How can I follow a .kml (or.gpx) route in Google Maps?

I’ve downloaded a roady cycle route from t’internet in both .kml and .gpx formats. Ideally, I’d like to use Google Maps to display them on my phone and, ideally to navigate them too.

Is this possible? If I open the .kml file on my phone it opens in Google Earth, which is not really what I want. The .gpx doesn’t open in anything.

The route is in France BTW, so I don’t have any ‘base’ maps on my phone (hence the desire to use Google maps).

Ideas?

Use viewranger. You can use open street maps or other free base maps

Okay, so I’ve just downloaded Viewranger and gone to ‘Import/Export GPX’ -> ‘Import Externally’ -> selected the GPX file from my downloads folder and it says ‘Import complete’.

How do I get the route up on the map?

Tap the head icon and it should list all your routes. Select it then tap the menu (3 dots) and select go to on map

Once you have it, scroll around the route and it Will download the maps into cache to save using data later.

Yup viewranger. Also FYI you can ‘pre-load’ the map area by scrolling around and then it will work with data off, useful for battery life and using in areas with no signal or abroad. EDIT I see @nick just advised same thing, not essential but useful.

Tap the head icon and it should list all your routes

Yeah, that’s what I tried, but it tells me I haven’t downloaded any yet.

A-ha! If I open it directly from the downloads folder, it opens in Viewranger. But it seems to be a track, not a route. Next question, can I convert it into a route…

I think you just click/touch on it in the map view and then select the “follow route” option at the top. I tend not to use the app that way (I just look to see if I am on the route/track if I think I am lost as I don’t keep the phone out of my bag)

Next question, can I convert it into a route

yes.
the gpsbabel will do it (think it’s available on windows as a gui app, not sure about Mac, but should be)

or gpsvisualizer website (which is a web interface to basically gpsbabel running on the server)

(edit may need to filter data points down to a sensible number when converting to a route – the web app has options for that)

I just use it as jambalaya. Just look and see if the dotted line I’m making is the same as the one I’m supposed to be following. Makes no difference if it is a route or a track