google maps travel plans

On a computer

1. On the Google Maps app website, find a location and start getting directions to it.

2. Underneath the menu that lets you pick your starting and ending location, click Add destination .

3. A new field will appear. Enter your third waypoint.

4. Once you pick a new waypoint, you'll be able to click Add destination again and pick another one, as well as reorder them.

You can add up to nine destinations on both the website and mobile app.

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HOW TO USE GOOGLE MAPS TRIP PLANNER IN 7 STEPS

Google Maps Trip Planner allows you to create detailed travel plans while simplifying those confusing things related to travel planning.

Planning a trip often seems like trying to put together a million-piece puzzle. It is understandable that a trip to a place that we’ve only ever seen through a laptop screen can be confusing.

But it won’t be that way when you start planning a trip on google maps.

Most of the confusion related to travel planning is because we have no sense of orientation for that place or destination that we’re about to visit. All we have is a bunch of ideas – places we want to go and see, hotels we like, activities, but we have no idea where those things are located.

Creating a trip plan on google maps puts everything into perspective because it gives you a visualization of those things on a map.

When you have those ideas clearly pointed out on an organized google maps travel plan, it will be easier to choose the area you want to stay (and eliminate the surprise of booking a hotel in the middle of nowhere) , group together certain activities in a practical way and you can also plan a route in google maps for your daily itinerary.

Basically, planning a trip on google maps will make travel planning a whole lot easier. And best of all, it’s free and pretty simple to use.

Before we start, you may want to save the URL link to this post in case you need it for future reference.

Ok then let’s get right to it.

If you want to know something specific about creating a travel plan in google maps you can skip straight to what you want in the table of contents below.

1. CREATE A NEW GOOGLE MAP

2. add all your ideas to google maps, 3. changing the pins colors and icons, 4. categories a google maps travel plan, 5. access you google maps travel plan on mobile, 6. use maps offline, 7. share map with friends.

Do this if you’re soon going on vacation or planning a trip.

Before you go on vacation make sure to purchase travel insurance. I know, most times it seems like a waste of money. But the thing is, you don’t know you need it until you do so it’s good to minimize those risks that you could face while traveling. Keep in mind, that medical bills or hospitalization can cost 1000’s of $$. And

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL RUNDOWN ON TRAVEL INSURANCE STARTING AT JUST $1.50

In this guide, we are laying out a step-by-step guide to create a travel plan using google maps on desktop (laptop). Although it is possible to create a map on your smartphone, the options are limited. But don’t worry, the map created on your desktop will be synced to all your devices, even mobile phones and tablets.

If you already have a Google account (Gmail), go onto your search engine (Google, or whatever you usually use) and type in google maps. Or you can click here to get started.

You will need a google account so that your maps will be saved and also so the maps that you create can be accessed from all your devices like mobile phones and tablets.

If you don’t have a Google account click on this link to create one. Don’t worry it’s free and only takes about 5 minutes. Once you’ve created an account you follow the same steps from above.

Make sure that you’re logged in before you start creating a new google maps trip plan. If you’re logged in there should be a round icon with your initials on it in the top right corner of the screen. If there isn’t you’ll see a sign-in button.

After signing in, first go to the hamburger icon near the search bar on the map. It’s in the top left corner. And then click on your places, the first option in the drop-down menu.

In the menu click on MAPS , the last option on the right. This is where all the maps that you create are saved. So, if this is the first time that you’re creating a google map, this section should be empty.

At the bottom of the current menu, click on CREATE MAP .

Ok then, great the map has now been created.

All you need to do now is to give your new google maps a title and a description. If you only have one map, you barely need a title let alone a description. But as you create more maps, those titles and descriptions will help you easily find the map you’re looking for rather than searching through a bunch of unorganized maps.

In the menu in the top left corner of the screen, Click on Untitled Map . And in the text box that pops up, give your map a title. Think of giving specific names to your maps. For instance, if you’re making a map of New York, instead of just writing a title “New York”, write “New York Trip – October 2021”. And write a description, like places I have to visit, or the best hotels, restaurants, activities, for example.

Not everyone follows the same steps to create their personal travel plan on google maps. For example, our favorite way is to start off by putting all our ideas on the map.

We start off by making a list of places that we want to go, activities that we want to do, hotels and restaurants we like, and anything else that comes to mind that we could possibly consider while in that destination.

Because you can visualize Adding all our ideas onto a map offers a visualization of that destination and puts everything into perspective. For instance, if certain activities are too far away we can determine

For instance, we can easily understand if an activity is too far away or maybe choose a hotel that is centrally located in the middle of the things that we want to do.

Seeing all those places on a map will help you understand what you can realistically do within your trip duration. For instance, you will be able to determine if certain activities are too far away. Or if a hotel you like is in the middle of nowhere.

Adding all those ideas to the map is straightforward.

Step. 1. Go to the search box in the middle of the screen and type in the name of the place. You can search for anything you want, like hotels, restaurants, beaches, waterfalls, parks. Basically, on google maps you’ll find almost every place you look for. If that place doesn’t come up in the search, you’ll need to type in the street address.

Step. 2. Once you’ve found the place you want, a green will come on the map in the location of that place. And a small description box will be next to it.

Step. 3. To save that place to the map, click +add to map in the description box.

Repeat these 3 steps for all those places that you want to add on you new Google Map travel plan.

TIP: if only the green pin comes on the map, click on the green pin. When you click on the pin the description box will come up and you can add that place to the map.

Too many ideas but not much time? When we plan short trips, sometimes we book tours or at least we book a tour if they’re any good. Tours save us time because they combine the must visit spots in the destination we visit. And surprisingly, some tours have cost us less than if we did everything by ourselves.

Whenever we are considering a tour in a popular destination, we always make sure to book with a reputable company and also to book in advance. Because you know, the good things easily run out. Below are links of 2 companies that we personally use.

PRE BOOK & GET THE LATEST DEALS WITH VIATOR HERE

OR PREBOOK WITH KLOOK FOR THE BEST DEALS ON TOURS & TICKETS IN ASIA

At this point, we have a good idea of where all those places – like activities, tourist spots, hotels, restaurants – are located. And by default, all the pins will be in blue color.

But having a load of identical pins isn’t a great way to visualize a google maps travel itinerary.

So now, what we need to do is to give meaning to each pin by color coding and/or changing the pins into icons.

Color coding the pins or changing them into different icons will make your google map a lot more visually understandable.

For example, what we do is color code each place into different categories. For example, if we have beaches we make yellow pins, for hikes we use brown pins, for restaurants red pins, and so on.

And we also customize the icons. Don’t worry, both color and icons are pretty straightforward.

How to color code pins in google maps

Step 1. Click on the pin that you want to change the color. A description box will open up.

Step 2. Next click on the style, the icon resembling a tipping paint bucket. The first icon at the bottom of the description box.

Step 3. A small window with color samples will open. Choose a color that will help you easily identify that specific place.

How to change pins to specific icons

Changing those identical pins into icons that actually mean something will further help you visualize what those places are on your google maps trip planner.

For instance, if you have a beach add a palm tree or an umbrella. If you have a restaurant, add a knife and fork icon.

Color coding and icons work simultaneously. So don’t worry, you don’t need to choose either the icon OR the color.

To change icons follow steps 1 and 2 from above. When the window with color samples opens, there will also be a number of icons to choose from. However, you can further expand that icon window by clicking on more icons.

TIP: alternatively you can change color or icons of pins when you’re adding your ideas to the map. After you click +add to map

Adding layers in google maps trip planner is a key feature because it allows you to categories your trip itinerary into different sections.

Creating different layers is a way of grouping together certain things on the map. Because although you may have defined all the pins with specific colors, the map still doesn’t have much organization. It’s like having a bunch of pins with not much value.

The way in which you group together the pins will depend entirely on your choice and also on what is the purpose of the google maps that you’re creating. We’ll give a few ideas on how you could categories all those pins.

We group together our pins in 3 ways, depending on what makes the most sense for that specific travel plan.

If we want an easy to follow travel itinerary, we group together pins in days. So if a number of things can be done in a day, we group those together and call that a day plan.

Or, when we go to countries made up of loads islands like Indonesia or the Philippines, we categories all the pins by islands.

Or, we create a different layer for each different type of place that we want to visit. For instance, we make categories for hotels, restaurants, malls, historical places, activities, etc.

How to add layers on a google maps travel plan

Step 1. In the menu, in the top left corner, click on add layer. You can add up to 10 different layers.

Step 2. Categorize each layer with a title. Click on Untitled layer . A text box will open up and here you can write the title for that layer. If you don’t see the text box, click again until it comes on the screen.

Step 3. All the places that you had previously added to the map will be in the first layer. Once you’ve created different layers, all you need to do is to click on the place you want to move and drag it into the layer/category that you want.

Make sure the box next to each layer is ticked. If next to the layer title there is no tick, it means that layer is closed and you won’t be able to see the things in that layer when use the map on your mobile phone.

Now that you’ve created your Google Maps travel plan you will need to be able to access that plan easily with your mobile phone.

To access your plan on mobile phone go to google maps (make sure you go to google maps and not maps go) and click on saved at the bottom of your screen.

In the next window scroll all the way down and click on maps on the bottom right side of the screen. This is where the maps you create are saved.

Now choose the map you and click on it.

Now you can access your google maps travel plan when offline. And also use google maps to get directions even if you don’t have a connection.

So from now on it won’t really matter if you’re connected to the internet or not. You can easily find google maps travel plans and get directions even in remote places with unreliable wifi service.

You’ll need to plan these things ahead because the only way to access your maps or get directions is to download what you need in advance.

I will explain exactly how to download google maps for directions and how to download your google maps trip planner.

Accessing Google Maps travel plan offline

• Download Google Earth App on your mobile phone.
• Go to your google maps travel plan on desktop and click on the 3 dots next to the title.
• In the pop up box click export to KML/KMZ. In the next pop up leave the boxes unchecked and click download.
• Send a downloaded copy to yourself by email.
• Now, on your phone go to that email, click on the file and open it with Google earth.

And follow these steps to use Google directional maps offline

• On your mobile phone, open the google maps app. Be sure the app is Google Maps and not “Google Maps Go”.If you haven’t got the app on your mobile phone you can download it here.
• In the top right corner of your mobile screen you will see a round icon. Click on the icon to access your account and go to offline maps.
• On the next page click “select your map”. This will open the page where you download your map. By default, the area of the map will be of your location. However, you can scroll to find whichever part of the world you want to download.

Keep in mind that for google to work offline you need to download the map over a connection. By default, maps will only download over wifi connections. If you want to include mobile data for downloads head to the settings wheel on the “select your own map” page and go to download preferences.

Whether you are planning a trip with google maps or not you should always share your travel plan with someone you trust.

Especially if you’re traveling solo, someone should always know what your plans are. At least, if something happens in those places you’re going to visit someone will know where you are.

Besides safety reasons, you can also share your google maps and let friends or your travel buddies contribute and give their own input on things they want to do.

Follow the steps below to share your google maps travel plan:

• To share from desktop go to the map you want to share and under the main title click on the share button. In the pop up window click the button next to “anyone with this link can view”. Copy the link and share it either by email or message.
• To share on mobile open google maps mobile app, click saved at the bottom of the screen. In the next window scroll all the way down and click on maps. Open the map you want to share and click on “view map legend”. Click the share option and choose how and to who you want to share that google maps travel plan.

Sharing your map will give your loved ones some peace of mind. At least, if they don’t hear from you they will know where you were at that time.

Using google maps to create detailed travel plans takes out a lot of the unnecessary stress of travel planning. It also makes a travel plan organized and easy to understand because of the visual aspect of planning a trip on a map.

So I hope this article gives you a better understanding of how to plan a trip with google maps. But if you have any other ideas or alternate ideas on certain things we mentioned please let us know in the comments below. There is no better way to improve than to get ideas from other travelers.

Our love for travel started off in South East Asia and continues to attract us each year. If you want you can read a bunch of interesting articles about beaches, waterfalls, food, itineraries by clicking the link below.

CLICK HERE TO READ A BUNCH OF INTERESTING ARTICLES!!

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2 thoughts on “HOW TO USE GOOGLE MAPS TRIP PLANNER IN 7 STEPS”

The articles you write help me a lot and I like the topic

I like this. I posted this on my LinkedIn and my followers enjoyed it! Keep up the good work. 🙂

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——— ABOUT US ———

We're Jackie and James, now in our late 30's, we've been traveling on and off for 5 years now. After living our entire lives on a tiny island named Malta, we set off to explore Asia on a budget while writing detailed guides about awesome destinations. We hope our travels help you realize that traveling doesn't have to cost a fortune.

