For many, spring break starts this week, and for some, that could mean a beach or waterfront vacation is in the near future. And if you’re planning to travel to a busy spring break destination, we recommend using Google Maps to help relieve some of the stress that comes with traveling.
While Google Maps can’t prevent a traffic jam, there are a variety of ways it can help to make the journey easier, from quickly getting around the airport to using the Maps app offline. Check out some of the app’s best features for spring break travelers below.
For more travel advice, here’s the best time to shop for airline tickets. Also, here are the best travel credit cards and best airline credit cards.
1. Easily navigate through airports and train stationsÂ
If you need to quickly find a store in a large mall or transit center, Google Maps has a Directory tab for all airports, malls and transit stations. This can help when you’re running around the airport trying to find a place to eat or grabbing a last-minute souvenir before catching your flight.Â
The tab will tell you a destination’s business hours and what floor it’s on. You can look through restaurants, stores, lounges and parking lots.
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2. Find out how busy an attraction is before going
To see how busy a spot is, check out Google Maps’ Busyness tool. Already you could search for a location, like a business, to see a chart that shows how crowded it is in real time. But a feature called Area Busyness lets you see when entire map areas are clogged with people.Â
To use the feature, open the Google Maps app on your Android or iPhone (or your computer’s browser) and move around the map to find a general area, say, downtown, a riverwalk or a quaint nearby town. The…
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