Comments on: 14 Google Maps Tricks Travelers Need to Know https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/ Tech gear, gadgets, reviews, and advice Sun, 08 Jan 2023 22:49:52 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Dave Dean https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-712244 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-712244 In reply to Mario.

Once you’ve shared your location with them (via the app), they can follow your journey using either the app or the website — details here.

We don’t email every time there’s a reply — it gets very noisy on active comment threads — so you’ll need to revisit the site to read responses.

]]> By: Mario https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-712243 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-712243 I want to share my trip to Florida with several family while driving. If I send them invitations, what should they do if they don’t have Google maps. Do they have to load it in order to follow me or will they get a link that they will be able to follow. Also, do you respond to me with a direct email or do I have to log into this site for any response? Thanks.

]]> By: Ken Adams https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-711375 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-711375 In reply to Dave Dean.

One thing that it annoyingly doesn’t have is calculating your trip based on the shortest distance, not just fastest time.

One time I entered a trip from A to B with highway which is the fastest route based on time. It was 28 minutes and 15 miles. When I unselect highway, it shows 30 minutes and 10 miles. Duh, of course I rather save 5 miles on my car just for a 2 minute difference.

My 1999 Acura TL navigation had this option! A car with technology back in the Clinton Administration, and yet google can’t figure or ignore to provide it in 2020. SMH

]]> By: Susan https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-678147 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-678147 I like the feature to save places found from a map search into lists – example, let’s say I searched for Chinese restaurants in Richmond VA – when looking thru the results, each will have a ‘save’ option – then I can save to a premade (example: “want to visit”) or custom named list. Then once in Richmond, just look at my list to see where I wanted to eat!

]]> By: Lajos https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-675918 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-675918 Unfortunately after creating a custom route on desktop and sending to iPhone it appears on my device as a standard Google generated route. Useless

]]> By: Frazier https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-673974 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-673974 I want to create a custom route (maybe a loop for a tour), and then select that route / map and get verbal instructions as when I use a route selected by the app

]]> By: Dave Dean https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-673201 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-673201 In reply to Janet Hight.

It’s not quite the same thing, I don’t think, but if you just choose “Start Driving” and don’t choose a destination (plus zoom in a bit), you’ll get your current location overlaid on roads etc.

]]> By: Janet Hight https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-673200 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-673200 Google Maps used to have a feature where you could choose not to have directions, just have Maps running while you’re driving to show traffic and roads. I can’t find that anymore. Did they do away with it?

]]> By: Dave Dean https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-673182 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-673182 In reply to Joseph.

There’s no specific setting as far as I’m aware, but it could be related to language settings. Make sure you’re set to ‘Default (English)’ under Google Maps Settings – Navigation Settings – Voice Selection. It specifically says ‘speaks street names’ for me there.

Google also doesn’t offer the same detail for driving directions across all countries. Some like the US have very detailed instructions including lane guidance etc, some have more limited instructions, and a few have no turn by turn navigation at all.

You may also get reduced level of detail if you have spotty or no data service along the way.

If you’re getting better navigation detail from Apple Maps in a country you’re visiting, I guess use that (or something else like Waze) in preference.

]]> By: Joseph https://toomanyadapters.com/google-maps-travel-tricks/#comment-673181 https://toomanyadapters.com/?p=20115/#comment-673181 When I visit another country, Google Maps does not provide turn-by-turn directions. Rather, instead of naming a street etc. GM says “turn here” etc. By contrast, when I’m home in the United States, turn-by-turn street, route etc based directions are not an issue. How can I activate turn-by-turn in other countries. Note: Apple Maps provides specific turn-by-turn in any country I visit without my having to make any setting changes.

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