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How to Plan A Trip With Google Maps in 4 Easy Steps

by  Annie  

Published:  March 8, 2022

Google Maps is a powerful tool that can help you save time when you’re putting the pieces of your next adventure together. My personal maps are full of places I want to visit and I create custom maps for my clients when helping with their itineraries. Learning how to plan a trip with Google Maps is super easy and, when you're done, you’ll have everything you need right at your fingertips while you’re out exploring!

There are a number of ways to customize your Google Maps . You can add routes between destinations, color code your location pins, and create multiple layers so you can change what you see on the map. In this article, you’ll see how to do each of these with simple steps and screenshots so you can easily follow along. Below are the basic steps you’ll use to plan a trip with Google Maps. 

How to Plan a Trip With Google Maps in 4 Steps

Create bookmarks regularly. Add them to your “Favorites”, “Want to Go”, “Travel Plans”, or “Starred Places” list or create a new list.

Create a custom map for your trip by going to Your Places > Maps > Create Map. 

Add the starting point for your trip to the custom map. Then add your next destination and the driving route. Do this until all destinations are added to the map. 

Create new layers for each destination and bookmark sights, accommodations, restaurants, etc. Customize each type with a color and icon so it’s easy to see. 

Download your custom map in your Google Maps app and have a great time!

*** This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the link, I receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps me keep the lights on around here. 🙂 I ONLY recommend products and services I personally use and love. * **

Tips for Customizing Your Google Maps

If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly coming across new places you want to visit! Maybe it’s a pretty picture on Instagram, a destination you read about, or a place you saw in a movie. You want to make sure you don’t forget them so start bookmarking them in your Google Maps!  

The images below will show you how to create bookmarks for the places you want to visit. You can put them all on the same list or make customized lists to organize them however you want. I put all of mine in the “Starred Places” list and then organize them when I’m making a custom map for a destination, which we'll cover in a bit.

This is what it looks like when you add bookmark places on your Google Maps.

When it’s time to plan a trip with Google Maps, you’ll already have a head start if you’ve been bookmarking spots! When you’re deciding where to go and how much time to spend, you’ll be able to see if there are places in the area that you’re already interested in visiting. It’s also helpful to add bookmarks as you’re researching your destinations so the highlights are already on your map when you arrive. 

Planning an Itinerary With Google Maps

One of the hardest parts of putting together a trip is choosing a route and timeline. It’s one of the travel planning elements I help clients with most often. You can use Google Maps to show your different options in one place and get a picture of your trip! For the rest of this article, we’re going to say we have two weeks to spend on a trip and that will start in Berlin, Germany and end in Prague, Czechia. 

Choose a starting point. There are few ways to choose where to start your trip -- find a cheap flight to a destination you’re excited about, use these questions to help you narrow down your bucket list, or choose based on what type of indie traveler you are and the experience you want to have. 

Brainstorm routes. Look at the map and bookmark or make a list of places you’d like to visit along the way. You can make a loop if you want to start and end in the same place, or choose another destination to fly home from and choose stops along the way. You can also choose somewhere to base yourself and take day trips from there! I recommend planning at least 2-3 nights in each place, if you have multiple stops. Packing up and moving every single day gets old! 

Step 1 to Plan a Trip with Google Maps: Create A Custom Map

Google Maps lets you create your own maps! Create a custom map (screenshots below) and then we'll start putting in the routes from your brainstorming session. You can change the name of your map and add a description if you’re going to be sharing it with others later.

Start by searching for your beginning destination and adding it to your map. Click on the “directions to here” icon to start building your first route.

Step 2 to Plan a Trip with Google Maps: Add Your Major Stops

Now you’re ready to finish building your first route! Continue adding places along with the driving directions. As you continue to add places and directions, you can drag them up or down to put them in any order you’d like. Google Maps will adjust the routes to match the order of destinations. Unfortunately, you can only choose driving directions and not public transportation but this will give you an idea of distance and travel time between stops.

Once your first route is built, create your next route using the same steps. Click on your starting point again and when you add driving directions, it will begin a new layer for you to create another route.

Once you’ve created the additional routes, you’ll see them all on the map at once. You can choose to turn a route on or off by clicking the checkmark next to the name of that layer. Rename the layer by clicking on the three dots at the end of the name.

You can see the step-by-step driving directions, distance, and driving time between destinations for each route. Click on the three dots at the end of the name and choose “step-by-step directions”. At the top, you’ll see the total distance and drive time for your route. Next to each major stop, you’ll see the information between the current stop and the next.

Once you’ve chosen a route for your trip, it’s time to create a customized map for each stop along the way!

Step 3 to Plan a Trip with Google Maps: Add Destination Info

One of the other great features that helps you plan a trip with Google Maps is the ability to color code and customize sights, restaurants, etc. Your original starting point will still be on the map, making it easy to get started. Start by deleting the city marker because you’ve already built your routes.

Now we’re going to add in the places we want to visit in our destination. Start by renaming the layer to match the destination so it's easy to see which city you’re viewing. Search for each attraction, restaurant, etc. in the search bar and add it to the layer. Adding similar places together will make them easier to customize as a group. We’ll start with museums so you can see what that looks like.

To customize the color and icon, hover over the place and click on the paint bucket you see at the end.

Choose the color and icon (click on “more icons” to see additional options) you want. If you choose an item from “more icons” you’ll see it there when you customize the next one, making it quick and easy to use it on similar places.

You can do as much or as little of this as you like. You can drag items up and down to put them in any order you want. Once you’ve finished adding places to your map, you’re ready to share and download! To share your map with others, simply click on the share option next to “Add Layer” and choose the settings you want. 

Download the map onto your phone by going to your Google Maps App. Click on “Saved” (the little bookmark) and choose “Maps” at the bottom. This will pull up customized maps you’ve created. Choose the one you want to see and you’ll see your map in addition to the usual Google Maps.

Step 4 to Plan a Trip with Google Maps: Outline Your Itinerary

Now that you have your route selected and a personalized map of your destinations, it’s time to nail down your itinerary. Start by deciding your “must see'' places. These are the spots you’re not willing to leave the destination without visiting. This is the hard part, my friend! You’re not going to see it all so make peace with that now. It’s okay. You’ll either go back or go somewhere new, but there’s no way to see every single thing unless you’re going to spend weeks or months in a place. 

Your custom map will help you decide how many days to plan for each stop. I recommend no more than two major attractions in a day. Yes, you can see more, but you will want some unplanned time to wander aimlessly, get a coffee in the cute little cafe you find in the morning, or have a picnic in the park. I promise, many of your most memorable moments will come from the things you didn’t plan. Leave room for the magic to find you instead of running from one thing to the next.  

When you plan a trip with Google Maps you’ll have everything right at your fingertips. Once you finish at one of your “must see” spots, check your map to see what else is nearby. Walking from place to place is a great way to see more of your destination too!

Now that you know how to plan a trip with Google Maps, have fun with it! On the weekends, I love to get a cup of coffee and see what kind of amazing itineraries I can dream up with this tool. Yes, I’m a travel nerd through and through! 🙂

If you’ve enjoyed this article, sign up for emails so you’ll know when I publish new ones! While it does take some time and effort to put your own international trips together, there are some additional tips and resources that can make it easier. Below are some of the most popular articles to help with travel planning!

• 7 Tips for Finding Cheap Flights to Anywhere You Want to Go
• 5 Different Types of Accommodations that Can Save You Money on Your Next Trip
• How to Plan a Travel Budget + Tips to Save Money on Indie Travel
• Planning A Europe Trip: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Trip You’ll Love

If you don’t have the time to plan every single bit of your trip or would like to get insight on your plans, check out these consulting services created specifically for indie travelers like you. I’d love to stay connected! You can find me on Instagram and Facebook too. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking around!

Now get out there. The world is waiting for you!

Did you learn anything new about Google Maps in this article? What are some of your favorite tools for planning itineraries and mapping your travel routes?

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About the author 

Fun Lover. Food Eater. Bold Explorer. Big Dreamer. Annie is a fiercely independent traveler who loves to create unique and interesting experiences. She thrives on finding the magical moments and hidden gems waiting around every corner. Her passion for helping others make their travel dreams come true fuels her work as a travel planner, consultant, educator, and community builder.

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That was a super helpful post, Annie.

I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

I love Google Maps and it’s such a Godsend while traveling! That said, you’ve given me some new insight into other neat features – I had no idea you could customize the color of the icons!

I totally agree! Google Maps has made getting around new cities SO much easier. I’m glad you learned some new tricks too. 🙂

Wow, Annie, this is so helpful and detailed. I use Google Maps for all my trip planning and thought I knew a good bit but you just blew my basic knowledge out of the water and I love that! I had no idea every little detail could be customized. I will be coming back to go through this as I finish my next trip. I appreciate the step-by-step instructions, it will ensure what I learn sticks with me! Thanks for sharing!

Ah, I’m so glad it was helpful! I love to play with all the fun features in Google Maps. Have fun! 🙂

I never could figure out how to use Google Maps to make up my itineraries- thanks for the clear instructions.

You’re so welcome! I’m glad they were helpful. 🙂

So how do you add saved locations (from Favorites or Travel plans lists) to the map?

If you search for the place on Google Maps, you’ll see a little bookmark icon that says “Save”. If you click on that, you can add it to a pre-made list or create a custom one of your own! 🙂

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The 5 Best Ways to Use Google Maps Trip Planner

Simplify your vacation whether you're walking, checking traffic and more

• University of Maine

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Using Google Maps Trip Planner

Use the Distance Tool to Plan City Walks

Use markers to highlight locations.

• Send Your Realtime Location

Embed Maps Into Blog or Social Posts

Check traffic before heading out.

• Other Things You Can Do

If you've never used Google Maps Trip Planner before, you're going to be amazed at just how much it helps you organize and streamline your next trip. With the Google Maps Trip Planner, plot out walking tours, put place markers to highlight areas you want to visit, and even use real-time location tracking to make sure you always know where your family members are.

So if you're ready to plan your next trip, log into your Google account, and log into Google Maps Trip Planner to follow along.

Using the Google Maps Trip Planner

When you first log into the Google Maps Trip Planner page, you'll see a map and seemingly nothing else. That's because the main page is the display map for your planned trips.

This display map can contain many layers (individual maps) on top of one another. But before you can add layers, you need to create your trip maps first. To do this, click on the square View larger map icon at the upper right corner of the window.

Next, click on the menu icon in the upper left corner of the window. In the menu, select Create new map .

Now you're ready to start planning your first trip!

Imagine you're planning a trip to New York City. You've made reservations to stay at the Roosevelt Hotel near Park Avenue.

You want to take a walking tour of the city, but you're unsure how far popular attractions are from the hotel.

Google Trip Planner has a useful distance measurement tool you can use to measure how far roads or trails may be when you're actually in a location.

Here's how to use the measurement tool.

On your untitled map editing screen, click the Measure distances and areas tool (the ruler icon).

The mouse icon will change to a crosshair. Use this crosshair to chart your planned walking route along the city streets and to your planned hot spots.

Each time you click the mouse, it'll add a new segment to your route. Clicking at each intersection is a good way to measure a city walk.

Set the name of this map to NYC Walking Tour .

In this example, when walking just under two miles, you can visit The PlayStation Theater, Radio City Music Hall, The Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, and of course, a whole lot of shopping along the way. That's an amazing walk around the block.

Now that you know all of the locations you want to visit, you can create a set of markers on this map so you'll remember later.

To set a new marker on the map, click on the Add marker tool (the thumbtack icon).

The mouse icon will change to crosshairs. Click the crosshair on the map at the locations you are planning to visit. When the marker is placed, you'll see a pop-up window where you can fill in the name of the location, along with any notes.

The notes area is a great place to add any reservations or itinerary plans for that location.

Click Save to add that marker to your new map.

An alternative method to add markers is to search for the location using the search field. A marker of that spot will show up on the map. Click Add to map in the informational pop-up to add that marker to your map.

Send Your Realtime Location to Your Family

In a city like New York, it would be very easy for any of your family members to get lost. However, in an age where every mobile phone has built-in GPS tracking , there's really no reason for this.

Gone are the days of parents carrying around walkie-talkies to stay in touch with their kids while traveling. Now you can monitor your family's location during vacations by looking for their little blue dot on a map.

To enable GPS tracking in Google Maps, install the Google Maps app for Android or iOS . When you and your family are splitting up during vacation, have everyone launch the Google Maps app . To launch real-time location sharing:

Tap the menu icon at the upper left corner of the screen.

Tap Location sharing from the menu.

Tap the Get Started button.

Choose Until you turn this off , and select all the family members to share your location with.

Tap the Share button to start sharing your location.

Now you can view the location of your family members as blue dots on a map of the area, right from your phone.

View your saved Trip Planner maps in Google Maps by clicking the menu icon, tapping on Your places , and tapping MAPS from the menu.

If your vacation is a little more off the beaten path, such as a hiking trip up into the mountains, it's always a good idea to let people know where you're headed.

Embedding your Google Maps trip planner is easy. 

