THERE are four must-know Google Maps features that can help relieve any travel woes you have this summer – at home and abroad.
The nifty crows tracker could become a fan favourite among the more introverted travellers.
Navigate airports and train stations
Large airports and train stations – whether they’re on home soil are further flung – can be a nightmare to navigate when you’re unfamiliar.
Fortunately, if you need to quickly find a shop in an airport or even a shopping centre, Google Maps can help.
The app has a Directory tab for all airports, malls and transit stations.
This can really help when you’re dashing to catch the next train but need to grab a drink, or a souvenir.
The tab will tell you the business hours of each shop, restaurant and car park, and what floor they’re on.
Avoid crowds
Crowds can really dampen the experience of travelling to classic tourist hotspots – especially if you’re an introvert.
To see how busy an area is before you go, check Google Maps’ Busyness tool.
When you search a location – be it a wild swimming spot or Big Beg – you should see a chart that shows how crowded it is in real time.
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In some areas, crowd information will automatically appear on the map, so you don’t need to specifically search for a place.
Google Maps may say something like “Busy Area” and when you click for more details, it could say, it is “As busy as it gets” or “Not too busy.”
Multiple stops
If you’re road-tripping this summer, these Google Maps features are a must-know.
You can set up multiple destination stops between your start and end point, so you can line up pit-stops and petrol stations along the way.
To do this, enter your final destination in Google Maps, then tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Add stop.
From there, you can add as many stops as you like and arrange them in order.
Search along route
There’s also a nifty Search along the route feature in Google Maps that means you don’t have to exit your navigation to find other stops.
So you can find a nearby petrol station, service stations, drive-through restaurants while the navigation is still active.
See all your reservations in Google Maps
Beyond charting your travels, Google Maps can also show you all your bookings from your flight, hotel, and car rental to restaurant reservations.
All you need to do is type My reservations into the search bar to see a list of what you’ve booked, where and what time.
This only works if you are a Gmail user, because Google Maps pulls the information from your Gmail inbox.