It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Bustling shoppers, home-cooked meals and quality time with loved ones.
Even with all this holiday cheer, the season can feel overwhelming. To help you save time, money and your sanity, here are five must-know Google Maps tips and tricks to navigate the busy holiday season with ease.
Search for stops along your route 🔎
Forgot something important for your holiday gathering? Start navigating to your destination and tap on the magnifying glass on the top right-hand side of the app. You’ll find grocery stores, rest stops, gas stations, hotels and more along the way so you can avoid a major detour.
Share your ETA ⌚
Running late to the festivities? Let friends and family know you’re on your way by sharing your ETA right from Maps. When navigating, tap on the bottom screen and then on “Share trip progress.”
Drive sustainably and save money on gas ♻️
Use eco-friendly routing to see and choose the most fuel or energy-efficient route to your destination — whether it’s an ice rink or a tree farm — whenever you navigate with Google Maps. You can also search for “gas prices” to see the price of fuel at stations nearby so you can pick the cheapest option.
Find your way indoors fast with the Directory tab 🗺️
If you’re planning to shop or travel this season, you can search for any mall, airport or transit station and tap on the “Directory” tab to see what businesses are inside — like if a specific car rental company is located at the airport. You’ll also see helpful details like what floor a place is on and if it’s open.
Avoid holiday crowds with busyness information 👯
Nothing dampers a festive mood like long lines. Search for any place on Google Maps — like a bakery, grocery store or airport — and pull up its business page. Scroll down to see how busy it is at the moment or how busy it tends to be at a given day and hour to save time.
Still hungry for more? Check out these Google Maps traffic predictions, popular times, and activity trends — we promise they’re pumpkin to talk about!
