Trip Planning with Google Maps: How to Make Travel Planning Really Easy

Search for Cool Places Using Google Maps

What is it? Points are marked on the Google Maps map. These are all the places you can get information about on Google Maps. They’re divided into different categories, e.g. restaurants, attractions, and hotels.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? You can easily search for interesting places for your trip.

How do you use the feature?

1. Enter your search query, e.g. “Ice cream shop near Notre-Dame“. All relevant places will be shown on the map and sorted in a list.
2. Filter the results by clicking the filters below your search query. You can set price, rating, opening hours, and accessibility.
3. Zoom the map in or out, or pan it to see places in a different area. If you want to reload the results, click “Search this area”.
4. Click on a place to get more information.

In step 3 we’ll show you how to save places for later.

Choosing Places Based on Google Reviews

What is it? Google reviews are ratings that other visitors have left about a place to help you with your trip planning on Google Maps.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? With the reviews you can gauge whether a hotel, restaurant, or attraction is actually worth your time.

How do you use the feature?

1. Click on a place so that more information is shown.
2. Click on “Reviews” below the photos to see all the reviews.
3. Sort the reviews by relevance, recency, high ratings, and low ratings by clicking the respective category below the overall rating.
4. Search for specific keywords if a particular aspect interests you, e.g. service. The most common keywords are displayed at the very top.

Once you’ve visited the place, you can also write your own review. To do so, click on “Rate & write a review”.

Saving Places in Google Maps Lists

What is it? Google Maps lists are lists of your saved places for a travel destination.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? You can save the places you find in an organized way and quickly pull them up again later. The pins are always shown on the map, even when you’re not inside a list.

How do you use the feature?

1. Click on a place.
2. Swipe left on the blue buttons until “Save” appears, and tap it. All your saved lists will now appear, along with a few lists created by Google.
3. Select one or more lists, or create a new one by tapping “+ New list”. We always create one list per destination.
4. Enter personal notes in the small field if you have any.
5. Tap “Done”.

Your saved lists are displayed when you tap the “Saved” tab at the bottom of the home screen. You can also manage your lists here. If you tap the three dots next to a list, you can, for example, hide it on the map, or share it for editing and send it in a WhatsApp group.

Extra Tip: 22places Lists to Save

We’ve got some really great news for you. With a bit of luck, we’ve already created a Google Maps list just for your next destination.

You can save the whole list in your app and use it as a starting point for your further planning. Pretty awesome, right?

In the lists, we’ve saved the most important spots from our articles about a destination for you — the highlights that are truly worth it, great restaurants, ice cream shops, and more. For each spot, we’ve also added the most important information and our tips, so you have everything at a glance.

The lists are also updated regularly. If something is no longer current, just let us know!

Here you can find all the lists and easily save one:

To the 22places Google Maps Lists

Exploring an Area in Advance with Google Street View

What is it? Google Street View shows you 360-degree images of streets and places so you can explore them virtually.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? You can check out places and neighborhoods before your trip. For example, you can get a feel for what the area around your hotel looks like, or verify whether a place is actually located where it’s marked on Google Maps.

How do you use the feature?

1. On the home screen, tap the two overlapping squares in the top right corner. You’ll then be shown various display options.
2. Select the “Street View” option. This will highlight all streets available in Google Street View in teal on the map.
3. Tap the spot on the map that you want to look at. You’ll now see Google Street View in the upper half of the screen.
4. Swipe across the image to change the perspective, or tap the arrows to move along in Google Street View.

In the lower half of the screen you can see your position and the direction you’re facing on the map.

Saving Offline Maps in Google Maps

What is it? Offline maps are map sections that you save to your phone. You can use these sections in Google Maps even when you don’t have internet access.

What does this Google Maps feature do for your trip? Offline maps are especially useful for destinations where internet connectivity is unreliable. They’re also handy if you plan to buy a local SIM card once you arrive but need to find your hotel first, for example.

How do you use the feature?

1. Go to the region in Google Maps for which you want to save an offline map.
2. Tap your profile picture or the first letter of your name to the right of the search bar. If it isn’t showing, you’ll need to clear your search query first. You’ll then be given various options.
3. Select “Offline maps” to access your saved offline maps.
4. Tap “Select your own map” and you’ll be shown a map section you can download. Simply adjust it to fit your needs.
5. Tap “Download”.

If you don’t have internet access during your trip and you’re within the map area, Google Maps keeps working without any issues. After your trip, you can delete the map again in the “Offline maps” window.

Using Google Maps Navigation

What is it? Directions are what Google Maps became famous for. They show you the best way to get from A to B.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? We probably don’t need to tell you how helpful Google Maps route suggestions and navigation are when planning or actually taking a trip. On top of that, it’s great that you get different alternatives to choose from. Routes are generated for driving, walking, public transit, and cycling.

