6 ways I use Google Maps even when not navigating

While most people associate Google Maps with real-time navigation, the app has packed in plenty of features over the years. While some of these are related to its main purpose, like offline maps, there is also a lot of helpful info you can find in the app.

As a result, even though I don’t travel to new places all that much, I still find myself using the app pretty often.

In fact, Google Maps often saves me from having to visit a location first to figure out whether there’s parking, how long it will take to get there during peak traffic, and whether a certain suburb has any interesting spots. Here are a few of the ways I use Google Maps even when I don’t need it to direct me when driving.

There used to be a time when I used Google Maps whenever I was driving. My sense of direction is generally terrible, so I was never really confident in my ability to remember where to go. This has improved somewhat now that my ADHD is being treated, but if I haven’t driven a route in a while, I still like to refresh my memory about places to turn off.

If my memory feels a bit fuzzy, I’ll quickly give Google Maps a look to see if I remember a route correctly. I identify the names of the roads I need to use for significant turns since I usually take the simplest route to any destination.

This helped me recently with a trip to a garden center I hadn’t visited in a while. While the trip is only about 15 minutes, I was blurry on the details of where to make turns. So I quickly double checked the route before leaving the house.

I also do this when travelling into the city. After all, I’d rather spend five minutes checking that I remember the route correctly than realize partway through the trip that I’m lost.

I live in a city that’s well-known for its lack of parking. Streets are narrow, and most parking spaces are often already taken. Whenever I’m visiting a new location, I first check it out on Street View to see if it has dedicated parking.

I also then check the side roads to see what alternatives will be available if the available parking is already taken. Additionally, I also often look for any nearby parking garages that I can use so that I don’t have to worry about my car sitting on the street.

If I can see that the parking situation isn’t going to be ideal, I just opt to Uber to the location instead. This costs extra, but saves me the stress of having to find a safe parking location while competing with others in cramped streets.

Other times, it helps me locate a parking garage that is ideally located so that I can save money.

Speaking of busy roads, Cape Town is also notorious for its traffic. A journey that usually takes 15 minutes can easily take more than an hour, depending on when you leave. Peak traffic hours also have a habit of creeping earlier and lasting longer as people try to avoid traditional peak hours. I found myself having to leave earlier and earlier over time to avoid congestion as others had begun leaving earlier too.

Since I started working from home, I’ve not kept updated with the traffic trends. That’s why I’ve started using Google Maps to get a better idea of how long a trip will take me based on traffic history. The Maps app allows you to adjust your departure time for a route so that you can see the expected duration.

This helps me plan my day even when I won’t be driving. For example, when I have to travel to the airport for an overnight event for work, I check the trip duration from my house to the airport based on when I plan to order an Uber. I leave some room for error, just in case there’s an unexpected accident or issue with traffic lights. But overall, using this Google Maps feature helps me plan my schedule with a lot less stress.

Even though Cape Town is popular with tourists and foodies, searching for restaurants and shops can sometimes be difficult. Many of the same spots dominate search engine rankings and best of lists, so if you’re looking for something different, these lesser-known gems can be difficult to find.

There are also entire parts of the city I tend to avoid due to their popularity. Between the stress of finding parking and the sensory overload that comes with crowded spots, I prefer less popular spots that also still provide vegetarian options and quality service.

That’s what makes Google Maps helpful. Even if a spot doesn’t have a website, it will likely still have a Google listing and will appear on Google Maps. I will sometimes choose an area I like that I know isn’t too crowded, and then use Maps to find local restaurants around there.

I’ve also used it to find gift shops, lesser-known antique stores, and businesses that are in convenient locations and are easily accessible. In some ways, Google Maps can sometimes be more useful than a traditional Google search.

Business hours in Cape Town aren’t really consistent, depending on the day of the week or public holidays. It all really depends on the people who own a business and whether a shopping center implements compulsory opening hours.

Google Maps is pretty handy when it comes to finding opening hours for businesses. Plenty of places I go to don’t have a dedicated website, so this leaves Maps as the best way to figure out whether they’re open on a certain day. I’ve even been able to find the business hours of my physiotherapist on Google Maps, even though she doesn’t have a website.

It isn’t foolproof though. For example, for my veterinary clinic, Google Maps lists the practice as open 24 hours a day. This is technically true, but there are specific appointment hours and “after-hours” blocks.

Appointments stop at 7 pm, after which you can still bring in your pet, but you will be charged an after-hours fee. These hours are typically for emergencies, and you can’t book a slot — you arrive and have to wait until a vet can see you. The fact that there are separate opening hours and after-hours timeslots is specified on the practice’s website, but not on Google Maps.

I returned to playing Pokémon Go this year and found the experience frustrating. Part of this was the limitations I experience as someone with chronic illness, but also the scarcity of stops and gyms in my location.

To make it easier to play, I’ve been adding stops near where I live that are in locations that I know are safe that also fall within the game’s guidelines for nominations. Parks are some of the most popular places to create these points, and my neighborhood has far more than I expected.

By using Google Maps, I can look for small parks or unique locations in the neighborhood. After all, if they appear on Google Maps, they’re usually notable enough to qualify for submission.

This saves me from having to drive around my neighborhood looking for locations, especially with all the cul-de-sacs that make navigating a bit confusing. Rather, I can use Google Maps to locate areas of interest and then visit them when I have time.

Besides submitting stops, Google Maps also comes in handy when reviewing stops that others have submitted. In fact, the site where you review submissions — Wayfarer — allows you to open up the location in Maps. You can then assess whether the location matches the description and is accessible to pedestrians.

Google Maps has plenty of features that makes it useful for more than just real-time navigation. While I do wish the app would introduce safety alerts, its useful features keep it in my app rotation even when I’m not traveling anywhere new. I may also try out custom maps since my colleague Andy is a big fan of them.