Google Maps does not reorder your stops for you: it keeps them in the order you type them. To change that, you drag each one using the six-dot handle. The limit is 10 stops, and there is no button that works out the shortest route.
It works, but it is manual. Five stops have 120 possible orders; eight have over 40,000. Dragging by eye, there is no way to know whether you found the best one.
| What you need | Google Maps |
|---|---|
| More than 10 stops | No — you have to split the trip |
| Work out the best order | No — you order them yourself |
| Finish at a specific place | Only if you put it last by hand |
| Save the route to reuse it | Not directly |
MakeRoutes does exactly the missing part: it works out which order to visit your stops in so you drive as little as possible, then opens the route in Google Maps so you navigate as usual.
It is free, runs in the browser and needs no signup. Try it with your own stops.
No. It keeps the order you type them in and only lets you change it by dragging them one at a time. It does not work out the shortest route on its own.
Ten, including the start and the destination. Beyond that you have to split the journey into several routes or use a separate route planner.
Use an optimizer. MakeRoutes works out the best order for up to 16 stops and then opens the result in Google Maps. It is free and needs no signup.
In Google Maps only if you place it last by hand. In MakeRoutes you can choose to finish anywhere, return to your starting point, or end at a stop you pick — your own home after dropping several people off, for example.
For rounds of up to 16 stops, yes. For deliveries with dozens of stops it falls short: it is built for the everyday trips of people visiting several places in a row.