create your own trip map

A travel planner for everyone

Organize flights & hotels and map your trips in a free travel app designed for vacation planning & road trips, powered by ai and google maps..

Your itinerary and your map in one view

No more switching between different apps, tabs, and tools to keep track of your travel plans.

What travelers are raving about

Features to replace all your other tools, add places from guides with 1 click, collaborate with friends in real time, import flight and hotel reservations, expense tracking and splitting, checklists for anything, get personalized suggestions, plan like a pro.

Unlock premium features like offline access, unlimited attachments, flight deals, export to Google maps, and much more

Offline access

Unlimited attachments, optimize your route.

4.9 on App Store, 4.7 on Google Play

Discover your next favorite destination

Get inspired from guides around the world — with expert tips and recommendations from the Wanderlog community. See all Wanderlog travel guides.

Have tips of your own? Write a guide to share with other travelers like you!

Ready to plan your trip in half the time?

For every kind of trip and every destination, the best road trip planner, the best vacation planner, the best group itinerary planner.

My itinerary

This is a free demo version of our mapping software.

Create an account to save your current itinerary and get access to all our features.

Otherwise your data will be automatically deleted after one week.

Let us plan your trip for you

Roadtrippers Autopilot™ creates your itinerary based on what we’ve learned from over 38 million trips. You’re never more than a few clicks away from your next great adventure.

• Auto Travel

Let Autopilot take the wheel planning your next road trip, scenic drive, RV journey and everything in between. Then enjoy the ride while uncovering hidden gems along the way.

Get real-time traffic updates and access to wildfire smoke maps to stay informed and connected throughout your journey.

Collaborate

Share your itinerary with your copilots so they can help with the finishing touches.

Let Roadtrippers be your guide, navigating the twists and turns as you roam the open roads with confidence and ease.

Exclusive Access To Autopilot

Let us do the planning for you! Enter in a few key details and we’ll craft a custom tailored trip just for you.

Choose the right plan for you—and try it free for 7 days

Premium planning.

RV-Friendly Tools

Overnight RV Parking

Start free for 7 days

Then $35.99 (that's only $2.99/month), then $49.99 (that's only $4.17/month), then $59.99 (that's only $4.99/month).

† RV-Friendly routing features (including routing warnings for vehicle hazards and propane restrictions) are available in the U.S. only.

Free 7-day trial

Test drive the best features of Roadtrippers Premium for free! Eligible users will get exclusive access to all the tools needed to plan the perfect road trip.

Create a Roadtrippers account to start your 7-day free trial.

Already have a Roadtrippers account?

We need your email address

Before we can sign you up for Roadtrippers, we need your email address. Click the button below to go to your profile.

Plan your next adventure with a Roadtrippers Premium account

Due after 7-day free trial

Thank you for signing up for a Roadtrippers Subscription

Get started planning your next trip now!

Good news...you already have Roadtrippers!

Thanks for being one of our most dedicated users.

• Sign up Log in Sign out
• Log in Sign out

Plan your journey, find amazing places, and take fascinating detours with our app.

If you used to sign in with Roadpass, you should now use the same username and password to log in directly with Roadtrippers above.

We couldn't find an existing Roadtrippers account using that service. Please try signing in with another option.

We need your email address to send you trip itineraries and other updates.

How do you want to plan your trip?

With just a few questions, our newest Premium feature, Autopilot, will plan your next adventure.

SYGIC TRAVEL MAPS

The world's first online maps designed for travelers.

Meet the successor of Sygic Travel Trip Planner! Sygic Travel Maps are the first in the world to display the best attractions, hotels, restaurants or shops directly on the map.

Discover top attractions as well as hidden gems and plan your trips day-by-day. Your trips can be synced with the Sygic Travel app to guide you on your travels.

SYGIC TRAVEL MAPS APP

The Sygic Travel Maps mobile app displays the best tourist attractions, museums, restaurants, shops and more. Discover top places as well as hidden gems sourced from travel editors and fellow travelers and create your day-by-day trip plan directly in the app.

Download offline maps and guides for your destination to keep on track even in the most remote areas. Your trips can be seamlessly synced with the Sygic Travel Maps web.

360° STOCK VIDEO

Looking for premium VR videos of the world's most famous attractions or relaxing nature footage? Explore our 360˚ video stock library and find the perfect VR content for your project. Instant video download.

Under the brand of Orbitian Media, we bring you the world's largest collection of original VR footage from over 60 destinations across 5 continents.

More to explore

Invoicing address.

Tripomatic s.r.o. Za Parkem 631/14, 621 00 Brno Czech Republic, EU

VAT registration number: CZ28274211

Company Identification Number: 28274211, registered at the Regional Court in Brno, file C 57944.

INMEC, Purkyňova 649/127 612 00 Brno Czech Republic, EU

Business matters

[email protected]  

support.tripomatic.com [email protected]  

Bank Account

Account number: 3009063001/5500 Raiffeisenbank a.s. IBAN: CZ8755000000003009063001 SWIFT: RZBCCZPP

Should there be a licence agreement conflict between us and the consumer and should attempts to settle such a conflict by a mutual agreement fail, the consumer can appeal to the relevant entity ensuring alternative dispute resolutions for consumer disputes, which is the Czech Trade Inspection Authority, Central Inspectorate – ADR Department, Štěpánská 15, 120 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic, e-mail: [email protected], web: adr.coi.cz. The consumer can also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr .

THIS SERVICE MAY CONTAIN TRANSLATIONS POWERED BY GOOGLE. GOOGLE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE TRANSLATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.

© 2024 Tripomatic s.r.o. All rights reserved | Terms | End User License Agreement | Privacy Policy | Attributions

Create and share custom maps with Google My Maps.

Get started

Easily create custom maps with the places that matter to you.

Add points or draw shapes anywhere.

Find places and save them to your map.

Instantly make maps from spreadsheets.

Show your style with icons and colors. Add photos and videos to any place.

Share & collaborate

Allow friends to see and edit your maps, or publish them to the whole world.

Embed maps in your website or blog.

Work together on building your map, just like Google Docs.

Easily organize all your maps alongside your other documents in Google Drive.

Take anywhere

View custom maps in the Google Maps mobile app so you can find places on-the-go.

Find all your maps in the Your Places menu on Google Maps.

Chart your favorite places or explore a new city.

Save maps you find on the web and use them on-the-go.

Get started now

• Scenic Drives
• Road Trip Planner

Road Trip Planning Made Easy

Create custom day trips, weekend getaways, and cross country adventures worldwide

Powerful features for planning your epic road trips (and the shorter adventures in between)

Unlimited stops.

Add unlimited stops and sub-stops. Combine your own stops with our pre-planned routes and recommended places of interest.

Smart Scheduling

By the minute, hour, or overnight, set preferences for each stop. Export your trip to your own Calendar.

Set Vehicle Type

Car, RV, camper trailer, truck, motorcycle, pulling a boat? Get a realistic estimate of driving time. Adjust travel speed by percentages for each unique situation.

Divide Trips Into Days

Divide your trips into manageable driving days based on your custom settings by time or distance. And of course you can customize each day differently.

Route Preferences

Configure route preferences such as avoiding highways or tolls for each day or any segment of your trip.

Use Any Device

Plan trips from your desktop computer, iPad, Android tablet, and mobile phone with the same easy-to-use interface. No app to download or software to install.

Automated To Do List guides you through the road trip planning process.

Manage Your Budget

Track expenditures before you go and along the way. See a summary of expenses for entrance fees, activities, restaurants, and lodging, etc.

Gas Calculator

See the estimated fuel cost for your vehicle type.

EV Charging

Find EV charging stations along your route. Get reminders to recharge. Use Charging Ranges to display icons on the map where your vehicle will require recharging.

Export Options

We support Google Earth (KML), Garmin Communicator, BaseCamp and MapSource (GPX), Co-Pilot Live (TRP), Microsoft Streets and Trips, TomTom itineraries (ITN), TomTom Places of Interest (OV2), Comma Separated Files (CSV), and Tab Separated Files (TSV).

Directions on paper come in handy. Print your road trip with turn-by-turn maps and full directions, divided into your day-by-day itinerary.

Is This Really Free?

Yes! It is free to use our Scenic Drive Itineraries and Road Trip Planner. Please consider purchasing your National Park or National Forest passes on myscenicdrives.com.

Why Do I Need An Account?

A free account is only required for the Road Trip Planner, enabling you to create, edit, and save your trips. Your account is secure. We never share your information.

Do I Need to Download An App or Install Software?

No app or software is needed. myscenicdrives.com works in any browser. Simply go to myscenicdrives.com

More Resources

Documentation, myscenicdrives.com, how it works.

Create Your Free Travel Map

With minimal effort you'll have a beautiful map of your travels to share with friends and family.

Map and visualise your trips. It's fast, simple, fun and free

• 📅 Plan upcoming trips and map previous travels
• ✍🏽 Tell a rich story of your travels with linked photos, notes and blog entries
• </> Embed your trip map on your own blog
• 🗺️ Save your map as a high resolution image
• 🧭 Draw custom routes between your trip stops
• 🚀 Unlimited trips on one map
• 📈 Discover just how much travelling you've done on your travel stats page
• 🔖 Bookmark websites to your trip plan

See how easy it is to make a trip map in this video

Choose a map style to suit you

We offer a variety of different map styles to choose from as well as customisation options that will help you get the map looking just the way you want it to.

Clarify your travel plans with an itinerary map

Our free travel mapping tool can be a great resource when you are planning your trips. If you are travelling to multiple cities and want to get an idea of which itineraries are going to be the most efficient, just map all your stops out and see what the route looks like. After figuring out the route, you can add notes and bookmarks to each stop to keep all your ideas in one place.

• Exploring the Silk Road
• Skiing in the alps
• Beach days in Thailand
• Frolicking around France

Map out all your old trips

We spent a lot of time making this as easy to use as possible, especially when mapping out lots of stops and lots of trips. You can very quickly add new stops to trips with as much or as little detail as you like. Mapping out all your travels can be a huge amount of fun and a great way to relive memories.