In Google Maps Trip Planner, on the map you've created, click the Share link under your trip name.

Click Embed on my site .

Change the privacy setting to Public for embedding into a blog post, or to individual family members for a social post.

Click the Done button.

Click the three dots to the right of the trip name.

Copy the embed code displayed inside the code window.

If you're embedding the map to your blog, make sure to switch the post-edit mode to Code View, and paste the iframe embed code that you copied from Google Maps Trip Planner.

Save and publish the post, and everyone will be able to see your trip plans.

If you want to share your Trip Planner map with friends and family on Facebook or Twitter, click the Share link on your map and copy the link in the Link to share field.

When you paste this link in a Facebook or Twitter post, it will embed an image of the map into the post. It's a perfect way to let people know where you're headed and how long you plan to be there.

Sharing that you won't be home for an extended period with the public can be dangerous, since thieves often scour the internet for opportunities to break into homes. It's best to keep your map shares limited to friends and family, unless you're a public figure and want your travels to be published to a wide audience.

If you want to have a day out during vacation and visit places that are within driving distance of the hotel, it can be difficult when you don't know the traffic patterns of a new area.

The perfect solution for this is Google Map's built-in traffic map. However, before you can use it, you need to open your Trip Planner map inside of Google Maps.

Log into Google Maps using the same account you used to log into Google Maps Trip Planner.

Click on the Menu icon, and then click on Your places .

Click Maps , and choose your saved vacation map from the list.

Click X to close the Layers menu.

Click on the Menu icon again, and click on Traffic.

You'll see your saved vacation map with current traffic conditions overlayed on top. Now you can use this map to plan out your route to your first tourist destination and avoid the traffic.

Other Things You Can Do With Google Maps Trip Planner

The features above are just a few of the best features you'll find in the Google Map Trip Planner. There are a few more you may find useful when planning, or during, your next trip.

• Layers : Layer one map on top of another, adding or removing layers as you wish. This lets you create a map view that contains only the locations you want on a single map.
• Share links : Directly share your maps to Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail.
• Draw a line : This tool lets you draw routes onto your map. It'll snap to known roads or trails on the map.
• Add directions : Use this tool to insert step-by-step directions one location at a time. You can add driving, biking, or walking directions.
• Export to KML/KMZ : This feature lets you export your maps in a format you can import into other mapping programs like Google Earth or ESRI ArcGIS. ( Learn more about KML files .)

Google Maps Trip Planner looks like a simple mapping tool on the surface. But all of the features and functions you'll discover while using it will make it an invaluable tool for your next family vacation.

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How to Use Google Maps to Plan Your Next Road Trip (Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples)

Post summary: A comprehensive guide on how to use Google Maps to plan a road trip itinerary  and why Google Maps is the best tool/app for planning a trip. Includes a road trip planning tutorial!

Author’s Note: This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated in April 2023 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

So, you want to plan a road trip. But, where do you start? Better yet: How do you start?

I’m often asked about my trip planning process. Where to go, what to do, and how exactly to fit everything into a cohesive itinerary that, well, makes sense .

Planning a road trip can be hard. But, with the right tools and resources, it doesn’t have to be. I’ve already put together a list of my most trusted travel booking resources , and the best apps for road trips , but now I want to talk about one of my favorite road trip planning tools: Google Maps.

Google Maps is like a trip planning goldmine, and it’s always my very first step in organizing my itinerary whenever I take a trip.

Google Maps is one of the best tools for planning a cohesive and successful road trip, because it allows you to create a highly customizable, visual representation of your trip  (shoutout to all my fellow visual learners out there). And its FREE!

Basically, if you’re planning a road trip, knowing how to customize Google Maps is going to make your life so much easier.

So if you’re wondering how to get started, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m breaking the entire process down into an easy to follow step-by-step tutorial on exactly how to use Google MyMaps to plan your next road trip. So, lets get started!

GOOGLE MAPS TRAVEL PLANNING OVERVIEW

Here’s exactly what we cover in this guide:

• Create a new Google Map for your trip.
• Add location pins to your map
• Customize and color code your location pins.
• Create Google Map layers to plan your day-to-day itinerary.
• Add driving directions to your map.
• Download your custom Google Map to your phone.
• Share your map with friends.
• Calculate gas milage for your road trip.

Scroll down for a super detailed step-by-step guide to planning your own travel itinerary for free using Google Maps or skip ahead with the table of contents.

Table of Contents

Need some road trip inspiration? Visit my most popular travel guides:

Las Vegas to Sedona Road Trip (3 Jam-Packed Itineraries to See it All in Less Time)

5-Day British Columbia Road Trip Itinerary

1-Day Yoho National Park Road Trip Itinerary

The Perfect 2-week Costa Rica Itinerary

. Don’t forget to grab my FREE Travel Expense Planner Download below to help you plan your next trip . Use it to easily and automatically calculate how much money you’ll spend on gas, flights, accommodation, food + more

WHY GOOGLE MAPS IS THE BEST TRAVEL PLANNING TOOL FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Google Maps is the best tool for planning your next trip , whether you’re just using it for adventure inspiration, to share ideas with your friends, or creating a detailed step-by-step road trip itinerary. Here’s why!

IT CREATES A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF YOUR ROAD TRIP

If you’re a visual learner, Google Maps is going to be your best friend. But even if you’re not a visual learning, using Google Maps to plan your trip is still going to be incredibly helpful.

Planning your trip with Google Maps is the fastest way to familiarize yourself with the layout of an area. It allows you to wrap your head around how large an area is and where everything is in relation to each other, which, in my opinion, is the best way to start planning any trip.

Here’s an example of the Google Map I created for our 4-day road trip in Iceland.

Click here to access the interactive map.

GOOGLE MY MAPS HELPS YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE TO SPEND YOUR TIME

Have you ever had a list of places you wanted to see, only to find out that they’re super far away from each other?

Pinning your locations to your custom Google Map will show you where your stops are. This will help you figure out where to spend your time and plan accordingly.

Are your pins clustered in one place? If so, then you might want to allocate more time to that area. Or maybe your pins are spread out all over the map? If this is the case, then it might be best to prepare yourself for a lot of driving or focus on a smaller area instead.

YOUR GOOGLE MAP IS HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE

Whether you’re touring NYC, road tripping cross country, or backpacking to Beaver Falls in the Grand Canyon , you can create a highly customizable Google Map to help plan your adventure.

Handy features like customizable locations, adding multiple stops, pinning by GPS coordinates, organizing by categories, and overlaying direction layers, all make it incredibly easy to customize your Google Map to plan your travel itinerary.

Need to remember entrance fees, operating hours, or best places to see? You can even add notes to your location pins so you don’t forget important details!

IT HELPS YOU NAVIGATE AND PLAN YOUR ROUTE

Quickly learn how to navigate between stops by adding directions between multiple locations to your map.

This is an incredibly useful tool for figuring out the best routes to take, roads to avoid, and to plan for drive time. You can even choose between walking, biking, or public transportation directions. This is especially helpful for choosing the best entrance to Yellowstone National Park , taking the scenic route on an Ecuador road trip , or mapping out the best Hudson Valley wineries .

IT’S EASY TO COLLABORATE AND SHARE YOUR TRIP

Traveling with friends? Google Maps makes it super easy to collaborate by allowing you to share your map with your travel partners. You can even give them editing access so that everyone can add their must-do’s to the map.

YOUR MAP IS EASY TO SHARE BETWEEN DEVICES

You’ll have to create your Google Map on desktop. But, luckily, you can seamlessly share your custom map straight to your iPhone or Android using the Google Maps App!

Sharing your custom map to your phone makes it super convenient to access your itinerary on the go. You can even set up your map for offline use if you’re traveling without cell phone service.

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOM MAP IN GOOGLE MAPS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1. create a new google map, login to google drive on your desktop.

Before you start planning your road trip using Google Maps, make sure you’re signed into your Google Drive.

• Visit www.google.com/maps from your desktop and log in .
• If you don’t have a Google Drive account, create one now.

CREATE A NEW GOOGLE MAP

To create a new map, select “Saved” in the sidebar on the left > “Maps”.  You can also click on the menu (the three lines) in the upper left corner > “Saved” > “Maps”.

For now, your list is probably empty. But as you create more maps, this is where they’ll be stored.

Begin creating your first custom map by selecting “CREATE MAP”

This opens a new blank map. Start by giving your map a title and a description.

Once you’ve named your map, you’re ready to start pinning stops! Keep reading to learn about adding and customizing location pins.

2. ADD LOCATIONS TO YOUR GOOGLE MAP

This is where you start adding the places you want to go!

HOW TO ADD LOCATION PINS

Add multiple stops to your Google map by pinning their locations.  There are a few different ways to add location pins to your Google Map :

• Add a pin using coordinates if you can’t find the exact location in the search bar drop down list. You may have to use this method for extremely specific or remote locations, such as a backcountry campsite or an unmarked trailhead. Simply type the location’s latitude and longitude coordinates into the search bar. .
•  To pin a general area, click on the “Add Marker” button below the map search bar . You’ll be able to drop a blank pin by clicking anywhere on the map. A box will appear asking you to add a title and description

NOTE: You’re allowed to pin 10 location pins per layer. Continue reading to learn how to use layers to add more than 10 location pins to your map.

3. CUSTOMIZING LOCATION PINS

Once you save your pins to the map, they’ll be blue by default. However,  you can customize a pin by changing the color, icon style, description, and title . You can even add pictures or videos if you’re feeling extra fancy.

To change the color and style , begin by clicking on your location pin (either in the list to the left or directly on the map) > “Style” (the little paint can) in the lower right hand corner of the text box. Click “More Icons” to view more options.

To change the location title , click”Edit” (the pencil icon) in the text box. You can also add notes in the “Notes” box. Use the notes box to add more details about finding trail heads, hiking logistics, packing reminders etc. I also like to use it to keep track of specific places to see within a general location, such as a National Park.

To add media (i.e. photos or videos) , click “Add Image or Video” (the camera icon) in the text box. I found this especially helpful on my first Iceland road trip to remember which waterfall was which, since they all sound the same (if you’ve been there, you know what I mean!). You can also add your own photos and videos if you want to create a map to share with others.

To delete a pin , click on it and then click on the trash can icon. .

. 4. CREATING MAP LAYERS TO PLAN YOUR TRIP IN GOOGLE MAPS

What are google map layers.

Google Map layers are a really useful tool for organizing your road trip itinerary. But,  what exactly is a layer? A layer in Google Maps is, by definition, a way to contain arbitrary geospatial data.

Okay, English please ?

In other words, each layer can be used to display different types of information on your map. You can dedicate different layers to different types of places like restaurants, cafe’s, hotels, hiking trails, etc. Or you can dedicate layers to different days of your trip. Or you can stick to one layer. Its up to you.

Here’s an example of how I broke up my Iceland itinerary, using a different layer for each day of our road trip: 

HOW TO ADD LAYERS

When you create your map, you’re automatically using one layer (“Untitled Layer”). This is the layer that your location pins are added to by default, unless you add additional layers. You can add up to 10 location pins per layer, and 10 layers per map.

To add a new layer to your Google Map , simply click “Add Layer”. This creates a new “Untitled Layer”, which you can rename accordingly. To rename layers, click on the title name or click the 3 dots next to the title > “Rename Layer”.

To move a pin between layers , click on the location pin in the list, then drag and drop it into the desired layer.

Choose which layers to display by turning individual layers “on” and “off”. You can do this by checking/unchecking the box next to the layer’s name.

To delete a layer , click the 3 dots next to the layer’s title > “Delete this layer” > “Delete”.

. TIPS FOR USING LAYERS TO PLAN YOUR ITINERARY IN GOOGLE MAPS

When planning my road trip itineraries, I usually give each day its own layer (unless the trip is longer than 10 days, in which case then I’ll combine days or make another map). Then I color code all of my pins by day.

For example, all of my stops (i.e. location pins) on day 1 (layer 1) would be orange, all of my stops on day 2 (layer 2) would be red, and all of my stops on day 3 (layer 3) would be blue. Organizing pins and layers this way makes it a lot easier to visualize your day-to-day itinerary on the map.

That’s just what works for me, so obviously you don’t have to do it that way. You can organize your pins and layers in any way that makes sense to you.

WHEN TO MAKE SEPARATE MAPS 

Personally, I prefer to make a single map for my road trip itineraries whenever possible. But that won’t work for everything or for everyone.

Sometimes maps can get confusing if you have a lot of stops to make. Other times you’ll find that you need more than 10 layers or directions between more locations than Google Maps allows.

To solve these problems, you may opt to create several maps. Perhaps you’ll find it easier to create a separate map for each day of your road trip, or create one map dedicated just to a certain type of location or activity.

For example, we created two separate maps for our road trip through New Zealand. One map for the North Island and one map for the South Island.

