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Mileage Calculator

Use the following mileage calculator to determine the travel distance, in terms of miles, and time taken by car to travel between two locations in the United States, disregarding traffic conditions.

How to measure distance in Google Maps on any device to help you create a personal route

• You can measure distance on Google Maps to give you the approximate mileage between any two points (or more) that you place on the map. 
• When using Google Maps on a computer, right-click a spot on the map and choose Measure distance, then just click to add more points to measure the distance. 
• On a mobile device, you can drop a pin by tapping the screen and use the pop-up window for the pin to measure distances. 

You may know Google Maps as the ubiquitous turn-by-turn navigation software on your phone, but it's surprising how much else you can do with the mapping software.

One handy feature is the ability to measure the real-world distance between any number of selected points. This way, you can quickly find the straight-line distance between two cities, or the approximate distance along an irregular path by placing multiple points like breadcrumbs.

How to measure distance in Google Maps on a computer

1. Open Google Maps in a web browser.

2. Right-click anywhere on the map that you want to set as a starting point. In the dropdown menu, choose Measure distance .

3. Click a second location on the map to find the distance to that point. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a pop-up window display the total distance so far. 

4. If you want to measure a more complicated path, you can continue laying down additional points by clicking. After each new point, you will see the distance at the bottom of the page update. 

5. When you're done, click the X to close the pop-up window at the bottom of the page.

How to measure distance in Google Maps on an iPhone or Android

1. Start the Google Maps app on your mobile device.

2. Tap and hold a position on the map where you'd like to start measuring. A red pin will drop. 

3. Tap the pop-up at the bottom of the screen for the dropped pin. 

4. Tap Measure distance .

5. When the pop-up disappears, move the map until the target is positioned over the new location where you want to measure. (Note that you're moving the map, not the point.) Then, at the bottom of the screen, tap Add point . You should see the distance in the lower left of the screen.

6. If you want to measure a longer or more complex path, you can continue adding points. To do that, move the map again and you'll see that a new line segment appears with a new target. When it's where you like, tap Add point again. After each new point, you should see the distance update. 

7. When you're done, tap the Back arrow at the top left of the screen. 

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How to measure distance on Google Maps on any device

How to measure distance with Google Maps on PC and mobile

• Quick steps

Tools and requirements

Step by step guide on pc, step by step guide on mobile, final thoughts.

We all know how to use Google Maps to take us from A to B, but do you know how to measure distance with Google Maps ? This hidden feature is a super handy tool for finding out the general distance between any two spots on earth, and you can even measure the distance you'd travel along a path with several stops along the way.

To get started you first need to download the mobile app for Google Maps, or open up the desktop version on your PC.

Steps for how to measure distance on Google Maps

• Open Google Maps on a PC or smartphone
• Choose a starting location and place a pin
• Click on the pin and choose 'Measure distance'
• Place a path of points to measure the distance between various locations 
• Google Maps on a PC or smartphone 

1. Open up the Google Maps web page

If you’re on a PC, you’ll first need to open up the Google Maps web page and use the search bar to look for your starting location. You can start from literally any point on the map you want.

Once you’ve found the right place, right-click on it on the map and a drop-down menu should appear. At the bottom of this menu, you’ll see an option for Measure distance; select it

2. Find the point you to measure to

Once you've selected Measure distance , you'll then need to move the cursor until you find a second point you want to measure the distance to from your first marker.

After you've placed the second marker a small box should appear at the bottom of your screen that tells you the distance between the points. In our case, it tells us there’s 3.71km, or 2.31 miles, between our London office and the British Museum if you travel between them in a straight line. 

3. Want to choose a different point to measure to?

If you want to readjust the points you’re measuring, c lick and hold the white dot on either end of the line and drag it to a new location . Alternatively, you can click on another point and create a path that travels between multiple locations. Here we’ve measured the distance between our London, New York, and Sydney offices. 

1. Open the Google Maps app and find your start point

On an iPhone or   Android smartphone , open the Google Maps app (or download it from the App Store or Play Store if you don’t have it installed). Touch and hold on any point that isn’t a place name or location icon and a red pin will appear named 'Dropped pin'. Tap on it and a menu should appear with Measure distance near the top. Select this option.

2. Find your second point to measure to

After selecting Measure distance an icon and a dotted blue line will appear. By dragging the map around you can place this icon at a second location to find out the distance between the two points on your map. Much like on a PC you can add more points on your journey to create a path that measures the distance between multiple locations. 

To remove an erroneously placed point tap the Undo button . Pressing the three vertical dots to bring up the More menu and choosing Clear will get rid of all the points you've placed .

Unless you can phase through walls or take to the skies like Kitty Pryde and Angel from the X-Men , then measuring the direct distance between locations likely won’t tell you how far you’ll actually have to travel.

Case in point, traveling between our London office and the Britsh Museum would actually be a 2.7-mile (4.35km) journey on foot according to Google, rather than the 2.3 miles it gave us for the direct distance between them.

If you’re planning to walk or drive between the locations then the Google Maps directions tool on PC and smartphones is a much better choice for seeing how far you’ll have to travel. Much like the regular distance tool you can easily add locations to travel between and can add several destinations to create a route with multiple stops.

Want to find out about other cool Google Maps tricks? We have a guide that’ll teach you about 10 things you didn't know Google Maps could do , or check out our guide for how to download Google Maps. 

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Google Maps Mileage Tracking | How to Track Your Mileage With Google Maps

Dimitri Gedevanishvili

If you use your personal car to conduct business, you should be using some method to track your mileage. In addition, if you’re a company with mobile employees who use their personal vehicles, they should be tracking their mileage as well so that you can easily provide them with mileage reimbursement . 

There are many different ways to track mileage and expenses. Many still continue to use outdated pen-and-paper mileage tracking methods . These can be extremely inaccurate , however, and can take a lot of time to fill out as well.

The more standard method today is to use an automatic mileage tracker app like TripLog. With that said, some people might wonder if using Google Maps is a viable method to track their mileage. 

Related: Rideshare Tax Guide: What You Need To Know For 2024

Today, we’re going to look at various ways that Google Maps can assist workers who need to track their mileage for work.

Does Google Maps Have a Built-in Mileage Tracker?

As of 2024, Google Maps does not have an integrated mileage tracker in its app. With that said, Google Maps is by far the most used navigation app in the United States.

According to some recent studies conducted on the topic, Google Maps controls somewhere between 70% and 80% of the phone navigation app market share . However, if you’re going to track your mileage, it will not do it for you automatically.

Can You Track Your Mileage Using Google Maps?

While Google Maps doesn’t have a built-in mileage tracker app, you can still use Google Maps as a method of tracking your mileage. This can be accomplished in a few ways.

Google Maps Mileage Tracking Method #1: Use An Automatic Mileage Tracker App That Integrates With Google Maps

Even though Google Maps doesn’t natively track your mileage like an automatic mileage tracker app can, some mileage tracker apps have integrations with Google Maps. For instance, TripLog has certain Google Maps integrations that can make things easier for businesses.

Businesses with mobile team members that are under the TripLog Enterprise plan are able to compare their team’s drives to Google Maps . If a driver reports that a trip took 20 miles, but Google Maps says the trip actually took 15 miles, this trip will be flagged or auto-adjusted.

In the TripLog web dashboard , admins can see and manage overreported trips, as well as adjust settings related to the feature. In addition to this feature, TripLog allows Android users to import their saved locations from Google Maps . 

To learn more about how TripLog can help your business save time and money, schedule a complimentary demo request today !

Google Maps Mileage Tracking Method #2: Use Google Maps Timeline

For Android users, a potential method to track your mileage with Google Maps is to use Google Maps Timeline. According to Google’s help center , “Google Maps Timeline shows an estimate of places that you may have been and routes that you may have taken based on your Location History”.

Related: DoorDash Top Dasher Requirements: Everything You Need To Know

Note: Google Maps Timeline is only available to Android users who have the feature enabled. To check your Google Maps Timeline, open the Google Maps app, tap your profile picture, and select “Your Timeline”.

Downloading Your Google Maps Timeline Data

You can download your Google Maps Timeline by using Google Takeout . Here are the steps to download your data:

• Sign into Google Takeout.
• Locate the “Location History” option and make sure it’s selected.
• Unselect any other options that you do not want to download (select “Deselect all” at the top to do this quickly).
• At the bottom, hit the “Next step”.
• Select “Export once” and then choose the file type and size. We recommend downloading it as a .zip file.
• Click “Create export”. 