The total distance travelled is roughly equivalent to

1.3 trips to the moon!

Show off your travel stats

After you've mapped out your trips, you'll be able to view your very own travel stats page which will show you how many kilometres you travelled, which countries you visited, which modes of transport you used and more. It's a great visual summary of your life's journeys

Embed your map on your blog

If you are just looking for a simple route map to add to a blog post you're creating then this will do that for you nicely. You can either use the standard embed code or customise the map tiles to various other looks as well. A beautiful interactive travel map will ensure your blog entry stands out from the crowd.

Show me the maps!

You want to interact with some maps?

Below are some maps created by members of the Travellerspoint community. Click on any of the maps below to see a fully interactive version.

🏞️ Add photos to your trips

🎁 a generous free offering, 🤝 a great community, we've been doing this mapping thing for a while.

Millions of trips mapped

It's so easy to create trips on Travellerspoint that people just keep creating them.

Frequently asked questions

What are some typical users of this mapping platform.

• People wanting to map out an upcoming trip
• People wanting to map out all their previous travels
• Travel agents wanting to create a trip map for their clients
• People wanting to explore different destinations for an upcoming trip

What tool do you recommend people use to map out their life's travels?

How many stops can i add to a trip, is there a limit to how many trips i can map, what mapping platform do you use, how can i use the maps i've created on travellerspoint, can i save the map as an image, how long has travellerspoint been around for, where do you get the travel information from that's used in the map, can i turn off the guide content that's included, can i get turn by turn directions from this tool, can i create custom routes, looking for a step by step guide.

This How To Create a Map of Your Travels guide will take you through the process of creating your travel map in a series of easy to follow steps.

Need more convincing?

You can do a lot more than just map your travels on Travellerspoint. Creating an account is totally free and gives you acess to other handy features like:

• ✍🏽 A blogging platform where you can write about your travels
• 💬 An active travel forum to ask for advice from other travellers
• 📷 Unlimited photo uploads. We also feature our members' best travel photos

• Trip Planner

Trip Planner | Travel Itinerary Planner | Plan a Trip

Are you looking for an itinerary planner to plan your next trip? We know creating a customized travel itinerary manually is an overwhelming task. You have to put a lot of time into selecting destinations, booking hotels, flights, and comparing prices. On top of that calculating budgets & booking hotels and flights is another challenge that makes itinerary planning tough.

But what if all of this is done within a few minutes for you? Yes with TripHobo trip planner you can do this smartly. We have observed that many travelers end up spending more time in researching information than enjoying the actual trip. Not only first-time travelers but also experienced travelers struggle in creating perfect travel plans.

Even though it is a tedious task to create a customized itinerary, everyone agrees on the importance of itinerary for an enjoyable holiday. So Triphobo came up with this easy to use automatic itinerary planner.

How Trip Planner Works / Steps to Plan a Trip

Do you want to create your travel itinerary quickly & easily? Are you ready to use this tool now? TripHobo's trip planner plays a major role to ease the itinerary creation process and helps you overcome the pain in the trip planning .  Follow these 4 simple steps to plan a trip & let us know your experience.

1) Choose Your Destination & Dates when you want to travel

Visual algorithmic trip planner lets you choose destinations you want to travel to. You have the freedom to choose the real dates from the calendar. After selecting travel dates, planner runs algorithms to optimize a trip. It starts suggesting activities, sightseeing spots, tours and transport options with the details. For every attraction, it suggests open/close timings, time to spend, and nearby restaurants.

You can drag & drop activities and complete your itinerary within a matter of minutes. You can book yourself a nice vacation once you are sure of all the details, making you plan your trip very easily.

2) Refer to User Created Itineraries

If you have a lot of travel ideas but confused about where to start? Don't worry. Thousands of other people have visited the same destination before and created itineraries with us. Choose from a pool of more than 1 million user-generated itineraries around the globe. You can view other travelers’ itineraries for any location and duration to inspire yourself and then customize them to suit your own preferences.

3) Book Hotels and Flights

TripHobo always tries to offer the best from the travel industry to our valued planners. It has formed alliances with Expedia , Skyscanner, Zomato and Booking.com. Its ratings and reviews come courtesy of TripAdvisor whereas Google (as well as other partners) powers its location data.

TripHobo aims to cater to travelers at every stage of the travel planning process. It provides one platform to create personalized itineraries and hassle-free bookings .

4) Get Ready with a Perfect Itinerary

Once you’ve created your customized itinerary, you can print it. Save your plan for future reference or share it with your friends. When you’re ready, you can finalize and have a perfect travel itinerary ready.

Why Is TripHobo a Smart Trip planner?

There are few things included in the Triphobo planner algorithm & app which builds itinerary within minutes.

• A free virtual map-based trip planner with a smart algorithm
• International trip planner with about 1,50,000 popular destinations
• The largest repository of user-generated itineraries
• Hassle-free booking options for hotels, tours & flights
• Provides local transit options like metro, rail, bus, and car
• Calculates an estimated budget
• Provides options to save, print and share itinerary
• Strategic Partnerships with leading travel companies

TripHobo: Around the Web

• Trip of Your Own
• Traveling made easier with TripHobo
• Making The Southeast Asian Travel Connection
• Ex-HCL employee’s led ‘TripHobo’ is on a mission to become a global brand – a goto place for travel planning!
• Interview: Praveen Kumar, Founder & CEO of TripHobo
• TripHobo inks partnership with Zomato
• How a trip planning startup can succeed
• Karthik Ramachandram Co-Founder COO, TripHobo - Phocuswright Conference

Here's what travelers have to say about our travel planner

• Excellent 238

Great and genuinely wonderful website that makes a proper vacation plan simple, like it should. All reviews are 5 stars. The only suggestion I have to enhance this fantastic website is to include a mobile application. Even paying for a version without ads wouldn't bother me.

Every traveller should use this!

So much easier & more helpful than a travel agency, given lots of fantastic ideas, and was extremely helpful for planning the trip. Would strongly advise my family and friends to use this!

Great tool for trip planning. Impportantly it's free and automatically tailors travel plans to your preferences and is completely customisable. The integration with skyscanner and booking.com, and other OTA like priceline and expedia makes it very easy to plan the whole trip along with the bookings in one place.

Ready to plan that trip?

Create an itinerary, map your route, and organize your travel plan. Start your next adventure with confidence and leave the hassle behind.

Where are you starting?

Bring your plan together

Organized trip planning.

Update your itinerary without rebuilding your calendar and trip map - everything works together.

Plan with friends & family

Share with others or collaboratively build a trip in real-time with live updates.

Everything in one place

Gather the pieces of your plan: itinerary, budget, & important documents.

Plan That Trip is here to take the hassle out of your trip planning process.

We eliminate the clutter of traditional planning methods by combining various planning aspects into one intuitive interface.

You're in good company

Check out these examples, utah outdoors.

Explore the diverse and stunning natural wonders that Utah has to offer.

Ireland Sightseeing

Traverse Ireland, see must-visit destinations, and experience classic Irish charm.

Italian Adventure

Embark on a journey through Italy's rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking art.

Your ticket to efficient planning

Skip the data entry.

Automatically add flights to your trip itinerary from confirmation emails or other documents.

Plan on your terms

Access anywhere, anytime. Export a PDF for convenient offline access, or use our mobile-ready web app.

Kick-start your research

City-level information about locations. Find out average temperatures during your visit, currency, time zone difference, and more.

Collect your ideas

Keep track of all the possibilities of your trip before committing to an itinerary. Move your ideas into your plan when you are ready. No more losing track of your options!

Budgeting made simple

Easily manage your travel expenses. Track spending, split costs among travelers, and view a comprehensive breakdown of expenses to keep within your budget.

Your travel documents, organized

Access all your trip-related documents. From tickets to hotel bookings, keep everything in one secure, accessible place. Forward confirmation emails to a synced address, and we'll include them with your trip-planning documents.

How it works

Gather your ideas.

Organize your ideas and decide what you want to do.

Chart your course

Plot your destinations and build your itinerary.

Fill in the details

Add your stays, activities, travel documents, and notes.

See your plan come together!

Can i plan trips for free.

Yes! Our free plan offers you everything you need to plan a trip. Trips with itinerary, calendar, and map views are saved for a year. You can also track expenses and attach notes. However, there are no sharing or collaboration tools with the free plan.

Can I share my trip plan?

Absolutely! Plan That Trip allows you to invite friends, family, or colleagues to collaborate on your travel plans. They can view, edit, and add to the itinerary in real-time, ensuring everyone involved has the latest information. Collaboration and sharing require a Premium plan.

How do I add flights?

Plan That Trip lets you add flights in lots of ways. You can specify the destination and arrival location, or flight number and date. With the Premium plan, you can automatically load flights from any document.

Can I track my spending and budget?

You can assign a cost to any part of your itinerary, and we'll tracks all expenses across the entire trip. Cost splitting lets you determine who owes what for various activities and is a good way of keeping tabs on individual expenses.

Is my data secure with Plan That Trip?

We take your data security very seriously. All your information, including personal details and travel documents, is stored securely and is only accessible to you and those you choose to share your itinerary with. We also give you the ability to download your data or delete your account, so you are always in charge.

Want to learn more?

Plan that trip.

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Attribution
• [email protected]

Free animated travel map

Enhance your trip route with photos and notes.

Experience your journey like never before by adding stunning photos and personalized notes to your trip route. With our innovative feature, you have the power to create a truly immersive travel experience. But that's not all – we also offer the flexibility to customize the animation style of your photos and notes, giving your trip a unique touch of creativity. Start documenting your adventures in a visually captivating way today!

Route Animation

With roadtripplaner, a versatile travel map generator, you have the ability to personalize your route animation. Customize the color of your route to match your preferences or branding. Choose from a variety of vehicle icons to represent your mode of transportation, making your map even more engaging. Create a visually stunning and unique travel experience with our route animation feature.

