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My New Tactic For Remembering Suggestions I Read Here

I do a lot of near term planning and a good bit of "future" planning, and I bounce around this General section, but also many of the country specific ones.

In any case, there are usually two main topics that always seem to pop up - where to stay (ie hotels) and where to eat. What I used to do (and still do) would be to right-click a recommendation and see what Google or the places website had to say. If it looked interesting, I'd bookmark it in my travel planning folders.

What I started doing, though, has been to also utilize the saved lists in Google Maps. So, for our trip last July to the Netherlands, I had lists for Amsterdam, for Leiden, for Haarlem, and for Rotterdam with mostly restaurants, but also some tourist spots and the various hotels. Since we had been to Amsterdam last year too, that list was then supplemented with new locations.

Now, when I look at a place in Google Maps, I see all those locations easily. It lets me remember the places I might like to visit, stay at, or eat at, but also lets me easily navigate to anf from them when actually in town. It also, of course, also gives me nudge/reminder when planning that next trip as I can open up the city/area, see the saved list, and build those into a trip. And, you can annotate each location, so if there is additional info you want to remember, you can.

I'm sure many folks have been doing this for a while, but for me, spending time here over the past few years with tons of good recommendations, I needed a simple system to keep those orderly - on my phone, on my laptop, and anywhere I am logged into Google.

Posted by
8702 posts

I do that, too, Tom, and find it very helpful! It's nice to see the various locations, and the Notes area is a wonderful feature. It's also handy because if you ever go back to that place, everything is saved unless you remove it.

Posted by
662 posts

Can you provide more detail? Do I copy the url of a post and paste it somewhere? And how to you find it again when you need it? I've been using the app Wanderlog where it's pretty intuitive how to create and find a list, but they're not plotted on the map.

Posted by
1762 posts

I keep a running list of "Places to visit" and when there are specifics I just add those under the location. If there's a link I add that too. For example, when I went to Toulouse and the Dordogne a couple weeks ago, I had two pages of notes I printed out and kept close. I didn't see or do everything, but having notes helped.

Posted by
10519 posts

Do you mean to say you are making annotated Google maps of things people are mentioning in threads here ???

Posted by
347 posts

Say I’m researching Barcelona and everyone recommends the Palau de la Música Catalana (I HIGHLY recommend it!), I know I will both want to visit it and wonder where it is (in relation to the hotel or other spots).

I open Google Maps (on my laptop or my phone), search for the Palau in Barcelona. From the results, I select the “Palau de la Música Catalana” and that brings up the option to “Save” (with the “Directions”, “Nearby”, “Share” etc) . I can choose an existing list (Barcelona if it is there already) or I can create a new list (naming it Barcelona or whatever). I also can use the result to do deeper research - reviews, times of operation, the website, etc..

Now, it is saved in that list, and I can “add note” or, when looking at the Barcelona map as a whole, I see the Palau as an icon indicating it is on my list. Likewise, I can “view list” and see what other spots I have saved over time.

Broadly, the map view will show that we could start at my planned hotel (saved already) wander to the Palau, have lunch at Tapas 24 and continue up to Sagrada Familia for a tour. All saved items. A bit of a zig-zag, but a reasonable venture when reviewing my list and the map.

Since it is on Google Maps, when I'm signed in on my PC or my phone or any other device, it's available. I use Maps to navigate most places I am not super familiar with, so those saved & listed spots are already in my phone when I land in a place. Prior to going - whether in the earliest of research (what should I do in Budapest?) or in the finalize the itinerary (all firm and optional locations added) - I will have saved a bunch of items for destinations. The list is NEVER exhaustive, but it is a great help. Especially, when I get to a new destination, if there are a few lunch/dinner options from recommendations here or somewhere else, it saves a huge headache of finding where we can eat a good meal. Or to quickly navigate from the train station or airport to the hotel. Or piecing together a quick walking route from A->B->C.

Posted by
8702 posts

Can you provide more detail? Do I copy the url of a post and paste it somewhere? And how to you find it again when you need it? I've been using the app Wanderlog where it's pretty intuitive how to create and find a list, but they're not plotted on the map.

@Marty, I also use Wanderlog extensively when I travel, but I still save places in Google maps, as it helps when I'm looking up something and I can spot a destination that I'm interested in on the map. For what it's worth, Wanderlog does plot destinations you've added on the map. It's on both the phone app and the desktop. On the desktop, you can see it on the right, but on the phone, you have to manually open up the map (which is linked to Google maps). Just click the black circle in the lower right hand corner (the one with an icon of a folded map) and Maps will appear at the top.

Posted by
663 posts

Thanks so much, Tom, for this helpful info! I save places on Google maps all the time and use it as I’m traveling. I kind of knew about making your own specific lists, but never got around to researching it and actually doing it. Your post inspired me to organize my generic lists to be location specific. I’m practicing with my New Orleans favorite sites now since I’m going there next month. Re-doing my Rome and Florence lists will take a lot more time, haha!

Posted by
3644 posts

My tactic is on Notes in my iphone, I have all the countries of Europe listed. Under each country, when I come across a great suggestion or tip from the forum, I copy and paste the info into the correct country and city or town. Then if and when I am going to that country, I search that country on my notes for information. More organized than just bookmarking topics on the forum.
I like your idea too Tom, but for those who travel without data (I don’t, but guess some do), your idea wouldn’t work?

Posted by
347 posts

I like your idea too Tom, but for those who travel without data (I don’t, but guess some do), your idea wouldn’t work?

Great question and a big ??? from me. Offline use is definitely one of the weaknesses of Google Maps that I have noticed over the years. Even if I have the location map(s) "downloaded" for off-line use, despite Google maps working using GPS to place me on the map and show me the map information, "smart" stuff like asking for a walking (not driving) route between two points does not work. I'm guessing there are other weaknesses (and work-arounds) when not connected with data.

Luckily, for the most part, eSIMs in Europe have been easy and cheap, so I no longer bother with the "just look for wi-fi" to be my no expense option while traveling. I understand many folks will still like that no cost route, so maybe they can play around with it before leaving town. And, of course, I still use this Google Maps process in the PLANNING phase as much (probably more so) as during the active vacation time.

Posted by
344 posts

Good idea and helpful thread! One of my ways to remember places is to make a Contact for places I've stayed/eaten, or heard about. Or did laundry at! I'm an Apple Maps user, whether at home or in Europe. That's my starting point to share info or return someplace great. I can go into Contacts and enter "London" in the Search bar, for example, and all the places we went come up.