Depending on how much data you’re downloading, this process can take a minute or two, a few hours, or even a few days. Thus, if you need this information to do your taxes, you should export sooner rather than later.

Should You Use Google Maps Timeline to Track Your Mileage?

With all of that said, the general consensus is that there are far more efficient and easier methods for mileage tracking than Google Maps Timeline. Reddit user /u/HarpyFarts said this about using Google Maps Timeline to track their mileage : 

“Soooo, this was my MO when delivering, and tbh it’s a ***** to track. I spent a good several hours compiling my last quarter (3 months) mileage. Better that you use an app that’s made for it…”

Related: The 6 Best Food Delivery Tips For 2024

We would recommend using an automatic mileage tracker app as your method. It’s by far the most efficient method, and their unmatched accuracy and ease of use will save you a great deal of time and money.

You can download TripLog, the market’s best mileage tracker app, on iOS or Android for free today!

Google Maps Mileage Tracking Method #3: Use Google Maps as a Reference

If you’re dead-set manual mileage tracking, you can definitely use Google Maps to supplement whatever method you’re currently using. As you probably know, when you plug an address into Google Maps, you can see how many miles it will take to arrive there. 

You can use this information as a general reference when you’re conducting business. In addition, Google Maps is a highly accurate navigation tool, so you can trust that you will get to your location in the fastest time possible when using it.

Transform Your Mileage Tracking With TripLog

As we’ve learned today, Google Maps is a useful tool, but it’s not a great way to track your mileage. You definitely can’t use it to track any other business-related expenses, either.

Get started with TripLog today and never miss a reimbursable or tax-deductible mile . Thanks for reading!

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Mileage Reimbursement Savings Calculator

Using outdated manual mileage logs can cost businesses thousands of dollars per year in lost time and incorrect reimbursements . See how much TripLog can help you save!

Number of drivers

Average miles daily per person​

Number of trips daily

Cents-per-mile

Annual mileage reimbursement costs based on the numbers you provided.

Annual Mileage Reimbursement

50 mi/day x 100 drivers x $0.54 (5 days x 50 wks)

This is the inline help tip! You can explain to your users what this section of your web app is about.

According to research, on average employees inflate the mileage by 25% when self reported.

Estimated Reimbursement Savings

People on average spend 2 minutes on manually recording trips.

Manual Entry Hours

2 mins x 10 trips/day x 100 drivers (5 days x 50 wks)

Taking national average $25 hourly rate.

Estimated Labor Savings

Avg. $25/hr x Manual Entry Hours

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(Labor Savings + Reimbursement Savings) / Number of Drivers

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Schedule a call with a TripLog agent in as little as 15 minutes!

In your introductory meeting with one of our mileage experts, you will:

• Get a demo of the TripLog admin dashboard.
• Have the opportunity to ask questions.
• Learn more about how TripLog can benefit your team.
• Get insight into which pricing plan will best suit your team’s needs.

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Map Distance Calculator

You can draw multiple circles, distances, areas or elevations, import/export data save and edit them later with a larger map! Try Calcmaps PRO

Note: To measure the distance on the google maps distance calculator tool. First zoom in, or enter the address of your starting point. Then draw a route by clicking on the starting point, followed by all the subsequent points you want to measure. You can calculate the length of a path, running route, fence, border, or the perimeter of any object that appears on a google map. The distance calculator will then display a measurement of the length in feet, meters, miles and kilometers.

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Distance Converters

Use the distance calculator map to find the distance between multiple points along a line

To measure the distance on the google maps distance calculator tool. First zoom in, or enter the address of your starting point. Then draw a route by clicking on the starting point, followed by all the subsequent points you want to measure. You can calculate the length of a path, running route, fence, border, or the perimeter of any object that appears on a google map. The distance calculator will then display a measurerment of the length in feet, meters, miles and kilometers. If you would like to suggest changes to the google maps distance calculator you can contact us and let us know. You can also suggest other tools you would like to see on the site.

Other uses for the distance tool

Use this tool to draw a line on a map and find its length. This line can represent the outline of a property, a running route, hiking trail or to trace the outline of any border on a map. Fence companies can use this to quote the price of a fence based on the length given to them by a customer, or by looking up a customers address and then drawing a line around the perimeter of where the fence will go. This can also be used to find the approximate length of gutters on a building, or the perimeter of any property. You can even share the map with your customer or your customer can share thier map with you to confirm the measurement is correct. To measure the distance between 2 exact points try our mileage calculator , or to find the exact distance use the distance from/to tool .

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Distance Matrix API overview

Why use the distance matrix api.

You can use the Distance Matrix API to help determine the most efficient travel routes between multiple possible origins and destinations. For example, which workers to send to job sites, or from which warehouses to send packages.

What can you do with the Distance Matrix API

With the Distance Matrix API, you can provide travel distance and time for a matrix of origins and destinations. You can specify several options, including mode of transportation, such as driving, biking, transit or walking, as well as transit modes, such as bus, subway, train, tram, or rail.

The Distance Matrix API provides information based on the recommended route between start and end points. You can request these kinds of distance data:

• Distance for a selected travel mode
• Distance in kilometers or miles
• Estimated travel time in traffic

How the Distance Matrix API works

The Distance Matrix API uses any number of origins (starting points) and destinations, and returns the distance and travel time between each origin and all requested destinations, starting with the first origin in the request and proceeding step-wise to the next.

For example, if your request specifies A and B as origins, and C and D as destinations, it returns distances and travel time in this order:

The following example shows a request for two origins: Washington, DC and Boston, with a single destination, New York City, NY, in JSON format:

The following table summarizes the resources available through the Distance Matrix API along with the data it returns.

How to use the Distance Matrix API

Available client libraries.

Call this API in the language of your choice through one of the following client libraries:

• Java Client for Google Maps Services
• Python Client for Google Maps Services
• Go Client for Google Maps Services
• Node.js Client for Google Maps Services

The Java Client, Python Client, Go Client and Node.js Client for Google Maps Services are community-supported client libraries, open sourced under the Apache 2.0 License . Download them from GitHub, where you can also find installation instructions and sample code.

What's next

• Start using the Distance Matrix : Go to Get Started .
• Get started with sample requests and responses : Go to Distance Matrix request and response
• Follow best practices : Go to Web Service Best Practices .

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License , and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License . For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies . Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2024-04-30 UTC.

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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.

Turn off your regular routes

If your Location History is on, we might show you directions for your regular routes. If you don't want the routes you take regularly to be associated with your Google Account, you can turn off your Location History.

Note: Your regular routes are only visible to you.

• Scroll to “Location settings.”
• Tap Location is on .
• At the top, turn off Location History.

Check traffic now & later

To reach your destination as quickly as possible, check typical traffic before you drive. You can avoid the busiest times of day.

• Search for a destination, or tap a place on the map.
• At the bottom, tap Directions .

• The current traffic on your route
• Typical traffic by the hour and any slowdowns on the way

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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How to use google maps timeline for mileage tracking.

Last updated: April 12, 2024

Google Maps is a world-renowned application that billions of people use daily for navigation, street views, looking up stores, restaurants, and addresses, and of course, it is used by many for work-related tasks.

Since Google Maps is able to track your daily trips, one might think that its Timeline extension, which shows these trips in the form of a log based on your past activity, makes adequate mileage logs for taxes, too. Actually, since a lot of people are searching for a “ Google mileage tracker ” app, or a “Google Maps mileage tracker”, we dedicated a full article to the subject.

Google Maps Mileage Tracking: Is There Such A Thing?

In exploring the feasibility of using Google Maps for mileage tracking, particularly for business purposes, it is crucial to note that Google Maps lacks a native mileage tracker as of April 2024. However, it can still serve as a valuable tool in this regard.

Mileage tracking apps, such as MileageWise, can integrate with Google Maps, offering businesses the ability to cross-reference reported trip distances for accuracy. Additionally, not only Android, but iOS users too have the option to utilize Google Maps Timeline , which provides estimates of routes and locations based on location history.

So while the assumption of being able to rely on Google Maps as your free mileage tracker and use your Google Timeline records as adequate mileage logs for taxes is not entirely accurate, it is possible to create an IRS-Proof mileage log from the trips recorded automatically by Google in the background, without you even noticing (or remembering) it.