Export Animated Route to Video

Once you've completed creating your travel map, roadtripplaner allows you to export it as a video. Easily share your captivating animated route with friends and loved ones. Whether it's reliving your memorable journey or showcasing your travel adventures on social media, exporting your travel map to video format ensures you can share your experiences in a dynamic and visually appealing way.

Embed Animated Travel Map to Your Site

Easily enhance your website with an animated travel map by embedding it within seconds. With roadtripplaner, you can generate a personalized travel map and then seamlessly integrate it into your website using an iframe. In just 30 seconds, you can enrich your site with an interactive visual representation of your travel adventures, captivating your visitors and adding a unique touch to your online presence.

Share Your trip memories

TraveledMap gives you all the tools you need to share interactive maps, on your website or social networks.

Create, draw and illustrate your trips and itineraries, whether personal or professional, with photos, from a very simple interface to handle.

TraveledMap offers a range of 3 tools

Your online map to share with others thanks to a link

Free (excluding options at $2/month.)

Embedded Map

The turnkey map, integrated directly on your website/blog using 1 line of code.

Monthly subscription starting at $2.99

Trip Itineraries

A show-off of your itineraries on your website.

Available online or in white-label product "à la carte"

What is TraveledMap ?

You are a travel amateur.

and you are looking for a new way to share your adventures ?

With TraveledMap you can simply, for free, and in a flash, create your own map and share it to the world !! Create your interactive map from now, add photos or videos on each step of your road trips or city trips and share it on social networks via a link like this one !

You are a blogger

relentless and passionate about traveling ?

Speed things up by easily integrating into your site interactive maps or even driving directions customized by yourself. Whether it's about integrating a travel map or itineraries into your articles, a multitude of customization options are available, and the integration into your site is done by a simple line of code , or via the use of a WordPress plugin !

You are a tourism professional

and you are trying to create the "wow" effect when you propose a destination or an itinerary ?

We offer to make the product sheet of your tours evolve by considering your graphic constraints and the particularities of your escape promise (agencies/tourist offices/tour operators/communities, etc.). Increase the interactivity of your site through the help of maps and help the visitor to project himself into the trips you propose !

3 tools developed to simplify your life

Online map : your online map to share with others thanks to a link.

TraveledMap Online Map is a free, very easy to use tool to share your trip memories! By using it, you create your own interactive map of a new kind and add your trips . Whether it's a road trip or a single destination, add your favorite photos which will be accessible with a simple click, all in the style that suits you.

For Road Trips and City Tours , you have the option of detailing the trip by adding the different steps , their own pictures as well as the routes taken, for a very visual result, bringing a geographical dimension to your photos.

The little extras : Display the countries you have visited, and also upload videos if you prefer this format to present your trips !

Embedded Map : The turnkey map, integrated directly on your website/blog using 1 line of code

With Embedded Map , choose to embed maps directly on your website. How ? The TraveledMap team has managed to make this integration possible with a single line of code ! Good to know : it can also be done by using a WordPress plugin.

Create a map of your travels (or any other accomplishments) and, with embedded, clickable location markers, redirect your visitors to the link of your choice (a blog post for example).

Particularly, Embedded Map allows your visitors to find your articles by destination faster by offering a geographic search.

The advantages ? Each marker owns a name and is customizable to your pleasing (color, size, icon). Add photos or videos that are also accessible with a single click! Other customization options are also available, such as the choice of map background, the center and initial zoom of the map, the level of markers clustering, the tilt of the map, etc.

Trip itineraries : A show-off of your itineraries on your website

Trip Itineraries allows you to highlight your travel itineraries, whether you are Tourism professional or blogger .

Once your trip is created on TraveledMap (by yourself, or by our team, if needed), you can embed it on the page of your site (or platform/software) dedicated to it or on a blog post. Thus, you have an interactive map containing the tour's stage markers as well as the routes taken.

This map is one of a kind since its designed to follow the scrolling of the page (the scroll) and target the showed step at that level. Moreover, the itinerary presentation maps have been designed to make the photos of the trip accessible in order to catch the visitor's eye and allow him to project himself. What better way to already see yourself there !

The advantages ? The white label ! For tourism professionals, this tool is available in white label, integrated to your website or on a dedicated website , which allows you to adapt your technical issues to your needs for additional features and make it a unique product on the market.

To summarize, the TraveledMap tools are...

Customizable, easy to use, do you need more information .

Visit the pages dedicated to your specific needs, or contact us at   [email protected]

How to Plan a Road Trip with Google Maps: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I (The Winding Road Tripper) earn from qualifying purchases.  Read more . 

This post was originally published on August 8, 2021, and updated on February 16, 2023.

Ready to start planning your road trip using the power of Google Maps?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

Google has two amazing tools to help you plan your road trip: Google Maps and Google My Maps.

Google Maps is a great tool for plotting out your route, while Google My Maps is an amazing tool for road trip planning and organization.

In this post, I’ll teach you how and when to use each of these powerful free tools.

Let’s start by looking at Google Maps since it’s the simpler of the two.

But if you are looking for how to use Google My Maps, then click here .

How to Use Google Maps to Plot Your Road Trip Route

Google Maps is a great tool if you want to plot out your road trip route.

We use it as a starting point for all of our road trip planning to get a sense of how long our trip will be or what we can accomplish in the time we have.

Step 1: Open Google Maps

Start by opening up Google Maps on your desktop or phone.

When trip planning, we like to use our desktop computers to make use of the bigger screen.

Step 2: Plot Your Road Trip Route

To start plotting your road trip route, click on directions.

Then enter your starting point and your first destination.

Continue to add stops to your road trip by clicking on the (+) to add destinations.

Stop when you have all your road trip stops added to your map. Google Maps allows you to add up to 10 points to your map. If you want to add more, then Google My Maps is the tool for you.

Step 3: Reorder Road Trips Stops

If you want to play around with your route and reorder your stops, Google Maps makes it easy to do so.

On the left, where your stops are listed, you can drag and drop the stops to reorder them.

Step 4: Move the Driving Route

Google Maps will choose the fastest route between your road trip stops. But sometimes, there may be a scenic route you want to take.

You can easily move your driving route as desired by dragging and dropping your route.

Step 5: Send the Driving Route to Your Phone

Once you plan your road trip, you can send the directions to your phone for easy access during your trip. Directions can be sent via text message or email.

Note: You will have to have a Google Account to send directions to your phone.

Google Maps is a great starting point for planning a road trip.

But if you want to harness the power of Google and use it to plan your road trip and as a resource throughout your trip, Google My Maps is the choice for you.

Google My Maps: The Best Road Trip Planning Tool

Planning a road trip can be a daunting task. It’s hard to know where to start, and all the research can feel overwhelming. But that is where the ultimate road trip planning tool, Google My Maps, comes to the rescue.

Google My Maps is a very similar tool to traditional Google Maps, but it’s much more powerful and customizable.

In this section, we’ll start with detailed information on the features of Google My Maps. And then, we’ll get into exactly how we use Google My Maps to plan each one of our road trips.

Using this tool will help you seamlessly organize and plan your road trip.

Once we tried it, we never looked back.

Let’s start by giving you a little introduction to Google My Maps.

What is Google My Maps?

Google My Maps utilizes all of the data in Google Maps to allow you to create your very own custom map for your road trip. It’s a way for you to create a map containing the places important to you .

Once you create your map, you can access all of the personalized information you’ve added, so you never miss a beat while on the road.

Why is Google My Maps the Ultimate Road Trip Planning Tool?

Google My Maps is our favorite tool for planning a road trip. Here is why:

• It Helps You Visualize Your Trip Plotting all of your points of interest on a map helps see how your road trip may take shape. At the start of road trip planning, we typically have no idea what route we may take until we see all of the things we want to do on a map. And this is where Google My Maps can help.
• It Helps Organize Your Research When planning a road trip, you are likely gathering information from many sources, including websites, tourist bureaus, and recommendations from friends and family. Google My Maps can help you organize all of your research so you can more easily plan your road trip itinerary.
• It Consolidates Your Entire Itinerary Using Google My Maps allows you to have all of your road trip information in one place. There will be no need for a separate spreadsheet with your day-to-day itinerary or to bring your travel books with you.

What Are the Limitations of Google My Maps?

• Google My Maps Can Not Be Used Offline You will need access to wifi or cellular data to use your map on your road trip. But don’t let that stop you from using it to plan your road trip. There are ways to download your map to other apps for offline use, which I’ll take you through in the tutorial.
• You Can Only Add 2,000 Locations to Your Map Likely, you will not need over 2,000 locations when planning your road trip. And if you do, you can make separate maps, possibly divided by days or weeks, to get around this limitation.
• You Can Only Add 10 Layers to Your Map Layers are ways to categorize your location points. When using Google My Maps, you can only have ten layers per map.
• Planned Routes Can Not Be Accessed for Driving Directions on Google Maps When planning your trip, you may add a direction layer on your map to display the route you plan to take. Unfortunately, you can not use those directions to give you turn-by-turn navigation on your road trip. You’ll have to use Google Maps or click on a destination point on your custom Google My Map to bring up directions. I go through this in detail here .

How to Use Google My Maps to Plan a Road Trip

Now that you know why Google My Maps is the best road trip planning tool, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of Google My Maps.

We’ll start with an in-depth overview and then show you exactly how we use Google My Maps to plan our road trips. Use the screenshots I’ve provided to help guide you through all of the steps.

Overview of Google My Maps

If you want to know how we use Google My Maps to plan our road trips, then feel free to skip down to the step-by-step guide for planning a road trip here .

But if you want to learn the ins and out of Google My Maps, this is where to start.

You can start from the beginning or jump to the section you want to learn more about by clicking on the links below.

Here is what we will cover to familiarize you with how Google My Maps works so you can start road trip planning like a boss.

Google My Maps Layout

• Markers/Locations

Google My Maps allows you to add locations and driving directions to your map while allowing you to organize them as you wish.

