I know, the temptation to go there just to take virtual tours around the world is strong, but in reality Google Maps is a terrific tool for creating road itineraries. Its maps, in fact, are ideal for discovering the best way to reach a certain place or provide others with useful information on how to reach a location that we know. Yes, you are at the very beginning of the PC world, you have never used Google Maps seriously, etc. but here the chatter is zero! Creating Google Maps itineraries is so simple that even a child can do it instantly.
Apparently it may seem like a “hard job” but I can assure you that creating an itinerary with the “big G” tool is very easy, both from smartphones and tablets, and from computers. You only need a few minutes of free time, an active Internet connection and the desire to learn how to use a service that is now almost essential for many people.
Read what you find below, put my instructions into practice and I am more than sure that, in the end, you will be satisfied with the results obtained; as well as your friends / relatives who will finally have clear indications on how to reach you!
Index
- How to create Google Maps itinerary: smartphone and tablet
- How to create Google Maps itinerary: Android
- How to create Google Maps itinerary: iPhone
- How to create Google Maps itinerary: PC
How to create Google Maps itinerary: smartphone and tablet
If you have the Google Maps application installed on your smartphone or tablet, you can create an itinerary and consult it on the fly or save it to be able to access it later, even without an Internet connection .
How to create Google Maps itinerary: Android
If you want to create a route for Google Maps on Android , first you need to launch the app in question. If it is not already present on your device, go to the Play Store and search for the name of the application, Google Maps , in the search bar, or tap on the link I gave you.
Once on the app page on the Play Store, all you have to do is press the Install button and confirm, if requested. Once this is done, wait a few seconds for the installation. If you have a device without Google services, I suggest you refer to the procedure for creating itineraries on a PC from a browser .
Once the main screen of Maps is displayed , accept the sharing of the position , then press the blue button depicting an arrow that is located in the lower right part of the screen, then fill in the search field by first typing the starting point and the arrival point of the your itinerary.
Eventually, you can also press on the item Your position to select your current position as a starting point, or help you with the suggestions that are proposed to you as you type the places of your interest.
Then indicate whether you intend to travel by car , using public transport or on foot , by tapping on the appropriate indicators (they are recognizable by icons with the shape of the chosen means of transport ) located just below the fields containing the positions .
If you deem it appropriate, you can further refine your itinerary by tapping on the icon … located next to the positions, then pressing on Itinerary options and selecting one or more of the options proposed.
For example, if you have chosen to travel by car, you can choose to avoid motorways by turning the switch on the item Avoid motorways to ON . Then, tap on the arrow at the top left to return to the previous screen and to confirm the changes made.
If you tap on the Set departure or arrival time item, you can also adjust the departure and / or arrival time simply by using the scrolling menu and selecting a departure day with the on-screen directional arrows. Then tap on the Set item when you are done.
At this point, press the blue Start button at the bottom to consult your itinerary. Keep in mind that the itinerary will be proposed to you both in the form of textual indications and a map.
Also know that, like using the computer service , you can view different roads for each itinerary. The gray ones are the secondary ones, which you can choose to view alternative routes by tapping on them, while the blue is the main one you see at the moment, chosen by default by Google Maps .
Do you want to share your itinerary with a friend or do you want to use another app or service on your smartphone to consult the route? Yup? Well, then tap on the “usual” icon depicting three dots horizontally, press the Share position button and choose the app with which to share the itinerary ( SMS , e-mail , Twitter , Facebook etc.).
Do you want to consult your itinerary later? Then press the Blocked button , which allows you to move the itinerary to the Blocked submenu , or tap the menu … and choose the Add itinerary to the Home screen option , to create an icon.
How to create Google Maps itinerary: iPhone
If you want to create an itinerary for Google Maps on iPhone or iPad , the first thing to do is download the official app from the App Store . Go, therefore, to the Google Maps page of the store, then all you have to do is press the Get button and confirm your identity with Face ID , Touch ID or Apple ID password . Once the app is installed, you can open it.
Then accept the sharing of the location , tap on the blue arrow- shaped icon present at the bottom right, to type the starting point and the arrival point (just like in the Android version of the app ).
Then tap on the Departure item to select a departure time , then select the means of transport you intend to use for the trip ( car , on foot or by public transport ) using the appropriate icons .
Then tap on one of the options that appear in the on-screen menu, in order to view the map , then press the Start button and follow the directions in real time that are provided to you.
You can choose to follow one of the alternative routes by tapping on the Map button and then on the gray road sections . By tapping the Fix button , however, you can find the newly created itinerary on the main screen of the app.
To share the itinerary , all you have to do is press the button … on the right, next to the field containing the starting position , then select the item Share the directions to send them to your contacts via the various app icons on the screen .
The procedures for modifying the itinerary can be viewed via the Options item , placed next to that for modifying the departure date.
By tapping on it you will be able to change the means of transport , the number of changes , choose between the best or shortest route and possibly choose the use of wheelchair accessible vehicles .
How to create Google Maps itinerary: PC
If you have a computer at hand and if you are interested in understanding how to create Google Maps itineraries , the first step you need to take is to connect to the website of the famous maps service .
Now that you see the main screen of Google Maps, press the Directions button (the one depicting an arrow pointing to the right) that you find at the top left.
At this point, type in the first text field the address from which you want to start your itinerary , write the destination you want to reach in the second text field and you will instantly get your itinerary .
If you have set up home and work addresses , you can also click on the suggestions that are proposed to you in the appropriate pop-up menu, or you can help with the automatic completion of addresses for more precise information.
If you had typed the starting point and the arrival point in reverse order , you can quickly correct everything by simply clicking on the button depicting two arrows located on the right.
Keep in mind that, if necessary, you can add an additional leg of the route to be taken by pressing the + button on the left and typing in the reference place .
Then choose whether to make the journey by car , by public transport , on foot , by bike or by plane by clicking on the appropriate buttons with the corresponding icons , which are located at the top of the page.
Then click on the Options item on the right to further refine your itinerary. For example, if you have chosen to travel by car, you can select the appropriate item to avoid toll roads and you can set a different unit of measurement from the default one.
By clicking on the Departure now item located at the top on the left, you can set a different departure time and day from the current one in order to obtain even more precise information and / or you can select a maximum arrival time simply by clicking on the appropriate items. attached to the menu that is shown to you.
At this point you can finally feel satisfied: by carrying out these simple steps you were able to create your itinerary on Maps. Now, if more itineraries are available, click on the one you are interested in .
Keep in mind that, very often, there are alternative itineraries recommended by Google Maps but generally the first one that is proposed is always the best , since it allows you to optimize distance and travel time.
Once this is done, you can consult the itinerary by taking a look at the textual indications on the left side of the displayed Web page and at the map that is located on the right side, in order to make sure that the proposed itinerary corresponds to your expectations.
If you want to print the itinerary , press the Print item , located in the menu ☰ on the left, then use the appropriate menu that is proposed to you to choose whether to print the itinerary including the maps or whether to print only the textual indications .
In case you intend to share your itinerary , click on the ☰ button, at the top left, then choose the Share or Embed Map item .
You can choose to copy the link to send , or press the Facebook and Twitter buttons to share the itinerary through your personal account on one of the two social networks.
If you want to learn more about how Google Maps works, I suggest you take a look at my dedicated tutorial . If you are wondering how to download Google Maps , you can refer to this other tutorial.
