As I'm sure everyone is aware by all the photos that have been posted, I went on a week long fun-filled girl's trip to Amsterdam last month. (Obviously this is not Amsterdam above, it's Dubrovnik!) I nominated myself head party planner and got to work making a map that everyone could see on their phones. Color coded, of course! Filled with cultural things to do, restaurants and drink stops, and of course photo op locations! Below I'll share how I find all these things, and hopefully I share a new bit of advice or two to help you do the same.
I'll try to keep this simple as I know I like to kind of write whatever my brain thinks vs. being terse and to the point. I'll share the 3 main ways I research, and the 2 main ways I use Google Maps- the ultimate tool in navigation! I assume most people have a gmail account? If not, you DEF should make one- if none other than the below mentioned mapping tools, for their sweet "Drive" and "Photos" access... that's completely free! *Not sponsored* Just a fan after figuring it all out! Obviously I use those apps too, but that's a post for another time.
BONUS I share the coordinates for the bench photo op above!
We'll start with the research part. Let's jump right in!
1. Pinterest
So Pinterest to me was a bad habit after college, I would scroll and pin, scroll and pin for hours on repeat. Building my virtual wardrobe and future this-and-that has never been so easy! It helped me with meal preparation and obviously- you guessed it, travel ideas! I love Pinterest that it's very visual. It's also pretty easy to click back to the original links. Awesome if you are planning to travel somewhere and Tripadvisor just isn't cutting it through all the basic, repeated, and wordy reviews.
Here's what I do: I search for whatever city I am going to and click on 3-5 different pins that catch my eye. I always have 30 tabs on my browser open at once- so I can look at everything together. Right click on the images and "open in new tab." Usually they bring me to a blog, which is wonderful! I love that it is an independent review more or less and every person has a bit of a different piece of advice. I don't do much more than 5 because (depending how big of an area you're going to is) they may start to repeat the places. I am also not a superfan of the "most touristy" things to do in every city... why travel somewhere new if you're going to get the same experience as 324891 zillion other people?
Yes, do the top things! They are probably the top things for a reason! However, I also think you should branch out just a little to find something a little off the well trodden paths. It's like- there's more to Orlando than just Disney World... my Orlando peeps you know what I mean? Pinterest and these independent blogs does just that for me!
Okay, keep those tabs open with the places that sound the most interesting to you and let's move to the next step.
2. Instagram
Most of you probably found this post through Instagram. It is another form of search engine that I think has so many misconceptions and misunderstandings about it. It is the fastest growing social media app and I believe it has quickly converted itself to keep up with the times. I can barely keep up with it! But I guess that's not saying much, I'm not a huge tech savvy person, lol.
Did you know? That you can not only search Instagram for your wannabe bestie/long lost superstar sister TV actress' name, but you can also search by hashtag and by PLACES! If you search ahead of time you can type which city you are going to. Or if you want to search around you while you're already there you can click "near current location." It basically will pull up any pictures that have been posted with that geo tag. (Geo = geolocation, just for those that are lost. [Anyone catch my terrible joke there? If you're lost... use geolocation to be found... okay, okay I'm done.])
See an image that is so striking it makes you want to go there? I bet if you click that photo it will tell you the specific location or have information within the post about it. I feel like visuals are the key here! If I see something I can know better what to expect, vs. black and white letters on the topic. I can also determine if I want to go to this vs. that restaurant off the photos! You can search "____ restaurant" with the city you are going to and it will pull up everything from restaurant accounts from that city, restaurants who have used that hashtag, and restaurants who have geolocations in that city.
A few clicks and you can visually see what there is to offer. Who doesn't love a good Instagrammable (has that word been added to Webster's yet?) latte art and avocado toast? #basic but pretty. Even restaurant bathrooms can be Instagrammable- have you seen @sketchlondon's rainbow alien pods? Is it weird that I added it to my map after just seeing the bathroom?
Maybe you follow #ihavethisthingwithdoors, (I do!) because you know you can follow hashtags too, right? And you saw this door in the city you're going to you just HAVE to have a picture in front of... save that location and keep it open in your tab ready for the map-making step.
Lastly, I use Instagram to as specific research for the photo locations I want... as well as poses and also clothing options! I mean, I am probably going to post whatever pic I take on Instagram anyway! For example, use your Instagram and search for "Brooklyn Bridge." You can see all the angles that people have shot from so you can find your inspiration. You can also see attire that has been worn, depending on the time of day and obviously season. Big fan of solid flowy maxi dresses over here! They photograph well and are so easy to travel with! Double win!
Have you seen @blaireadiebee's post from the Brooklyn Bridge? If you're traveling you may not be able to pack rain boots and a matching umbrella- but for color purposes you want to stand out against your background. A solid yellow blouse would be perfect in the rainy conditions!
3. Google
This is a no-brainer, really. I think Google just gobbled up askjeeves (RIP AJ) and Siri and basically knows everything. Not mad about it, it's so simple to use!
So you've got some restaurants, some museums, things to do, pretty views to see all open in your tabs so far. Now comes the easy part- combine it all into one place! Let's say you still want to make sure you're really finding the BEST things to do in ___ city. As with every answer to all of life's questions: Google it! No, really. Google "best things to do in ____." Google has it's own mini visual of things to do, along with a map and most likely Tripadvisor ratings on said things.
