Whether or not you are exploring a brand new metropolis or heading out on a summer time highway journey, Google Maps is among the greatest instruments you may have in your pocket. It helps you discover all the pieces from landmarks to lunch spots, and it might probably even maintain you on monitor with out an web connection.
Google Maps offers a wide range of options designed to simplify your journey expertise — from guiding you thru airport terminals to serving to you discover eating choices alongside your route. Latest AI-powered updates have launched itinerary recommendations and immersive views of locations, making journey planning extra customized and stress-free.
Discover seven of the app’s most helpful instruments I exploit each time I journey. Plus, study extra about this new AI function coming to Google Maps.
For extra journey recommendation, here is the very best time to buy airline tickets and the best way to discover low cost flights.
1. Effortlessly navigate airports and practice stations
Use the Listing tab on Google Maps to simply navigate airports and practice stations.
I am not nice in chaotic environments. I get overwhelmed rapidly and really feel panicked in big crowds. Which means navigating busy airports and practice stations is usually a nightmare.
Final Could, I used to be in a busy terminal taking a high-speed practice from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley. Nearly 67,078 people stroll via King’s Cross every day, making it completely chaotic to navigate and discover wherever to relaxation and eat. So I turned to Google Maps.
Once you’re in a big mall or transit hub and must discover a particular retailer, Google Maps has a Listing tab for airports, malls and transit stations. That is particularly helpful while you’re speeding to discover a meal or decide up a fast memento earlier than your flight. (I used this Listing function to discover a much-needed espresso store and even a Greggs to attempt a traditional sausage roll for the primary time earlier than leaving London.)
To entry it, merely seek for an airport, for example, and faucet the Listing tab on the backside. It will present you enterprise hours, the ground location, and a listing of choices resembling eating places, shops, lounges and parking areas.
2. Verify how busy a location is earlier than you go
Did I point out I do not like crowds? If I believe a sure highway, restaurant or space of town will probably be too busy, I am going to merely keep residence.
To stop losing time driving to the situation solely to show proper round, I exploit Google Maps’ “busyness” device to get an concept of how crowded a spot is earlier than arriving. I seek for a selected place, like a espresso store or retailer, and see a chart displaying how fashionable it’s at completely different instances, so I can plan to go at off instances. By tapping the “Busy space” label, I can verify how busy bigger areas are, resembling neighborhoods or districts, giving me a view of when spots are packed or quieter than ordinary.
To make use of this, open the Google Maps app in your Android or iPhone (or in your pc’s browser) and discover the map. You’ll be able to deal with areas like downtown, a riverwalk or a close-by city. The busyness data will mechanically seem on the map, so you do not have to seek for particular areas to see how crowded they’re.
Google Maps would possibly label a location as “Busy Space,” and clicking on it’ll present particulars like “As busy because it will get” or “Not too busy.” It’s also possible to seek for a selected place and scroll right down to see busy and non-busy instances for that location.
3. Make a reservation with out calling
As a traveler, I wish to stability scheduled plans or excursions with open time to shuffle round at my very own tempo. Which means some days, I will be diligent about making reservations forward of time, and others, I wait and flow.
When touring, particularly while you’re hitting the pavement onerous to see each inch of a brand new metropolis, it may be onerous to know precisely while you’ll get hungry or want a boozy drink. On the times I haven’t got reservations prematurely, I depend on Google Maps to make it simpler to e book a reservation with out having to name.
This is how:
-
Open Google Maps and faucet the Eating places button on the high of the display screen to browse a listing of eating choices.
-
Choose a restaurant you wish to attempt, and within the pop-up window, you may have the choice to order a desk or be a part of a waitlist if obtainable (notice that not all eating places supply this).
It’s also possible to use the Busyness function to decide on a spot that is much less crowded. Plus, some eating places could also be closed for dine-in however nonetheless supply supply, curbside pickup or out of doors seating.
4. Use Google Maps with out cell sign
Final Could, my household and I took a hike across the Scottish countryside. It was beautiful, beautiful, inexperienced, lush and really moist and wet. Being that distant and deep within the forest meant there was actually no mobile service. Fortunately, I assumed forward.
When you’re heading to a distant space the place you would possibly lose your cell connection, Google Maps can nonetheless provide help to with instructions even while you’re offline. This is how:
-
Earlier than you allow, seek for your vacation spot in Google Maps.