To get started, let’s get familiar with the layout of Google My Maps.

I suggest creating your first Google My Map and playing around with the functions of the map to help you get familiar with them.

Note: You must either create a Google Account or sign in to your Google account to start using Google My Maps .

Location Markers

Location markers are points that you add to a map. They can be things like restaurants, hotels, sights-to-see, bathroom stops, etc.

Find things to do along your route with our Favorite Tools to Find Things to Do Along Your Road Trip Route .

Each point you add to a map will include any information that Google already has for that point.

These include things like:

• GPS coordinates
• Website address
• Phone Number

Three Ways to Add Markers to Your Google My Map

You can add markers to your road trip map in three ways:

• Using the search function
• Selecting a Point already on Google Maps to add to your own map
• Add a point manually

Let’s look at how to do all three.

Search Function

You can find a marker by typing in the name, address, or GPS coordinates into the search bar.

Adding a Marker That is Already on Google Maps

Google Maps already has many markers in its database. When you zoom into an area, many points of interest will start to show up. If any of these markers look appealing to you, you can add them to your own map by clicking on them.

Adding a Marker Manually

You may need to add markers manually when you can not find them via the search function and don’t have the location’s GPS coordinates.

For example, sometimes, I struggle to find the exact location of a trailhead via the search bar. In these cases, I find the location of the trailhead via a different resource and plot it on the map myself.

Color Code and Change the Icons of Your Markers

To keep your map organized, you’ll want to customize and color-code your icons to help you group locations together.

Luckily, Google lets you fully customize your markers.

Map layers are a great way to organize your maps.

But before we dive into adding layers, let’s talk about map layers.

What are Map Layers?

A map layer is a set of markers that are layered on top of an existing map. You can see your different layers on the left-hand side of your map.

When you add a marker to a map, Google My Maps will add it to a layer. You can then use these layers to organize your map.

The added marker will appear on the selected layer. If you want to move a marker to a different layer, click and drag that marker to the desired layer.

For example, I made a map of Wisconsin Campgrounds to help me find campgrounds nearby during our road trips.

I have chosen to use separate layers for different types of campgrounds; National Forests, State Parks, and County Parks.

The benefit of using separate layers versus adding all of the campgrounds to a single layer is that I can check and uncheck specific layers depending on what information I want to see on my map.

If I don’t want to see the State Parks on my map, I can uncheck “Wisconsin State Parks,” and they will not be plotted on my map until I recheck the box.

How to Add Layers

Within Google My Maps, you can have up to 10 layers on a single map.

To add layers, click on “add layer” on the left-hand side of your map just below the map title and description.

Google My Maps then adds an “untitled layer” to your map.

To change the title, click on “Untitled layer,” and it will give you the option to rename the layer.

The current layer selected will have a solid vertical blue bar on the left side of the layer panel. Any new markers created will be added to the selected layer.

You can use Google My Maps to plot your driving route. Unfortunately, you can’t use these routes for navigation in Google Maps. This is one of the downfalls of Google My Maps.

But that is not to say that adding driving directions to your Google road trip map isn’t helpful. Adding driving directions helps you visualize your route so you can better understand where you are going while on your road trip. It also will help you figure out how long you can drive in one day .

Here’s how to add and use Directions on your Google Map:

Start by clicking on the direction icon located below the search bar.

You will then continue to add stops along your route to get a visual of your driving route.

Google Maps will default to the quickest route when creating your driving route. The quickest driving route will likely be the main highways and not always the most scenic. Therefore, there may be times you want to deviate from the quickest route and take a more scenic route.

Fortunately, you can adjust your route by dragging it to where you want it to go.

Start by clicking on the route, and a small circle will appear.

Then drag this route to where you want the route to go.

How to Plan a Road Trip with Google My Maps – A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Now that we know the ins and outs of Google My Maps let’s learn how to use it to create your very own customized road trip map.

• Create a New Google Map
• Add Layers for Different Types of Locations
• Add Locations to Your Map
• Plan Your Road Trip Route

Step 1: Create a New Google Map

You will need to sign in to your Google Account or create a new account to create your own Google My Map.

Once you’re logged into Google, follow this link to bring you to Google Maps .

Click on the hamburger ( 𝄘 ) in the top left-hand corner of Google Maps.

Click on “Your Places”.

This brings up any saved information you’ve stored in Google maps, like your favorites

Now it’s time to bring up your very first map.

Click on Maps on the top left →, then click “create map” on the bottom left.

You now have your blank map! 

Give your map a title, and get ready to create your first custom road trip map.

Step 2: Create Layers for Different Types of Markers

I like to start trip planning by creating different layers for the types of markers I plan to add to my map.

The layers I typically use are: – Places to Sleep – Places to Eat – Places to Drink – Things to Do

You can always add layers while you plan. But I find it easier to stay organized if I start with some layers on my map before adding locations.

Step 3. Add Markers to Your Map

This is the best part of planning your road trip with Google My Maps.

Whether you are in your brainstorming stage of travel prep or you already know where you want to go, this step is where your trip starts to come together. 

To start, you’ll research your destinations to find markers to add to your map.

I like to use the following resources for trip research:

• Google: Search for things to do, places to eat, places to stay, etc., in the areas you plan to visit or pass through
• Visitor Centers: Find tourism information online or request info from your destinations’ tourism bureaus to be mailed to you
• Travel books: We like to get ours from the library
• Facebook groups: Join a Facebook Group for the area you are traveling to. They are filled with tons of suggestions on the best things to do in the area.

When you find a location you want to make note of, add it to your map.

Do this by entering it into the search bar.

The great thing about Google Maps is that it pulls up all of the information on a location that Google has. If available, you can find the exact address, reviews, and website address. 

If the location looks good, you can then add it as a marker to your map by clicking “add to map”.

Once added to your map, you can customize your marker by changing your icon’s color and/or shape by clicking on the paint bucket icon labeled “style”.

I like picking a specific color and icon for each marker category. For example, my “restaurants” may all be blue with a fork and spoon icon, while my “sights to see” will be yellow with a binocular icon.

One of my favorite features of Google My Maps is that I can add my own info to the marker. Typically, this info comes from the research I’ve done on the location. If I found a blog post recommending a specific restaurant, I’ll add that to the marker, so I have that info at my fingertips when we are on the road.

Add any info you want to your marker and click save.

Your marker will now be added to your map.

You can see your marker in two places: one on the map and the other in the layer it was added to in the layers menu on the left-hand side of the screen.

Continue to add locations until your map starts to take shape.

Here is an example of a map we made for a West Virginia Road Trip .

Step 4: Determine Your Route / Itinerary

Now that you have location markers on your map, you can determine your route and day-to-day itinerary.

Take a look at where all your location markers are situated and start planning your route.

Start by creating a directions layer on your map.

Once you have your directions layer, rename it, and begin plotting your route.

First, you will need to enter your starting point. This can be done by either entering an address manually or clicking on a marker on your map.

Continue to add stops until your route is complete.

Here is an example of what our Lake Michigan Circle Tour Road Trip looked like.

Google Maps will default to the quickest route from two points. If you want to go a different route than the one suggested, you can drag the route to force it to go a different way than it was originally displayed.

You now have your own customizable Google Map for your road trip.

We use these maps for both planning our trip and for reference during our trip.

Now let’s look at how to use your awesome map during your trip.

How to View Your Google My Map on Your Phone

Now that you have your map customized, you’ll likely want to be able to view it on your phone.

You will first need to download the Google Maps app from your phone’s app store.

Once you have the Google Map app, here is how you access your map:

• Click on “Saved” on the lower toolbar on your phone
• Click on “Maps” on the lower right
• Select your customized map

Now you can view your location markers and all the customized information you added to your map.

Click on your marker to bring up basic information. For the more detailed information you added, swipe up.

How to Use Your Google Map to Get Directions During Your Road Trip

Unfortunately, you can’t use the turn-by-turn directions you may have added to your map for actual driving instructions for your trip.

But not all is lost; you can still get directions to the next stop by using your customized map and Google Maps.

To do this, click on the location you want directions to and click on directions.

This will launch your Google Map app and allow you to get turn-by-turn directions to your next stop.

How to Export Your Map for Offline Access

Google My Maps works great when you have cell phone service on your trip. Unfortunately, you will not always have service, and you can’t download your Google My Map for offline use like you can in Google Maps.

Thankfully, there are ways to export your map for use offline.

To do this, we use Gaia GPS .

Let’s walk you through downloading your Google My Map for importing into Gaia GPS, an offline mapping app.

On your computer, click on the ( ⋮ ) in the top left corner by the map’s name. Then click on Export to KML/KMZ.

A pop-up will appear. Keep the default of “entire map” and click “download”.

Now you can import this map into Gaia GPS.

Start by creating a Gaia GPS account .

Once logged in, click “Import Data” and select the .KMZ file you downloaded from Google My Maps.

Your locations will now populate in your Gaia GPS map. Make sure to click “save” .

You can now access your map locations offline on your phone via Gaia GPS.

To do this, download the Gaia GPS App on your phone and log in.

Once logged in, you will see a notification that you have a saved location available.

Click on the Saved folder

You can now see all your locations on your Google My Map. Including the details, you added.

More Road Trip Tips: Road Trip Hacks for a Stress-free Trip Road Trip Activities for a Long Car Ride Road Trip Meal and Snack Ideas Money-Saving Tips for Your Next Road Trip How to Budget for a Road Trip

Blog – MapChart

The official blog for the #1 map-making website and mobile app

Make your own travel map of visited countries with MapChart

It is easy to make your own travel map showing places you have travelled or you plan to visit with MapChart. In this post, we will see some variations of such maps from users of the website.

First off, and one of the most popular options, a travel map that shows counties visited in the United States :

The map’s legend provides more detail to the map, dividing the colored counties into three categories (lived in, visited, and passed through counties). This is pretty common to have on a travel map, making it more comprehensive.

