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Google Maps has long been a favorite tool for travelers, helping us navigate new cities, save locations of places we want to visit, and see reviews of local businesses. While many people use the tool to customize their trips, one TikTok creator racked up nearly 5 million views with a viral post detailing his unconventional planning strategy.
Instead of locking herself in a place to stay and then drawing up a Google map of what she wants to eat, see and do, Jessica Tsoi draws up her wish list before she books her accommodation.
“It has come to my attention that not everyone plans a trip this way,” Tsoi says to begin his video, subtitled, “The best (practical) way to plan a trip!” “And ever since I started doing this, I can’t look back.”
Here’s his method: As soon as Tsoi decides on a place to visit, he creates a customizable map for the destination using Google My Maps, a tool that allows Google Maps users to save and share maps with added features like encoding map points. by colors, organizing them in “layers”, drawing lines or adding directions.
Once he’s made his map, Tsoi enters the attractions he wants to see, restaurants he’d like to try, and public transportation hubs, then does some online research to find recommended areas to stay in the destination. He compares those recommendations to the neighborhoods that have the most of his saved map points, and then chooses where to stay.
“Usually I have two areas that I decide between,” Tsoi told Mademoiselleosaki. “And seeing all of this laid out is really helpful for me to decide.”
Ultimately, the method helps Tsoi choose a place to stay based on her interests, while continuing to search for attractions near a reservation she chose based on deals or other reasons. Once she’s on her trip, Tsoi uses the map to plan her day, saving her precious vacation time and allowing her to dodge some stress.
If you want to give his method a try, here are some best practices.
The first step in getting the most out of Google Maps is to create a Google account. Users can then have a customizable Google Maps experience and try out Google My Maps.
Please note that while you can view a finished Google My Maps product in the Google Maps mobile app, you cannot create or edit one in the app. You can use a computer or a browser on a mobile device via mymaps.google.com (although it’s a bit of a hassle to do this on your phone).
“With Google My Maps, you have to connect everything beforehand, so it’s more of an advanced planning tool,” says Gunnar Olson, flight deals analyst and travel reporter for Thrifty Traveler. “It is more useful to plan a trip weeks or months in advance than to live in the moment.”
You can skip the Google My Maps process and use Google Maps for the same benefit, albeit with fewer frills. Instead of creating a map, Google can bookmark certain places or create a list of places to organize points of interest.
Don’t forget to save your google map offline. You’ll save battery by having your phone in airplane mode (or keep your map working if you’re abroad without an international phone plan), while still being able to check your map and use navigation.
Don’t let your bucket list decide the whole trip
Chris Hutchins, a travel expert and host of the “All the Hacks” podcast, likes to have at least half his time in a new place unscheduled to leave room in his travels for spontaneity. Mapping some points of interest is not the same as planning every minute of your trip. He doesn’t feel compelled to hit every item on the map for him.
“It really worries me that in today’s age travel is becoming checklist travel,” says Hutchins. “So the idea of starting with a map and plotting everything…makes me worry about what kind of trip I might have.”
Tsoi says she saw some TikTok users post similar concerns in the comments section of her video.
“You could easily use it as a way to take notes about interesting places you’re considering visiting, maybe not things you have to do,” she says. “It is a suggested guide for you. There are many ways to use it.”
Other Google Travel Tools to Try
Google has other tools for every step of your journey. When you’re figuring out how to get to a destination, “Google Flights is the world’s best flight search tool,” says Hutchins.
Olson agrees. “There’s no better way to compare flight prices,” he says. “You can set up flight alerts, you can get live data on when is the best time to book flights. … I don’t look anywhere else.”
Both experts also use Google Hotels. Thanks to a hotel button that appears on Google Maps, users can compare hotels in the area they’d like to stay in based on prices and reviews.
Atlanta-based travel expert Jewels Rhode uses Google Sheets to organize her travel budget, accommodations, and activities, especially when she’s going somewhere with friends. The tool allows users to easily collaborate on the ride and you can also upload your list to Google My Maps.
Rhode also relies on Google Translate to break down language barriers. She can type words to translate or say them out loud on her phone, or take a photo of the text to translate. Google Translate is a lifesaver for Rhode because he uses it to explain his severe nut allergy when she orders food from abroad.
Source: news.google.com