When planning a trip, I tend to ask Gemini for travel recommendations and start an itinerary on Google Keep. I’d then use Google Calendar to outline each day and save every destination on Google Maps.
After saving a few attractions for a recent family trip, it hit me: Why don’t I do everything on Google Maps? From the itinerary to the day-by-day breakdown, I could do everything on a single app.
I realized each pin would tell me how to organize the itinerary based on the distance from my hotel and commute time. I could then label sights, shops, and restaurants by category on Maps.
Rather than use Maps only to navigate around a new city, I started using the app as my travel notebook, which I could share with my family. None of my notes get left behind on Google Keep or Calendar.
A custom list combines all my notes
I can even add emojis
My first move was to resist the temptation of saving every destination to the Starred Places or Favorites lists. A custom list lets me add notes and customize the order of each pin.
The best part: I can label a custom list and each of its items with my preferred emoji.
I begin by creating a custom list on Maps using these steps:
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Go to the You tab at the bottom.
- Tap New List.
- Name the new list and add a description.
- Choose an emoji icon.
- Turn on Customize list order.
- Tap Create.
By selecting an icon, my chosen emoji will now appear next to every location I add to this list. If I pick a coffee emoji, for example, I’d instantly recognize every café I pinned on the map.
I prefer creating one custom list per category, such as attractions and restaurants. Matching icons scattered across the field help me map out every pinned location at a glance.
I also like to add notes for each item. For a restaurant, I’d note what food to order; for a shop, I’d write down the souvenirs I should check out.
After I’m done listing every location and adding notes to each one, I customize the order of the items. This helps me remember either the highest-to-lowest priority on the list or the chronological order of the itinerary.
All custom lists can be shared with travel companions to ensure nothing is missed. If they’re invited as collaborators, they can add their own locations and notes to the list.
Seeing my plans on a map exposes bad itineraries
And helps with a sudden change of plans
Zooming out of the map reveals all my custom icons and their exact locations. This lets me build itineraries based on what’s near each location.
For every museum or historical park, I have nearby restaurants and shops pinned. If bad weather gets in the way of a day’s activities, I can scout the area for backup plans.
Best of all, custom icons instantly alert me to inconvenient walking paths or ill-timed transit routes from one spot to another. I could then adjust the itinerary accordingly.
I once picked a playground to visit with my child after dining at a food center in Singapore, only to find out that the route wasn’t stroller-friendly and would require a much longer walk than I had imagined before checking Maps.
Maps doesn’t think for me, but it tells me what’s geographically realistic before the trip begins.
Google Maps preserves a record of my trip
No need to redo itineraries
Keeping a custom list is another great way to revisit old itineraries and share them with those who need them, too.
I can share custom lists without making the recipient a collaborator. This protects my creations from accidental edits.
If I forget exactly how my day went during an old trip, I would enter my Google Maps timeline and select the specific dates of that trip.
Google Maps’ timeline is surprisingly detailed. It shows where I went and what time I arrived for each day. It even maps out the chronological order of each destination, which helps me remember the routes I took.
However, I still rely on my own notes on Maps and pictures on Google Photos to remind myself of a trip. Maps’ timeline sometimes gets the locations wrong when my phone’s GPS fluctuates, like during underground subway rides.
I sometimes also leave reviews at my most memorable stops. These write-ups and accompanying photos help me remember what I experienced and guide those who visit afterward.
A geographical notebook is the best travel planner
With only a few caveats
Before using Google Maps as my travel notebook, most of my personal notes were scattered.
Interesting restaurants from Instagram were tucked away in my screenshots folder, recommendations from friends were buried in my Telegram chats, and opening time reminders rotted away in Keep notes.
Worst of all, none of the aforementioned apps told me how close each location was to one another.
Google Maps isn’t a total replacement for my cluster of apps. It simply shows how the trip comes together in the real world.
I still need Google Drive to access tickets and scanned passports, Calendar to double-check national holidays, and Wallet to tap my phone at terminals.
Despite its limitations, I’ll keep using Google Maps as a travel notebook for my next family outing. Its robust navigation has almost become a byproduct for me.