Do you want to know how you can create a fully IRS-compliant mileage log out of your Google trips? We’ll show you the ropes in this article by highlighting how to export Google Timeline to Excel and then how to turn those records into a proper mileage log .

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What is Google Maps Timeline and how does it work?

Google Maps Timeline displays all significant locations you’ve visited and driving routes you have taken, thanks to Google’s locations services. As technology is constantly advancing, this service of Google is becoming more and more accurate and precise year by year.

NEW: Manual action required to save your Timeline

In order to enhance privacy, Google is gradually rolling out major changes regarding the storage of Location History & Maps Timeline – namely it will store your location history (your trips) directly on your phone instead of Google cloud.

By default, Google will auto-delete your trips just after 3 months instead of 18 months, which means that you’ll have to decide how long you’ll want to keep your trips.

If you’re driving for business purposes, those trips are extremely valuable due to mileage tax deduction, so I strongly suggest that you turn Auto-delete off in the Google Maps app as the IRS might check your mileage log retrospectively for up to 3 years.

Whether you’re an Android or iOS user, this step is crucial, so I’m going to show you step by step what to set on your phone:

How to enable or disable Location History

When you enable Location History , Google used to store your location in your Google Account, starting mid-2024 it’s going to store it on your phone, even when the app for Google Maps isn’t open.

As enabling and setting up your phone are somewhat different processes on Android and iOS devices, we’ll guide you through both.

Location History on Android phones

To enable or disable your location in Google services, follow these steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
• Tap your profile image or the first Account Circle, followed by Your Timeline
• Tap More , followed by Settings and Privacy
• Turn Location History ON
• Turn Auto-delete OFF

NOTE: You may change your Timeline and erase your Location History at any moment.

As your Timeline is private, only you have access to it . The timeline is accessible through both mobile and desktop, so you can basically get into it anytime, anywhere in the world.

IMPORTANT: Double-check the optimal settings to make sure that everything’s set up correctly.

Now, let’s see what iOS users has to set to maintain their Timeline:

Location History on iPhones

As far as your iPhone or iPad is concerned, please make sure to follow these steps. Since Google Maps is not a default app on iOS systems, you need to start by installing it.

• Download Google Maps to your iPhone: Ensure you have the Google Maps app installed on your iPhone. If not, download it from the App Store.
• Enable Google Maps Timeline on your iPhone: Open Google Maps and sign in with your Google account. Go to your profile picture or initial, tap ‘Your Timeline’, and then enable ‘Location History’ to activate the Google Maps Timeline trip-keeping feature.
• Access Google Timeline on your iPhone: Once Location History is enabled, your movements will be recorded in the Google Timeline. To view this data, open Google Maps, tap your profile, and select ‘Your Timeline’.
• Export Data from Google Timeline on iPhone: You still get to export this data via Google Takeout, but keep in mind that Google might change this feature as well sometime during 2024. At this moment, you can still open a web browser on your phone or on a desktop, and go to Google Takeout .
• Select Data to Export: In Google Takeout, select the data you wish to export. Make sure to choose Location History under Select data to include. This will include your Google Maps Timeline data. Click Next step .

• Download Exported Data: You will receive an email notification from Google once your data is ready to download. Follow the link in the email to download your data.

This process allows you to effectively manage and export your Google Maps Timeline data from your iPhone and/or iPad, making it accessible for use with MileageWise.

How to see your location history on Google Maps

When you enable Location History, Google Timelines displays where and how you traveled, such as walking, bicycling, driving, or taking public transportation. For a vehicle mileage log, you’ll only need trips that were taken by car, but MileageWise’s solution solves this issue, too 🙂

Let’s see the steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your device.
• Tap your profile image or the first Account Circle , followed by Your Timeline.
• Tap Today at the top to find another day or month. Swipe the calendar left or right and press a day.

TIP: You may locate information on places you’ve been to by switching between the tabs at the top of the page, such as Places, Cities, or World.

How Google Maps Timeline helps you track your mileage

As you’re able to track your trips with Google Maps Timeline Location History turned on, it runs completely in the background, if you have your mobile data turned on as well.

NOTE: As this function works on all phones, it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re trying to access Android or iOS location history – it works on both operating systems.

Besides that, Google Maps also records the date, time, location, and number of miles taken for each trip. This data is super important as you’ll need it all for your IRS-Proof mileage log, which we’ll speak about later in this article.

The next step is to export these trips from the software right into your phone or computer via Google Takeout, which is Google’s data export service. We’ve written a detailed step-by-step article about the entire trip export via Google Takeout, follow its steps to get the data you just need out of Google in order to change Google Maps to miles for your mileage tax deduction.

Open Google Takeout To Export Trips

Once the export process is done, it only takes a drag-and-drop to add your JSON file with your Google Maps road trips in MileageWise’s Web Dashboard platform, opened in a browser from your desktop.

This step needs to be done as neither the trip list in Google Timeline nor the exported saved places from Google Maps are sufficient by themselves in the eyes of the IRS for a vehicle mileage tax deduction claim.

We’ve also created a help article that shows you step-by-step how to import your downloaded JSON file into MileageWise’s software in order to get a 100% IRS-approved mileage log.

As mentioned above, Google has made updates to the Location History feature that could disable your yearly Retrospective Trip Recovery from Google Timeline!

Steps you should take to save your Google Timeline data:

Turn auto delete OFF: Google will change the automatic deletion of the Timeline from 18 months to 3 months by default

Turn location history ON: Location History is turned off by default

Back up your Timeline in the Cloud: Instead of the Google Cloud, the Timeline will be stored on your device by default

Google will introduce these changes gradually on iOS and Android devices and will notify you when your account receives the update.

Is your Google Timeline History missing?

No worries! If you lost data, reconstruct your trips with MileageWise’s very own AI Recommendation Wizard !

With our AI Wizard feature, you can recreate your past miles and fill in the gaps with ease while ensuring IRS compliance. Embrace the simplicity and accuracy of our solution and maximize your tax savings.

Try MileageWise for free

Check out our tutorial video on how to create an IRS-proof mileage log from a Google Timeline file in a matter of minutes:

Benefits of using Google Maps Timeline for mileage tracking

While the method mentioned above is great for fixing your mileage log retrospectively, it’s highly recommended that you start using a bulletproof mileage app like MileageWise as soon as possible for your day-to-day mileage logging.

Besides that, enabling Location History in your Google account makes a powerful mileage log backup by Google just in case – this method is also strongly advised, no matter what day-to-day mileage tracking software you’re using.

On top of these, having a mileage app or software means that you don’t need to worry about having a Google Maps mileage calculator as MileageWise does it all for you .

Tips and tricks for getting the most out of Google Maps Timeline

How to view your maps history and export data.

• Create an Export on Google Maps
• Near the bottom, select “Your Data in Maps.”
• On the next screen, scroll down and select “Download Your Maps Data.”
• For those items offering “Multiple Formats,” click one to view or change the file format for that particular item.

How to erase location history from Google Maps

Remove specific locations from your history.

• Open the Google Maps app on your device and sign in
• Tap your profile image or the initial Account Circle , then Settings , then Maps history
• Tap Remove and then Erase next to the entries you wish to delete.

Delete all locations from your history

• Tap More in the top search box, then Delete activity by
• To remove by date, select a date range from the “Delete by date” column.

Frequently asked questions about Google Maps Timeline

“how do i access my google maps timeline data” / “how to check my location history”.

• Open the Google Maps app
• Tap your profile picture or Your Timeline
• Select a place from Timeline
• Tap Details
• Scroll until you find Timeline. . Next to this icon, you can find information about the last time you visited.

“What can I see on my Google Maps Timeline history? Can I see where I have been on Google Maps?”

In your Google Timeline history, you can see the places you’ve visited with dates included, as well as the routes you may have taken between those locations.

“Does Google track my location?”

Yes, Google can track your location if you have location services enabled on your device. This feature is used to provide personalized services, such as traffic updates, nearby places, and more accurate search results. You can manage and review your location history through your Google Account settings and can turn off location tracking if you choose.

“How can Google get my location information?”

Google can use real-time signals, such as your IP addresses or your devices. Turn on location access on your device and log in to your Google account. Google will have access to your locations to store them in your Timeline.

“How do I track a phone in Google Maps?”

To track a phone using Google Maps, ensure the device shares its location with you through Google’s ‘Location sharing’ feature.

