Putting together the logistics of a trip can be daunting. When travelling, you’re often exploring new places you haven’t been to before, so what do you do? You pull up Google Maps on your phone to get the best directions to your destination. But, what you might not know is that Maps can do so much more. 

Here are a few ways you can make use of the navigation platform to change the way you plan and experience travel this December - whether you’re driving, walking, biking or using public transport.

1. Discover new places

If you don’t know what you’d like to do or where you’d like to go during your vacation, you can use Google Maps’ Explore feature to find places compiled and made public by other users. Their saved places will then be made available in Your Places and will appear as suggested locations in Google Maps. More adventurous travellers can use Lists to find recommended adventures curated to their wilder tastes.

2. Find the best activities and spots to venture to

By checking out reviews on Google Maps you can decide which locations or experiences are worth doing or seeing before you take off. Simply search for the location you’re looking for and under the Reviews section of its information page you’ll find a star rating, date, and pictures from people who have visited that location before. Outdoors enthusiasts can also search for specific words like “hiking trails” to quickly sort through reviews and find the best trails and experiences. Don’t forget to leave your own review once you’ve checked the place or activity off your list! It helps businesses and others discover them!

3. Put your itinerary together in one place

Using the Lists feature, you can save your bucket list of locations you’d like to visit in one consolidated place where they’re easy to find and follow during your trip. You can also easily create custom maps with the places on your lists for viewing on the Maps mobile app and finding places on-the-go.

4. Crowd control

While COVID-19 is not quite over yet, If you’re looking to avoid crowded areas during your travels, you can make use of the new Maps feature called Area Busyness. It helps you instantly get information on just how busy a location is so you can easily avoid it and stay safe. Conversely, you can pinpoint exactly when an area is most active if you’d like to go while avoiding peak times.

5. Easily make bookings and reservations

There’s nothing worse than panicking to make a reservation for a place you’ve been dying to try. When you search for a place on Google Maps, you can directly place a reservation with the establishment through the app by clicking into its business profile. Android users can also pay for the booking on Maps by using Google Pay which will be added to your Google Calendar once made.

6. Make your drives more entertaining

Driving while following GPS directions doesn’t need to be a solemn and quiet affair. You can easily sync Google Maps with your preferred music streaming service, like YouTube Music, allowing you to enjoy your favourite vibes while you travel.

Not only does Google Maps provide you with great navigation, it also helps you plan your trip or excursion properly. While the Omicron variant might try to prevent you from taking international trips this time, you don’t completely have to suffer when it comes to exploring locally. Whether you’re planning your trip for now or the future, these helpful tips will ensure you go out there confident to make memories with your family and friends.