When planning trips, Google My Maps is one of my go-to tools. I am sure you have come across a few of My Maps while browsing the pages and posts on this site.
Google My Maps is a free feature of Google, all that is needed is an account.
Pros of Using My Maps
📌Visual representation of your itinerary
Why Visual Representation of Itinerary Helps Planning ~ Viewing your travel to-do list on a map allows you to see which sites are in the same vicinity and can be visited on the same day with minimal travel time. For example, when planning my Prague trip, I saw the 2 art museums were near the church I was interested in visiting so I grouped those 3 sites into the itinerary for Day 1.
📌Markers list key information and link to Google Maps
📌Ability to share maps with family and friends
📌Print map to add to a scrapbook
Creating Your My Maps
Creating a Google My Map is an easy and fun part of trip planning. Visit Google My Maps and then press the “Create a New Map” icon at the top left.
I have highlighted a few items to make it easy for you to follow:
📌Click on “Untitled map” to give your map a name
📌Click on “Untitled layer” to give it a name
📌Click on “Base Map” to select the style you prefer for your map. I usually pick the “Light Political, ” the leftmost option on the 2nd row.
Adding and Styling My Maps Markers
Now for the fun part…adding your bucket list sites and restaurants!
📌In the search bar, enter the name or address of the attraction, hotel, restaurant, etc.
📌After entering the information, a box will pop up….select “Add to map”.
📌Now, you will see 5 icons: Style (paint bucket), Edit (pencil), Add Image or Video (camera), Directions to Here (arrow), and Delete Place (trash can). The Style option is where you can select the icon and color for your maker. Edit allows you to change the name of the site. I only use the Style, Edit, and Delete options.
Suggestions on Ways to Style Your My Maps
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- Styling by Category ~ You can select a different color and icon for the various types of sites (museums purple, parks green, historical sites blue, etc.). I tend to use this option the most for My Maps.
- Styling by Day ~ With this option, you can pick a color for each day of your trip (day 1 of trip yellow, day 2 of trip blue, etc.).
- Styling by Activity ~ You can color code your map by type of activity (hiking, camping, guided tour, etc.).
My Maps provides a lot of icons and colors so have fun styling your trip map! 🌍
Accessing My Maps
On your mobile device, you can easily access My Maps on any browser. You can also open My Maps via the Google Maps app, but I find this option to be less efficient and useful.
When you open My Maps on your phone, you can click on any marker to access information on the site, including a website link where you can view hours, purchase admission tickets, etc. From this window, you can also click “View in Google Maps” which will open the Google Maps app and allow you to get directions.
Sharing and Printing Your Map
On the left panel, under the map’s name, you will see the share icon. Clicking this icon will open a window that provides a link to share with friends and family so they can view your map.
To print your map, select the three dots as shown and then the “Print Map” option. Pick either the portrait or landscape orientation and then “Image”.
Share your thoughts! Was this travel guide helpful? What other mapping tools do you use to plan your trips?
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