“How can I save a location or address in Google Maps?”

To save a location in Google Maps, search for the location or pin it on the map, then click or tap on the location’s name or address at the bottom of the screen and choose “Save” or “Add to favorites”.

“How accurate is the data shown on my Google Maps Timeline history?”

Because of its access to our mobile, Google’s chronology is incredibly precise. We know the precise location where we are traveling since it has always happened on our cell phone through GPS and added to the interaction we have with the many WiFi antennas and telephone antennas around us.

“How do I download my routes and trips?”

To download a Google Maps route, use the ‘Share’ or ‘Export’ options available in the directions feature.

“How do I track the distances of my trips in Google Maps ?”

To track distance on Google Maps, start by entering your start and destination points into the Directions feature. Google Maps will calculate the distance and provide route options. For continuous distance tracking or more complex route planning, consider using the Measure Distance tool available in the right-click menu on the desktop version of Google Maps.

“Can my Google Timeline history be changed/updated manually if needed?”

If a place or a route is wrong on Timeline, you can edit the location and when you were there. On your computer, go to Timeline. Choose the correct place or search for a place in the search box. To edit when you were there, click the time.

“How do I sign out of Google Maps?”

To sign out of Google Maps on a device, go to the menu, select your account avatar or initials, and click on “Sign out” or “Switch account”.

“How do I turn off location history?”

To turn off location history on a device using Google services, go to your Google Account settings, navigate to the “Data & personalization” tab, and find the “Location History” section. Here, you can switch off the feature for your entire account or manage settings for individual devices. This will stop Google from saving your location markers to your location history.

“What are some of the uses for Google timeline history that people have come up with so far?”

Besides being used as a mileage logging method and a mileage log backup, you may utilize Google Maps Timeline as:

• a travel diary,
• a reminder of what places you’ve visited,
• quick access to your recent locations & trips
• your Google Maps search history,
• a source of email updates highlighting recently visited places

“Can I use Mileage Tracker Google Sheets?”

While some Youtube videos deal with the subject, please note that they usually encourage you to build simple mileage trackers in Google Sheets that will require your manual input after each trip, or each day. If you have access to your Google Maps data, we highly recommend that you don’t waste your time trying to stay on top of your mileage log by manually updating it daily, but take advantage of the easier and more accurate option.

“Can I use my fleet’s Google Timeline records to create company mileage logs retrospectively?”

Sure, just follow the steps described above and you’ll be able to take advantage of the records Google automatically recorded in your employees’ vehicles. But make sure that you use MileageWise to turn those records into proper mileage logs.

If you get stuck, you can always contact us and avail of MileageWise’s tax preparation service called Mileage Log Tax Preparation Service which guarantees that our experts review and recover past trips accurately and create an IRS-Proof log out of them.

“How many retrospective years am I allowed to recover from my Google Timeline records?”

You actually have 3 years to file a tax return and claim mileage reimbursement so if you haven’t done so yet, you should definitely dig into your Google Timeline records!

As you can see, mileage logging with Google Maps is pretty easy, and with MileageWise it can also be converted into a 100% IRS-approved mileage log.

Enable your Location History as a mileage log backup, but be sure to get your day-to-day mileage logging game straight with an automatic mileage tracker app like MileageWise – available on both Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store .

You can try MileageWise for completely free for 14 days, without any obligations or credit card info needed.

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Travel your first and last mile with Google Maps

Aug 27, 2019

[[read-time]] min read

Google Maps has always helped you get from place to place, whether you’re driving, walking, biking or taking public transit. And we know that transit journeys can be complex–often involving multiple modes of transportation to help you get around town. Today, we’re making it easy to pair transit directions with biking and ridesharing options so you can travel that first or last mile with ease. 

Say you’re taking the subway home from a friend’s house, but your apartment is a bit too far from the station to get to on foot. Catching a ridesharing vehicle can help you travel that short distance quickly. Or, you’re headed to work at the peak of the busy back-to-school season so you need to ride your bike to the nearest bus stop to make that important 9 a.m. meeting on time. 

Here’s how it works:

Enter your destination in the search box, tap on “Directions” and then on the transit tab. From there, you’ll automatically see routes that feature ridesharing and cycling options paired with transit directions. If you’re taking a ridesharing vehicle, you’ll see helpful information about each leg of your trip: how much your ride will cost, how long the wait is, if there’s traffic on your ride, and when your bus or train departs. You can also choose your favorite rideshare provider and other available ride options like pool or economy. 

If you’re biking, then you’ll see routes tailored for cyclists along with everything you need to know about the transit portion of your journey. All of this information is automatically factored into your total travel time and ETA so you can know exactly when you’ll get to your destination. 

Transit directions paired with biking and ridesharing will start rolling out in the coming weeks on Android and iOS in 30 countries around the globe, with more coming soon.

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There’s a lot your users can figure out about a place just by exploring your map–what’s nearby, whether the locations are relatively close to each other, and even roughly how far a place is based on the map’s scale. With Google Maps Platform you can take some of the guesswork out of the picture by quantifying distances via straight line distance and route distance . Each uses a different approach and solves for different user problems or actions. So today we’re explaining what each is, when to use one over the other, and how to get started. 

To make these points, we’ll plot some distances on a map with some handy JavaScript. And because to calculate any sort of distance requires point A and point B, we’ll start by adding two markers to a basic Google Map:

Here we can see Central Park, as well as two nearby landmarks. The Dakota, perhaps most famous as John Lennon’s home. And The Frick Collection, an art gallery.

Suppose these were both on a New York City tour. You might be interested to know how far it is from one to the other. We’ll answer that question with some 200 year-old number crunching.

**Calculate the straight line distance from latitude and longitude**The simplest method of calculating distance relies on some advanced-looking math. Known as the Haversine formula, it uses spherical trigonometry to determine the great circle distance between two points. Wikipedia has more on the formulation of this popular straight line distance approximation.

To visualize the calculation, we can draw a Polyline between the two markers. Add the following lines after the markers in the JavaScript:

Reload the map and you should see a dark, diagonal line connecting the two markers, from one side of Central Park to the other. Using the JavaScript equivalent of the Haversine formula, we can determine the length of the Polyline, the straight distance between our two markers.

Add this function to your JavaScript, before the initMap function:

The function accepts two marker objects and returns the distance between them in miles. To use kilometers, set R = 6371.0710 . Before applying the Haversine formula, the function converts each marker’s latitude and longitude points into radians.

To call the function and report the distance below the map, add this code below your Polyline in the initMap function:

Load the map and you’ll see the following:

Now we know the straight line distance between The Dakota and The Frick Collection is 0.60 miles (rounded to two decimal places using the JavaScript toFixed function).

Of course, unless you’re a pigeon, your jaunt between the two locations is likely to be longer. A quick glance at the map shows there is no road or even pathway straight across Central Park. The Haversine formula is useful for basic proximity, but is insufficient for many use cases, especially within cities. For a more accurate travel distance, we’ll need to use another feature of the Maps JavaScript API.

**Get Directions with the Maps JavaScript API**When the straight line distance is not adequate, you’ll need more than a formula to determine the travel distance. Driving directions are one of the most popular features in Google Maps, so it’s unsurprising that it’s also made available via an API. You can use the Directions API for server-side requests, or the Directions Service in the Maps JavaScript API for client-side requests on the web.

Since our JavaScript map is already set, we’ll continue by using the Directions Service. Paste the following at the end of your initMap function:

After a successful call to the directions service, you’ll have the route added to the map. The message below the map is also extended to include the distance.

With a quick visual inspection, it’s clear that driving directions are much farther than the straight line distance. We can dig into the data that comes back in the response to find driving distance (1.6 miles, two and a half times farther), as well as the estimated duration. Here’s a JSON representation of the relevant section from the response:

While our example used driving directions, you can also pass other values to the travelMode field in your route object. The directions service can also accept  BICYCLING , TRANSIT , and WALKING values. Try adjusting the mode and running the code again to see how the directions result changes.

Which distance should I use? The two distance types in this post are useful in different scenarios. To give your users the best experience, you should use each in the appropriate situation.

You can use straight line distance to make quick calculations without a call to an external service. You’ll need to include the Haversine function used in this tutorial, but all you need are map coordinates to get an accurate result within the browser. However, as the name suggests, the distance will be a simple straight line. Roads, obstructions, and traffic are not factored into straight line distance.

