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In 2024, travelling using Google Maps can help you discover hidden gems and plan ahead for your next trip. Follow these 5 Google Maps tips to help you travel:
1. Lists:
When planning your trip, take a look at the area around where you're staying for food, drinks, and attraction options. After selecting a location, click the 'Save' icon and add it to a new or existing list. Use this feature to map out what you want to see and do during your stay to make travelling a breeze. If you're someone who likes to plan, but have some flexibility and freedom once you're at your destination, we highly recommend you use this feature as it means you can explore freely and then always have a 'saved' thing to do, see or visit in close proximity to where you are.
Contact us now to have a Google Maps list curated just for you, and sent directly to your phone/PC ahead of your next trip.
2. Offline Maps:
We know that internet connectivity can be a hassle when travelling, and even if you're prepared with an eSIM, internet connection when exploring a new place can be patchy e.g. when travelling by metro underground.
This is where the Offline Maps feature comes in handy. Simply select an area on the Google Maps app on your mobile and click download offline. This will mean that whilst you're roaming without internet connection, the city streets and locations will be available to you.
3. Navigation:
This seems like a more obvious use of the Google Maps app, however there are new features in 2024 which make travelling even easier. For example, when looking to travel from one side of a city to another, review the public transport routes with ease by checking the prices of each option, how busy they are at that time, or filtering whether you'd like the 'best route', 'fewest transfers', 'less walking', 'wheelchair accessible', or 'lowest cost'. These features can help tailor the way you get around to your personal preferences and simplify your experience.
4. Reviews:
The reviews feature is Google Maps is a really important tool you'll want to use when exploring somewhere new. Our top tip here is to always filter reviews by 'newest'. By default, the app will show you the 'most relevant' reviews according to Google, however these can often be from a long time ago and therefore provide you with inaccurate information.
By selecting 'newest' reviews, you'll be able to see the latest comments and photos from other travelers and give you a realistic and up to date view of what to expect. Remember, people often use review features to complain and are less likely to use it following a good experience, so keep that in mind if you come across a 1 star review, and take it with a pinch of salt. The overall star rating is what you really want to look at. Anything with over 4 stars and more than 200 reviews means you can expect to have a great experience!
5. 'From Visitor' Images:
The images of locations in Google Maps are often heavily edited and filtered to show the most attractive angles and views. A way to get a feel for how somewhere really looks, is by selecting the 'photos' button in Google Maps, and then scrolling to the right and selecting 'from visitors'. This is most often found for hotels, and isn't available for all places in Google Maps, but keep a look out if you can find them as they'll give you a more realistic idea of what a place will look like.
We hope you enjoyed reading our top 5 Google Maps tips to help you travel. For more information or to have personalised Google Maps lists sent directly to your phone, contact us now.