers: Choose Keep all if your files have useful pins (albergues, cafes). Choose Discard all if you only want the track line.

For times: Choose Make sequential for a smooth flow. This is the best choice for most people.

For joining style: Choose Single track to get one continuous line.

Simplify after merge: Tick this if you are merging many files.

Step 4: Click Merge

Click the Merge Tracks button. Wait a moment while the tool works.

Step 5: Check the result

The map now shows your merged route as one single line. Check:

• Does the route look continuous without gaps?
• Is the total distance roughly what you expected?
• Does it look like one complete Camino?

Step 6: Download the merged file

Click Download Merged GPX. The combined file saves to your computer. You can now load this single file onto your phone, share it with friends, or use it with other tools.

6. 🥾 Real examples of how pilgrims use this tool

Combining all Camino Frances stages

Michael downloads 30 stage files for the Camino Frances. He loads them all into the Merger, sets markers to “Keep all”, sets times to “Make sequential”, chooses “Single track”, ticks “Simplify after merge”, and clicks Merge. He downloads one file that shows his entire 780 kilometre Camino on a single map.

Merging recorded tracks after walking

Sofia recorded each day of her Camino on her phone. After returning home, she exports the 25 daily files from her app, loads them into the Merger, sets times to “Preserve original” (to keep the actual recording times), and merges them into one complete track of her pilgrimage.

Creating a hybrid route

Thomas wants to walk the coastal Camino del Norte for the first week, then join the Camino Frances for the last 100 kilometres to earn his Compostela. He loads the Norte files first, then the Frances files, ticks “Connect tracks” to bridge the junction, and merges them into one custom hybrid route.

7. 💡 Simple tips for good results

• Load files in the right order – The Merger joins files in the order they appear in the list. If your files have numbers (01, 02, 03), they will load in order automatically.
• Name your files clearly – Use names like “01-SJPP-Roncesvalles.gpx” so the order is obvious.
• Check for gaps – After merging, zoom in where stages join. If there are gaps, use the “Connect tracks” option.
• Keep your original files – Merging creates a new file. Keep your individual stage files as backups.
• Simplify after merging – If you plan to simplify, do it after merging, not before. Simplifying individual files and then merging can create small errors at the joins.
• Use the Editor after merging – Once merged, you can use the GPX Editor to give your combined route a name and description.

8. ✅ Quick summary

The GPX Merger takes your collection of separate stage files and turns them into one smooth, continuous route.

• If you are new, it means: “I can turn this folder of 30 files into one route I can actually see and share.”
• If you have walked before, it means: “I can combine recordings, build hybrid routes, and create a complete digital record of my journey.”

All of our GPX tools live on our Camino Resources Hub, along with other helpful planning materials for your Camino. This tool is part of the full Camino GPX Tools suite.

GPX Merger Video