Google Maps is an indispensable app for many travelers. Whether you’re exploring a new city or returning to a favorite vacation spot, Google Maps will help you get from point A to point B with ease. The app can also be a useful tool for planning your trips and keeping tabs on the best ways to get around.
It provides turn-by-turn directions, alerts you about road closures and construction, and offers information about local sights and landmarks so you don’t miss out on anything. If you’re traveling soon, keep reading to learn more about this awesome app.
The Google Maps app has become a staple of modern life. With more than one billion active users each month, it’s no wonder that the tech giant keeps finding new ways to make their mapping service more useful and engaging.
Google Maps is an incredibly powerful tool for figuring out how to get somewhere, when you should leave to get there on time, and which route will be quickest or cheapest.
Thanks to continued updates and the release of new features, Google Maps is now a go-to resource for many travelers. It’s even changing the way we travel by making it easier than ever before to take public transportation or rent a car from an affordable company. Here are eight (8) ways Google Maps is changing the way we travel.
1. It’s making taking public transportation easier.
For many travelers, navigating the public transportation system of their destination is one of the biggest challenges. Google Maps has made it much easier to navigate these systems by adding real-time transit information and transit directions.
Using transit directions, you can find out exactly how long it will take to get somewhere, where you need to go, and how much it will cost. If Google Maps doesn’t have transit directions for your destination, you can report it so the app can add more cities to its system.
It’s even possible to use Google Maps to navigate your public transportation back home. Many cities in the U.S. and Canada are now included in Google’s “Visit Your City” feature, which lets you navigate your city’s public transportation system from the comfort of your own computer.
2. It’s helping you find the cheapest ways to travel.
Google Maps’ ability to help you navigate a city’s public transportation system doesn’t just make it easier to get around. It also makes it cheaper. Thanks to Google’s partnerships with many transit authorities, Google Maps can give you real-time information on how much your trip costs.
In some cities, you can even use the app to pay for your fare. For example, if you’re visiting Los Angeles and want to use the Metro system, you can enter your trip information into Google Maps. The app will tell you how much you need to pay and let you add the fare to your Wallet app so you can use your phone as your fare.
In Toronto, Google Maps can even help you find ways to save money on your commute by showing you when you can use the city’s $3-dollar-per-trip transit pass.
3. Google Maps is helping you rent a car.
Google has been building out its flight and car rental functionality to become a one-stop-shop for booking travel plans. In addition to letting you book flights, hotels, and trains, the app now lets you book rental cars as well.
All you have to do is enter your pick-up and drop-off locations, and your preferred travel dates. Google will show you the different options for rental cars available, and you can select the one that best fits your needs. You can even choose to have the app pre-fill your information so you can book instantly.
4. It’s helping you navigate an unknown city.
If you’re visiting a new city, Google Maps’ “walk” feature can guide you through the city streets. You can set your destination and Google Maps will tell you which way to walk, how long it will take, and if there are any nearby points of interest.
You can even use the map to navigate around cities you know well. If you know you want to go to the nearest grocery store, but you can’t remember which way to walk, you can use Google Maps to get directions.
If you’re visiting a city for the first time, navigating the city on foot can be a challenge. Google Maps has a feature that can help you find your way around a city you’ve never been to: City Tours. Available for select cities, City Tours includes walking or driving routes that take you to the city’s most popular destinations.
You can choose whether you want a walking tour or to drive around the city using Google Maps’ Waze feature. You can also select the option to go on a city’s public transit system.
City Tours on Google Maps is great if you don’t have data while you’re in a foreign city or if you just want to see what the city has to offer. Once you use the feature, you can bookmark it so you can easily find it again on your next trip.
5. It’s making it easier to find a place to stay.
If you’re traveling to a new city, it can be tricky to figure out where to stay. Google Maps wants to make that process simpler with its new “Stay” feature. This function allows you to search for nearby hotels and Airbnb listings directly from the app.
You can search for accommodations by price, neighborhood, and other factors, and see how far each place is from your current location. You can also select multiple places to compare their amenities and prices so you can find the one that works best for you.
6. Google Maps is making walking or biking more appealing.
As more and more people are traveling sustainably, Google Maps is making walking and biking more appealing. Google has introduced a “travel times” feature that shows you how long it will take to walk or bike between two points.
This can be useful if you have a tight itinerary and need to be somewhere on time. If you’re traveling with a group, you can use the map’s “share” feature to send your itinerary to your friends and family so they can follow along.
7. It Helps You Find The Fastest Route
If you’re planning a road trip, Google Maps can help you find the fastest route from one destination to another. Just type in the two places you want to go, and the app will show you the quickest way between them, complete with estimated travel times.
If your route is too long or you have a few options, you can use the “change route” feature to rearrange the order in which you travel between cities.
The app will recalculate your estimated travel times so you can choose the fastest option. If you’ve been putting off your travel plans, it may be time to pick up your phone and start exploring.
With Google Maps’ new features, it’s easier than ever before to find the cheapest or fastest ways to travel. Whether you’re traveling alone or with your family, you’re sure to have a better experience if you use Google Maps to plan your trip. So what are you waiting for?
If you’re traveling by car, Google Maps can help you find the fastest route between two cities by using real-time traffic data. You can search for directions and select the “Show Traffic” option to see which route will get you to your destination in the shortest amount of time.
Google Maps will show you information about the length of the route, the time it will take to drive, and which route has the most traffic. If you have a specific time you need to arrive at your destination, Google Maps can help you figure out how long the route will take under normal conditions and how long it will take when there is traffic. This way, you can leave early and still arrive on time.
8. It’s introducing new features for drivers.
One of the best ways to travel is by car. Google Maps has introduced a few new features designed to make driving easier. If you are planning a road trip, one new feature is called Driving ETA. It not only shows you the estimated time it will take to get to your destination, but it also tells you how much time you have left before you have to stop driving.
Google Maps also has a feature called Driving Conditions that lets you know about road closures and other traffic-related information so you can find an alternate route. And if you’re renting a car, you can use Local Car Rental to find a nearby rental facility and book a car right from your phone.
If you’re looking for a way to make your next travel adventure more convenient, Google Maps has plenty of new features to help. From real-time traffic updates to suggested walking or biking paths, this mapping app is leading the way in technological advancements.