Google Maps how to customize

Commenting as a reminder to check back. I've wondered this to.

Presuming you have a google account and are logged in (this is easier on laptop but works on phone too).

Navigate to a place - let's say the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Click it. On the laptop, the bar comes up on the left; on your phone, it pops up from below.

On your laptop, the button next to DIRECTIONS says SAVE. Click it. On your phone, you have to swipe left to see the SAVE button.

Another box pops up - SAVE IN YOUR LISTS. If you want to create a list, scroll to the bottom and click the + sign that says NEW LIST. Label what you will, etc., etc.

LF, you can put icons in My Maps, which is part of Google maps. You have to create it on a computer but can then transfer it to your phone. To get to My Maps, just go to https://www.google.com/maps/d/ and create a new maps. There's a bit of a learning curve involved, so I would suggest using one of the many tutorials out there.

If you want to see what the end result looks like, here is a link to Scotland off the Beaten Path - https://sobt.co.uk/map - which created a map for all their destinations. Most maps are not as complex as this, but you can get a good idea of what it looks like (the icons, the lists and so on).

Here are a few tutorials that might be helpful:

• Google MyMaps Tutorial for Beginners
• Google Tutorial - Use My Maps to create or view your own maps.
• Google Video Tutorial

Mardee, I'm very intrigued! It seems like layers we used to create in CAD drawings, but for a map. So I'm thinking I can create a layer for Restaurants, Sights-to-see, Sights-I-already-saw, that sort of thing. And hopefully, I can turn on/off layers, depending on what I want to see.

I couldn't get to your example as it requires permissions. There's an option to facilitate a request for permission, if you're open to that...?

I love using Google Maps anyway, and this looks like fun to try. And hopefully useful, rather than just another thing I put on my Todo list for each trip ;-/

I use Google's My Maps on the computer to create custom maps for sights, restaurants, etc. for every trip I take. Once created, it loads easily on my phone. It is useful when I am in a city and hungry and want to be sure to get food from a decent place nearby. My Paris map had hundreds of places pin-pointed so that I was always just around the corner from something.

Hundreds of places pinpointed on a Paris map. Why not just search for restaurants when you need it? Much less clutter. That’s the magic of google.

@TreeMoss,

You can get BAD food in Paris if you aren't careful. Being able to research the cafe/bistro/restaurant ahead of time is the key.
Otherwise, you wouldn't need a map at all as you can just use your eyes.

I have eateries of different categories marked in each neighborhood of Paris. This works well for me.

Why not just search for restaurants when you need it?

Yes, there are times that I want to just quickly research restaurants near me. And, as in my just-finished trip, I had done a lot of advanced research and had chosen some that were of particular interest to me. I already Save those a list for each trip in Google Maps. I'm thinking this might be a way to "cross them" off the list (without losing them forever) by putting them in a different layer within My Maps.

These are my untested ideas, since I have used Google Maps extensively for restaurants, but have never used My Maps.

CWSocial, that's weird - try this link. I signed out and that's what popped up. https://www.google.com/maps/about/mymaps/

Oh wait, you were probably talking about the Sobt maps. Sorry, here's a link from their website - you can make a copy of it for your own purposes if you want. That's what I did, although I mostly used it for reference as I had my own Map. https://sobt.co.uk/map/ I've also updated my reply above.

Hundreds of places pinpointed on a Paris map. Why not just search for restaurants when you need it? Much less clutter.

Clutter is in the eyes of the beholder. Many of us like tech and gadgets and enjoy playing around with them for a useful purpose. If you don't like it, you don't have to use it. :)

Treemoss - I never said they were all restaurants. I also enjoy reading blogs and color coding the places that I want to visit. Saves time when I am on the ground. Believe me, my maps are epically good.

Originally MyMaps was an app. It is now just on the web. Be aware that you cannot store your full map offline on your phone. You can open it before leaving your hotel, but you probably won't be able to walk very far before you need either Wi-Fi or a data connection, because you'll either walk off the edge of the territory you originally had on the screen, or you'll want to zoom in so much that you need more data. This is, for me, a very big negative.

I am still using Google Maps but get very irritated by the switch from app to web, not least because I have Google Fi and pay for the data I consume. Those buying low-cost local SIMs would probably not have a significant cost issue.

What I like very much about Google Maps is the wealth of colors and icons available to mark places you save. I spent a bit of time trying out different colors to find options that seemed to stand out a bit from all the Google icons already populated on the maps. I eventually chose purple for sights, red for food sources, black for shopping and green for infrastructure (train station, bus station, ferry port, tourist office, hotel, etc.)

I use different icons for various categories of things. I've continued to refine that as I find myself wanting a category I didn't originally set up. For example, these types of sights each have their own symbol: art museums, other museums, churches, historical sites, gardens, walk-by destinations (for exterior architecture) and view points. That helps me see at a glance which destinations are likely to be more time consuming and which can be fitted into the day's itinerary quickly.

Food is separated into restaurants/cafes, supermarkets, gelato stands and other places with limited product offerings (i.e., not sources for full meals) like bakeries. I'm not particularly happy with the way I'm handling food sources, but it's better than nothing.

I'd suggest keeping in mind that places you want to flag will probably not always fit perfectly into any categorization system you set up (e.g., is that former church now more a museum, given how much explanatory material is now posted there?), so more categories won't necessarily be better; they'll just require more decisions on your part.

It's a lot quicker for me to save destinations while sitting at my computer at home, because I like to include hours of operation and sometimes a few words to help me remember why a less well known sight is on my map. It's not hard to add places on a smartphone, though. I often do that as I'm walking around and see an interesting looking restaurant.

In order to reduce the visual clutter on the screen, I change the color of my sightseeing icons from purple to light gray after I visit a sight. It's pretty easy to ignore the light gray icons as I scan the map.

While on an extended visit to Rome earlier this year, my map was awash in purple sightseeing symbols (so many churches!) to the point that navigation by watching the movement of the you-are-here dot toward a particular goal was awkward, so I started changing the icons for the current day's potential sightseeing targets to a different color (I used orange or lime green).

Yes, I am map-obsessed.

I'd recommend using that little fellar on the bottom right of Google maps to walk around a place you're going. It really helps to orientate you, especially when you have jet lag.

My Google Maps tips

Note that I only use mobile data when traveling...I have T-Mobile now and it was previously Sprint. I rarely use wifi.

TIP #1: Ahead of my RS or other tours, I always save all of my hotels using the save to list feature someone mentioned above. You can save things as "travel plans", "starred places", "favorites", and "want to go." Each has its own unique icon. It just makes things easier later when you're trying to navigate and find your way back.

Also, you don't need to use your desktop computer for this. If you have the Google Maps app you can do everything there. Easy peasy.

TIP #2: I also recommend downloading the offline maps of each city you plan to visit. That way if for some reason you lose your mobile connection or can't find decent wifi, you can still easily navigate your way around. I've personally never had any issue downloading the full map as one poster stated above. But you will want to ensure you have the latest and greatest map before you depart for your trip. IMHO offline maps should just be a backup.

Also, you don't need to use your desktop computer for this. If you have the Google Maps app you can do everything there. Easy peasy.

Except create the icons he was talking about. That's what you can use Google's MyMaps for, and you can only create that on a computer. Believe me, I use Google maps to its full extent including saving places, writing notes and so on, but I think the OP was looking for something he could really customize with the icons. :)

Wow Thank you everyone! I am still going through everything and figuring things out. I can see the great potential that My Google Maps has.