5. ADDING DIRECTIONS TO YOUR GOOGLE MAP

. What good would a Google Maps itinerary be if you couldn’t get driving directions?

To add driving directions to your Google Map , click on “Add Directions” (the arrow icon) under the search bar. A new layer will appear (you cannot add directions without it adding a new layer).

Click on “Add Directions” simply by clicking on a pinned location on the map. It will populate in point “A” . Click on a second location on the map, which will populate in point “B” . The route will show up as a blue line on the map.

The original directions will only give you the option to add points “A” and “B”. To add more destinations, click on “Add destinations”. You can add up to 10 destinations.

NOTE:  This may seem obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: When you connect locations, make sure to do it in the order that makes sense. Don’t just add directions between two random locations. Make sure to do it in order!

To choose between driving, walking, or bicycle directions , click on the Directions button in the layer (the blue car icon). Then click on the appropriate mode of transportation.

VIEW STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS

To view step-by-step directions, click the three dots to the right of the little of the directions layer > click “Step-by-step directions”.

ADJUSTING YOUR ROUTE

Google maps will automatically calculate the shortest route between locations. But you can easily change the route if you prefer to take a different one (i.e. to take the more scenic route, avoid tolls/highways, etc.).

To adjust the route between two points , hover your cursor anywhere along the blue line. Your cursor will change from a hand to an arrow over a white dot. A dialogue box will say “Drag to change route”. Click and drag the white dot to the desired road or highway on the map.

. 6. HOW TO ACCESS CUSTOM GOOGLE MAPS ON YOUR PHONE 

. There are two ways to access your custom Google Maps on your phone.  You can  (1) reference your map through the Google Maps app  or (2) export the entire map for offline access using Maps.me . Which method you use depends on your personal preference.

Steps are the same for iPhone and Android.

1. To view your maps in the Google Maps app:

• You will need to download Google Maps, if you haven’t done it already
• Sign into the same Google Drive account you used to create the map
• Click on the search bar > “…More” > scroll to the right and click “Maps”
• Select your custom map

How to view your custom Google Map on your phone using the Google Maps app .

Essential tips for using the Google Maps app:

• Accessing step-by-step directions:  When you open your map in the Google Maps app, your directions layer will be visible, but you won’t be able to click on it and get the step-by-step directions. . Instead, navigate to the individual location pins on the map. Click the pin and the directions instruction will populate in the search bar. Click on the search bar and then hit “Search”. This will exit your custom map and open up the regular Google Maps navigation screen. .
• Accessing your map offline:  You can’t. There is currently no way to access your custom map offline in the Google Maps app. Which is obviously not ideal if you’re traveling without cell phone service or wifi. . You can download an area for use offline by clicking on your photo (the circle in the upper right corner) > “Offline maps” > “select your own map”. However, when you do this, the map will be blank and you’ll have to repin/save all of your pins. You can repin/save locations by searching for the location > “save” > and then either add to an existing list or create a new list.

2. To export your custom map to Maps.me:

This method is quite a workaround, but (unlike the Google Maps app) it allows you to access your custom map offline without having to repin anything.

On your desktop: 

• Open your map on desktop
• Click the 3 dots next to the map title > select “Export to KML” > check the box next to “Export to .KML file instead of .KMZ”.
• Make this file accessible through your phone by uploading it to Dropbox, Google Drive, email, or any other file sharing app.

On your phone:

• Download the Maps.me app
• Search for the city, state, or country your map is based in and then download
• Go to your photo sharing app and open your .KML file with Maps.me
• You’ll be directed to your custom map in Maps.me

Tips for using Maps.me

If you download your map in Maps.me, you’ll be able to use it offline. However, the major drawback is that you will only be able to access step-by-step directions from your current location. So, even though your directions layers will populate on your map, you’ll only be able to view the drive times and not the actual directions, unless one of those points is your current location.

That being said, I am not a Maps.me expert.  So, if you have an update or workaround for this issue, please reach out and let me know :)

7. CREATE A SHARED GOOGLE MAP

You might want to share your map if you’re planning a trip with someone else, collaborating on an itinerary, or sharing your map on a website.

To share your Google Map , open the map > click “share” in the gray bar above the layers. Make sure the slider for “Anyone with this link can view” is set to blue. Then copy the link and send it to friends!

To embed your map on a website , check that your sharing sliders are set to “Anyone with this link can view” and “Let others search for and find this map on the internet”. Next, click the menu (the three dots) next to the map title > then click “Embed on my site”. Copy the HTML and paste it in the source code for your page.

8. BONUS: CALCULATE GAS MILEAGE

. Download my customizable Travel Expense Planner below for free . Use it to easily and automatically calculate how much money you’ll spend on gas, using your custom Google Map!

And there you have it! All the tips, tricks, and general instructions on how to use Google Maps as a road trip planning tool . As always, if you have any questions or have anything to add, leave a comment below. I love to hear from you!

Happy adventuring!

Did you find this Google Maps road trip planning tutorial helpful? Don’t forget to pin it for later!

Hi, I’m Jackie! I’m a travel photographer and content creator based near the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. I’m also a millennial who works full-time, yet I still find ways to travel frequently without breaking the bank, because traveling is what makes me feel most alive. Now I help fellow travelers who also work 9-5 and are looking for ways to travel more with limited PTO.

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27 comments.

[…] Krawiecki, J. (n.d.). How To Plan Your Road Trip With Google Maps. The Adventure Atlas. Retrieved from How To Plan Your Road Trip With Google Maps (Tutorial With Examples) | The Adventures Atlas  […]

[…] that an SUV or an RV is better suited for the whole family. Once you’ve secured your vehicle, map out your route, research the stops that you want to make, and make a list of the things that you’ll need to […]

[…] You won’t have service once you get there though, so I suggest downloading offline Google Maps of the area before you go. To learn how to download offline Google Maps, visit my blog post on How To Plan Your Road Trip Using Google Maps […]

[…] How to Plan Your Road Trip Using Google Maps […]

[…] How to Plan Your Trip Using Google Maps […]

All I needed when I googled “how to plan a trip in google maps” was to be pointed in the right direction of where to look for the feature. This went WAY beyond what I could have ever asked for and helped SO MUCH! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hi Nicole – I’m SO glad to hear you found this post helpful!

[…] How to plan a road trip using Google Maps […]

Hello Jackie, and thanks for the very informative article! It was well written and I used Google Maps on my last trip to the Baja in Mexico. One other tool I used was the free trip planner from Geovea https://geovea.com/trip_plan/new_trip to create and share my trip, and estimate my trip budget. You can also take your itinerary with you on your phone for navigation. I really appreciate all of the great travel guides and already planning my next trip :-)

Thank you for sharing all of this valuable information! I see how to view the turn-by-turn directions, but is there a way to start the route so you can follow it while driving? Thanks!!

[…] How to Plan Your Road Trip using Google Maps […]

This literally just changed my life! Thank you for sharing how to use google maps to plan a road trip. I will use this all the time now!

Hey there – so happy to hear you found this post useful!

[…] Planning a Costa Rica road trip? Read: How To Plan Your Road Trip With Google Maps (Tutorial With Examples) […]

[…] a large geographical area you need to give your trip a bit of structure. You can start by using Google Maps to plot and plan your journey so you can make a note of all the destinations you are interested in. You can then agree on a few […]

[…] Read next: How To Plan Your Road Trip With Google Maps (Tutorial With Examples) […]

said no driving directions from point a to point b, so i couldn’t get started. E.G. Badland SD to Mt Rushmore to Custer Nat. Park, I need a little more direction, i’m not to good with comp. thanks

Hey Billy – Sometimes Google Maps won’t recognize directions to very general areas because it wants you to use something more specific. This most often happens with National Parks and wilderness areas. In those cases, Google Maps will generally present you with a list of specific locations you can choose from, such as the park’s ranger stations, visitors centers, etc. However, in your situation, I was able to pull up directions using “Badlands National Park”, “Mount Rushmore National Memorial”, and “Custer National Forest”. Hope that helps!

[…] necessary than you suppose to sleep, bathe and plan for slower days. A very good rule of thumb is to plan in rest time each three days. That method, you possibly can push your self however forestall exhaustion in your […]

[…] essential than you assume to sleep, bathe and plan for slower days. An excellent rule of thumb is to plan in rest time each three days. That means, you possibly can push your self however stop exhaustion in your […]

I’ve been a user of paper maps, since before the Internet, or color TV for that matter. For an up coming trip, basically Texas to FL, and back, I decided to make better use of Google Maps. A google search brought me to this page. Super helpful, and the pins per layer note answered a long standing confusion of mine. Thank you. I do have one question. Is there a way to to add waypoints based on distance or travel time? For example, this is going to be a two day trip. I want to find the halfway point (easily)? Or in the case of a longer trip, I want to drive X miles or Y hours? I know I can trial and error it, but what if I want the half-way point? What’s the easiest way to find it? Or where will I be in 8 hours of driving? Thank so much! Cheers, Eric

Hey Eric – thanks so much for your comment! Unfortunately, I don’t know of an easy way to calculate your half way point or location after x amount of hours. I typically eyeball it, which might be the only way to find your answer

Thanks very much, it is really helpful

This was most helpful for creating a personal map. I tried it and created a practice map on my laptop; named it and accessed it exactly like your instructions indicate. The part that has me puzzled is the accessing it from your phone. I have used Google maps on my phone for a long time and believe I am signed in using the same account. The Google Maps app on the phone identifies me (the right end if the search bar has my initial and shows the account when tapped.) When I tap the search bar I get to the … More but that is it. All I then see is the opportunity to set my Home and Work Locations but no listing of My Maps.

On the laptop going to the Menu (bars at left side of Search) allows access to Lists, Labeled, Visited, and Maps. (Maps is the one, as you indicate, to get to your personal Maps.) On my phone the only thing that seems to be available is the Labeled option. What am I missing to get to the Maps? I feel like there must be a switch somewhere to have the Maps come through … but I can’t seem to find it! Hoping you or someone can point me in the right direction. Thank you.

Without creating a custom map, is there a way to display a route in Google Maps and show attractions at the same time?

You’ve written a terrific guide and I’m learning a lot more about Google maps. Is there some way to print this guide or download a printable copy? Thanks.

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How to Use Google My Maps to Plan a Trip (Ultimate Guide)

Note: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. More details are  here .

I love a good map. I’ve got maps hanging on my walls. I go to the bookstore to read maps. Whenever I navigate my way home using only a map, I feel like I must have some innate bushcraft skills. And if you’ve read my posts about traveling in Maine , you’re probably sick of me talking about the DeLorme Atlas by now.

But while reading paper maps will always inspire a sense of get-up-and-go adventure for me, I’m not totally opposed to using tech for planning my trips and navigating on the ground.

And one of my favorite techy solutions? A secret little trip planner called Google My Maps, buried inside of everyone’s favorite map tool.

Google My Maps lets you create shareable custom maps with multiple layers, plus location pins with icons and notes. It’s a great way to brainstorm travel plans or create a trip itinerary from a desktop. And since the map can be viewed in the Google Maps app, you can use it to navigate on the go. 

To give you an example of what this post will show you how to do, here’s one of the custom Google Maps I’ve created for a trip.

Keep reading for an overview of how to use Google My Maps to plan a trip, plus a video tutorial of how to set it up—all updated in 2023. I’ll also share answers to commonly asked questions and some lesser known tips to help you get the most out of this tool. 

A quick note: Creating a custom map in Google My Maps is distinct from Google Lists of saved places. Check out our Google My Maps vs Lists comparison to see all the differences and our full guide to using Google Maps Lists .

8 Top Google My Maps Features

(AKA Why It’s Awesome)

Google My Maps allows you to see your trip itinerary. 

This is so helpful, especially if you’re a visual person or enjoy using maps. But even if you’re not, it’s still really useful to see where everything is in relation to each other as you plan your trip, vacation, or holiday because it helps you be realistic about your plans.

It connects with other Google apps. 

Setting aside my (ahem, very rational) fear that they may take over the world soon, I love all things Google. My Maps stores a copy of the map in whatever Google Drive account you’re using. (Am I the only one who has six of these?) So if you like to create Google Docs or folders to store trip planning information, documents, photos, or itineraries, it’s nice to have your map easily accessible in the same folder.

You get additional location information since it’s part of Google Maps. 

If a location is on Google, you can see their website, phone number, address, reviews, and website when you add it to your custom map. (Note that you can’t see this information when clicking on your saved pin from the Google Maps app, but you can from desktop.)

You can add your own extra notes and photos.

Customize your map even more by adding notes, photos, or videos. Use the notes during planning to add website, hours, or tips. If I hear about the location from a particular website, I usually add that link and what was noted in the article about the location (e.g., it’s a great sunset spot, which dish on the menu is recommended) so I can reference it later.

You can view your route by creating a layer with directions. 