Another option on the USA Counties map is to take advantage of the shortcut to color all counties in a State. This way, it’s easy to also show unvisited States:

Similarly, on a larger scale, a USA and Canada map showing States visited in these two countries :

If you are based or have travelled in Europe, you can use the Europe Detailed map or the EU NUTS maps to showcase every province you have visited:

Finally, there are always the World map pages ( Simple and Detailed ). Here you can quickly create a map listing countries you visited or plan to visit worldwide:

These are just some examples that you can get inspiration from and make your own travel map. Keep track of your travels with MapChart, update it with new places you visit, and share it with your friends and family! ⁣⁣

• Plot a Route
• Upload a Route

Make Me a Route

Plot with waypoints.

• Combine Routes
• Split a Route
• Trace a Route
• Create a Collection
• Challenge Tracker
• Plot a Radius Map
• My Collections
• My Challenges
• My Linked Apps
• Find a Route
• Browse Routes
• Browse Collections
• Browse Challenges
• GPS Art Gallery
• Hotels and B&B's
• Weather Forecast

Popular Routes

• Walking Routes
• Running Routes
• Cycling Routes
• Horse Rides
• Motorbike Routes
• Browse Clubs
• Create a Club
• About Clubs
• Tutorial Videos
• How-To Guides
• Registration Help
• Maps for Events
• Latest News
• Feature Requests
• My Settings
• My Notifications
• My User Profile
• My Home Page

Route Planner

ROUTE TIMER

Split a route, plot a route using waypoints.

The maximum number of waypoints has been reached. For more complex routes please use the standard route plotting features.

COMBINE NEARBY ROUTES

Select the AUTO -PLOT setting to use for joining the two routes together before clicking the button above.

Sorry, this route starts too far away to join it to the end of the current route. Please select a route less than 10km away.

MAKE ME A ROUTE

Drag marker A to the start then click MAKE ROUTES

SNAP ROUTE TO MAP

Search results.

No routes were found in this area matching your criteria. Try zooming out or changing your search criteria.

You can also use our Make Me a Route feature to automatically generate routes from a chosen start point.

ROUTE OPTIONS

Use the Reshape Route tool from the toolbar to make make any adjustments to the route after you've accepted it.

PLOT A RADIUS MAP

Inspect terrain, directions / notes, advertisement.

You don't have any places bookmarked yet!

• TERRAIN MAP
• SATELLITE MAP
• TRANSPORT MAP
• WORLD TOPO MAP
• USGS TOPO MAP (US)
• ACCUTERRA (US)
• ORDNANCE SURVEY (GB)
• ROAD BIKEABLE BETA  
• All OFF All ON
• Further options available under My Settings

PREMIUM Membership

PREMIUM Feature

• faster route plotting
• higher usage limits
• additional features
• an ad-free experience
• PREMIUM member status

Sign In to My Account

Saved route information refresh edit, creator's notes for this route back to route info, save the route, about this route, directions/notes, print the route, download the route to a file for use with other devices or applications, share this route.

Please save the route first before sharing it.

Private Routes Can't Be Shared

This route is currently marked as Private. To share it you need to first make it Public.

Please Now Activate Your Registration

Thank you for registering. We've sent an activation email to: Please click on the link in this email to complete your registration. If the email hasn't arrived it would be worth checking your Spam folder.

Once your account has been activated you can sign in to save and share all your favourite routes.

DISPLAY NO SYMBOL Select a symbol to use

Select a turn arrow, deselect photo select a photo to use, checking to see if you're signed in....

Please wait while we check to see if you are signed in.

You are not currently signed in.

Please sign in first to do this.

Compressing route for saving...

Large routes like this are compressed before saving so that they load more quickly. Please note that this can sometimes result in tiny adjustments to the measured distance.

This Route Is Owned By Someone Else

Upload a route.

Routes can be uploaded to plotaroute.com from GPS data files in any of the following formats: GPX, TCX, FIT or KML.

Upload Photos

Reload unsaved route.

The last route you edited wasn't saved. Would you like to reload this or start with a clear map?

You will need to create an account to save and share any routes you plot

Delete this route?

You are about to permenently delete the following route. Please confirm you want to do this?

Where would you like to plot a route?

Choose one of the following options or just close this box to explore the map.

If you want to save any routes you plot please create an account first SIGN UP FOR FREE

TIP: Bookmark places you often plot routes from - click this symbol above the map

TIP: Click the Locate Me icon above the map at any time to show your current location

Search for routes on the map

• Choose where you want to search.
• Use the Find menu to refine your search criteria.

To search for a route by name close this message and use the search box next to the menus

Bookmarked Routes MANAGE BOOKMARKS DONE

Number of routes you've bookmarked: -

You can also access your Bookmarked Routes on your home page.

Please confirm...

Delete relocate duplicate edit info at  , road side plotting, delete relocate duplicate add symbols and labels to the map, delete edit a detour, usage limit reached.

You have reached your Private Routes limit. The route has not been saved.

Private Routes Limit: Private Routes saved:

We recommend that you save this route as a Public Route for now and review the Privacy status of your routes on the My Routes page.

UPGRADE NOW You can increase your limits by upgrading to PREMIUM Membership.

Points Limit Reached

You have exceeded your Route Points limit for this route. It has not been saved.

Points Limit: Points Plotted: REDUCE POINTS

We recommend that you use our Reduce Points feature to compress large routes with minimal loss of accuracy.

Photos Limit Reached

You have reached your Photos limit for this route.

Photos Limit: Photos Added:

Before uploading any new photos, you will need to delete existing photos to stay within your Photos limit.

Make Me a Route Limit Reached

You have reached your Make Me a Route request limit for today.

Credits Per Day: Credits Used:

Credits are replenished 24 hours after they are used.

UPGRADE NOW You can increase your Make Me a Route credits and other usage limits by upgrading to PREMIUM Membership.

Filter Search Results

The Make Me a Route feature will generate a selection of routes for you given a start point and a target distance. To begin click on the map to select the start point.

NOTE: This feature is subject to usage limits so you need to be signed in to use it.

The Plot With Waypoints feature enables you to plot a route by placing a small number of waypoints on the map, which you can drag to different positions to experiment with different route options.

To plot a more complex route with many waypoints, close this message, turn on the Auto-Plot switch and plot points on the map.

 Combine Routes

The Combine Routes feature enables you to join together two or more routes.

The start of the route being appended must be near the end of the route it is being attached to. If there is a gap, a interconnecting path will be automatically plotted between the two routes, taking into account the Auto-Plot mode you have selected.

Start typing the name of a route and select from the options listed.

 Clear the Map

This will clear the current route from the map so that you can plot a new one. If the route has been saved it won't be deleted (you can do this on the My Routes page).

Please choose whether you would like to clear the current route completely from the map (CLEAR MAP) or leave it on the background map for future reference (LEAVE TRACE) . You can temporarily hide Traces using the switches under DISPLAY OPTIONS. To permenently remove all Traces from the background map select CLEAR MAP.

CLEAR MAP LEAVE TRACE

Choose a Type of Map

Your route has been saved.

The route has been saved but has been flagged for moderation due to possible spam content. You can continue to edit the route but it will not be listed on pubicly accessible parts of the website until it has been reviewed and approved - you can check the approval status of the route on your My Routes page.

The Route is currently Private . If you want to share it with friends, just save the route again and change its Shared status to Public .

SHARE THIS ROUTE CONTINUE EDITING MANAGE MY ROUTES

 * My Abbreviated Directions

Add a new abbreviation, by bike auto-plot options.

• Avoid Unpaved - tries to avoid roads and paths with unmade surfaces that may not be suitable for road bikes
• Avoid Major Roads - avoids the major classes of road where possible.
• Prefer Off-Road - gives preference to off-road routes

These options are by nature more restrictive than the standard By Bike option, so you may need to turn them off if you find that you can't auto-plot a route to your next point.

Routing with both of these options is carried out using map data from OpenStreetMap (OSM). Their effectiveness will depend on the availability of surface and cycling access data in your local area. If you would like to help improve the map data in your area, please take a look at our How-To Guide .

It may sometimes be necessary to dismount from your bike. Please observe local laws regarding right of way.

On Foot Auto-Plot Options

Premium members have the option to refine this by selecting Prefer Off-Road . This will give priority to waymarked trails and other footpaths, while trying to avoid roads, particularly busier ones. Obviously this will depend on the availablity of suitable trails and paths in the area. It works best if there is a bigger distance between the points you plot, as there are then more alternative routes to consider.

Please be careful to observe all signs for rights of way when following routes you are not familiar with, as we cannot guarantee that they are safe for your chosen activity or that they do not cross private land.

Save the Split Routes

• The new split routes will be saved with the same attributes (terrain, privacy, etc.) as the original route, subject to any usage limits. You can alter the attributes of each route later from your My Routes page.
• The split routes will not include any detours from the original route.
• The split routes will not include any photos from the original route.
• The split routes will not include any symbols or labels added directly to the map rather than the route's directions.

Auto-Plot Feature

If you find that you are unable to auto-plot on a road or path you see on the map, it usually means that the route engine couldn't find a viable route between the last point you plotted (the origin) and the one you are trying to plot (the destination). Route calculations are made using OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps, so this problem means that one or more of the origin, the destination or an unavoidable road in between are not tagged on OSM as suitable for the Auto-Plot mode you chose (BY ROAD, ON FOOT or BY BIKE). To overcome this you can temporarily change the Auto-Plot switch to another setting (ON FOOT usually has the widest access) or turn it off to plot manually. Deselecting any of the Auto-Plot sub-options (e.g. Unvoid Unpaved, Prefer Off-Road) can also sometimes help, as these options are by nature more restrictive.

You can also contribute to improving the OSM maps by adding missing access tags, as OSM is a community project where anyone can make edits. See our guide on correcting map errors for more details on this. Changes you make on OSM will flow through to plotaroute.com as we implement regular updates.

