Using “Experiences” on the RideWithGPS-App

Going Digital! Using Experiences via the RideWithGPS App on all our tours in 2022!

Many of our travelers already know and use the RideWithGPS App at home and on tour. If you’re not familiar with RideWithGPS, it’s a web based geo-tracking application and phone app. We have been delivering GPS tracks for our trips through the app’s “Events” feature for several years.

The phone app supports a module called “Experiences.” This is a feature that offers access to all tour information (beyond just the routes) in one place in the app.

We are thrilled to announce that starting in 2022 we will be using Experiences for all our departures to provide you with your tour information, like Digital Daysheets, the Hotel Itinerary, Participant Roster, Tour Leader contacts, emergency numbers and more. Now you’ll be able to conveniently access detailed and essential information for your tour in one place: your phone!

We’re eager to transition to this digital asset because it aligns with our company-wide sustainability goals to reduce our environmental impact by limiting the amount of paper we print while offering a more streamlined experience for our travelers.

How it works

Downloading and Accessing the Experience

About 14 days prior to your tour start date, we will email you your final departure information, along with a Shortcut Code for you to access the Experience for your tour.

If you don’t have the RideWithGPS App on your phone yet, we recommend you install it first and then follow the steps below to access the Experience. Download the app at the iTunes app store or Google Play store.

We will also provide you with an opportunity to download the tracks to your own device via the Sharepage, should you wish to do that. Instructions can be found here.

Accessing the Experience when signed in.

If you already have the app installed and you are signed in, there is no need to sign out to access your tour package.

1. On the Home screen, click on “More” in the lower right-hand corner.
2. Tap Open Shortcut.
3. Type in the Shortcut code we provided in the Final E-Mail 14 days prior to your tour start date.
4. You will be prompted to enter your name and email.
5. Next, you will be prompted to download the Experience. Tap “Download” to begin. Downloading the Experience will make the content available 100% offline. Keep the app open while the download is active.
6. Once downloaded you will see your tour information with the tour name and the summary.

Accessing Digital Daysheets, Hotel Itinerary, Participant Roster, Emergency Contacts, and more

1. Within the Experience, scroll to the “Guide” section to see the available fold-out menus.
2. This is where you’ll find the Safety Cycling Tips, Arrival and Departure Information, Tour Leader and Emergency Contact Numbers, Hotel Itinerary, and Daysheets for your tour.
3. You can access this content by tapping on the category you want to see, and it will open up.

       
For example, tap on “Day 2” to see the Digital Daysheet with daily activities, interesting history, tips on sights, where to have lunch, your daily language lesson, and more. To go back, hit the back-button, usually displayed as a back-arrow, within the app.

Accessing Maps and Elevation Profiles

1. Within the Experience, scroll to and tap “View Routes” to see all routes for your tour.
2. Tap the Route you would like to navigate or view (e.g. Day 2).

On Classic, Bike and Boat, Expedition and Spotlight tours you will have our trusty chalk arrows. You do not need to use GPS tracks to navigate.

If you want to use the GPS tracks while riding, tap “Navigate”. You may have to allow the app to access GPS. To leave the route, simply click the back arrow located in the upper left corner of the app. Pro tip: rotating your phone and scrolling will let you see more or less of the route and elevation profile.

If you originally accessed your Experience while logged into the RideWithGPS app or created an account after accessing your Experience, you can re-access by tapping the Experience title card on your home screen.

We know you have questions. Here are the answers!

Expert tips

For your best experience, we recommend the following:

1. Download the RideWithGPS App and the Experience for your tour either at home or somewhere with good wifi if you’re already traveling.
2. Turn your phone on airplane mode while using the App to preserve battery power if you do use it to check the route or maps during the day.

Some fine print

If you decide to download the tracks provided, keep the following in mind:

• Tracks and content belong to ExperiencePlus! – We ask that you keep these tracks for your personal use and not distribute them beyond your device.
• Arrows take precedence over tracks – The tracks are the intended route but that can change at your tour leader’s discretion. You never know when construction will pop up!
• Know your device and smart phone – If you wish to follow the tracks on your own device or smartphone as you ride, please be comfortable with your technology as our tour leaders are not experts in GPS technology or how your device or smart phone functions.