When I traveled to Burlington, Vermont, I wanted to see the length of the bike trail on the map, so I used the directions feature to show the whole route. (Check out the Burlington travel guide for an example of the travel map I created that includes the bike path route.) And while I haven’t done this yet, you could also use Google My Maps to plan a road trip itinerary for a longer adventure. 

Caveat: As I’ll discuss later, you can’t use directions layers to get turn-by-turn directions (but I mention an alternative below). For this reason, I only use these layers to visualize my route.

It’s highly customizable. 

Don’t mind me while I swoon over the color coding and organization options over here. Use custom icons, layers, and colors so it’s easy to see what things are at a glance. For example, you can give different locations individual styles: a coffee cup icon for cafes, a bed icon for hotels, and a swimming icon for beaches. You can also use layers in many different ways, such as one layer for each day of your trip or one layer for each category (like dining, lodging, and things to do).

In-depth planning on your computer. Easy, on-the-go access from your phone. 

While you can’t edit the maps from the Google Maps app on iPhone or Android, you (and anyone you’ve shared them with) can view them. You can click on icons and see your notes, as well as navigate to those locations. 

Note that there used to be a dedicated My Maps app on Android, but this has been deprecated. 

It’s easy to share it with a friend or with the world. 

If you’re planning a trip with other people, it’s easy to share the map with others . And if it’s something you want to make available to everyone (like I do on my travel guide posts), just change the privacy setting and share the link or embed it on a website.

3 Ways to Use Google My Maps

Brainstorm and store ideas for future “maybe” trips. 

I often come across a really interesting hotel, restaurant, or fun thing to do in destinations I want to travel to in the future, and I want to make sure I don’t forget about them. I have so many bookmarks in so many places (Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram), but Google My Maps is the place I’ve started storing ideas for future trips.

Plan your trip itinerary. 

Want to use Google Maps for route planning? When you’re ready to plan an upcoming trip, plot it out visually by using Google My Maps to create your itinerary. If you like structured itineraries, you can easily create a detailed day-to-day plan. 

Or, you can use a looser itinerary structure like we usually do by adding all the places you might like to go. 

For example, on a day trip to NYC, we added tons of places to eat on the map (thank you, Tiktok). As we were walking around doing other activities and started to get hungry, we were able to easily see which saved restaurants were closest to us. 

Navigate on the go.

Whether you’re using your map loosely for ideas or for a structured itinerary, you can pull it up on your phone anytime and get directions to your next location. 

Not sure what you want to do today, or want to see what the closest restaurant from your list is for dinner? Pop into your custom map to jog your memory from the notes you made or to get directions to your next location.

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How to Use Google My Maps to Plan a Trip

How to create a new custom map.

Go to Google My Maps from your desktop browser . Check the Google icon in the top right corner to make sure you’re using the Google account you want to. Click “Create A New Map” and a window will open with a blank map. To give your map a name and description , click the map name (“Untitled Map”).

You can also change the color and style of the base map if desired. At the bottom of the layer panel on the left, click the arrow next to “Base Map.” You’ll get a window with nine options, including terrain, light political (a very light version of the standard Google Maps), satellite, and some different colored versions. Note that changing the base map style on desktop won’t change anything when viewing on mobile in Google Maps.

How to Add and Edit Layers

When you create a new map, the first layer will already be created, so you’ll probably want to rename it. To give your first layer a title , click directly on the title name like you did with the map name, or click the 3 dots next to “Untitled Layer” and then click “Rename Layer.” Clicking these 3 dots next to a layer title is also how you can delete a layer if you add one accidentally or change your mind. In this example, I’m changing my first layer to “dining” and will add all restaurants to this layer.

You can use layers any way you want to, or simply stick to one layer if you don’t need multiple. To add new layers , simply click “Add Layer” in the gray section below the map title and description.

To move a pin between layers , click the pin on the layer and hold down the mouse, and then drag it to the desired layer.

How to Add Location Pins

There are various ways to add location pins to a layer. First, make sure the correct layer is chosen by clicking anywhere in the white area on the layer. You’ll see which layer is selected by looking for the blue bar on the left of the layer.

• In the map search bar, type either a place name or an address. Click “Add to Map” to add a pin for this location . This is how I add most pins.
• If you don’t need an exact location or don’t have an address , you can click the pin marker button below the map search bar (“Add Marker”). It will turn your mouse into a T and you can click anywhere on the map to add a blank pin. You’ll immediately be prompted to add the pin title and description.
• If you’re dealing with very remote locations (or you just like geeky map stuff), you can also use latitude and longitude coordinates in the search bar.

To delete a pin , simply click on it and click the trash icon.

A few tips and best practices for adding pins:

• If the place you’re searching for does not have a listing on Google, you’ll have to use an address. One thing to note is that sometimes Google Maps listings aren’t correct or don’t take you to the right place, so you may want to double check the location if you’re not using a street address to add the pin (especially if it’s a small business without a website).
• I have also found that hiking trail heads are frequently on Google Maps, but they’re not always correct in terms of navigating there by car. I usually add them to my map to get a basic idea of where they are while planning, but I use a paper map or atlas to find them while traveling.

How to Customize Location Pins

To change the title and add notes to your listing, click on the pin on the map, and then click the pencil icon (“Edit”).

To change the color and icon of the pin , click the paint bucket icon (from the pin itself or directly in the layer). Click “More Icons” to view all the icon options. You can color code by type of activity, by layer, or any way that makes sense to you.

To add photos or videos to a pin , click on the pin on the map, and then click the camera icon (“Add Image or Video”). This is another way to make your map interactive, especially after you’ve visited a location and want to share it with others.

How to Add A Directions Layer

I find that directions layers are helpful for showing the route of a walking tour, bike path, or road trip you want to take, but I don’t find them useful for directions while traveling since I can simply use the maps app to navigate. 

I use directions layers whenever I want to show an entire route on a map , rather than a specific location. Think of this as the 2024 version of mapping out a trip with AAA paper maps and a highlighter (if you’re old enough to remember).

Click the arrow icon underneath the search bar, which will create a new directions layer. On the legend, click “Driving” if you want to change this to walking or biking directions. Add a location name or address to Points A and B in the legend. If you find that the pins are not exactly where they should be, you can drag the points on the map.

Continue adding points by clicking “Add Destination” on the map. You can either type the information into the legend or hover your mouse to a spot on the map and double click it. (This is especially useful if you’re tracing a route on something like a bike path or hiking trail that won’t have an address.)

Rearrange the order by dragging the items around in the legend. Just like altering directions on Google Maps navigation, you can click on part of the route and drag it to a different road if you want to change part of the route after it is complete.

If you need to access the directions so you can see the distance of your route or the time it will take, click the three dots on the layer and click “Step-by-Step Directions.” Note that you can’t actually use this to get turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.

How to Share A Google My Map

There are several options for sharing your Google Maps trip plan.

Open up your map, then click the share button in the gray bar above your layers. To allow others to view your map (which includes embedding on your website), click “change” under the section “Who has access.” For embedding, you will need to make this setting public.

Otherwise, if you want to allow others to edit your map, add their email address in the “invite people” section.

How to View Your Custom Map in Google Maps (iPhone or Android)

Open Google Maps and go to the Saved icon at the bottom. Scroll to the bottom of this screen and click “Maps.” Choose the My Map you want to view. The layers with your custom icons will now be visible on your Google Map. You can click on any pin to view your details (such as description or photos), as well as to navigate there. 

To close a map, click on a pin and then click “View Map Legend.” There, you can click the Close icon.

From the Map Legend, you can also toggle layers on and off, and then backing out to the main map (don’t click Close—just the back arrow or back button).

How to Navigate with a Custom My Map (iPhone or Android)

To navigate to one of your pins, open your map, find the pin for where you want to go, click it, and then click “directions.” When you do this, you won’t see your custom map anymore but will be looking at the regular navigation of Google Maps.

You can’t use a My Maps “directions layer” for navigation. If you’re looking for that functionality, I recommend just creating a route in Google Maps and sending it to your phone (or sharing with others). See here for more details. 

How to Import Locations from Google Sheets, CSV, or Excel

Importing locations to a My Maps layer can be helpful in a few scenarios:

• You have a significant amount of locations to add to your layer
• Your data is already in the form of a spreadsheet
• You want additional fields included besides the default Name and Description
• You want to create groupings of pins (for example, a list of 50 restaurants could have a column for “Cuisine,” which will give you the option to group and style the pins by cuisine)

The process is simple, and you can import a variety of file types, including CSV, Excel (XLSX), or directly from Google Sheets. There are also special file formats that import map data from other programs, but this section is focused on spreadsheet-type files that you create and format.

Create a spreadsheet with the desired column headers. At a minimum, you need place names and either addresses or latitude-longitude information . 

If you want to group your pins by some type of categorization, you should include that as a column. Other columns you could include: website, phone number, description, or notes. While Google Sheets allows you to include photos in a cell, Google My Maps will not import photos in this way (it will include the column as a field, but will be blank). 

Once your spreadsheet file is ready, click “Import” on a blank layer (if your map already has layers, you will need to add a new layer to see this option). If uploading a CSV or XLSX, do this from the Upload tab. If using a Google Sheet, click the Google Drive tab and choose your file. 

Choose which column has location data (address or latitude-longitude) and click “Continue.” Choose the location name column next and click “Finish.” 

To change the icons individually, click “Uniform Style” next to the paintbrush on your layer. Under “Group Places By,” choose “Individual Styles.”

To change styles by a category column (such as Cuisine), click the link next to the paintbrush and choose to group places by the desired column. You can then give each category its own color or icon.

You can manually add new pins to this layer, and they will include all the fields you imported from the spreadsheet columns. 

You can also add more items to your spreadsheet, and import this new data. Click the three dots on your layer. Under “Reimport and Merge,” click “Add More Items” and choose your file. It will add the new rows to your layer.

How to Import a Route from Google Maps Timeline History (KML) or GPS Data From a Fitness App (GPX)

Google My Maps can import routes and locations you’ve already traveled to via special file types that are very easy to download from certain apps. This could be useful if you want to share a walking, biking, or driving route that you’ve taken without having to recreate it on a directions layer. 

Note that this only works as well as the GPS satellites were able to track your location while you were traveling.

If there are a lot of clouds, dense forest, buildings, or anything else blocking the GPS signal, your tracked route will be much less precise. I’ve noticed that Google Maps sometimes has my route showing somewhere I couldn’t have walked or driven. 

If you have your location history turned on in Google Maps, you can download a KML file from a trip, which will include the route traveled and location pins for any stops. Sometimes it misses a location name or adds a pin in the wrong place, but overall it’s pretty good.

Go to your Google Maps Timeline and locate the day you want to export. Click on it, and you should now see your route highlighted along with any stops you made. Now click the gear icon on the bottom of your map, and click “Export this day to KML.” Go to your My Map and on a new layer, click “Import.” Choose the KML file you just downloaded. You can now edit each portion as needed—changing the color and thickness of the route line, changing the location icons, as well as adjusting the route where desired.

If you have other apps that track your location, such as fitness apps, you may be able to download a GPX file that shows the route you took. The instructions for doing this will vary from app to app, but I was able to easily find it in Samsung Health by looking at the detail of a particular workout/walk and clicking the three dots to download a GPX. The import process to Google My Maps is the same as above.

With both methods, you can make adjustments to points/stops along the way or even add more pins. With the Google Maps KML file, you can also adjust your route by moving the small white dots.

Google My Maps Tutorial

Here’s a walk through video to show you how to use Google Maps to plan a trip, along with several of my own Google My Maps itinerary examples. Coming soon: a 2024 update!

Google My Maps Examples

Here are a few more examples of My Maps I’ve created for sharing recommendations, trip ideas, and actual vacation planning.

Google My Maps FAQs and Tips

As great as Google My Maps is for planning a trip, there are some limitations to using it. Lots of questions have also come up about more specific uses and ways to use its features. Thanks to all the readers who have asked or shared tips in the comments as I’m always looking to make this a more robust guide. I’ve organized the questions and tips here since it makes it easier than scrolling through the comments.

How many layers can you add to a map?

Google My Maps limits you to 10 layers. If you are planning a longer road trip and want to create a layer for each day, this limitation may prove frustrating. 

Here are a couple of workaround ideas: You can create 2 maps, and have the entire master route as 1 layer on each (showing the very basic route for all 12 days—say from city to city) as a reference. Then build individual layers for each day. As a second option, you could add multiple days to 1 layer and change the titles to start with the day they correspond to (so it would be “1 – Name of Place” instead of just “Name of Place.”) However, this option may not be ideal since you can’t see the titles until you click when you’re on the phone.

How many location pins can you add to each layer?

You can add up to 2,000 pins per layer, and the entire map cannot exceed 10,000 lines, shapes, or places total. I haven’t tested the limits, and it’s possible adding this amount of items could slow things down. My guess is that most travelers wouldn’t need anything so large, but it is possible according to Google . 