It is also worth noting that the exact positions of roads and paths can vary between map providers, for example some intentionally move map features very slightly to make their maps clearer to read. So, if you are plotting a route on a non-OSM map, you may occasionally find that the route is not perfectly aligned with the map. However, any discrepancies will not be visible if you then share your route, as routes are shared using OSM maps.

Assign Tags to this Route

Local heatmap.

Select an activity type to continue.

• For guidance only - Based on routes shared on Plotaroute. We cannot guarantee the suitability of routes created by other users.
• Subject to usage limits - Standard: 1 per day, Premium 30 per day.
• Zoom out first for a wider search and in for a more detailed search.
• Use the +/- controls on search results area to show/hide the routes.

Sign In Successful

You are now signed in!

The Ultimate Trip Planner

Plan & book your dream trip, routeperfect. with you every step of the way.

Free travel perks only for RoutePerfect members who booked flights, hotels and services through the RoutePerfect site.

How it works

Popular itineraries

Testimonials

• CREATE POSTER

No products in the cart.

Create your own travel map 🗺

The perfect memory for your holiday, road trip or honeymoon., map your travels.

Use our travel map maker to create your own poster.  Simply add your locations and some details and you’re good to go!

Pick your style

Choose from one of our three styles and transform your travels into a piece of art.  Prices starting from €4.95. Want to know more? Check our FAQ

Travel Map Inspiration

Get inspired by the maps of our happy customers..

Our customers have created travel maps for their epic road trips, romantic honeymoons or for their exciting adventures. It’s the perfect gift. Where have you been?!

This is just a handful of the maps that our customers have created. They have created travel maps of Australia, USA Roadtrips, backpacking through South-East Asia and many more.

What our customers say

Such a nice idea! I love my personalised map. Very easy to put together and good quality print. Thanks!

We love road trips with our small caravan. Everytime we do a trip now, we print a poster and frame it. Really makes the memories come alive!

Our latest news, stories from customer and more.

Import your travel route (.gpx) automatically

Starting today, you can automatically import your travel routes by importing a .gpx file. In [...]

Metador Network Compared to MyHolidayMap.com

Last week we stumbled upon Metador Network a website with similar functionalities as another tool, [...]

The aesthetic alternative to travelmap.net

The aesthetic alternative to travelmap.net Some of our friends have used travelmap.net to document their [...]

The print-friendly alternative to mytravelmap.xyz

The print friendly alternative to mytravelmap.xyz We love our physical scratch map card and mytravelmap.xyz [...]

A better way to create your own travel map

Over the last few months, we’ve received great feedback on our travel map creator. Travellers [...]

🗺Roadtrip USA: A map of our West Coast adventure

🗺 Roadtrip USA: A map of our West Coast adventure Last week we’ve shown your [...]

Europe Travel Map: an awesome road trip

Europe Travel Map: an awesome road trip Europe is amazing for a long road adventure! [...]

How to create your travel map: a few options

How to create your travel map: a few options. You can create your own travel [...]

CREATE YOUR OWN TRAVEL MAP

Add your itenary .

You can start creating your map by adding destinations. Start typing in the input box and your destination will come up automatically. Once it appears, click on it to add it to your canvas. Don’t forget to select your travel mode!

Optimise your map

Once you’ve added all your destinations, you might want to optimise your design a bit. You can increase (+) or decrease (-) the fontsize, change the positioning of the labels (Right, Bottom, Left, Top) or remove a location

Pick your map style

Pick the style that you want to use for your travel map. We currently have 3 styles available: red, green and blue. Are you missing a certain style of do you have an idea for a new style? Don’t hesitate to send us a message!

• Search for:

Username or email address  *

Password  *

Remember me Log in

Lost your password?

Where Your Travel Memories Come to Life

The Better Way to Share Your Travel Memories

Wow your friends with an animated travel map .

Check out  one of our animated travel maps created with PictraMap®!

Why is this the tool that you've been waiting for ...

No credit card required, create your first animated travel map within minutes.

It's different

WOW your friends and get them talking  about you and your travels.

It's all you want

Free online tool to create animated maps from travel photos. Ain't that right?

No wait time

The tool is entirely web-based - you register and get instant access to the system. Create your first animated travel map within minutes!

Beautiful maps

It is not yet another tool with Google maps, offering the same old same old map layout. Find the map that matches your taste and type of trip.

Customization

No other online tool offers so many customization options - you choose the map, pins, intro, ending, music theme, not to mention the color options.

Easy to use

You don't need any tutorial because of the super-easy interface - register and within minutes, you can have your first animated travel map.

Easy to share

Because it's all online, you can always share your animated travel maps with the world - on Facebook, via email, even embed it on your blog.

It just is ...

Passionate travelers badly needed such a tool (we know, they told us so). Be among the first to create an animated travel map with PictraMap®!

Are you ready to be a pioneer? Dare to be different?

What passionate travelers say about pictramap®.

I was pleasantly surprised of what I saw when a friend shared the link to PictraMap. The unique way I can create and share my albums there lets my friends and family enjoy the fun moments of my trips. I like the flexibility and variety of the maps, the transitions between locations, and the music scores I can choose from – all in a very quick and intuitive way. Thank you, guys!

What a great way to give life to my countless otherwise boring photos! The maps, the music, the colors make every album special and help add an emotion to it. It's easy to use and the result is a fun adventure I could share with all my friends and family! I know they will love it too!!

Busy? No problem - we'll remind you!

If you're too busy to create your first animated travel map right now, or you think your friends can wait being WOW-ed by your last amazing trip, join our community. We'll remind you later that your travel photos can still get the attention they deserve 😉

Browse Site

• Start Here!
• Plans & Pricing
• Log in to PictraMap
• Create an account

From The Blog

• Convert PictraMap Animations to Videos: Built-in Feature Released
• Search by GPS Coordinates, Full HD Pics and New Maps Released
• New Customization Options Now Available in the ‘Extras’ Tab

Get in Touch

Want updates via email.

Key Products

• Route Optimization API

Optimize routing, task allocation and dispatch

• Directions and Distance Matrix API

Calculate accurate ETAs, distances and directions

• Navigation API & SDKs

Provide turn-by-turn navigation instructions

• Live Tracking API & SDKs

Track and manage assets in real time

• All Products

Product Demos

See NextBillion.ai APIs & SDKs In action

• Integrations

Easily integrate our products with your tools

Platform Overview

Learn about how Nextbillion.ai's platform is designed

Routing Customizations

Learn about NextBillion.ai's routing & map customizations capabilities

Supply Chain & Logistics

Get regulation-compliant truck routes

• Fleet Management

Solve fleet tracking, routing and navigation

• Last-Mile Delivery

Maximize fleet utilization with optimal routes

• On-Demand Delivery

Real-time ETA calculation

• Middle Mile Delivery

Real-time ETA Calculation

• Ride Hailing

Optimized routes for cab services

• Non-Emergency Medical Transport

Optimize routing and dispatch

Field Workforce

• Field Services

Automate field service scheduling

• Waste Collection

Efficient route planning with road restrictions

BY BUSINESS TYPE

Logistics technology providers

Fleet owners

BY LOGISTICS TYPE

Long haul trucking

Middle-mile logistics

Last-mile delivery

Urban mobility

Field services

Non-emergency transportation

See NextBillion.ai APIs & SDKs in Action

• Case Studies

Discover what customers are building in real time with NextBillion.ai

Get in-depth and detailed insights

• Product Updates

Latest product releases and enhancements

Navigate the spatial world with engaging and informative content

NextBillion.ai vs. Google Cloud Fleet Routing

Experience a more powerful optimization and scheduling platform, better optimized routes, advanced integration capabilities and flexible pricing with NextBillion.ai.

• API Documentation

Comprehensive API guides and references

Interactive API examples

Integrate tools you use to run your business

• Technical Blogs

Deep-dive into the technical details

Get quick answers to common queries

FEATURED TECHNICAL BLOG

How to Implement Route Optimization API using Python

Learn how to implement route optimization for vehicle fleet management using python in this comprehensive tutorial.

ROUTE OPTIMIZATION API

API Reference

DISTANCE MATRIX API

Navigation api & sdk.

Android SDK

Flutter SDK

Documentation

Integration

NEXTBILLION.AI

Partner with us

Our story, vision and mission

Meet our tribe

Latest scoop on product updates, partnerships and more

Come join us - see open positions

Reach out to us for any product- or media-related queries

For support queries, write to us at

To partner with us, contact us at

For all media-related queries, reach out to us at

For all career-related queries, reach out to us at

• Request a Demo

Table of Contents

Google Maps Trip Planner: How to use it in 2024?

Rishabh singh.

• June 20, 2024

Arranging a dream vacation is exciting, but it can also be very stressful. You can follow travel guides, borrow other people’s itineraries, or—my personal favorite—use Google Maps Trip Planner to create the vacation of your dreams to give yourself peace of mind. 

The Google app and web interface can be utilized to:

• Add destinations.
• Pin locations with color coding
• Obtain directions to several locations.
• Organize the ideal vacation.

By reading this article, you’ll learn how to use the Google Maps Trip Planner in a way that will change the way you plan your trips. From basic setup to advanced tips and tricks, I’ll make sure you know how to find the best routes, avoid potential problems, and make the most of your time. 

How to Plan a Road Trip on Google Maps?

Planning a road trip can be fun, and Google Maps has many useful tools to help you do it quickly. By taking things one step at a time, you can ensure that your road trip is well-planned and fun. 

Now for the exciting part: making travel plans. This is how I go about it:

Step 1: Generate a new custom map

You’ll have a ton of options when maps open up. Give your map a name first. When you select “ Untitled Map ,” a dialog box containing the map’s name and description will appear.

I’m organizing a three-day trip to Gangotri in India for this example. We’ll refer to this map as “ Road Trip to Gangotri .”

You can add your locations to your map once you’ve given it a name.

Step 2: Include and personalize your places

The exciting part is about to begin: adding every location you want to see while traveling. I’m going to assume that you already have a list of locations, but if you don’t, use this opportunity to learn about the city and compile a list of attractions.

