As the summer season approaches, Google Maps has added new features to simplify travel and make it more accessible and enjoyable for tourists. In a recent blog post, the technological giant announced its efforts to simplify travel preparations and enhance the travel experience. These updates come just in time for the busy summer season.
Expansion of the Immersive View
Google Maps introduced Immersive View earlier this year, using artificial intelligence to combine billions of images and create a multi-dimensional worldview. The goal is to revolutionize how travelers explore new places. Recently, Google expanded Immersive View to four more cities: Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice. They plan to add more than 500 landmarks worldwide, ranging from Prague Castle to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Munich's Marienplatz to Zurich's Grossmünster. Immersive View is accessible for both Android and iOS users.
For example, if you're planning a trip to Boston and want to visit the renowned Faneuil Hall. In that case, you can acquaint yourself with the area before you embark on your journey. Using Google Maps, you can hover over the building virtually and discover nearby attractions.
With the time slider feature, travelers can easily plan their day by checking the weather and crowd levels at different times. Additionally, the app provides insights into restaurants and cafes, allowing users to make informed decisions about reservations.
More Convenience in Live Route Planning
Maps service now offers a new feature called Quick Info on routes, which allows travelers to monitor their trip's progress on the lock screen or route summary. This feature provides updated arrival times and alerts travelers about upcoming turns; only available in full navigation mode.
Quick Route Info is rolling out globally for Car, Bike, and Walk modes on Android and iOS starting this month.
Easier to Plan Your Trip from Home
Planning a trip can be tricky, especially if you're visiting multiple cities and have a long list of places to visit. To make it easier, Google Maps has introduced the "Last" feature in the desktop version. It automatically displays a list of the places you have researched in a marker on the screen, making it easier to keep track of your plans.
With the new updates rolling out globally in July, you can find places in Recent even when the Google Maps window is closed. This lets you pause your planning and return to it later without losing information.
To plan your route, click "Route Planner" after selecting your destination on the Maps app. The app will generate a customized path that includes all the stops you wish to make and ensures that it remains saved in your history.