Are custom Google My Maps available offline?

No, but keep reading for a workaround and alternative. 

One of the biggest complaints about Google My Maps is that you can’t download your custom map and pins to use offline, unlike the rest of Google Maps. 

However, I have been able to use it in areas with spotty reception. I pulled the map up when I did have reception, and I left it running in the background. It would stay loaded in the app and I was able to pull it up to look at it later when I was out of reception. I’m not sure I would rely on this as a surefire workaround, but it can work in a pinch.

Another alternative, especially if you’ll be traveling in another country where you’ll be completely offline, is to use Google Maps Lists, which can be edited from desktop or your phone but don’t offer the option for separate layers, unique icons, or adding photos. 

Is there an app for Google My Maps?

There is no separate Google My Maps app, but you can view your maps within Google Maps. Just make sure you’re signed into the same account, and all your maps will sync. 

(There used to be a dedicated My Maps app on Android, but this was deprecated in 2021.)

Can you create or edit maps from your phone?

No, the maps cannot be edited from the Google Maps app. Google My Maps can only be created or edited from the desktop version of the site. This is another huge advantage Google Lists has over Google My Maps because Lists allow you to add new places or entire lists from any device—iPhone, Android, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

Is there a bridge height filter?

No. For RVers and others who need to plan ahead for height limitations, there is no bridge height filter available in Google Maps. Since I haven’t had to use this feature myself, I am not confident in an alternative to recommend. However, from a bit of digging around, there are some apps and GPS units for truckers that may be a good place to start looking if you have an oversize vehicle.

What is the difference between Google Maps Lists and Google My Maps?

They both allow you to create custom maps with pins, but there are some key differences, such as offline access, layer capabilities, customizable pins, and creating/editing within the app. Check out the details on how Google My Maps compares to Lists (including a features comparison table).

How many stops can you add on a directions layer?

You can only add 10 stops per directions layer. This is also the maximum number of stops you can add for navigation in Google Maps. As some readers have pointed out, this can be limiting when you want to use this feature for a long road trip.

Can you use the directions layers on your phone for navigation purposes?

No, you cannot create a directions layer and then access those turn-by-turn directions for navigation in the Google Maps app. 

So…are directions layers totally useless? What’s the point of having a Driving Directions layer in My Maps?

Personally, I still like to use these layers, but only to show a route for my very visual brain, rather than to actually create custom directions. 

Can you send a custom created route (layer) to someone else so that the other person will take that specific driving route on google maps?

No, you can’t do this from My Maps, but there’s a workaround I can suggest.

Forget My Maps, and use Google Maps from desktop or mobile to plot a route. You can add up to 10 stops, and then you will be able to share your custom directions. 

From desktop, there’s an extra step in first sending the directions to your phone. If you’ve created the directions in the mobile app or once you have them pulled up there, you can share them with anyone by clicking the 3 dots next to your list of locations (sharing must be done before clicking “Start”—if you’re already in the navigation, you need to back out of it to share). When you share, it will list all the steps as well as send a link for the other person to open the directions in Google Maps directly. 

An important caveat to sharing custom routes: Google Maps will reroute the directions as it normally does according to current traffic at the time of driving, so this method cannot be relied upon if you’ve mapped a specific route for bridge clearances. As a workaround, you can add “stops” on the desired interstate (zoom in and add this literally on the road itself so navigation doesn’t try to take you off an exit), which will force Google Maps to take the driver that way. This is what I do when driving south from Connecticut to PA because Google Maps always wants me to take its beloved George Washington Bridge and I always don’t want to. I add a stop to force my route across the Tappan Zee Bridge. However, I’m not sure I would rely on this workaround as a sole method for RVs or truckers.

Can you see how much time the directions will take?

Yes, on desktop you can view the details if you want to know the distance or how long a route will take. To view distance and time for a directions layer, click the 3 dots on the laye, then click Step-by-Step Directions. 

Of course, this doesn’t really help when you want to get this information on your phone or use the directions for navigation. As mentioned elsewhere, the “directions” layer functions best as a way to visualize a route. If you need turn-by-turn directions, see the steps mentioned above to save and send directions in Google Maps. 

This post was originally published on July 27, 2017 and has been updated in May 2023.

Travel Photographer | FAA Certified Drone Pilot

Naomi is the coffee-loving, crazy-about-Latin-America writer and photographer behind everything here. She's guided by curiosity and a belief that every place has a story to tell–whether it’s through the intricate details of nature, history that has shaped a culture, or the people who call a place home. Learn More

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Plan your commute or trip

Find traffic & transit info.

You can use Google Maps to quickly find all of your frequent trips in one tap. You’ll get information about your ETA, the traffic reports and the accidents along the way.

​ Tip : To show the map, tap anywhere on the map or drag the tabs back down.

Change the way you commute

• Search for your destination in the search bar at the top.
• At the bottom, tap on “Directions.”
• At the top, select your transportation mode.
• Select your preferred route.

You can pin your trip and find it back in the Go tab next time you need it.

Set a reminder to leave for your trip

Plan for your next trip using your iPhone or iPad to make sure you arrive on time.

• At the top, type a destination.

• Choose your transportation mode.

• When to leave : Tap Depart.
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• Set a time.

Change the mode of transportation for part of your trip

Tip: Only available on mobile and in some locations.

You can combine different modes of transportation, like driving, ride-sharing, or bicycling with transit on the same trip.

Once you’ve selected your route and can view the directions, you may be able to change how you travel for part of your trip. The rest of the route, like transit departure times and total journey time, will be updated when you change the mode of transportation.

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Last Updated: January 23, 2024

An Essential Google Map Trip Planning Guide [2022]

Wondering how to plan a trip with Google Maps? Check out this essential guide to Google Map trip planning!

Danny Newman

Want to learn all about Google Map trip planning? I hope this guide helps!

You’re planning a trip to an exciting new destination.

You’ve bookmarked several blogs that recommend fun activities and must-see attractions.

You have a list of restaurant recommendations from a friend who visited the area last year. And, somewhere in your phone, you’ve jotted down a note about the cool hotel you saw on Instagram.

Now it’s finally time to create your itinerary!

…But you have no idea where to start.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could save and access all of that previous information in one convenient location?

Did you know that’s exactly what you can do with the Google maps trip planner?

If you’ve never tried planning a trip on Google maps, you’re missing out on one of the best online travel tools. Best of all, it’s absolutely free!

Keep reading for your ultimate guide to Google map trip planning and discover just how easy it can be.

Here we go then: how to plan a trip on Google Maps!

Interest in planning a Google itinerary? You might also enjoy these:

• 101 Ways to Say Good Luck on Your New Journey
• 20 Benefits of Solo Travel
• 50 Fascinating Facts About Travel
• 75 Essential Things to Pack for Travel
• Key Features of the Experience of Travel
• 100 Reasons I love to Travel (& You Will Too)

1. Create Your First Google Map

No doubt you’ve been using Google maps for years. But maybe you’ve never planned a trip itinerary with Google maps!

Heck, maybe you didn’t even know this was a feature!

To get started, make sure you’re logged into your Google account (if for any reason you don’t have one yet, this link will get you set up with just a few clicks).

Next, visit the main Google maps page .

It will automatically detect your location and show you the surrounding area. Don’t worry about typing in your destination just yet — we’ll get to that shortly!

Look at the top left corner and you’ll see a search bar and an icon with three horizontal bars.

Click on the icon and select “Your Places,” which you’ll find a little more than halfway down the drop-down list.

Planning a trip on google maps is easier than it first seems! Step 1: Create your map!

Four options will appear: Labeled, Saved, Visited, and Maps.

Click on “Maps” on the far right side. You’ll probably see a message that says “No Maps.”

That’s okay! Glance down to the bottom of the menu and you’ll see the option for “Create Map.”

This will open a new window, where you can enter a title and description for your map by clicking on “untitled map” in the top left corner.

You’ll have to find the actual location for your map too!

Do this by searching for a particular place in the search bar or navigating there yourself by clicking and dragging.

Depending on your destination, you could have a broad map of the whole country, or you can create specific maps for each city on your itinerary.

For example, you could create one map for an overview of Italy, followed by individual maps for Rome, Florence, and Venice.

The key is to choose a system that works for you and helps you stay organized.

Once you’ve entered the map title and description, click the “Save” button. Congratulations — you’ve just created your first Google map!

Creating categories is a crucial part of how to plan a trip with Google maps.

2. Select Categories for Your Google Itinerary

The next step is to choose certain categories for locations you’ll save in your custom map (more on how to do this in a second).

Start with the basics, such as:

• Restaurants and bars
• Coffee shops
• Shopping areas
• Train and bus stations

These “essentials” form the backbone of any trip! You might also consider adding other categories based on the type of trip you’re planning and the number of stops you’ll make.

For example:

• Cities and towns (for a long road trip )
• Scenic areas for photo ops
• Museums and attractions
• Outdoor activities and sports
• Camping and hiking areas
• National parks
• Popular beaches or lakes
• Heritage tourism sites
• Car rental agencies

Choose the categories that make the most sense for your trip, or add other relevant ones that aren’t on that list.

Once you know which categories you want to use, click the “Add Layer” button on the left side of the screen.

The idea is to create a custom layer for each category.

Click on the “Untitled Layer” box and start entering each individual category. This will make it super easy to retrieve these layers later on.

You have your map and categories. The next part of Google itinerary planning is adding specific things you want to see and do along the way!

3. Add Your Must-See Locations

Now comes the fun part:

Filling in all the exciting places you want to visit!

This is the time to organize all those random ideas and recommendations you’ve got saved on your phone into one easy-to-use map.

Pool through your favourite travel blogs, YouTube channels, guidebooks, and social media channels for inspiration.

Maybe you already have a few bucket list items you plan to tick off the list during this trip?

Whatever the case, write it all down and get ready to add everything to your map!

Start by clicking on the layer you want to add a location to (i.e. Hotels) . Type in the name of your hotel into the search bar and hit enter.

When it appears on the menu, click “Add to Map”.

Google maps trip planner

You should then see your hotel appear in two places:

• As a marker on the map
• In the layer description on the left-hand side of the screen

You’ll also notice there’s a description box where you can add important details you want to remember (find it by clicking the little edit/pencil button on the location!).

For example, you could write “Try the stuffed French toast” at a popular brunch spot or “Closed on Mondays” for a museum you want to visit.

If you accidentally enter a location under the wrong category, there’s an easy fix. Just drag and drop the location into the desired category on the left!

But what if there’s a site that doesn’t appear or auto-populate on Google maps, such as a particular park statue or a mural you want to visit?

No problem!

Simply use the “Add marker” feature and drop a labelled pin icon in the location.

Bonus Tip: You can easily import locations from a spreadsheet or KML/KMZ files directly into your Google itinerary. You can even import photos if you want to go wild with customising your Google map!

One of the many helpful features of google map trip planning is that you can colour code everything.

4. Colour-Code & Customise Your Google Map

Speaking of customisation, this is where you’ll really love the Google map trip planning feature.

You can create a beautiful, visually organized itinerary for every aspect of your trip!

The best way to do this is by creating your own colour coding for each category.

All you have to do is click on the paint bucket icon that comes up at the bottom of the location marker’s pop-up window.

Top Tip: This is also an easy way to add in any personal notes you may have missed earlier. Just click on the pencil icon and fill in any important details you want to remember. For example, “Uncle Ted loves this restaurant, be sure to order their signature margarita.” Or, “Suzie raved about this day spa, she said to book a Thai massage.”)

With all your notes customised, it’s time to create a colour system that makes sense to you.

You could try a priority system where you label “things I must see” items in green, “things I’d like to see” in yellow, and “things to see if I have time” in orange.

Another suggestion is to colour code broader categories into more specific groups.

E.g. You could mark shopping centres in purple, museums in red, and tour agencies in grey.

Top Tip: Blue location markers tend to be difficult to spot on the map, especially if you have dozens of markers in one city. Try to brighten things up with other colours that stand out more on the screen!

Once you have everything organised, be sure to hit the “Save” button.

You’ll find everything stored neatly under its assigned category, along with the address, phone number, and website.

This will be invaluable when you’re ready to buy tickets to a show or book a table at a popular restaurant. You’ll have all the information you need right at your fingertips!

Here’s a quick run down of how to plan a road trip on Google maps, as well as walking and cycling routes in your Google itinerary.

5. Create Road Trips & Walking/Cycling Routes

There’s another feature you’ll love when planning a trip with Google maps:

DIY routes.

You can create your own driving, cycling, and walking routes (complete with stops) with just a few clicks.

To get started, click the “Draw line” icon. You’ll see four different options come up:

• Add line or shape
• Add driving route
• Add cycling route
• Add walking route

Once you’ve made your selection, click “Add direction.”

This will automatically add a new layer to your map that you can easily access later. After that, all you have to do is select Point A and Point B.

