flowchart LR
subgraph Plan["📍 Route Plan"]
A["🏪 6 Restaurants<br/><i>Optimized Route</i>"]
end
subgraph Costs["💰 Cost Breakdown"]
B["🚗 Driving<br/>62 km = 310 NOK"]
C["🅿️ Parking<br/>6 × 100 = 600 NOK"]
D["🛣️ Tolls<br/>~100 NOK"]
end
subgraph Total["✅ Budget"]
E["💵 <b>Total: 1,010 NOK</b>"]
end
A --> B --> C --> D --> E
style A fill:#3b82f6,color:white,stroke:#1e40af
style B fill:#f59e0b,color:white,stroke:#d97706
style C fill:#f59e0b,color:white,stroke:#d97706
style D fill:#f59e0b,color:white,stroke:#d97706
style E fill:#10b981,color:white,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:3px
8 Travel Planning & Customer Visits
NoteBusiness Context
Brand managers spend significant time visiting HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés) customers. Efficient route planning saves time and fuel costs - expenses that directly impact your margin.
This chapter shows how to use Google Maps integration through MCP to:
- Calculate travel distances and times from your office to multiple customers
- Find nearby restaurants/venues when visiting a specific location
- Optimize multi-stop routes for maximum efficiency
- Estimate travel expenses for budget planning
8.1 The Travel Expense Challenge
A typical brand manager scenario:
“I need to visit 12 restaurants in Oslo this week to present our new Amarone. I’m based in Sandvika. How do I plan the most efficient route, and what will it cost in travel expenses?”
Norwegian travel expense rates (2026):
| Expense Type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Km allowance (own car) | 5.00 NOK/km | Tax-free up to 10,000 km/year |
| Parking (Oslo center) | 40-80 NOK/hour | Budget 300 NOK/day |
| Toll (AutoPASS) | Variable | ~50 NOK round-trip Sandvika↔︎Oslo |
| Time cost | ~400 NOK/hour | Opportunity cost of driving vs. selling |
8.2 Scenario 1: Sandvika to Multiple Oslo Restaurants
8.2.1 Getting Distance Matrix
📊 Copy this prompt to Claude:
"Calculate driving distances and times from Sandvika
to these Oslo restaurants:
1. Maaemo, Schweigaards gate 15B
2. Restaurant Eik, Universitetsgata 11
3. Statholdergaarden, Rådhusgata 11
4. Kontrast, Maridalsveien 15A
5. Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin, Tjuvholmen allé 14
6. Sawan, President Harbitz gate 4, Frogner
Give me a distance matrix with all combinations."8.2.2 Planning an Optimized Multi-Stop Route
Instead of making 6 separate trips, visit all restaurants in one optimized route:
📊 Copy this prompt to Claude:
"Plan an optimized route starting from Sandvika,
visiting all 6 restaurants, then returning to Sandvika.
Optimize the waypoint order to minimize total driving time."
ImportantOptimized Route Result
Without optimization (random order): 98 km, 2h 45min
With optimization (smart order): 62 km, 1h 52min
💰 Savings: 36 km × 5.00 NOK = 180 NOK per trip
⏱️ Time saved: 53 minutes
Recommended order: 1. Sandvika → Tjuvholmen Sjømagasin (closest) 2. → Statholdergaarden 3. → Restaurant Eik
4. → Kontrast 5. → Sawan 6. → Maaemo 7. → Return to Sandvika
: Route Optimization Summary {.striped .hover}
8.2.3 Cost Calculation for Budget
8.3 Scenario 2: Visit SAWAN + Find Nearby Customers
A different workflow: You have a confirmed meeting at SAWAN restaurant and want to maximize the trip by visiting other potential customers nearby.
8.3.1 Step 1: Locate SAWAN Restaurant
📊 Copy this prompt to Claude:
"Find SAWAN restaurant in Frogner, Oslo.
Get me the exact address, coordinates, and any details available."8.3.2 Step 2: Find Nearby Restaurants/Bars
📊 Copy this prompt to Claude:
"Find all restaurants and bars within 500 meters of SAWAN
at President Harbitz gate 4, Frogner, Oslo.
Show me name, distance, and type."8.3.3 Step 3: Create Walking Route
📊 Copy this prompt to Claude:
"Create a walking route from SAWAN visiting:
1. Hos Thea
2. Fauna
3. Cru Vin & Kjøkken
Then return to SAWAN.
How long will this take?"
ImportantWalking Route Summary
| Stop | Distance | Walk Time | Meeting Buffer |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAWAN → Hos Thea | 150m | 2 min | 30 min meeting |
| Hos Thea → Fauna | 180m | 2 min | 30 min meeting |
| Fauna → Cru Vin & Kjøkken | 200m | 3 min | 30 min meeting |
| Cru → SAWAN | 280m | 4 min | Return |
Total walking: 12 minutes
Total time including meetings: ~1.5 hours
Bonus visits: 3 additional customer contacts!
8.4 Practical Prompts for Daily Use
8.4.1 Morning Route Planning
📊 "Plan my customer visits for today:
Starting point: [Your office address]
Customers to visit:
1. [Restaurant name and address]
2. [Restaurant name and address]
3. [Restaurant name and address]
Optimize the route and give me total distance,
time, and cost at 5.00 NOK/km."8.4.2 Discovering New Prospects
📊 "I'm visiting [Restaurant name] at [Address].
Find wine bars, fine dining restaurants, and
cocktail bars within 1 km that might be interested
in Italian wines. Exclude fast food and cafés."8.4.3 Travel Expense Report
📊 "Calculate my travel expenses for this week's visits:
- Monday: Sandvika → Restaurant A → Restaurant B → Sandvika
- Tuesday: Sandvika → Restaurant C → Sandvika
- Wednesday: Customer D → nearby venues → return
Use 5.00 NOK/km rate. Include estimated parking
(100 NOK per stop) and tolls (50 NOK per Oslo entry)."8.5 Integration with RGM Planning
Combine travel planning with your Revenue Growth Management strategy:
TipSmart Visit Prioritization
When planning customer visits, consider:
- Volume potential - Query SalesVP for each customer’s historical purchases
- Growth opportunity - Which restaurants are growing fastest in your category?
- Geographic clustering - Group visits by area to minimize travel
- Meeting value - High-margin products (Amarone, Gaja) deserve more travel investment than entry-level wines
Example prompt combining data sources:
📊 "Query my top 10 Oslo HORECA customers by volume from SalesVP.
Then create an optimized route from Sandvika visiting all 10.
Calculate total travel cost and compare to expected revenue from each visit."8.6 Summary
ImportantKey Takeaways
- Distance matrix calculates drive times from your office to multiple destinations
- Route optimization can save 30-40% on multi-stop trips
- Nearby search finds prospects close to confirmed meetings
- Walking routes maximize value when you’re already in an area
- Combine with SalesVP data to prioritize high-value customers
- Budget accurately using Norwegian km rates and toll estimates
8.6.1 Quick Reference: Travel Costs
| Item | Rate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Driving | 5.00 NOK/km | 30 km trip = 150 NOK |
| Parking Oslo | 100 NOK/stop | 4 stops = 400 NOK |
| Tolls (Sandvika↔︎Oslo) | 50 NOK/entry | 2 entries = 100 NOK |
| Time value | 400 NOK/hour | 2 hour drive = 800 NOK opportunity cost |