Get directions & show routes - Computer (2024)

You can get directions for driving, public transit, walking, ride sharing, cycling, flight, or motorcycle on Google Maps. If there are multiple routes, the best route to your destination is blue, all other routes are gray. Some directions in Google Maps are in development and may have limited availability.

Important: Stay alert when you use directions on Google Maps. Always be aware of your surroundings to ensure the safety of yourself and others. When in doubt, follow actual traffic regulations and confirm signage from the road or path that you’re on.

  1. On your computer, open Google Maps.
  2. Click Directions Get directions & show routes - Computer (1).
  3. Click points on the map, type an address, or add a place name.
  4. Choose your mode of transportation.

Tip: To choose another route in any transportation mode, select it on the map. Each route shows the estimated travel time on the map.

Google Maps transportation modes

You can get directions for different modes of transportation in Google Maps. Learn about the differences in features and availability between each mode:

Driving: Get directions & show routes - Computer (2)

  • Driving Get directions & show routes - Computer (3) routes are designed for use by cars and may navigate to car-only roads. When riding motorized bicycles or motorcycles under 125cc, use the “Avoid tolls and highways” route option.
  • If you want to change a driving route, click and hold a spot on the route and drag it to a new spot on the map.

Transit: Get directions & show routes - Computer (4)

  • Not all cities have public transit directions in Google Maps. Before you can get transit directions, your local transit agency needs to add their route info to Google Maps.

Walking: Get directions & show routes - Computer (5)

Ride: Get directions & show routes - Computer (6)

  • If you want directions in an area with ride or taxi services, you can compare ride services with transit and walking directions. Learn how to request a ride.

Cycling: Get directions & show routes - Computer (7)

  • When you ride your bicycle, you can use cycling Get directions & show routes - Computer (8) routes if they’re available in your country/region.

Flight:Get directions & show routes - Computer (9)

  • Directions to multiple destinations, or waypoints, aren’t available for public transit or flight searches.
  • Learn more about how to search for flights.

Motorcycle: Get directions & show routes - Computer (10)

  • Learn how to get directions for motorcycles.

Add multiple destinations

You can get directions to multiple destinations for all modes of transportation except public transit or flight.

  1. On your computer, open Google Maps.
  2. Click Directions Get directions & show routes - Computer (11).
  3. Add a starting point and a destination.
  4. On the left, below the destinations you entered, click Add Get directions & show routes - Computer (12).
  5. To add a stop, choose another destination.
    • You can add up to 9 stops.
  6. Click on a route to getthe directions.

Tip: You can search for places along your route.

To change the order of your stops:

  1. Find the destination you want to move.
  2. Drag the destination.

Preview directions in Street View

Important: To get directions in Street View, click Directions Get directions & show routes - Computer (13). Then,enter starting and ending destinations.

  1. On your computer, under the route you want, click Details.
  2. To get more detailed directions, click Expand Get directions & show routes - Computer (14).
  3. Point to a step in the directions. If Street View is available, you get a preview photo.
  4. To get Street View for the step that you want, click the photo.
    • To get Street View for other steps in the route, in the bottom-left box, click Previous step or Next step.
    • To exit the preview, at the top right, click Close Get directions & show routes - Computer (15).

Customize your route

Avoid tolls & highways

  1. On your computer, open Google Maps.
  2. Click Directions Get directions & show routes - Computer (16).
  3. Click points on the map, type an address, or add a place name.
  4. Choose Options.
  5. Check the box next to "Tolls" or "Highways."

Change the time that you leave or arrive

You can change your travel date or time to find the best route before you leave, based on estimated traffic and transit schedules. This only works for routes with one destination.

  1. On your computer, open Google Maps.
  2. Get directions.
  3. After you getyour directions, click Leave now.
  4. To change your travel dates or times, select Depart at or Arrive by.

Understand how we rank transportation options

When you enter a destination in Google Maps, we show you how to get there using different travel modes, like driving, cycling, or walking.

Sometimes, the transport options we show you are ranked according to a combination of objective factors designed to help you find relevant and useful information. These factors can include duration, distance, price, your mode preference, or the relevance of a mode to your query. Generally, the most important factors are your mode preference, trip durations, and sometimes price.

