How to Build a Tour Route That Makes Sense (and Saves Money)

Touring is one of the most exciting parts of being a musician, but without a smart plan it can become expensive fast. Poor routing burns fuel, eats into profit, and kills momentum. A well planned route saves money, grows your audience, and keeps you performing at your best. Use the guide below and the interactive chart to plan a route that makes sense for your goals.

1. Start With a Clear Goal

Decide what success looks like for this run. Common goals include growing fans in new markets, maximizing income, or building industry relationships. Your goal will shape which cities you target and how far you travel.

2. Use the Anchor Show Method

Lock in a few high value anchor shows first. These are strong guarantees, festivals, or markets with proven draw. Then stitch together secondary markets along the path to and from those anchors to reduce wasted miles.

3. Map Smart, Not Just Straight

Shortest distance is not always cheapest. City clusters within a 150 to 250 mile radius can outperform a straight line with long gaps. Keep average daily drive times reasonable and consider regional routing to minimize fuel and lodging.

4. Balance Travel Days and Show Days

Aim for four hours or less between shows when possible. Use rest or content days strategically for press, video, and networking. Small adjustments improve performance quality and merch sales.

5. Plan For Hidden Costs

Budget for tolls, parking, loading zones, fuel, lodging, and food. Build a cushion so surprises do not erase profit from a strong night.

6. How RoadUNO Helps

RoadUNO surfaces efficient routes, venue locations with 360 view, local tips, and logistics in one place. Use the chart below to plan now, then graduate to RoadUNO for faster routing and deeper insights.

7. Interactive Tour Routing Chart

Fill this out to map your run. Use Add Row to build your route, then Save as PDF for a clean printable copy.

Tip: Net equals Est Pay minus Fuel, Lodging, and Other Costs. Recalculate Totals after edits or add rows as needed.