Route distance, on the other hand, will return the distance along a route, including necessary turns and an understanding of the area’s traffic patterns. Due to the complexity of these calculations, route distance requires a call to the Directions Service, which will also return the duration of the route and even the path to plot visually on a map.

Whether you’re measuring distances around the globe or across town, use one of these approaches to help your users better understand their surroundings and make decisions. To explore even more tools for helping users get from here to there, check out the Google Maps Platform Routes APIs . And for more information on Google Maps Platform, visit our website .

How to use Google Flights to find cheap flights and maximize your next travel booking

Google Flights is constantly evolving, and it's the one tool I always mention when people ask me how to find better flight prices.

This easy-to-use website can help you find the best possible price on airfare (and even hotels). It's one of the biggest weapons in our arsenal at TPG to help save money on travel. While TPG does offer deal alerts , if you are looking for a particular flight, destination, airline or routing, Google Flights is the way to find personalized deals.

Google Flights is where I almost always begin my search for new bookings. I come back to it again and again to book trips, see if prices have dropped and check if I can get a better deal.

Here's everything you need to know to use and master Google Flights.

What is Google Flights?

Google Flights is one of our favorite tools for finding deals on flights. It's an amazingly powerful flight search engine, and the best part is that it's easy to use. Google shows you nearly all available flights for a given search but doesn't force you to book with it.

Unlike Expedia, Orbitz, Tripadvisor or Kayak, it's not an online travel agency. Google is simply showing you what's available. Once you find the flights you like, you "click through" to actually book. You can choose to book directly with the airline or via a third-party OTA, but not Google itself.

One frustrating note is that Google Flights does not show Southwest Airlines flights, so keep that in mind as you search.

What's new at Google Flights?

Google has introduced new features that suggest when prices are historically lowest and when you should book for maximum savings. Google has always shown whether the price for a suggested flight itinerary is typical, low or high, but now it gives you even more data to consider.

The tool will "let travelers know when airfares are expected to be lowest for booking their chosen dates and destination," according to Craig Ewer, who works in communications at Google.

For example, when I searched last year, Google showed me that a flight from New York to San Francisco in October was $93 cheaper than usual, and the typical range is between $245 and $415. In other words, it was a good time to book.

It gets even better: In some situations, Google will suggest alternate dates you should actually book the flight to save a few bucks. The example below shows that a December flight to Miami would have been much cheaper if I had waited to book it until Sept. 13.

Here's a final example. I apparently waited too long to book my flight home for Christmas a few months ago.

Basics of Google Flights

How to perform a basic flight search.

First, you'll want to navigate to Google Flights .

The toolbar has additional features for trips, including things to do, hotels, vacation rentals and a shortcut to a cool tool called "Explore." However, we'll focus on using the tool to book flights for now.

All of the fields and drop-down menus on this page are relatively easy to decipher:

• Departure (where you want to fly from)
• Destination (where you want to fly to)
• Date(s) of travel
• Round-trip flights, one-way flights or multicity trips
• The number of passengers (but here's why you should search for a single ticket , even if you're traveling in a group)
• Ticket class: economy, premium economy, business class or first class

If you know where you're going and when you want to be there, all you have to do is plug in that information and hit the blue search button.

For example, here are all the options I see when I search for flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). You can search by destination or by airport code.

Note that Google automatically displays what it considers the best departing flights based on a combination of factors, such as price, the convenience of routing, the number of stops and the travel time. Of course, these may or may not be the best flights for you.

In this case, there are hundreds of options to choose from.

For this example, I chose to book an American Airlines flight on my outbound trip.

The cheapest option is sometimes to fly the return on a different carrier. However, Google Flights clearly indicates there will be two tickets purchased separately.

Often, Google will suggest remaining on the same carrier for both legs. In this instance, one of the flights was on JetBlue.

There are all kinds of ways to filter your searches. We'll get a bit more into that below.

Once you've found the flight you want, you have the option to book directly with American Airlines. Google will give you several options for the type of ticket you want to purchase, including basic economy, refundable and other types of fares.

Clicking that link would take me to American's website , with these flights and prices already selected. There, I could enter my passenger details and loyalty number, select a seat and pay for the ticket.

All elite perks and other loyalty benefits are honored on flights booked directly on the airline website via Google Flights. However, if you are booking via a third-party site, that may not be the case. It pays to make sure you book directly with the airline if possible.

In this example, the cheapest option is for mixed tickets with multiple stops. Most people are not going to want to take that option. It involves booking through a third-party website with tickets on different airlines and multiple flights and layovers. No thanks.

Related: 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly

Below is an example of Google Flights' handy historical price guide, which shows whether the fare you found is low, high or near the average price for flights on this route.

I can see the flights were more than $600 a few months ago, and my $442 fare was considered low. Given how expensive airfare generally is these days , I was happy enough with that.

The bottom of this screenshot also shows the options available at the bottom of each Google Flights page, where you can select your preferred language from a drop-down menu. You can also customize your location and preferred currency for easy conversion.

Search by specific times of day

Say you want to take a weekend trip away. You need both flights to be outside business hours but not too late in the evening, as you don't want to land in the middle of the night.

Google Flights has a handy filter we use to make sure the flights are exactly when we want them. No matter how inexpensive that 6 a.m. flight may be, a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call rarely feels worth it.

So, you can set the search results to only show flights departing and arriving within your chosen specific time range.

See how many bags you can bring on board

In the same series of buttons below your Google Flight search, click on the "Bags" button to specify how many pieces of luggage you want to bring on board with you.

This selection may greatly limit your search results — or drive up your price options — so be prepared to change it if necessary.

Nonstop, one-stop or any flight will do?

Similarly, you can filter flights by the number of stops along the way. You might be the glutton for punishment who longs for a 50-plus-hour flight with multiple layovers. You can do that if you so desire.

However, if you want to minimize the chance of delays or disruptions, have a family to rush back to or just want a shorter flight, nonstop is your friend. Headed overseas? The usual sweet spot between price and comfort will be a one-stop flight.

Search for flights from your preferred airline or alliance

If you don't fly often, the operating airline may not matter to you as much as the price does.

However, if you've begun accumulating miles and status with a specific carrier, it can be addictive to stick with that carrier and program. The exclusive benefits of elite status can be exhilarating, and there's nothing more exciting than booking your first award flight — especially if you know you got an amazing deal.

Related: What are airline alliances, and who's in them?

With filtered airline search results, Google can help you keep that momentum going. Use the button under the search results to filter out unwanted airlines or select specific airline alliances you want to patronize. Or, turn off the "Select all airlines" option and manually select the carriers you want to choose from.

Whether booking with cash or points, you may want to stick with one program to maximize mileage earning or status. For example, if I were trying to hit Diamond on Delta Air Lines, I would search only for Delta flights.

You can also pick airline alliances like Oneworld and SkyTeam to ensure you travel on your preferred airline or its partners. In my case, I would select SkyTeam.

Connecting flights

You can also decide if you want to fly nonstop or choose how many stops you are willing to make. You can even choose the connecting airport.

Especially with international flights, some airports are better to connect in than others. Helsinki Airport (HEL) is lovely. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) can be challenging , even if you are an experienced traveler.

Related: What are the best European airports to connect in?

If you have a range of options to travel from New York to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) with a choice of connecting airports, you can filter the results to only show the airports you want to connect through.

You can also choose how long you would like your layover to extend. You might want to keep it short to reach your destination as quickly as possible. Or, you may prefer a long layover to allow for some buffer time in the event of delays.

Related: How to plan a free stopover on your next trip abroad

Score the best legroom and other seat amenities

Don't you hate boarding a flight to find your knees touching the back of the seat in front of you? Fortunately, Google Flights has a feature that will show you the legroom you can expect on your next flight before you have purchased the seat.

Legroom can differ noticeably from carrier to carrier, aircraft type to aircraft type. From the search results below, you can see that Spirit Airlines' is below the industry average at 28 inches, while JetBlue's is above average at 32 inches.

If you value legroom, this means the JetBlue option will have 4 inches more legroom than Spirit.

In coach seating terms, that's a lot.

Along with legroom, Google Flights will also indicate if Wi-Fi is scheduled to be available on your flight (and if it is free or available at a cost), if the plane has in-seat charging options, and if the flight offers entertainment like live TV or options to stream to your personal device.