Making a list will greatly facilitate and expedite the planning process.

Google Maps uses “pins” to represent your locations. Use the search bar to find the location of interest before you begin adding pins.

Let’s begin with one of Mussories’s most well-known landmarks: Lachhiwala Nature Park.

When you search for a location, maps will enlarge it and give you the option to “ Add to Map .” You can add the point of interest to your map layer by clicking or tapping this button.

You can alter each point of interest’s color and icon to help you keep your pins more arranged.

A paint can icon will appear when you hover over the address. To access your customization choices, click it. You can select from a variety of icons on Google Maps, such as those for monuments, museums, gardens, and more.

Thanks to these icons, understanding each destination is a bit simpler. Additionally, that may facilitate the following step.

Step 3: Divide your journey into several layers or categories

After setting that up, I can begin arranging my daily points of interest.

You are free to include any categories (or layers) in your trip plan as long as they are relevant.

If you’re organizing a road trip itinerary, for instance, you might decide to divide your journey into cities and include attractions in each one. Perhaps you would like to create categories for foods or particular interests. You can tailor Google Maps to your own travel preferences and style, which is a great feature.

How many levels is a map capable of having?

Although layers can help keep your map organized, don’t use them excessively. The maximum number of layers you can add is ten.

It might be necessary to carefully organize your layers or categories if you’re organizing a large, intricate trip.

For every layer, how many location pins can you add?

You can customize each map you make in My Maps with up to 2,000 different pins.

Step 4: Make travel arrangements

Now that you have established all of your categories, you can begin creating your schedule. Organizing points of interest into distinct layers or categories is simple. To move the pin, simply click and drag it to the desired location. In our example, I made three layers, one for each day, so I dragged each point of interest into the appropriate layer to plan my itinerary.

What happens, though, if you don’t divide your trip into days? What happens if you group your points of interest by city or category (restaurants, museums, etc.)?  Not a problem! You are free to arrange your layers however you see fit. The key is that Google My Maps facilitates easy trip visualization. You can quickly determine which points of interest are adjacent to one another. This makes making your itinerary in a digital planner or on paper simple.

Step 5: Make reservations

Now that you have arranged your travel, you can begin:

• Make hotel reservations
• Making reservations for car rentals
• Making reservations for any tickets that may be required.

Plan your reservation as far in advance as you can. There’s a chance that rooms and tickets will sell out if you wait too long.

Step 6: Cite off your map

You can give your itinerary and map to friends and family if you’re traveling with them.

Here’s how to do it:

• Return to the Google My Maps dashboard’s main screen.

You can use Twitter, Facebook, or email to share your map. If you have a website, you can also integrate your map into it.

Step 7: Use your phone to access your map

You’ve made your map and distributed it among your pals. However, you must have the Google Maps app installed on your phone in order to use it.

To view your maps on a mobile device, follow these steps:

• Launch the Google Maps application.
• Select Saved.

• Click Maps at the bottom.
• Select the map of your trip from the list.

Stay ahead in mapping and location technology!

What are the drawbacks of using google maps as an itinerary planner.

When used as a full itinerary planner, Google Maps isn’t as useful as it could be for finding your way and planning your routes. Here are three major problems that could make planning your trip harder, especially if you want more detailed and personalized help.

1. Lack of Detailed Itinerary Management

Google Maps does a great job of giving directions and showing routes, but it doesn’t do a great job of managing schedules. When travelers need to make a detailed itinerary with activities, accommodations, and scheduled events, Google Maps isn’t the best tool for organizing and managing all of these parts.

• Limited Activity Planning : Google Maps lets you add more than one stop, but it doesn’t let you schedule activities or events in detail at each one. You can’t give each stop a time limit or make a schedule for your trip.
• No Integration with Other Tools : Unlike specialized itinerary planners, Google Maps does not work with other travel planning services and tools, like booking systems for hotels, restaurants, or tours. This makes it harder to keep track of all the details of your trip.

2. Poor Collaboration and Sharing Options

Google Maps doesn’t have as many features for planning trips with a group as dedicated trip-planning apps. You can share routes and locations, but it doesn’t have the advanced tools for working together that many travelers need.

• Simple Sharing Options: You can email or post on social media to share routes and locations, but Google Maps doesn’t offer a central location for groups to work together. You can’t edit an itinerary together with other people or see what changes other users have made.
• Lack of Interactive Features: Unlike trip planning apps that provide interactive features such as voting on activities, commenting, and assigning tasks, Google Maps lacks these capabilities, making it less effective for collaborative planning.

3. Limited Flexibility and Customization

Google Maps API has powerful mapping and routing features, but it’s not very flexible or easy to customize:

• Predefined Functions: The API is made to provide certain functions, like geocoding, routing, and mapping. It can be hard to change these features to fit the needs of a specific business, and you often have to find ways to get around problems.
• Limited Access to Data: The API might not fully allow access to or customization of some data, like real-time traffic and historical traffic patterns. This could make it harder to create highly customized routing solutions. 

Travelers who want a more powerful and adaptable way to plan their trips. Travel planning apps might be a better choice for people who need more advanced features for making itineraries.

Is There A Better Option For Route Planning?

A lot of people use Google Maps to plan simple routes, but it might not always work for businesses and advanced users who want more powerful and flexible tools. Nextbillion.ai is a better alternative that can handle the needs of complex logistics and delivery operations with its advanced route optimization features.

Why Should You Use Nextbillion.ai to Plan Your Route?

NextBillion.ai offers a complete and adaptable Route Optimization API that is meant to boost productivity, reduce time and money wasted, and raise efficiency. 

NextBillion.ai’s API is better than Google Maps because it can handle both Single and Multi-Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP). This makes it perfect for companies that need to handle complicated logistics.

Customization and Flexibility: NextBillion.ai lets you change the routing algorithm to fit your needs, taking into account things like delivery priorities, time windows , and vehicle capacity. This customization ensures that you get the best routes for your business.

Real-Time Adaptability: The API uses real-time traffic data to change routes on the fly, which is very important for keeping things running smoothly when traffic conditions change. This feature cuts down on wait times and makes the best use of resources.

Scalability: NextBillion.ai’s API can be used to manage either a small fleet of vehicles or a large cluster of vehicles with a lot of moving parts. It can handle up to 4000 tasks in a single route optimization problem , which makes it good for large-scale operations.

How to Use NextBillion.ai to Plan Your Routes?

Here are the steps you need to take to start planning your route with NextBillion.ai:

Step 1: Sign up and get your API key

Step 2: Compile your input data to use

Find out about your jobs (like where to deliver), your vehicles (like fleet information), and your shipments (like pick-up and delivery tasks).

Put this information in the JSON format. This information will be sent to the API in the form of a POST request. 

Step 3: Set up the parameters for optimization

You can also improve your routes even more with advanced features like re-optimization , order grouping , or task sequencing .

Step 4: Get optimized routes and use them

You will be given a unique task ID once your optimization request is sent.

To get the optimized routes based on the task ID, use the Optimization GET method.

When you use these routes in your logistics, you’ll start getting better planning results.

Refer to the tutorials page for a more detailed understanding of Route Optimization API.

Getting Started with Route Optimization

While Google Maps is an excellent tool for personal trip planning and basic navigation, it might not be the best fit for complex route planning scenarios, especially for businesses. 

Its limitations in handling multiple stops, dynamic route adjustments, and custom constraints can pose significant challenges for logistics and delivery operations.

For businesses looking to optimize routes with advanced features and greater flexibility, NextBillion.ai offers a robust alternative. 

With capabilities to handle Single and Multi-Vehicle Routing Problems, real-time traffic data integration, and customizable constraints, NextBillion.ai’s Route Optimization API is designed to meet the complex needs of modern logistics.

To get started with route optimization contact us by clicking the button below and get your API key.

Route Optimization: What is it and How to do it?

Best 5 Route Planning Software to Try in 2024 [In-Depth Guide]

Best 7 Google Maps Alternatives & Competitors in 2024

Attention road trippers! These apps play vacation planner, make life on the road a dream

For many people, the classic American road trip is a rite of passage.

The 48 states on the continental U.S. are home to rolling hills, mountains, rivers, oceans and countless other attractions. And thanks to modern technology, planning the perfect road trip is easier than ever.

Just juice up your phone, make sure your car is ready to roll , grab your go-to road snacks, and let your smartphone do the hard work.  

Apps, like Roadtrippers or InRoute, can do most of the route planning for you.

Begin by inputting your starting and ending point, then let it suggest fun places to check out, whether you're taking the direct route via the highways or the winding roads less traveled.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Watch this video to learn more about some of the apps you need for your next road trip.   

Roadtrip essentials

A good road trip needs these three things: Good snacks, an excellent playlist, and plenty of gas. 

If you’re driving through an unfamiliar area, fill up your gas tank sooner rather than later to reduce the risk of getting stranded on empty.

Check out these apps to keep your car juiced up along the route: 

• Gas Buddy  

Gas Buddy helps you find gas stations near you and tells you how much the gas costs. 

Prices are put in by other users, so there is a chance prices may have changed by the time you arrive. If that happens, you can report the price change in the app. 

PlugShare helps you locate EV charging stations that are compatible with a variety of electric vehicles. 

And just in case you need it, because you almost certainly will, Toilet Finder can help you find a nearby facility to take a comfort break.

The app also tells you if the toilet can be used without charge and if it's wheelchair accessible. 

Taking a road trip with a pet

If your copilot has fur and paws, BringFido will help you find dog-friendly places to stay, eat, visit, and more. 

It even includes reviews from other users to help you make the best decision for you and your pet. 

On the road again

By the way, before you hit play and take the wide-open road, download your car insurance app on your phone.

Hopefully, you won’t need it, but it can make it much easier to file a claim or call for roadside assistance. 

Reviewed-approved car recommendations 

Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.  

Reviewed helps you find the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of experts test everything from waterproof speakers to air purifiers so you can shop for the best of the best. 

