Planning long weekend getaway? These Google Maps TIPS will make life easy

If you have plans to venture out this weekend, the Google Maps app on your smartphone can be very handy. Maps got some new updates lately and if you are planning a road-trip, you can use it to chart your routes, plan your stay, choose the toll roads, get direction, check for fuel stations nearby, and lots more. Maps can even show you how to rely on public transport to make your weekend trip seamless. Since there are lots of features to make use of, we have picked up the top features that we think can make life easier on the road this long weekend.

Top Google Maps tricks you need to keep note of

Figure out the best time

We all know that traffic can be unpredictable, especially in urban setups. To ensure you avoid getting stuck in those irritating long queues, you can set the time you would like to depart or arrive by to see how long it’ll take you to get to the destination.

Avoid tolls

Everyone wants to avoid toll roads and highways, which Google Maps can now help you with. Simply tap on the three dots at the top right corner of your directions in Google Maps to see your route options and select ‘Avoid tolls.’ In the future, Google Maps will also start showing you the estimated toll price before you start navigating.

Enjoy multi-stop road trips

You can now plan your journey at once by adding up to 10 stops in a single trip. Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then tap “Add stop”. To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the stop you want to move and drag it to the position you want. Once you’ve added all your stops, tap “Done” and your multi-stop route is complete.

Voice navigation in local languages

You ask the Google Assistant for navigation in your local language. You can say "Ok Google" followed by a voice command. The feature is available in eight Indian languages: Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Urdu. To select your favourite language, select Navigation Settings, and then change through the Voice Selection option.

Access directions offline

In the event of no internet connectivity, you can continue using your Google Maps just the way you want. Download a map of an area in advance so you can still access directions and turn-by-turn navigation even if you can’t get online. To do this, tap on your profile picture in Maps, tap Offline maps, then Select your own map. From here, adjust the map to cover the area you'd like to download and that will be available for you to reference on your adventures.

Search along your route

You can use Google Maps to search for petrol pumps, a restaurant or other places along your drive so you can manage your tasks without going too far out of your way.

Save time with helpful information

You can use the Popular Times and Live Busyness information to see when restaurants are most crowded. You can also use the popular dishes feature to quickly find out what the must-try items and local favorites on the menu are.

Stay entertained through the trip

You can stream music from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music on both Android and iOS devices right from Google Maps.