Methodology
How trail data is built
Trailio is an independent atlas — no ads, no paid placements. For the numbers and links to mean something, we follow clear rules. Here they are.
1. Source hierarchy
For each trek we look up information top-down, noting the language and quality (1–5) for every source. The higher up the list, the greater the weight:
- Official sources — trail managers and national hiking organisations. We flag these as official.
- Map portals — Mapy.cz, Komoot, AllTrails, Wikiloc, OpenStreetMap.
- Established trail sites — well-known guidebook publishers and specialist portals.
- Hiking organisations — ATC, PCTA, FFRandonnée (GR routes) and similar.
- Blogs and community — used as supplementary sources, with lower weight and always with a language note and ideally a year.
2. Distances, elevation and elevation profiles
Stage distances, elevation gain and trail breakdown are looked up first on the official trail or management website. If unavailable, we use further verified sources according to the hierarchy above.
Only when a figure cannot be found do we calculate it and clearly mark it as indicative. For long-distance routes, numbers also routinely differ between sources (different variants and GPS tracks), so treat distance and elevation as a good estimate, not an exact value.
3. Stages and “planning sections”
For shorter treks we list the complete stage breakdown. For very long routes (hundreds of kilometres and dozens of stages) we show selected planning sections between major waypoints — these are labelled something like “X sections from Y stages” so it is clear this is not a full list of daily stages.
4. Verification and currency
Each trek records its last verified date (shown on the detail page as “Verified”). Data is reviewed and updated continuously; even so, trail conditions, accommodation availability or transport links can change. Always verify key information from official and local sources before you go — see also the disclaimer.
5. What Trailio does not do
We do not copy protected GPX data, guidebooks or other licensed materials — we link exclusively to their original sources. We do not add sources with dead links or without a note.
6. Found an inaccuracy?
This is the most important part. I build Trailio on my own and your reports are the fastest way to improve the data. On every trail detail page there is a “Found an inaccuracy? Let us know” link, or write directly via the feedback form. I read every message.