• Customer-loved portable car vacuum: ThisWorx Car Vacuum Cleaner  
• Durable phone car holders: Beam Electronics Phone Holder  
• A clutch jump-start box: N OCO Boost Plus GB40 1000 Amp UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter Box  
• This well-reviewed dash cam: RedTiger Dash Cam  
• A handy USB C charger: Anker USB C Car Charger  

More problems, solved

• Breeze through security: 6 tips to quickly get through airport security
• Expand workspace: Transform your iPad into a second monitor
• Pre-travel checklist:  4 things you need to do before your next trip
• Fly easier: 4 travel tips to make flying easier
• Get inspired:   3 tips to plan your next trip using social media
• Be prepared:   3 travel apps to download before your next trip
• Carry on:   5 tips to travel safely with your tech like phones and laptops
• Easily get around:  4 tech tips to easily explore a new city
• Stream offline: How to watch TV shows, movies offline
• Speak in any language: 5 ways to use Google Translate on your phone

5 Google Maps Tips You Need To Know When Planning Your Next Trip

W hether a brief weekend escape or an extensive expedition across continents, planning a trip can be a daunting task. The challenge of selecting the ideal destinations, navigating through unfamiliar territories, and ensuring that you experience all the essential sights without overlooking anything, can quickly become overwhelming for any traveler. This is where online maps come into play, and one prominent tool that almost everyone has used at some point is Google Maps.

Google Maps goes beyond basic directions . It offers a suite of features designed to make trip planning not just easier, but also more enjoyable. You can map out itineraries, discover new attractions, get insights into local restaurants and services, and even find electric vehicle charging stations . The platform's real-time updates, user reviews, and detailed information on points of interest can help you make informed decisions while exploring new destinations. Moreover, its customization features allow you to create personalized maps that cater specifically to your travel plans, which are also shareable. Here are five essential Google Maps tips that every traveler should know. These tips will not only help you streamline your trip-planning process but also ensure that your travels are as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

Utilizing Offline Maps

When you're heading out on a trip, one thing you definitely don't want to worry about is losing access to your maps when your signal drops. That's where offline maps come in handy. Google Maps allows you to download maps for offline use, ensuring you never get lost even when you're off the grid.

Downloading maps for offline use is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone or tablet. 
• Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
• Choose Offline maps.
• Tap Select your own map in the following window.
• Drag the map window to your desired area.
• Select Download.

Depending on the size of the area you're downloading and your internet connection speed, this process may take a few moments.

Once the download is complete, you'll be able to access the map even without an internet connection. Offline maps are not only convenient, but they can also save you time and frustration. Imagine hiking in a remote area and losing your cell signal — having the offline map ensures you can still navigate your way back to your starting point without any hassle. This is also one of the many secret Google Maps features that can come in handy.

Customizing Your Route With Multiple Stops

We all have days packed with errands or sightseeing, where we just wish we could plan the routes efficiently. Google Maps allows you to do that by customizing your route with multiple stops. It's a nifty feature that can save you time and make your trips more organized.

Follow these steps:

• Open Google Maps on your device and enter your final destination.
• Click on the three buttons next to your starting point and select Add stop. 
• You can add multiple stops by repeating this step. 
• Rearrange stops by dragging the three lines next to each destination.

Now, Google Maps will calculate the most efficient route for you, taking into account all your stops along the way. This is perfect for those days when you have several places to visit or errands to run, but you want to make sure you're not zigzagging all over town. It can also save you time and fuel. Plus, it's a great way to ensure you don't forget any important stops along the way. 

When customizing your route with multiple stops on Google Maps, keep in mind to arrange your stops in a logical order to minimize backtracking and optimize efficiency. Additionally, consider traffic conditions and estimated travel times between each stop to plan your schedule accordingly. Lastly, ensure that all stops are accurately inputted to avoid any confusion or missed destinations along the way.

Taking Advantage Of Live Traffic Updates

This feature provides real-time information about traffic conditions, allowing you to avoid packed routes and save valuable time.

As you navigate with Google Maps, the app constantly monitors traffic conditions along your route. If there is heavy traffic, accidents, or road closures ahead, Google Maps will highlight the problematic area on the map using yellow or red markers.

To enable live traffic updates, open the Google Maps app and enter your destination. Once your route is set, Google Maps will display real-time traffic information along the way, including any incidents or slowdowns. You can then choose to follow the suggested route or explore alternative options based on the traffic conditions. 

When using live traffic updates on Google Maps, keep in mind to regularly check for updates throughout your journey to stay informed about changing road conditions. You can also report problems on the road yourself on Google Maps . Lastly, be flexible with your travel plans and prepared to follow alternative routes suggested by Google Maps to avoid congestion and minimize travel time.

By taking advantage of live traffic updates, you can make informed decisions about your route and avoid getting stuck in gridlock. Whether you're commuting to work or heading out on a road trip, this feature can help you reach your destination more efficiently.

Exploring Nearby Attractions And Restaurants

When you're in a new area, or even just exploring your own neighborhood, Google Maps can be a great tool for discovering nearby attractions and restaurants. 

To start exploring:

• Open Google Maps and zoom in on the area of your interest. You should see several options below the search bar, including Restaurants, Gas, Coffee, Shopping, ATMs, and more. 
• Click on the option you want to explore. For instance, if you are looking for places to eat nearby, select Restaurants to see a list of dining options in the area. Each restaurant will be marked with its location on the map, along with details such as the establishment's name, its rating, and sometimes photos or reviews. 
• Refine your search further by applying filters for rating and distance. 
• After selecting a restaurant that catches your interest, click on it to view more detailed information, including its address, hours of operation, contact details, and directions on how to get there. 

Google Maps also allows you to call the restaurant directly from the app if you wish to make a reservation or inquire about menu items.

You can explore all these categories by swiping right on the options pane below the search bar. To view the full list, click on the More button (three dots) at the very end.

Create A Custom Map To Share With Friends And Family

You can also easily create a custom map and share it with whoever you want on Google Maps. It's a great way to collaborate on travel plans, recommend must-visit places, or simply share your favorite local hangouts.

• Open Google Maps on your computer and sign into your Google account. 
• Click on the menu icon and choose Saved > Maps > Open My Maps. 
• Start a new map by clicking the Create A New Map button. 
• Give your map a title and a description that encapsulates the essence of your adventure or theme. This could be anything from "Family Road Trip to Yellowstone" to "Best Coffee Shops in New York City." 
• Populate your map with markers. Click on the marker icon, then click on the location on the map you wish to mark. For each marker, you can add a detailed description, upload photos, and even include links for more information. 
• Additionally, Google My Maps allows you to draw paths and shapes, perfect for outlining routes or highlighting areas of interest. 
• Once your map is ready, click on the Share button. Here, you'll be prompted to set the map's privacy settings. You can choose to make it public, share it with specific people, or keep it private with a link.
• Finally, invite your friends via email or simply send them the link.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

Press Herald

Account Subscription: ACTIVE

Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000 .

• Local & State

Cirque du Soleil, Greek Festival, Pete Davidson and more happening this weekend

See a Maine State Ballet performance and get your fill of lobster rolls.

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month.

Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more .

With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month.

It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page .

Loading....

We know that this weekend’s forecast for the next several days is a bit on the sketchy side, with some rain forecasted.

But will that stop us from getting out there and doing a whole bunch of stuff?

Absolutely not, because it’s still summer in Maine. Plus, we all know that if you want the weather to change here, you just need to give it a minute.

Portland Jazz Orchestra performing with Katie Oberholtzer at Congress Square Park. Photo by Christopher Andrew

Fingers crossed for tonight’s free performance in Congress Square Park from the Portland Jazz Orchestra. The music starts at 6 p.m.

See Portland Jazz Orchestra for free on Thursday

Kal Sugatski, left, and Katherine Liccardo laugh while pausing to remember the next segment of a song while playing their instruments on a forested shoreside trail on Mackworth Island for a portrait. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Vigorous Tenderness immersive performance on Mackworth Island is Friday from 6-7:30 p.m. (Original date was today, change due to weather forecast). Advertisement

Concert series Vigorous Tenderness celebrates the change in seasons and classical music

There’s plenty to eat at the Greek Festival in Portland. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Thankfully, the Greek Festival in Portland is beneath a gigantic tent. The festival started today and runs through Saturday. It’s also the first entry on our annual list of can’t-miss summer events .  The La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival also starts today and runs through Sunday.

Make it your best summer yet with these 17 events

Sole Pane’s brioche knot on the double burger from Kennebec Meat Co. Courtesy of Kennebec Meat Co.

If Greek food isn’t your thing, maybe a burger is. But not just any burger. The Kennebec Meat Co. in Bath makes a legendary one, and it’s only available on Saturdays.

This Bath butcher shop’s burger is worth planning your Saturday around

The lobster roll at Red’s Eats in Wiscasset. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Still not satisfied? We’ve got two words for you: Lobster rolls! Here are seven places to get a great one, including Red’s Eats in Wiscasset and the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk.

What do you look for in a lobster roll? Here are 7 of Maine’s best, for all different reasons

A scene from Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo show. Photo by Maja Prgomet

Let’s shift from food to Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo show at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Performances start tonight and run through Sunday. Other weekend options include Pete Davidson Friday at Merrill Auditorium and “Dancer’s Choice” tonight and tomorrow at Maine State Ballet.

See Cirque du Soleil, Maine State Ballet and Pete Davidson, all this weekend

Lagers clink at Argenta Brewing. Photo by Amanda Bizzaro

Quench your thirst this weekend (or anytime) with a cold lager. We’ve got several ideas of where to enjoy one including Bissell Brothers, Argenta Brewery and Batson River. Cheers!

Lagers gain in popularity at Maine’s craft breweries. Here’s where to find them.

Modify your screen name

Join the Conversation

Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs .

Your commenting screen name has been updated.

Send questions/comments to the editors.

Member Log In

Please enter your username and password below. Already a subscriber but don't have one? Click here .

Not a subscriber? Click here to see your options