On a flight longer than five hours, your devices may run out of juice. So, again, you may want to choose the product that best suits your needs rather than selecting a flight based entirely on price or carrier.

Know your emissions

With sustainability becoming an increasingly important topic in travel , Google Flights will let you know the approximate carbon emissions for your flight based on the route, aircraft type and seating classes.

Below are the search results for a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT). United Airlines operates a fuel-efficient Boeing 787 on this route, which would produce a lower-than-average 734 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

However, the Singapore Airlines flight uses a less fuel-efficient (and larger) Boeing 777 aircraft that produces a higher-than-average 1,163 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

You can even filter your search results only to show lower-emissions flight options.

How to search by cheapest dates

Let's say I want to get from JFK to LAX in September, but I'm not tied to any specific dates. Google Flights can help me find the best possible prices for that trip.

On the search page, I can see the lowest price for that particular day if I click on the calendar icon. Prices listed in green represent the lowest price available across all current dates, while the days highlighted in blue show which dates I've selected.

Another way to view the cheapest dates is to click the date grid option. This will again show the cheapest dates in green, and you can easily line up different outbound and inbound options to see if the cheapest dates work for you.

You'll often find that the cheapest flight isn't necessarily the best or most convenient route. Google will show you those lowest prices but prioritize better routes before it.

In this example, Google Flights prioritizes slightly higher fares as the "best flights" search results because they include a full-size carry-on bag.

How to set a pricing alert for yourself

After all that diligent work, give yourself a pat on the back. You've likely found the best option for you.

Some people are ready to book immediately, but most of us might need a day or two to solidify our plans with our fellow travelers or with work. Never fear: Google will help you track your flight and even tell you when the price goes up or down.

Immediately above your search results, a little toggle reads "Track prices" (boxed in green in the screenshot above).

Click on that — and log in to your Google account if necessary — and Google Flights will send updated pricing alerts directly into your inbox.

If you have booked a refundable or changeable fare, you may want to switch this on even after you've booked. You will be alerted if the price goes up or down, so you can feel comfortable knowing you are getting the best deal. You can see part of my list of flights I'm currently tracking in the screenshot below.

Related: How to avoid airline change and cancellation fees

How to search multiple airports at once

Sometimes, you're willing to land or depart a bit farther away in order to find a better flight deal. Google Flights can help reward that flexibility. In fact, you can enter as many as five departure or arrival airports on Google Flights.

Let's say you live in New York City, where you have three major airports from which to choose. You want to fly to Southern California, which is easily accessible from multiple airports as well.

There are two ways to run this search:

• Type in your city name and let Google offer suggestions: This works for many major metro areas. As soon as I type in New York, I see several of the major airports: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and JFK. Sometimes, you'll even see New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of Manhattan, as an option.
• Manually type in your airport codes or names : Some cities won't show you all the logical potential airports. For Southern California, you will have to manually type in the names or codes of each airport in the area for some searches. (Don't forget San Diego International Airport [SAN] as a potential option.)

You can open a separate browser tab and look up local airports by name. Or, if you're a pro and know the codes, you can type them directly into the destination airport search field (i.e., LAX, SNA, BUR, ONT). Then, hit the blue check to run the search.

Voila: The cheapest option for March 18-25 is taking a nonstop, round-trip flight from EWR to LAX for $258 in United basic economy.

How to check for carry-on bag policies

I don't care what anyone says: Low-cost carriers can be fantastic for finding great deals.

However, if you're a heavy packer, you'll need to plan ahead. Many airlines cut costs by charging extra for bags. You're used to this with major airlines, but some ultra-low-cost airlines will even charge you for carry-ons larger than a backpack or a purse .

It can be difficult to track which airlines charge what, but Google Flights can also help with that.

Basic economy flights will show on the search results page, with the little "no luggage" icon next to the $247 price tag in green.

When I click through to the final booking page, Google will remind me again that I'm booking a basic economy flight; it'll show my current price and its limitations while also displaying economy and first-class booking options next to it.

Remember: Google Flights doesn't work with Southwest Airlines

One important caveat: You might wonder why you don't see any Southwest flights on Google Flights.

Well, you might see them, like with this search result for Austin to Las Vegas:

However, Southwest doesn't allow other travel platforms to book flights with the airline — it wants to control its passengers' booking process completely. So, if you're a Southwest fan, check the airline's website or app for price comparison before you book with another carrier through Google Flights.

Organize your travel

There's a "Travel" button on the toolbar of Google Flights.

It will display the travel you have already booked. When you click on the trip, it neatly shows travel booked through your Google account, such as those reservation emails sent to a Gmail account.

It will also show "potential trips." This is where you may have been searching Google Flights for a particular destination but have not yet bought the ticket. Additionally, it will provide suggestions based on what destinations you've Googled in general.

Perhaps you have searched for " When is the best time to visit Hawaii ?" Google Flights may show you suggestions to help you continue planning that trip.

Finally, the "Travel" button will suggest trips you might consider taking based on upcoming trips you have booked or trips you've taken in the past.

For example, if you've been to Melbourne, Australia, it may show options to visit Sydney.

Related: The best ways to use points and miles to fly from the US to Australia

How to find the best getaway deal

This function is similar to the previous tip but focuses on another aspect of your search. Start by clicking the "Explore" button on the toolbar.

If you know you want to get away on specific dates — let's say the second week of October — but don't have a specific destination in mind, use Google's open-ended search functionality to find good flight deals within your window of availability.

In the example below, I picked a long weekend in October and set my hometown of New York as my departure airport. Instead of specifying a destination, I just left it open-ended. You can give Google a hint by typing "Europe" or "Caribbean" to narrow your search results to a specific region.

Related: 9 awesome features you didn't know about in Google Flights

If I zoom in closer on the map, the system recalibrates and shows me more destinations and price points within the updated map view.

If I zoom way out for a world view, I'll see the best-priced destinations of note across the globe.

I can also force the algorithm to show me price points for a specific region.

For example, the world map above doesn't show me many deals for Australia, South America or Africa. However, if I zoom in on Africa, I see more than half a dozen options on the continent and more than a dozen in "surrounding" areas.

Related: Safaris, cities and lots of elephants: How I returned to South Africa using points, miles and cash

Bottom line

Google Flights is an incredibly powerful tool the TPG team uses daily to price airfare . It can help you quickly find the best flights for your travel, but it can also track prices and let you know if you are getting a good deal. It can also help you plan trips and find hotels and activities.

It's one of my favorite tools to find deals and new places to visit. Add it to your travel toolbox. I promise it will become one of your favorites, too.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• The 18 best places to travel in 2023
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

12 Google Maps Secrets All Travelers Should Know

If you’re only opening google maps for driving directions, you’re not leveraging the app’s full potential. here are 12 other ways travelers can use it to improve their trips, in advance and on the fly..

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As a travel editor, I use Google Maps daily. These are some of the most useful features for trip planning I’ve found.

Photo by Mojahid Mottakin/Shutterstock

I’m a nerd for maps. As a kid, they inspired me to want to travel, and as an adult they’re my comfort reading. My colleagues at Afar even let me make a podcast episode about them . But of all the maps I love (Middle-earth included), the one I spend the most time with these days is Google Maps. I’m betting most of you can say the same thing. I’m on that app every single day. I use it for work (for the research I need to do in my job here as an editor and writer), I use it for fun (I can spend hours armchair exploring remote islands in the middle of oceans), and I use it, most invaluably, for trip planning. If you’re only using Google Maps for directions, you’re missing out. Here are a dozen ways I use Google Maps for smarter travel.

Collaborate an itinerary with friends

I make Google Maps lists of everything: I have one for vegetarian restaurants, another for ice cream shops—I even have one that’s a cocktails and cookies trail. (I created that last one with my cousin when we celebrated her 21st birthday.) More often, I use lists as a trip-planning tool. As I’m researching things to do in whatever destination I’m headed to (recently Argentina, Nairobi, and Manchester ), I create a list, add places of interest (museums, restaurants, shops, libraries, etc.) and share it with my travel crew so that they can weigh in on my picks and add their recommendations. While that’s useful, it’s only 101.