-
Within the location window, open the menu and swipe till you see the “Extra” tab on the backside.
-
Faucet “Obtain offline map,” then verify the world you wish to obtain and faucet “Obtain” once more. Google Maps will save a map of the chosen space to your telephone.
As soon as you have downloaded the map, you should use Google Maps for instructions. When you lose your sign, Maps will change to the offline map to proceed guiding you. Remember the fact that whereas offline, real-time site visitors updates will not be obtainable.
5. Share your location with family and friends
My sister and I get alongside properly once we journey, however we have now very completely different pursuits, making touring a brand new metropolis troublesome. As an illustration, I actually take pleasure in poking round museums, particularly artwork museums, and may lose hours artifacts and paintings. My sister can spend a strong 45 minutes in a museum earlier than complaining.
To maintain the peace, we regularly separate for a window of time so we are able to every do one thing we take pleasure in. The going separate methods is the straightforward half. It is the assembly again up that may be tough.
Nothing’s extra irritating than getting separated and being unable to search out one another. Then you have got a frantic telephone name and depend on obscure, “I am by the bridge” or “I am subsequent to the fountain” to attempt to reunite.
As soon as once more, Google Maps has been a lifesaver serving to me reconnect simply.
-
Open Google Maps and faucet your profile icon within the high proper nook, then choose Location sharing.
-
Faucet Share location, select who you wish to share it with, and choose how lengthy you wish to share your location.
-
Faucet Share, and your location will probably be despatched to everybody you have chosen.
-
To see another person’s location, faucet their icon on the high of the display screen and choose Request.
6. Create, share and look at curated lists
Use the Google Maps lists function to avoid wasting locations you wish to go to throughout your travels.
Relating to journey planning, boy oh boy, do I like a listing. After I’ve booked my flight, I instantly flip to TikTok, saving video after video of journey suggestions and itinerary suggestions. From there, I make a versatile plan in my notes app, with eating places, shops and monuments which can be must-see spots throughout a trip.
The difficulty with the Notes app, although, is you may’t inform which areas are close to one another. I would discover myself always typing addresses into Google Maps to see how far aside they’re and the way lengthy it might take to stroll, drive or practice between the 2. I would do that to maximise my time exploring the brand new cities whereas not maximizing my time journey planning.
This was once I turned to create my journey record in Google Maps to avoid wasting future locations and have them multi functional place for straightforward entry. To take action, go to the You tab and faucet the + New record button. Give your record a reputation and outline, and select an icon. Then, while you come throughout a spot on the map you need to go to, merely scroll via the tabs and faucet the Save button so as to add it to your record.
It’s also possible to share the record together with your journey companions and invite them to collaborate on it, making it simple to plan your journey itinerary forward of time.
7. Let Gemini take the reins
Typically journey planning or deciding what to do subsequent in a busy, new metropolis is solely overwhelming. When this occurs, I defer to Gemini, an AI chatbot developed by Google.
Since Google Maps was up to date in fall 2024, Google now permits you to use Gemini to hunt itinerary inspiration and make suggestions for you. You’ll be able to merely ask Gemini to recommend issues to do on a wet day or suggest the very best restaurant for a household dinner. Primarily based on Google opinions, Gemini will curate customized recommendations, displaying them as pins on the map so that you can discover.
This function helps you uncover tailor-made actions and eating choices, enhancing your journey planning expertise and relieving a few of your stress.
Bonus: This new AI function can manage screenshots of journey concepts
When you’re like me, you have got 1000’s of photographs saved to your Photographs app. Relating to journey planning, I am going to head to Pinterest or Instagram and screenshot eating places, museums, parks and different points of interest I wish to go to once I’m visiting a brand new metropolis or nation. By the point I am accomplished, I’ve dozens of screenshots to sift via.
Google Maps is introducing a new feature that may determine areas in your screenshots and save them to a listing, serving to you manage your journey plans earlier than these concepts get misplaced amongst the a whole bunch of different photographs in your digital camera roll. As soon as activated within the Google Maps app, the Gemini-powered function will scan screenshots in your telephone for textual content mentioning particular locations, show these areas on the map and provide the choice to evaluation, save or share them in a listing.
The screenshot record function will start rolling out now for iOS customers within the US, with Android assist anticipated to comply with quickly.
For extra, here is our traveler’s prep guidelines and the best way to enhance your odds of not having your flight canceled or delayed.