I use Google last because I prefer, as I mentioned earlier, to find some things based off independent reviews. I personally think Pinterest covers that, and Instagram covers a little more unique perspective, so I open my 30 tabs to those ideas first. Then I follow the Tripadvisor links for more touristy things and reviews on tours, etc. If that is something we want to schedule in, of course.
Two other sites I find often at the top of Google searches are GetYourGuide.com and my biggest secret: The Culture Trip. GetYourGuide is a little more aesthetically pleasing and straightforward than Tripadvisor. Like a cooler, younger sister. It also includes some "Good to know" tips and also sells tickets for just about anything you'd want to do, all in one place!
The Culture Trip's tagline is "local inspiration from around the world." LOVE IT. I find lots of gems through this site... and plenty of "best of" things at that. I 1000% recommend reading their articles for places that won't be so packed you'll have regretted going on vacation in Santorini in July (lol @ me- I did that.) More local, more authentic, more genuine. They also have informative news articles from their contributors that bring interesting topics to understanding.
Here's a blurb from their "About Us" section:
"Everyone working at Culture Trip is driven by a shared vision: to inspire people to go beyond their cultural boundaries and connect with the world around them. We want to bring the world to everyone and in doing so bring everyone closer together."
ALL THE FEELS. Is that not why some people travel in the first place?
Moving on to HOW I use Google Maps for making an overview of what I want to see in a city. I'll start with the most simple, and you may already do this!
"Save As" Pin
In the Google Maps App, you can type a name of an establishment, an address, even coordinates to find where you want to go. All those tabs you have open from Pinterest and Instagram? Type the first place in. From there, you can click one of four options. Directions, Start navigation, Call, or Save. That's the one we want! Save! You can save in whichever list of your Favorites, Want to go, Starred places, or create any new list name you'd like.
SECRET: These are the coordinates to the "Wake me up when I am Famous" bench in Amsterdam!
When I initially found this a few years ago, the location wasn't saved in Google. Now I think you can just type in "Wake me up bench Amsterdam" and you will also be able to find it.
One by one I add all of the places to my Maps this way. The entirety of my Europe map is covered in little green "want to go" flags and a handful of "starred places." Super easy, and everything from restaurants to sites to see to shopping streets are marked very simply.
However, I find this method to occasionally add confusion. You can't tell until you click on a flag if it is somewhere for lunch or if it is a photo op location. If this first way works for you, awesome! I do this most of the time! However, some trips (especially with a group of 10 girls) require a little more work to make a seamless map and overall seamless vacation.
Desktop Google Maps
Do you have a desktop? Phones are so powerful and tablets are more prevalent, I am not sure if anyone has a desktop anymore! I have a laptop, desktop, and a smartphone that I use for planning, and occasionally I use all three at once! I'm sure this works on a tablet too, but not entirely sure so if you try and it doesn't, let me know!
My best friend came to Budapest for 10 days two summers ago. She did a lot of research ahead of time and created a color coded map of restaurants (lunch v dinner) and drink spots (day drinks v bar drinks) and of course all the cultural things to do as well. At the time, I was blown away by the effort and thought she had done way too much research. She explained that it's so nice when traveling to already have plentyyy of cafes, coffee shops, lunch stops, etc. planned. It alleviates the group playing the circular game of "I'm hangry but idk where to go" and wasting time trying to find somewhere, eventually giving in to the ever-present Hard Rock. Or McDonald's. If you know me I love McDonald's on vacation... NOT! Although sometimes it's a lifesaver on roadtrips.
Back to the point here.
If you do the above in Google Maps but on your desktop (make sure you're logged in!) There's more details you can save about each location. You can change the color of the flag. The icon doesn't have to be a flag, it can be a camera icon for photo op locations! There is even space in a little box where you can type notes about the place. Something we wish we had during those 10 days! I guess it's been updated since then. It helps if you have this particular cafe starred on your map, and you go there and want to order the ____ cake that was recommended. AH! What was the name of that cake? If you use the first method via the App to save places there unfortunately isn't the ability for a notes section. On desktop, you can jot down "order the Eszterházy cake."
How to create a custom Google map
- Menu (top 3 bars in the Search area) > Your Places > Maps > Create Map
- Map Title, Description (if desired)
- Type in what you're looking for, add to map
- Bottom right of white box - style, edit, image, directions
- Style: color and icon
- Add layers- I do each layer is one topic. ie. all "cultural" sights- museums, etc.
After clicking on "menu" your screen will look like this
After clicking "Your Places" your screen will look like this except the blue writing will say "Create Map"
Making an example of my Prosecco Road map for you, here's typing in whatever I'm looking for
Little box pops up, click "Add to map"
Bottom right of this descriptive box is where I am clicking to edit and customize
Click on the paint can to change the color and the icon of the marker if desired
Next option is to click the pencil to add notes if desired. Repeat all of the above until all your sites have been marked.
An example finished map!
I don't do much customizing beyond that, but if you want to get a little crazy- go for it! As long as you are logged in with same gmail account on desktop (where you made the Map) and the Google Maps app (I assume you'll be accessing it from a mobile phone) TA-DA! Custom map! You don't have to send it to yourself or any weird links, everything is saved in the drive! You can also share the map with friends. Here's an example of my Amsterdam map I made. Notice the layers are separated into different subjects as the only additional customization I did.
Overall, I hope this helps you with future adventure planning! Again, I personally don't always make these maps, depends on the kind of trip I'm taking. Most often lately I just enjoy walking around and getting lost to really get to explore a city.
Let me know if this helped you! Where did you make a map of?
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