7 Advanced Google Maps Features That Make It a Travel Power Tool

Google Maps gets you from A-to-B, but it can do so much more than that.

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Google Maps puts live navigation at your fingertips, capable of taking you almost anywhere in the world. However, Google Maps is capable of so much more, and with these advanced features, you have one of the most powerful travel tools for planning and managing trips.

1. Check the Weather for Any Location

You can use Google Maps to check the local weather. This feature is already available for the iOS app and the web app, and it seems Google is also currently rolling it out (or, at least, testing it) for the Android app, according to Android Police.

If you’re using iOS, open the Google Maps app and pinch-zoom in on a city or region. You should see a small tile below the search bar at the top of the screen, showing the current temperature and an icon representing the weather.

As you move around the Google Maps app, the tile updates to show the local weather. If the tile isn’t showing for you, tap any location on the current map view and then deselect it. This should revert to the default view, including the weather tile.

If you’re using the Google Maps web app, you’ll need to click on a location to access weather information. This time, you’ll find the weather details in the information panel next to the location name.

You can also click on the weather icon to get a more detailed forecast for the location you’re looking at.

2. Check the Best Times to Visit Places

Once you’ve chosen a place to visit, you’ll probably want to explore specific landmarks and things to do while you’re there. Google Maps can help you navigate the hustle and bustle of new places by showing you how busy areas are and even the busiest times to visit landmarks, restaurants, and other locations.

As you zoom in on a city, the busiest areas are highlighted in yellow. So, if you prefer to stay outside the busiest parts of town, you can use this info to help you choose the best accommodation. Likewise, if you want to avoid the crowds, you might visit highlighted areas early in the morning.

If you click on a landmark, café, or anywhere else you want to visit, Google Maps will show the busiest times, provided the location gets enough foot traffic to provide this data. This shows you the busiest times to visit each day of the week and gives you live data, showing whether places are any less or more busy than usual.

3. Live View Walking Directions

With Live View in Google Maps, you can use the platform’s Street View coverage to guide you through walking directions. To use this feature, your device must be compatible with ARKit (iOS) or ARCore (Android) toolkits for augmented reality experiences. You’ll also need to be in an area with good Street View coverage.

To access Live View, follow these steps while you’re outside:

1. Open Google Maps and select a location to navigate to.
2. Pull down the location page to reveal the Live View icon.
3. Tap Live View.
4. Point your phone camera at buildings and signs to orient your location.
5. Follow the red pointers until you reach your destination.

Hopefully, this goes without saying, but Live View is only designed for navigating on foot, not in moving vehicles. You can also use the feature to orient yourself and make sure you’re heading in the right direction. This can save you a lot of battery (and data!) if you’ve got a long walk ahead of you.

4. Find the Most Fuel-Efficient Route Before Leaving

If you’re renting a car on your travels, taking the most fuel-efficient routes can help you keep costs down and reduce your environmental impact. Google Maps will automatically recommend the most economical route if you have the Prefer fuel-efficient routes option enabled in settings.

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Tap your account icon at the right of the search bar.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down to Navigation settings and give it a tap.
5. Scroll down to Route options.
6. Enable Prefer fuel-efficient routes.

Now, to get the most fuel-efficient route for a road trip, use the Directions feature in Google Maps as normal:

1. Enter your destination in the search bar.
2. Click Directions.
3. Enter your starting point (or select Your location).
4. Make sure the driving icon is selected below the search bars.

Google Maps should select the most fuel-efficient route for you by default unless there’s a particularly bad delay due to an accident or roadworks. You’ll see the most fuel-efficient route marked with a leaf icon, and route options also include other contextual information where relevant—for example, toll roads.

5. Save a Route for Later

You can save routes for later in Google Maps, allowing you to plan trips in advance without repeating the same steps when it’s time to hit the road. To save a route, all you need to do is tap the Pin button on a selected route tab. Once you’ve done this, the button label changes to Pinned, indicating that the route is saved for later.

You can also save routes for other transportation methods: walking, public transport, etc. This means you can plan out those routes to landmarks, interesting restaurants, and everywhere else ahead of your trip and quickly access directions when needed.

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap Go in the menu at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select the pinned route you want to access from the list.

When you select a route, you’ll get updated travel information for estimated arrival times and any disruptions that might cause delays.

6. Download Maps For Overseas Travel

Google Maps is an excellent travel tool, but it’s not much help if you lose internet access while on the road. Luckily, you save maps for offline use ahead of your trip, so you can still navigate without access to the internet.

To download a map for online use, follow the steps:

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Search for a location (e.g., San Francisco).
3. Pull the location tab up into full-screen mode.
4. Tap the three-dot more icon at the top-right of the screen.
5. Select Download offline map.

You can still access driving instructions using offline maps as long as the whole route is contained within the saved map. Keep in mind that you won’t get live travel information or features like alternative routes, most fuel-efficient routes, etc., while using maps offline.

7. Share Your Location to Make Solo Trips Safer

Sharing your location with someone you trust is an essential safety trip if you’re traveling alone. Whether taking a solo trip overseas or hiking up a mountain, sharing your location can help authorities intervene faster if something goes wrong.

To share your real-time location in Google Maps, all you need to do is:

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap your account icon at the right of the search bar.
3. Select Location sharing.
4. Tap Share location.
5. Set the duration for sharing or select Until you turn this off.
6. Select the contact(s) you want to share your location with.
7. Tap Send.

Traveling solo is a different experience, and overcoming challenges like language barriers is all part of the fun. Changes are, nothing serious will happen, but in the unlikely event that you need emergency assistance, sharing your location could save your life.

Never Get Lost or Stuck for Ideas While Traveling

Whether you’re planning your next trip or you need help finding the best restaurants in a new city, Google Maps has you covered. With live data, you can select the fastest or most fuel-efficient routes for road trips and see how busy places are to avoid crowds.

You’ve also got the latest weather predictions to help you choose the best days to travel and avoid getting caught in the rain. Saving routes for later and downloading offline maps make life easier once you’re on the move, and sharing your location can protect you and anyone you’re traveling with. With Google Maps in your pocket, there’s no excuse for getting lost or running out of ideas for what to do while traveling.