In the past year, lists have leveled up: Now, for each place listing, your friends can react with an emoji (heart, smile, fire, thumbs down, or flying money) and add their tips and suggestions into a comments field (e.g., “I read that dulce de leche is the flavor to get!” or “Let’s go here after our street-art tour on Monday.”). I especially like that I can customize the order of the items on the list; for example, I could make them match the path of cookies I plan to follow, or I could arrange our collective Argentina picks chronologically so that the list doubles as our itinerary. A fun bonus is that you can assign any emoji to the whole list so that all of the places show up in map view with that themed icon—say, the Argentina flag or an ice cream cone.

Walk like you know where you’re going with navigation

The Glanceable Directions feature puts a minimap on your lock screen.

Photo by Billie Cohen

Turn-by-turn navigation isn’t just for drivers. Google Maps offers it for walkers and bikers too. Once you type in your destination, select “directions,” then “walking,” then “start navigation,” and the app will speak out loud to guide you, the same as if you were in a car. When I’m in a new city, I use this with one earbud in so I don’t have to keep looking at my phone (because I will inevitably trip and fall over).

If you prefer to look at your phone, you can follow your route in both 2D (that little blue arrow moving on the map) or in 3D Live View. In this mode, you point your camera at the real world to get the app situated and then follow arrows and directions overlaid on the IRL view of the streets that you see through your phone. (Another settings option allows you to tilt your phone to enter Live View rather than tap.) Even more helpful, the recently released Glanceable Directions feature shows a minimap and navigation on your lock screen, so you don’t have to open the app and turn on comprehensive navigation mode to get the benefits (toggle this feature on in settings). Conveniently, it’ll automatically reroute if you take a different path.

Use augmented-reality Lens to find what’s nearby: shops, restaurants, ATMs, and more

When in the Lens function, Google Maps puts street names and building information on the view around you.

In addition to navigating with augmented-reality Live View, you can also use an augmented-reality (AR) function called Lens in Maps to see what’s around you, including restaurants, public transportation stops, and landmarks. When in Maps, tap the little camera icon in the search bar, then point your phone at the street, and you’ll start to see icons on the buildings. Note that this feature works only for select locations, but new cities are consistently rolling out. In the meantime, all of this information is still easily available in the app: Right under the search bar, you’ll see popular search categories, including gas, restaurants, hotels, and groceries—and be sure to scroll all the way over to the “More” button. Tap that to see a couple dozen additional, and very specific, categories, including ATMs, libraries, live music, hospitals, pharmacies, and even EV charging stations.

Plan your EV charging route

Speaking of EV charging stations, Maps has expanded the info it provides on electricity pumps. To find them while you’re on an EV road trip , type or speak “charging stations” into the search field or tap the “More” category button directly under the search bar. You’ll immediately see red pins with a little lightning bolt inside them populate the map. In the information card below, the app will tell you which kind of chargers a station has (fast, medium, slow), how many are available, and whether they’re compatible with your car.

Check what’s open right now

When I was in Manchester last year, my friends and I went to a concert that let out late, and instead of heading directly to bed, we wanted to go out for a drink and a bite to eat. That’s when I pulled out Maps to check what places were still open around us. In the app, look for “open now”—it’s one of the options right under the search bar.

Use photos to get a sense of a place before you go

Nearly every listing in Google Maps has photos now, culled from public reviews and the establishments’ owners. Admittedly, this isn’t so much of a secret—but it is a secret weapon. You can use those photos to evaluate hotels, to check if a coffee shop is comfortable for laptop working, to see if a restaurant is likely to fit your big group or your mood, and to view images of menus. A recent AI-powered update uses those photos to give more travel inspiration. Try typing something like “cherry blossoms,” “public art,” or “swimming holes” into the search bar, and the results will include a carousel of photos and videos culled from public uploads, under the headline “Discover through photos.”

See the future, and plan for it

Immersive View uses AI to compile video clips of certain sites, like the Brooklyn Bridge, and show what they’ll look like a few days into the future.

Google Maps’ Immersive View is photos on steroids. Well, on AI. For more than 500 landmarks around the world (including the London Eye, the Empire State Building, and Tokyo Tower), the search results include what looks like a video labeled “Immersive view.” What you’re seeing is actually a ton of photos that the app stitched together to create not just an image but a whole knowledge roundup of a particular destination. Want to see what traffic will be like on the Brooklyn Bridge tomorrow morning? Want to see the view from the Eiffel Tower as the sun sets tonight? You can do it now, through Immersive View. A small icon in the bottom right corner shows the weather and a clock—tap it to change the time of day, up to four or five days into the future, and the view will change too: the number of cars on the bridge, the clouds over Paris.

Share your real-time location to stay safe

When I am traveling solo , I always keep my location services turned on for safety (and also to ensure that my 7,000 photos of street art, grocery-store finds, and random architectural details are geotagged for later reference). But even if I’m traveling with friends or family, I use real-time location sharing when I head off on my own so that people know where I am. This is especially helpful if I’m running late, because they can see my arrival time and use that to make important decisions, like whether to order appetizers without me. On the map, you can tap your blue dot to see sharing options or go to your account icon in Maps and open location sharing to choose who and what you want to share. Bonus hint: Tapping the blue dot is also how you get to the option to save your parking location.

Download an offline map

If you’re concerned about eating up mobile data—or if you’re going to be in a location where you won’t have good internet service, Google Maps has you covered. Tap your circular account icon at the top right of the app and go to Offline Maps to select the region you want to download; it will work the same as the live version. Whenever I travel, I download a big swath of the area I’m going to, even if I think I’ll have plenty of internet access. You never know when you’ll be in a dead spot.

Use overlays to get more information out of your map

Maps are like ogres and onions—they have layers. To find those layers, go into the app on your phone or desktop and click the icon that looks like a stack of tiny squares. You may already know that Maps can show you a satellite view layer, a terrain view layer, and the default cartoonish view layer. (The local weather forecast is always available too—look for the small icon on the left side of the screen just under the search bar.) But did you know that it can also overlay public transit routes, traffic statuses, bike paths, wildfires, and air quality? The public transit overlay is one of my favorites, whether I’m traveling or at home in NYC—the subway lines are even correctly color-coded.

Discover the Easter eggs

You’ve seen Google Maps’ little orange Pegman, right? He’s the icon that lives at the bottom right of the screen in the desktop app. Drag him into the map and you’ll see a street view of almost any location. But in some spots around the world, he hides an Easter egg. Navigate to Loch Ness in Scotland, and when you pick him up, he’s wearing a Nessie costume. At Area 51, he turns into a UFO. And in the Galapagos Islands, he has a mermaid tail. Can you find any others?

Stay tuned for more AI-powered features in the future

Google is working on bringing generative AI into its maps , and one project that’s underway is a feature that will allow users to ask questions like “What are rainy-day activities I can do with kids?” When the feature is available (expected later this year), the map will show indoor suggestions such as bowling alleys and movie theaters. Google’s community of more than 300 million “local guides,” as they call their contributors, are working to test this now, and I’m already lining up my questions: Hey Google, what are some places that cartography nerds would like?

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What is travelmath.

Travelmath is an online trip calculator that helps you find answers quickly. If you're planning a trip, you can measure things like travel distance and travel time . To keep your budget under control, use the travel cost tools.

You can also browse information on flights including the distance and flight time. Or use the section on driving to compare the distance by car, or the length of your road trip.

Type in any location to search for your exact destination .

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How do i search.

To get started, enter your starting point and destination into the boxes above. If you want an airport , it's best to enter the 3-letter IATA code if you know it. For cities , include the state or country if possible.

You can also enter more general locations like a state or province , country, island , zip code, or even some landmarks by name.

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Android Police

9 simple google flights tips and tricks to try on your next trip.

Snag sweet travel deals with Google's flight search platform

Google Flights is among the best apps for cheap travel . It's the one-stop search engine for airplane trips and consolidates hundreds of top online travel agencies (OTAs). You can search for the best ones in a central hub from your mobile phone or personal computer . You won't have to visit multiple websites, and you can find anything based on round or multi-city trip entries and other criteria. Flights also has tools for cost comparison, so you can see whether current prices are high compared to historical data. Here's how to save money and reach your desired locations quickly.

1 Use the price comparison tool

Google Flights has a date grid that displays departure and return dates around your selected travel dates. Dates with the lowest prices indicate the figures in green. Those in red indicate higher-than-usual prices. Use the grid to make comparisons and find the best rates for your budget.

