11 Top Tips for Using Google Maps to Make the Most of Any Trip

Travel can be a way to find yourself or get away from reality – either way, it’s enjoyable. It fills your life with unforgettable memories. And Google Maps could be your next tool to discover the nearest tourist places in India.

While most people use this app for directions from one place to another, it has a lot more features that can elevate your travel experience. Wondering how? Here are a few Google Maps tips and tricks you can use while discovering tourist attractions in India.

Top Tips for using Google Maps Effectively

1. Plan your route

Google Maps allow you to find the nearest tourist places from your desired locations. You can then save them to your favourites list. Once you are ready for your trip, you only need to find your list. Add the nearest tourist spots to your travel itinerary, and remember that the only thing on your checklist is having fun and making memories!

2. Road trip plan

Google Maps eliminates a prominent drawback of road trips: you no longer have to plan each part of your journey individually. You can now plan your entire road trip on Google Maps by adding multiple stops in between your final destination.

Simply search for your first destination and click on the + sign to add more stops. It’s a smart way to make sure you hit every stop on your itinerary and enjoy a smoother road trip experience.

3. Sharing your update with friends and family

You may be concerned about keeping your friends and family in the loop when you’re out and about, especially if you’re on a solo trip. Even if you’re in one of the best places to travel alone for females, your family can’t help but ask for updates every hour.

Luckily, Google Maps has a feature that allows you to share your progress when you’re off visiting various tourist attractions. With real-time updates, safety is no longer a concern, giving your loved ones some much-needed peace of mind.

4. Offline feature

The true essence of visiting tourist places in India is in experiencing the local culture, events, and activities. But when you’re exploring offbeat destinations, there’s no guarantee that you’ll always get reliable network coverage. And if you’re travelling abroad, you may not want to pay the steep international charges to use your GPS signal.

Well, Google Maps has a solution to this as well. You can now save the maps of your favourite tourist destinations offline, allowing you to still visit these places without access to any internet connectivity. To download the map on your phone, look for the area and click on the download option.

5. Search the finest places around

Experiencing the local culture in India is any tourist’s dream. Explorers are always on the lookout for authentic travel experiences. The best way to ensure that you live like a local in every destination to visit is to go beyond the locations mentioned in the travel guide. Google Maps can help in doing so by showing you the finest local tourist places around you.

Google Maps recommends the most authentic places known to it, enabling you to get a real taste of the culture. You can look for the best restaurants, pubs, hotels, coffee shops, etc., to enjoy an everyday experience – just like a local.

6. Jump lines at places

Waiting for long hours to enter a restaurant or cafe could dampen your travel experience. But, with Google Maps, you can skip the long queues at popular places.

Google Maps has a bar graph that shows you the busy and quiet hours of a place at any time of the day or week. You can avoid visiting restaurants, stores, or tourist attractions during their most active hours, effectively eliminating long waiting periods from your trip.

7. Take advantage of Street View

Sometimes, it’s best to view a tourist attraction before you get there to check if it’s worth visiting. Perhaps you’re feeling spontaneous on your journey, but you’d like a preview of the spot to know if it’s to your liking. Well, Street View can help! Google Maps’ Street View feature gives you a sneak peek of the location, offering a 360° view of the entire area. It even lets you check out the interior of a building.

To apply this handy tool on your mobile phone, drag the yellow-coloured figure to the location you would like to view. You can move your finger along the screen to change the view on the screen.

8. Never miss the bus

If you’re in a new city, chances are you’re using public transportation to get around. It’s fun, cheap, and fast. The only caveat of relying on public transit to take you to your travel destination is that you may not be familiar with the bus or train schedules. This means you’re likely to miss the last ride to your hotel.

Google Maps eliminates that issue by keeping you up-to-date on transit schedules and the last bus or train that day. It also lets you set a reminder, so you’ll always catch the train, no matter what.

9. Car parking

The worst thing about visiting new tourist places in India? Not being able to remember where you parked your car! Since popular tourist destinations are almost always crowded, it is difficult to keep track of where you’ve parked your car. Now, with the help of Google Maps, you can flag your vehicle’s location in just a few taps.

Next time you visit a tourist attraction, tap on the blue dot that shows your location, and an option, “Set as Parking Location,” will appear. All you have to do is select it, and now your phone will remember where your car is parked.

10. Calculate the steepness of your ride

Most tourist places in India have steep rides, especially in the mountains. You might want to avoid driving or riding a bicycle uphill as it can tire you out. The best way to do this is to check the steepness of your ride on Google Maps.

Search your travel destination on Google Maps for a graph that displays the steepness of each part of the ride.

11. Zoom in and out with one finger

More often than not, you need to use at least two fingers to zoom in and zoom out of your phone screen. It is not an advantage if you have only one free hand. Thankfully, there’s another way to zoom in on Google Maps. Tap twice on the screen, and there you are!

Google Maps can offer a zoomed-in view of the tourist attraction you’re on your way to. You only need to adjust the scale by moving the screen with your fingers.

Closing thoughts

The world has changed, and travelling has become more convenient – and it’s mostly thanks to Google Maps!

Google Maps is nothing short of a brilliant tool for travellers, making trips and journeys more and more convenient with each new feature and update. The app guarantees better routes and helps tourists find the best and most happening places and events near them.

Google Maps allows travellers to discover places they never knew existed, making it easy to find the nearest tourist spot. With these tips, Google Maps will undoubtedly be a lifesaver on your next trip.

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FAQs

Can I use Google Maps for long trips?

Yes, of course! You can even add location pins to your route, customise them, and share them with your friends.

I want to create an itinerary for my road trip. Which app should I use?

When it comes to planning an itinerary, Google Maps takes the cake for its dynamism and accessibility. It allows you to make and customise your maps and even share them with your road trip pals!

Does Google Maps allow me to create maps of my own?

Yes, Google Maps lets you create maps of your own. Just sign into the map, find ‘untitled map’ on the top left corner, and begin!

What features make Google Maps special?

Google Maps offers a 360° view of the landscape with detailed real-time maps. Not only that, it enables travellers to determine the distance and time to their destination.

Is Google Maps free?

Yes, Google Maps is completely free of cost. You can download it on your phone via the Play Store.

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