You can add up to 10 stops along the way, which you can always update, rearrange, or change later. If you want to alter the route, just drag the little white circle to the road or route you prefer.

You’re probably already used to calculating drive times with Google maps, but did you know you can do the same with walking and cycling routes?

Just click the three little dots beside the direction name and select “Step-by-step directions.” This will provide you with a complete breakdown of travel time in minutes between each stop.

Bonus Tip: Make sure you’ve downloaded Google maps onto your phone before you travel so you can access your custom maps (even if you’re offline).

You might also want to share your map itinerary with travelling companions or family members back home.

All you have to do is click the “Share” button under the map title and email it to your friends.

6. Plan Your Itinerary in Google Maps

Now that you know how to create a custom trip in Google maps, it’s time to use this information to plan your itinerary.

Zoom out until you can see all the locations you marked in the city, region, or country you’re visiting . This overview can help you make important decisions such as:

• Which neighbourhood to stay in
• Which hotel or vacation home to book
• Which airport, train station, or bus station to travel through
• Which activities or sites to group together
• Whether you need to rent a car, hire an Uber , or use public transportation
• Which attractions are within easy walking distance

You might also realize that a particular attraction is much further away from your hotel or other sites than you expected.

In that case, you could tweak your travel plans to include an extra day (or you may choose to skip that site altogether).

You can make better decisions about whether to visit certain sites independently or if it makes more sense to join an organized tour. You can also use this information to group activities and create a detailed itinerary for each day of your travels.

With that said, here’s my final tip for Google maps trip planning…

Last but not least when it comes to the Google maps trip planner: don’t go overboard!

7. Plan, But Don’t Overplan

Every successful trip requires some planning, of course!

For instance, you don’t want to plan your dream trip to Paris in the springtime, only to learn too late that the Louvre is closed every Tuesday .

Google maps trip planner is an excellent tool to help you visualize your itinerary and plan where to go each day. You can also view opening and closing hours and other helpful information for the sites you want to visit.

At the same time, don’t make the mistake of trying to fill every minute of every day.

Leave wiggle room in your itinerary to check out that awesome rooftop bar or share dinner with new friends from your walking tour. Learn how to go with the flow in case the weather’s bad or a “must see” site is closed.

In other words, don’t let a hiccup in your itinerary ruin your trip!

And no matter where you go, remember to keep your eyes open, slow down, and enjoy the moment. Remember: the whole reason we travel is to explore, discover, and have fun!

Google Map Trip Planning Made Simple

Google map trip planning can seem confusing when you’ve never done it before.

With a bit of practice, though, it’ll seem so easy you’ll wonder why you weren’t doing it sooner!

Google maps is a terrific tool to use when you travel, but it’s also helpful for planning your itinerary before you leave. You can visualise the exact location of everything you want to see and do, helping you plan each day and maximise your time.

Now that you know how to plan a trip with Google maps, all that’s left to do is plan your next adventure!

If you’d like some fresh inspiration for future travels, check out my list of 120 epic ideas for adventures .

Google will now let you use AI to build travel itineraries for your vacations

As we inch toward the summer holidays, Google is announcing a slate of travel updates that place it squarely in the travel planning process and give it a lot more insight into purchasing intent in the travel sector.

First up, Google is rolling out an update to its  Search Generative Experience (SGE) that will allow users to build travel itineraries and trip ideas using AI, the company announced on Wednesday.

The new capability — currently only available in English in the U.S. to users enrolled in Search Labs , its program that lets users experiment with early-stage Google Search experiences and share feedback — draws on ideas from sites across the web, along with reviews, photos and other details that people have submitted to Google for places around the world.

When users ask for something like “plan me a three day trip to Philadelphia that’s all about history,” they will get a sample itinerary that includes attractions and restaurants, as well as an overview of options for flights and hotels, divided up by times of day.

For now, the itineraries are just that: There are no options to buy services or experiences on the spot. When you’re happy with your itinerary, you can export it to Gmail, Docs or Maps.

Google has not commented on when or if it might roll this out more widely. But it points to how the company is experimenting with how and where it can apply its AI engine. A lot of players in the travel industry may be eyeing up the role that generative AI will play in travel services in the coming years — some excitedly, some warily. But even now, startups like Mindtrip and Layla , which provide users with access to AI assistants that are designed to help you plan your trips, are already actively pursuing this.

But with this new update, Google is taking on startups like these while also gathering data about travel purchasing intent (useful for its wider ad business) and learning what kind of appetite its users might have for such services.

Image Credits: Google

Google also announced that it’s making it easier to discover lists of recommendations in Google Maps in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. If you search for a city in Maps, you will now see lists of recommendations for places to go from publishers like The Infatuation, as well as from other users. You will also see curated lists of top, trending, and hidden gem restaurants in 40+ U.S. cities.

Finally, the company is adding new tools to help you customize lists you create, so you can better organize your travel plans or share your favorite spots with your friends and family. You can choose the order the places appear in a list so you can organize them by top favorites or chronologically like an itinerary. Plus, you can link to content from your social channels.

More From Forbes

Google announces 4 new travel tools to plan summer trips.

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Several Google platforms are offering helpful updates that can make it easier to compare travel options and plan for upcoming trips. Specifically, Search, Maps, and Shopping have improved travel tools. Here’s more about what has changed in each platform.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 09: The exterior of the new headquarters of Google is seen at 550 ... [+] Washington Street in Hudson Square on January 09, 2024 in New York City. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 1.3-million-square-foot project involved the restoration and expansion of the St. John’s Terminal building along the Hudson River waterfront. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Generative AI In Search

Google Search began incorporating generative AI to provide personalized travel tips during the summer of 2023. Since then, its research capabilities have improved. Capabilities include travel reviews, photos, and suggestions from over 200 million destinations.

This search experience suggests follow-up questions and allows users to type in questions to receive answers within seconds. It includes answer snippets and suggested links to learn more from topic experts.

It’s possible to start receiving these extra details by enrolling in Search Labs and enabling Search Generative Experience (SGE). After enabling this feature, look for the “generate” button on the search engine.

Recommendation Lists In Maps

Customizable lists of recommendations are rolling out in select cities when looking up locations in Google Maps . The curated collections can make it easier for first-time and repeat visitors to find the best restaurants, popular activities, and other current events.

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The recommendation lists have three different listing modes:

• Trending List: Updates weekly with places that see a notable uptick in popularity on Maps.
• Top List: Places that Maps users consistently love and provide positive ratings for.
• Gems List: Overlooked locations and secret spots with high ratings that are less visible than popular restaurants, stores, and attractions.

It’s also possible to create and share customizable lists. Further, the Google AI tools summarize photos and reviews that other visitors have left to expedite the research process.

Translate On-Screen Text

Since January 2024, select Android devices have the Circle to Search feature. It allows users to select text currently on the screen after long-pressing the navigation bar or home button. This tool doesn’t require switching apps and has circling, highlighting, scribbling, and tapping capabilities to learn more about that particular snippet.

Soon, this feature can translate text, including restaurant menu PDFs and social media posts.

This blog post lists capable devices and the rollout dates for other Android handhelds.

Personalized Travel Wardrobes

Most households may not realize that Google Shopping contains over 45 billion product listings, including travel gear. The Shopping Graph now provides personalized style recommendations after selecting the “style recommendations” label.

Other filters include customer reviews, merchants with discounted pricing, color, brand, and certain design features. It’s now easier to check off items on the packing list for trips during any season and to any destination.

The suggestions for travel-friendly clothing, luggage, and accessories become more precise as you rate options with a thumbs up or thumbs down. If it’s not an opportune time to buy, the shopping platform saves your preferences so you can find the most relevant matches in future searches.

Final Thoughts

These new features can help you easily build personalized itineraries using Google’s multiple travel and shopping tools. The new perks are in addition to recent travel bookings, including price protection coverage on qualifying flights and AI-powered trip planning functions.

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Google's latest AI tool will help you plan your next vacation — here's how it works

All from a simple search query

Google is bringing travel-related features to its new artificial intelligence search results including trip planning, reviews and photos of your destination — but its opt-in for now. Although the search giant has started putting AI into the main results .

Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a module that sits above the normal search results providing AI-generated insights into the search query. 

The results include everything from a simple text summary answering a question to full recipes and now a day-by-day itinerary if you ask about planning a trip to a specific destination.

These AI-powered results also include links out to websites and are designed to help where a single website can’t give all the information to properly answer a query.

What travel information is Google adding to SGE?

Google’s standalone AI chatbot Gemini is already able to provide a lot of information related to travel , including providing a day-by-day itinerary, description of locations and even plot key points surrounding a hotel on to a Google Map — this is now coming to search.

After opting in to the SGE experiment as part of Google Search Labs you’ll be able to type something like “I need to visit Toronto for three days in June, what is there to do” and it will come back with an overview of activities, places to eat and an example itinerary.

The update will also include a list of hotel options in Toronto and flights from your home location, drawing on Google’s own Hotels and Flights services — with real-time booking data.

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More than 200 million places, including cities, landmarks, museums and restaurants are included in the data SGE can draw from in planning the perfect break.

How does travel information in SGE work?

Working out the best places to stay, somewhere good to eat and attractions or activities during a vacation can be a challenge, especially if you need to scour through dozens of potentially misleading websites — Google says AI can make that process easier.

Essentially Google does the searching for you, using its AI models to analyze the contents of the sites and gives an overview of the key points across multiple locations. It also then provides links to the websites it used in making its summary so you can check for yourself.

[It is] easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options. Google

You can type something like “plan me a 3 day trip to Philadelphia that's all about history” into the normal Google search box and SGE will pop up with suggestions that include attractions, restaurants and all the necessary travel information.

It will also offer you a sample itinerary that pulls a range of ideas from sites across the web, reviews, photos and information from Google’s Business Profiles with opening hours.

Google says putting the links in one place, with contextual information from AI makes it “easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options.”

At launch it is only available in English and in the U.S. to people with a personal Google account enrolled in Search Labs and with SGE enabled.

More from Tom's Guide

• I put Google Search AI image generator to the test
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Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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Google wants to help plan your next trip with new tools in maps and search.

AI itineraries in Search and curated lists in Maps, just in time for summer travel season

• Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) will allow you to plan trips with detailed itineraries and suggestions.
• The update is further bridging the gap between SGE and Google's dedicated Gemini chatbot.
• Meanwhile, Google Maps is introducing curated lists of must-visit places, simplifying travel planning for users in the US and Canada.

Generative AI has pervaded nearly every aspect of Google’s business , right from Workspace tools to other core pillars of the business like Search and standalone projects like the Gemini chatbot. Although a lot of details still need to be ironed out, Google seems intent on including its Search Generative Experience (SGE) in Search results by default. To ensure users get the most out of this change, this summer, the company is maintaining the steady cadence of improvements with new capabilities coming to SGE and a few handy tweaks to Google Maps.

What is Google Search Labs?

If you haven’t heard, SGE started life as a Google Search Labs experiment in May 2023, and has since become available to billions of users around the world as an opt-in enhancement for the conventional search results page. The AI-generated summary usually collates information from the top links and summarizes it in a digestible format that’s a few paragraphs long. Now, Google is blurring the lines between the capabilities of the Gemini chatbot and SGE, introducing full-fledged itinerary planning support for the latter.

In its announcement, the company says anyone with access to the Search Generative Experience in the US in English can now type in a search query like “plan me a 5-day trip to Los Angeles that’s all about music culture.” The results should include a day-wise list of the places to visit, suitable restaurants, and a brief overview of your options for hotels and flights.

Google says it will pull reviews and photos from Business Profiles of the area you plan to visit along with information from other websites. You can use the quick summary to compare destinations and plan your trip efficiently. If you’re traveling with someone else, SGE also has shortcuts to export the suggestions to Google Docs, Gmail, and Maps, enabling easier sharing or a way to keep the results for later reference.

Lists could make Google Maps more useful

Speaking of Maps, Google also announced a few features to simplify summertime travel in the app. Say, you’re planning that trip to LA, you can just look up the city in Maps and swipe up. The app should display a few lists of must-visit attractions and stores. Google has special restaurant lists including a Trending list updated every week, a Top list for the all-time favorite restaurants, and a Gems list for the unheard-of secret places which you might otherwise miss. Additionally, you will find lists from popular sources like Lonely Planet, The Infatuation, OpenTable, and The New York Times.

Presently, the company is rolling out this feature only for users in the US and Canada, with curated lists available for a little over 40 cities. If it takes off, we hope to see it expand to other regions as well, because integrating advice from Google’s Local Guides community and the abundance of online listicles for popular destinations should be a piece of cake for the company.

Google is also giving Maps users convenient list customization tools when you hit the New list option in the Saved tab. Options include sorting by date added, manual sorting to create a ranked list, and support for linking to content from social media. AI also plays a role here, with photos and reviews summarizing important information about a place you’re looking up.