The price graph shows a visual representation of flight patterns. You'll identify optimal times to fly based on pricing trends. You can even view the full price history for a route up to 60 days before the current date. Here's how to use these features:

1. On your browser, visit google.com/travel/flights .

2. Enter your location and destination. Then click Search .

3. Click Date grid to make price comparisons.

4. Select Price graph to view fare trends by month or week.

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2 explore affordable travel options.

The Google Flights search tools help you find available and affordable airlines. Typically, you'll enter your location and destination in the search fields. This function only brings flight results along the route you selected. If you leave the destination field blank, Flights shows a map in the Explore tab . You can pan it for airlines with the best fares.

If your travel plans are flexible, you could save on flights by considering alternative travel dates. Flights automatically sets a sample trip duration lasting for a week and within the next six months. This default date range might not give you the best deals. Click the sample date, or use the search fields on the left sidebar to adjust dates according to your preferences.

3 Get inspiration on what to do

The Explore tab is where Google Flights shows airlines, prices, and available flights. You can also use it for inspiration when planning your schedule. Clicking a destination on the map shows places to see in the left sidebar. You can also find hotels and vacation rentals if you don't have accommodation.

The sidebar also shows peak and off seasons to help you determine the best time to visit a place. This way, you avoid travel disasters when there's too much population, bad weather, and other factors. People often ask questions about locations on Google Search. Explore pulls the ones related to a place, allowing you to expand them quickly without running a separate search.

4 Search and book multi-city trips

Searching for destinations and booking repeatedly on Google Flights is stressful. The platform allows you to perform multi-city searches simultaneously. Plus, you can make broader comparisons between fares and save money on international trips.

Instead of booking separate one-way flights, you'll book multi-city flights as a single unit with supported airlines or separately. Here's how to use the feature:

1. Go to the Google Flights website .

2. Click Round trip . Then, select Multi-city .

3. Click Add flight to insert more fields. Then, enter where you're flying from and where to in each of them.

4. Enter the departure dates. Then, click Search . The platform provides results for all available flights in your selected regions.

5 Automatic price guarantee

Price guarantee helps you secure the best prices for your flights. The feature is available for flights with charges that Google has assurance of before it takes off. If you turn on the feature for a booked flight, Google monitors the rates until you board and gives you a refund if it turns out cheaper than originally displayed.

However, the price difference must exceed $5 to qualify for a payout. Also, you can only receive a maximum payout of $500 per Google account within a year. The feature works for trips you book on Google Flights, as well as those you discover on the platform but eventually book on the airline's website.

Price Guarantee is a pilot program and is still under testing. Not all flights are eligible for it until Google expands it. Eligible flights have a colored badge near them. Click a checkbox when booking to activate the feature.

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6 set fare alerts.

While Google Flights does its best to save your money, airline fares can change at any time. Price surges usually happen closer to departure dates because fewer seats are available. Airlines try to capitalize on travelers' willingness to pay for the remaining ones. Other times, pricing drops or remains stable when fewer travelers book flights.

You can set alerts to monitor these changes for specific routes on Flights. You'll receive automatic notifications via email. It saves you from constantly checking the prices yourself. Here's how to do it:

1. On the Google Flights website, enter your departure point and destination.

2. Set your departure and return dates.

3. Click Search .

4. Turn on the toggle switch beside Track prices . Flights sends you email notifications when travel fares change for your route within the specified dates.

7 Confirm ghosting prices

Ghosting prices refer to situations where you spot attractive flight fares. When you try to book them, the price jumps or becomes unavailable. There's an explanation for it. Google Flights is a flight search engine, not a booking platform. Even though it provides booking buttons and options, all links lead you to book with airlines or online travel agencies.

When you experience ghosting dates, airlines have updated their prices. However, there's a slight delay before Google Flights receives the information. Double-check the airline's website or contact them. You may still be able to access the ghosting prices.

8 Book layover flights

Layover flights are connecting air trips that include one or more stops between your starting point and destination. They are often cheaper than nonstop flights for the same route. Airlines usually have hubs or stop points for travelers going to various destinations.

If you're flexible with your travel plans, booking two separate flights – one from Point A to the layover city and another from the layover city to Point B – can be cheaper than booking a direct flight. However, it will take longer to reach your destination.

Google Flights has a handy layover duration feature. It tells you how long you'll wait at the airport before boarding your next flight to your final destination. Use this tool to filter the shortest route for you. Follow the steps below to start:

1. On the Flights page, click the Connecting airports search filter.

2. Use the slider to adjust your preferred layover duration.

3. Select your preferred airports. The platform shows the results.

9 Change your currency, language, or location on Google Flights

Google Flights typically sets the search currency, location, and language to match your IP address. If you're in the United States, you'll see prices in dollars. But it may be wrong. There are buttons beneath the menus and web pages for changing your language, country, and currency. You can also access the buttons on the platform's menu. Here's how to use both methods:

1. On the Google Flights website, scroll down to the bottom of the web page.

2. Click the Language , Country , and Currency options to adjust the settings to your preferences.

3. Alternatively, click the menu icon in the upper-left corner. Then, use the corresponding options.

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Use google flights to save on your next trip.

Google Flights finds flights well, but that's where its efforts stop. You'll need trip-planning features to enhance your experience. You'll find them in other dedicated travel apps , like itinerary building, budgeting, activity recommendations, and offline access. Some apps help you find accomodations and help you pack. Download them for free on the Google Play Store.

Google unveils new updates to make trip planning easier for travelers

Google Maps is launching new updates that are intended to make finding travel inspiration and local recommendations in your destination easier. Users will start seeing these lists of suggestions popping up in Google Maps in more than 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada this week. These updates will also be rolled out globally on Android and iOS mobile platforms later this month.

With this trio of updates, users can discover curated lists of local recommendations from other users and esteemed websites, customize their own lists and access key insights, making vacation planning a breeze and ensuring a seamless on-the-go experience. To access the new features, simply search for a city in Google Maps and and swipe up to see curated lists of places from people who know the city inside and out. You’ll also see lists from such reputable sources as Lonely Planet, the New York Times and OpenTable.

And, when away from home, the question of where to eat is always top of mind. Now, whether you’re a traveler or just want to find a trendy spot in town, you can use new restaurant lists created by Google Maps. These lists will spotlight the eateries people are showing interest in or rating highly on Maps at the time. Google has sorted restaurants into three separate lists based on various criteria, creating indices for trending, top-rated, and hidden gem locations.

The Trending list is updated weekly to spotlight places that experienced a recent spike in popularity on Maps, making it ideal for discovering the latest hot spots.

The Top list showcases the places that the Maps community has consistently shown love for. Use this list to find a neighborhood’s longstanding favorites.

The Gems list is for places that are considered an area's best-kept secrets, highlighting great restaurants that still fly under the radar.

Creating Maps lists allows you to organize places you’d like to visit and places you’ve already been that you might wish to revisit. With the new lists format, users will also be able to more easily arrange their selections for easy reference, as they can now choose the order in which places appear. Simply move them up or down in whatever order you prefer to have them displayed. Users can also link in content from their social media streams, such as their own reviews of a certain venue.

Similarly, to give users a good sense of each place at a glance, Google’s AI pulls key insights to display from the Maps community. When you search a spot, you’ll see select photos and reviews that encapsulate what patrons love about it. The AI function can even help you identify the name of a particular dish and display helpful information based on a restaurant’s menu.

New design updates are also set to give Google Maps a fresh look, including a simplified home screen and new pin colors that make places on the map easier to find.

Trip-planning AI

Google has also just announced an update that’s coming to its Search Generative Experience (SGE), which will enable users to create travel itineraries and compile trip ideas using AI. This means that Google will be taking on other companies that are already applying the generative AI’s capabilities to help travelers plan their trips, such as Mindtrip and Layla.

To come up with its travel recommendations, Google’s AI engine relies upon information from sites across the internet, as well as photos, reviews and other specifics users have submitted about any given place. Conversationally, users can ask the AI something like “plan me a five-day trip to New York City that focuses on entertainment” and receive a sample itinerary that includes local restaurants, attractions and points of interest. Once you’ve constructed your ideal itinerary, you can export it to Gmail, or Google Docs or Maps.

This new capability is currently available only in the U.S. (in English) to those who are signed up for Google’s Search Labs program, which invites users to experiment with early-phase Google Search functions. The company has not stated if or when this function will become more widely available. According to TechCrunch, Google is not only testing out new realms for using generative AI, it’s also gathering data about consumers’ travel purchasing intent, which would support its wider ad business.