How do you use it?

1. Enter your destination in the search bar.
2. Tap “Directions”.
3. Leave your current location as the starting point if you want navigation from there, or enter a place in the search bar at the top as the starting point for your route.
4. Under the three dots in the top right corner you can add a stop and drag it with the three lines to the position in the route where you want to visit it. Then tap “Done”.
5. From the icons below the search fields, select the option you want to use — driving, public transit, walking, cycling, ride-sharing, or flight. The average travel time is also shown next to each icon.
6. Once you’ve chosen an option, you’ll typically be shown several routes. Usually the default one is the best. If you want to change it, tap one of the gray routes.
7. Tap “Start” when you’re ready to go.
8. If you want to save the route for later, tap “Pin” in the bottom right corner. You’ll find the saved route on the home screen under the “Go” tab.

Using Public Transit with Google Maps

What is it? One option in the directions is suggestions for which public transit options you can take to reach your destination.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? Public transit suggestions are probably the feature we use most while traveling, especially on city trips. You get a clear, up-to-date breakdown of how to get from one place to another using public transit — it’s just incredibly helpful!

How do you use the feature?

1. In the route suggestions, tap the train icon. A list will appear showing various routes and different transit options or lines. The duration and ticket cost are shown to the right of each suggestion.
2. Directly below the train icon you can select your preferred arrival and departure time, and to the right under “Options” you can apply additional filters, e.g. preferring subway routes.
3. Tap a route suggestion in the list. You’ll then be shown details including the stop, your transfers, the number of stops on each transit leg, when the line runs next, and its number.
4. Tap “Start” or “Pin” at the bottom, depending on what you want to do.

Creating Maps with MyMaps

What is it? MyMaps is essentially a subcategory of Google Maps. With MyMaps you can create custom maps that show up in Google Maps. They work in much the same way as Google Maps lists — just with more flexibility. The catch is that you have to create them on your laptop, but you can then view them on your smartphone in the app.

What does this feature do for your trip planning? Maps serve the same purpose as lists when it comes to planning your trip. You save your places on a map and can access them whenever you need them. The advantage is that you can personalize maps even more than lists.

How do you use the feature?

1. Go to MyMaps on your laptop.
2. Click the “Create a new map” button in the top left corner, then click “Create”. Give the map a name by clicking on the title.
3. Search for a place, click on it, and add it to the map.
4. Click the paint bucket icon to choose a custom icon for the saved place. Click the pencil to add notes, and the camera to attach images.
5. Click “Add layer” to create a new layer. You can use layers either for categories like attractions and restaurants, or you can create a layer for each planned day and add the places you want to visit that day. Use the checkmark next to a layer to toggle it visible or hidden.
6. Below the arrow icon next to the camera and below the search bar, you can create a travel route and save it for later.
7. You’ll find the map in the Google Maps app under the “Saved” tab at the bottom right under “Maps”.

Handy Tips and Tricks for Google Maps on Your Trip

Of course, Google Maps can do a lot more than just these trip-planning features. Some of them are also genuinely useful while you’re on the road. We don’t use them specifically for planning though — they’re more of a nice-to-have.

We’re listing them here anyway, because they really are pretty cool.

Did you already know, for example, that…

• … you can zoom with one finger by double-tapping the screen in quick succession, holding down on the second tap, and then moving your finger up and down?
• … you can save up to 50% battery with Dark Mode on Google Maps compared to Light Mode, by going to Settings, tapping “Dark mode”, and turning it on?
• … you can reserve tables at restaurants directly in Google Maps by tapping “Reserve” at a restaurant?
• … you can also find and order from delivery services with Google Maps by tapping “… More” below the search bar, selecting “Delivery” under “Food & Drink”, choosing one, and then tapping “Order”?
• … you can use Google Maps to find your parking spot again by tapping the blue dot after parking and then tapping “Save parking”?
• … you can find accessible places for wheelchair users and strollers by selecting the “Wheelchair accessible entrance” filter in your search?
• … you can also restrict Google Maps to accessible routes by tapping the three dots next to the starting point and clicking “Wheelchair accessible” under “Options”?
• … you can also call taxis via Google Maps by tapping the waving figure with the suitcase in the route suggestions?
• … you can use Live View with augmented reality to get walking directions, by tapping “Live View” on the route and then seeing images of your surroundings through your phone’s camera with arrows overlaid?
• … you can control your music during navigation by going to Settings, tapping “Navigation”, and then “Music playback controls”?
• … you can compare gas prices at gas stations by tapping “Gas stations” below the search bar? You’ll then be shown the prices for regular unleaded.
• … you get speed camera warnings on Google Maps? In Germany this is prohibited, but in Morocco, for example, it works really well.
• … you can pull up an elevation profile for walks and bike rides by swiping up on the route suggestions?