Plan your next getaway with these 8 Google Maps tips

Apr 05, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

The longer days in the U.S. have us chasing that windows-down-music-up-breeze-blowing kind of road trip feeling. Whether you’re planning a getaway to the coast to get a dose of Vitamin D or a weekend reunion to see friends and family, here are 8 Google Maps tips for your next road trip — which include some brand new features — so you can save money, coordinate with friends and family and plan your trip like a pro.

Save $ on the go

• Get the best gas deal near you: With gas prices skyrocketing, even the smallest difference per gallon helps! When you need to make a pit stop, use Google Maps to search for nearby gas stations and see their prices to get the best deal.
• Increase your fuel efficiency : Google Maps can help you keep your tank full a little longer by recommending the most fuel-efficient route. To turn on fuel efficient routes, tap the three dots on the directions screen, then tap ‘Route options’ and turn ‘Prefer fuel-efficient routes’ on.
• Avoid tolls: Avoid high-priced toll roads and highways when navigating to your destination. To steer clear of tolls completely, simply tap on the three dots at the top right corner of your directions in Google Maps to see your route options and select ‘Avoid tolls.’ And soon, we’ll start showing you the estimated toll price before you start navigating to help you compare and select the best route for you.

Use your vacation time wisely

• Figure out the best time to leave: Traffic to popular destinations, like the beach on a perfect summer day, can be unpredictable. To make sure you don’t get stuck in traffic for most of your drive, set the time you’d like to depart or arrive by to see how long it’ll take you to get to your destination.
• Find helpful information and save precious time : Once you arrive at your vacation destination, use the Popular Times and Live Busyness information to see when restaurants are most crowded so you can know which places are likely to seat you immediately. You can also use the popular dishes feature to quickly find out what the must-try items and local favorites on the menu are.
• Get directions quicker with new widgets: Our new pinned trip widget lets you access frequent trips that are pinned in your Go Tab directly from your iOS home screen — so you can see your estimated arrival time at the destination, next departures for transit trips, and a suggested route for driving trips. To add a widget, first make sure you have the latest Google Maps app. Then, touch and hold a widget or an empty area on your home screen until your apps jiggle, then tap ‘Add button’ in the upper-left corner. Once you find the Google Maps app, tap it, swipe to select a widget, then tap ‘Add widget.’

Plan like a pro

• Plan activities as a group : With group lists in Google Maps, planning with friends or family is simple and efficient, giving you the ability to create a vacation activity itinerary together by adding places to go and things to do as a group. Bonus tip: You can also share your real-time location with your group to make it easier to meet up or find one another if you get separated.
• Access directions offline : No service? No problem. You can still find your way even if you have spotty reception or an expensive data plan. Download a map of an area in advance so you can still access directions and turn-by-turn navigation even if you can’t get online. To do this, tap on your profile picture in Maps, tap Offline maps, then Select your own map. From here, adjust the map to cover the area you'd like to download and that will be available for you to reference on your adventures.

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Google’s New Travel AI Tools Want to Plan Customer Trips

Justin Dawes , Skift

March 27th, 2024 at 12:04 PM EDT

Google is the among the tech giants investing in a reimagined, AI-powered future of travel planning and booking. How can the smaller companies compete?

Justin Dawes

Google said Wednesday that it is adding several new tools meant to help travelers plan trips and explore destinations. 

Most notably, they include the ability for Google Search to create itineraries based on prompts from users, as well as enhanced information in Maps about certain cities and places to visit.  

AI-Powered Trip Itineraries in Search

Google has added an experimental AI-based itinerary creation capability to its traditional Search tool for users that opt in. 

Users can prompt Search for an itinerary for a certain destination, and it responds with flight and hotel options, as well as suggestions for attractions and dining. Any links that Google provides bring the users to travel company websites, where they can complete the bookings. 

To create the itineraries, Google said the AI draws on information from across the web, as well as reviews and photos that users post about businesses. 

Users can then export the trip ideas to Gmail, Docs, or Maps, the company said. 

Google said in May 2023 that it would be experimenting with integrating generative AI into search and invited users to test the new tech. The trip itinerary capability is a new piece of that experiment. 

It’s available in English in the U.S. only. Users can try it by enrolling in Search Labs and enabling the Search Generative Experience.

Microsoft relaunched Bing in February 2023 with similar attributes powered by OpenAI and has made updates along the way, such as for personalized event suggestions . 

Several startups have emerged with similar products over the months, a handful having received small amounts of venture capital. Since ChatGPT was released in November 2022, experts have questioned whether entrepreneurs stand a chance against giants like Microsoft and Google, which have vast amounts of data and resources. 

Recommendations and Customizable Lists in Google Maps 

Google is adding a capability to its Maps app meant to provide users with more details about destinations for select cities in the U.S. and Canada. 

It includes recommendations from locals and publishers, like The Infatuation, as well as lists of “trending, top, and hidden gem” restaurants created by info from Google Maps. 

When looking at a specific restaurant or place on Maps, a new AI-based feature is meant to show users key photos and reviews that summarize people’s favorite aspects. The AI can also help identify what a dish is called, Google said, which could be helpful for travelers in a new country. 

Another new Maps feature: Users will be able organize lists they create within the app. The list creation tool has existed for a while, but the new capability allows users to organize based on their top favorites or something else. The lists can also link to content from social media channels, meant to add context for anyone viewing a saved list. The list update is being released globally this month for Android and Apple devices.

As Google continues to enhance its trip planning capabilities, it becomes a bigger threat to companies like Tripadvisor, which offers itinerary-creation tools. Tripadvisor’s hotel metasearch business has already taken a hit since Google Hotels entered the market. 

Translation 

Google is “soon” adding a new capability, accessible through select Android mobile devices, that’s meant to translate content on the screen without switching apps. It could be especially useful to travelers trying to find their way around a country where they don’t speak the language. Google used the examples of translating a PDF restaurant menu or a social media post. 

It’s part of the Circle to Search tool that was released in January, which allows Android users to initiate a Google search by circling text or an image on the screen.

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7 Free Travel Planning AI and ChatGPT Apps to Get an Instant Itinerary

These free travel planning apps use AI and machine learning to prepare a holiday itinerary for you in seconds.

Quick Links

• PLAN by ixigo
• Trip Planner AI
• Vacay Chatbot

Key Takeaways

• Layla, Wonderplan, and PLAN by ixigo are AI travel planning apps with customizable itineraries.
• iplan.ai offers detailed itineraries for popular tourist cities based on interests and budget.
• Curiosio plans road trips on all continents, while Trip Planner AI helps with activity selection and cost estimation.

You can tell a travel agent your preferred dates, the place you want to visit, and your budget, and expect a full itinerary of what to do there based on your preferences. But can AI do the same job?

These free travel planning apps use AI and machine-learning tools like ChatGPT to prepare an itinerary for you in a few seconds, and we took them for a spin.

Layla describes itself as an AI trip planner, meaning you can use it to decide your vacation destination, create itineraries, and find suitable hotels and flights.

If you are uncertain about your destination or would like suggestions, you can ask Layla for advice regarding your trip. Otherwise, enter your destination and ask Layla to create your itinerary. Within a few seconds, you'll get a detailed plan for your trip.

As Layla is a chatbot, you can enter a prompt to ask it to change your itinerary. For instance, ask it to focus more on outdoor activities or include local restaurants. If you're unsatisfied with the activities planned on any particular day, you can give instructions and ask Layla to regenerate that part only.

Once you've perfected your itinerary, you can share it with your friends via a URL or add it to your bucket list.

2. Wonderplan

Wonderplan is a wonderful AI tool for planning your trip. To create your itinerary, Wonderplan first asks you to enter your destination country and city, your budget, the number of days you'll be staying, and your interests.

It then creates a travel plan within a few minutes, displaying various places to visit, their descriptions, and the time usually spent at each location. Although Wonderplan doesn't show the trip map, it does provide a link to Google Maps for each place.

It also displays different types of accommodation available (like Airbnb, hotel, or hostel) and their respective costs. Similarly, there are details about transportation, food, and activities. This way, you can estimate the potential cost of your trip.

In addition to your itinerary, Wonderplan also shows essential information about the country you're visiting. These include the currency conversion rate, electricity plug type, languages spoken, weather, and popular conveyances.

3. PLAN by ixigo

PLAN by ixigo starts by asking you about your dream destination. Then, it provides an option to describe the type of experience you want to have. This is just like a ChatGPT prompt, so you can enter anything you wish.

For example, you can specify the duration of your stay, your interests, the kinds of activities you're looking for, whether you have a family with you, and so on.

But if you can't think of any prompts, PLAN by ixigo provides a few trip ideas, so you can always select those. PLAN by ixigo then shows a day-wise plan, showing what you can do in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

However, if the suggested itinerary doesn't sound appealing, you can again enter a prompt to edit it.

4. iplan.ai

While iplan.ai doesn't mention which AI or machine-learning algorithm it uses, the results are fantastic enough to gloss over that. The app works beautifully on phones to give you a full itinerary for any one city at a time, depending on how many days you have there.

The app first asks you to name the destination city. As far as we checked, iplan.ai works best for popular tourist cities, not offbeat or obscure travel. Next, note how many days you will be there, and then choose your free time each day—a cool step to ensure a better itinerary if you already have some plans, but not a whole days worth.

Tell iplan.ai if you're traveling solo, as a couple, with family, or with friends, and then choose your interest among topics like history, art and culture, nature, entertainment, shopping, food, sports, relaxing, etc. Finally, choose between an economy, normal, or luxury budget.

After a few minutes, iplan.ai gives you a day-wise itinerary for your trip. It's plotted on a map so you can see all the locations, and each point of interest has a brief description along with estimated travel time.

The app has both free and paid plans. With a paid account, you can share the trip plan with your friends and access it offline. Another limitation of iplan.ai is that you can't get an itinerary for a multi-city trip. For now, you'll need to make a plan for each city you're visiting, one at a time.

Download: iplan.ai for Android | iOS (Free, Paid)

5. Curiosio

The easiest last-minute travel plan is to get into a car and drive. Curiosio specializes in helping you plan an itinerary for a road trip to several major countries on all continents. It doesn't cover every single place, but the existing collection is impressive enough.

Curiosio uses its own AI engine, Ingeenee, which is trained on several crowdsourced travel-based resources, such as Wikivoyage, Wikipedia, Wikidata, Freebase, DBpedia, GeoNames, OSMNames, and OpenStreetMap. Through this dataset, it can chart an itinerary that meets your requirements across various parameters.

You can set options for a round trip or a one-way trip with starting and finishing points. If there are any places you want to visit on the way, add them in. Then set the number of travelers, dates of the journey, what vehicle you're using, total budget, and whether you want to visit places that spark curiosity or are obscure. The AI will usually give you multiple plans and routes for these options.

The itinerary includes a map of your route and a day-wise breakdown of where you'll be going and what you'll be seeing. Each point of interest is clickable to find more information about it. There are easy ways to share your itinerary with co-travelers, print it out, or even export it to Google Maps. Curiosio is one of the best road trip planners for your next adventure .

6. Trip Planner AI

Trip Planner AI plans a perfect trip to your dream destination. Begin creating your itinerary by entering the city you wish to visit and traveling dates. You can add multiple destinations here.

Then, select the kinds of activities you prefer, the number of people, and whether you're traveling with friends or family. Trip Planner AI asks you about your dietary preferences and budget.

As an optional step, you can specify the place where you'll be staying so that it creates an itinerary accordingly. If you haven't decided on your lodging yet, you can explore hotels suggested by Trip Planner AI.

Finally, Trip Planner AI generates a detailed itinerary, a map, and basic information about the city you're visiting. For each destination, it provides the details of the place, expected traveling time, and cost. Though it provides a complete plan for your trip, you can manually add or remove activities from your itinerary. You can also invite your friends to edit the itinerary and download it as a PDF.

7. Vacay Chatbot

Vacay Chatbot is not a dedicated itinerary maker but an AI chatbot that acts like your travel advisor. So, you can ask it to give travel recommendations, compare different destinations, and, of course, create an itinerary. If you've previously used AI chatbots like ChatGPT, you'll find this trip planner easy to use.

Just enter a prompt specifying your destination and trip details and ask Vacay Chatbot to create an itinerary. You can include details like your trip duration, budget, preferences, number of travelers, etc. The more details you provide, the better your itinerary will be.

One of the downsides of using Vacay Chatbot is that it doesn't provide a map for your trip. However, you can use these apps to plot your itinerary on a map .

All these travel planning AI apps urge you not to use the itinerary as-is and only treat it as a template or guide to begin planning your trip. This is because they currently have several limitations, like databases that aren't recently updated or require specific prompts from the user.

A real human travel agent will still give you a more customized itinerary, but it will cost you a few bucks. If you want a free base guide, more basic travel planning apps are a good starting point.