Where available, we also show you other mobility services like public transport, scooter or bicycle rentals, and vehicle ride services. These mobility services are provided by third parties who have made their transport data publicly available or who have a partner agreement with us. Any partnerships or business relationships we may have with any transportation service providers do not influence the ranking of these services.

Related resources

  • Get traffic or search for places along the way
  • Plan your commute or trip

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?

Need more help?

Try these next steps:

Post to the help community Get answers from community members

Get directions & show routes - Computer (17)

Get Google Maps for iOS

Get the latest version of the Google Maps app to use turn-by-turn voice navigation, download offline areas, and much more.

Download Now

Get directions & show routes - Computer (2024)

FAQs

Get directions & show routes - Computer? ›

Google Maps route planner, your ultimate solution for stress-free traveling, takes the guesswork out of travel by providing the fastest routes, live traffic updates, and accurate ETAs. You can compare routes side-by-side and drag stops to fit your itinerary.

How do you get Google Maps to show all routes? ›

How Do I Show Multiple Routes on Google Maps?
  1. Search for your destination.
  2. Tap Directions.
  3. Tap the three dots next to your starting point.
  4. Tap Route options.
  5. Choose from the options, then tap Apply.
Mar 13, 2022

Does Google have a route planner? ›

Google Maps route planner, your ultimate solution for stress-free traveling, takes the guesswork out of travel by providing the fastest routes, live traffic updates, and accurate ETAs. You can compare routes side-by-side and drag stops to fit your itinerary.

How do I show my route on Google Maps? ›

On your Android phone or tablet, to view detailed directions, pull up the bottom window. If a preview is available for a step, a photo shows. To get to Street View for the step you want, tap the photo. To get to the next step in the route, at the bottom, pull left.

How do I get maps to show alternate routes? ›

Open Google Maps and use the search field to enter and select your desired destination. Once you've selected a location, tap Directions at the bottom of the screen. Next to the Your Location box, tap the three dots. Tap Route Options.

Can Google Maps show multiple routes? ›

You can get directions for driving, public transit, walking, ride sharing, cycling, flight, or motorcycle on Google Maps. If there are multiple routes, the best route to your destination is blue, all other routes are gray. Some directions in Google Maps are in development and may have limited availability.

How do I show everything on Google Maps? ›

Find and add the Google Map menu item. Click on the Google Map menu item, and then click on the Settings tab. You will then see the option to Show all locations. Click to enable this option and Save.

Why does Google Maps not show all routes? ›

Check The Location Services Settings

Open the Settings menu and tap Privacy, then tap Location Services. Check that the Location Services toggle is green and in the on position. Tap Google Maps and make sure that Precise Location is turn on. From the same screen, select the While Using the App or Always option.

What's better than Google Maps? ›

Check out some of the best Google Maps alternatives, some of which care much more about your privacy.
  • Waze. Crowd-sourced data. ...
  • Apple Maps. Beautiful design. ...
  • MapQuest. Long-standing mapping product. ...
  • HERE WeGo. A vast database of points of interests. ...
  • Maps.Me. ...
  • OsmAnd. ...
  • CityMapper. ...
  • OpenStreetMap.
May 16, 2024

Why is Google Maps not giving me alternate routes? ›

One of the most common reasons for Google Maps not showing alternate routes is a weak or unreliable internet connection. Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network or has a strong mobile data signal.

How do I change route settings in Google Maps? ›

After you enter a location and Google provides a route for you, click anywhere on the blue path to set a point. Drag that point to a new location to change the route. When you do this, other suggested alternate routes disappear from the map, and the driving directions change.

How does Google Maps know all routes? ›

Google Maps bases its traffic views and faster-route recommendations on two different kinds of information: historical data about the average time it takes to travel a particular section of road at specific times on specific days and real-time data sent by sensors and smartphones that report how fast cars are moving ...

Why does Google Maps not show road closures? ›

Much of the data about current speeds and closures on Google Maps is crowd sourced, so closures may not get noticed for a while, and many users don't bother uploading the information anyway. Waze is slightly better for updates, though you may not like the user interface.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kerri Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6206

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kerri Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1992-10-31

Address: Suite 878 3699 Chantelle Roads, Colebury, NC 68599

Phone: +6111989609516

Job: Chief Farming Manager

Hobby: Mycology, Stone skipping, Dowsing, Whittling, Taxidermy, Sand art, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.