Get Around London with Google Maps

London is a very large city that can be very confusing to travel around, especially if you are a visitor to the UK capital. CityMapper London can help you navigate the city by providing you with bus, subway, cycling and walking directions. Or, if you want to get a taxi, it can give you an estimated cost for your journey.



To get directions the user just needs to add their starting point and destination, either by text input or by simply clicking on the map, and then selecting the mode of travel.



If the user selects bus or tube directions CityMapper London shows you the route of your journey on Google Maps and in the sidebar explains which stops you need, any transfers you need to make, the estimated time of your journey and the cost.



The biking directions show the user the locations of London bike hire stations near your start point and how many bikes are currently available at each station.



Both the walking and biking directions give the user an estimated time for the journey and an estimation of the number of calories that will be burnt.



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A Mobile Friendly Directions App

Mobile Place Maps is a mobile friendly directions map creation tool.



The tool can be used to quickly get directions on your mobile phone. It can also be used by businesses and other venues to provide a link to a mobile friendly map showing the directions to their business from the nearest subway or train station.



The tool automatically detects your current location, so all you have to do is enter your destination. After you have entered a destination the tool will create driving, cycling or walking directions for your journey. The route of your journey is displayed on a Google Map and step-by-step directions are displayed beneath the map.



Once you have created a directions map with the tool you are also given a weblink. It is therefore possible to share your directions map with friends or create a link on a website to your directions map.



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Easy Riding on Google Maps

Motorcycle Roads



Motorcycle Roads is a community driven guide to great motorcycle rides in America. Each of the great motorbike rides is accompanied by a Google Map of the ride's route.



Each mapped route includes details about the ride's length, road quality and roadside amenities. The scenery, road quality and amenities are each rated by the route's submitter and include written details.



Sunday Morning Rides



Sunday Morning Rides has used Google Maps to map over 1,500 great motorbike rides throughout the USA.



You can search for rides by state and view each ride on its own map. Each route comes with an interactive elevation chart, which, if you mouseover, shows the Street View for that location.



Motorcycle Network

Motorcycle Network is a directory of everything to do with motorcycles in Australia. The site uses Google Maps to show all the parking spots in the major cities and also show all the motorcycle and scooter dealers, mechanics and gear shops, as well as all the training facilities, tours, insurance and hire places around Australia.



Mr Zip66's Easy Rider Map

Denis Hopper's Easy Rider is to many the seminal counter-culture movie of the 1960's. Some of us may never get the chance to ride a bike across the States but thanks to Mr Zip we can follow the route on Google Maps.



Mr Zip has pieced together the locations used in the film and managed to put together a rough approximation of the route. The map itself is simple enough, showing the route in blue, with a few map markers showing the locations of the main scenes in the movie.



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A Google Map Generator of Random Routes

RouteA2A.com

RouteA2A.com can generate a random circular route from your location that will bring you back to the same location. This could be used to generate hiking or jogging routes from your home or to generate a random driving route.

Features of the application include the option to define the approximate route length and whether you want walking or driving directions. After you generate a random route you can get the GPX of the route and grab a unique URL.

Detailed instructions for using this Google Map random route generator are available here.

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Google Maps of Bangkok Traffic

Bangkok Traffic

Bangkok Traffic is a driving directions application for the Thai capital that also displays real-time traffic information.

To get driving directions you can drop two map markers on a Google Map or enter your starting point and destination into the search box. Your route is then displayed on the map and listed in the map sidebar.

Also displayed on the map is real-time traffic information, showing current traffic speeds on the city's roads. It is also possible to click on the webcam map markers to view real-time images from the city's traffic cams.

Via: ProgrammableWeb

Traffy

Traffy is another very good Google Map of traffic conditions in Bangkok. Roads on the map are coloured green, yellow or red depending on the current traffic conditions.

Traffy can also provide driving directions. If users define a start point and destination Traffy will provide the best current route, avoiding where possible traffic jams. Traffy also includes map markers of traffic cams. When you click on a camera map marker an image of the current road conditions is shown in the map sidebar.

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Driving Directions with Street View

Animated Route Maps

If you have a 'Where Are We' page on your website you should consider adding an animated route map from Map Channels. This handy application lets you create an animated directions map using Street View and Bing's Bird's Eye View.

To create an embedable map you just need to enter a starting point and a destination. Map Channels Animated Route Map will then create the code for you to add to your website. When your users press play they can follow the route in Street View and Google Maps.

The application comes with a number of customisation settings so you can change the width and height of your map. You can also change the speed settings for the animation and choose which map types you wish to display.

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How to Calculate the Cost of a Car Journey

MyPetrolPlace.com

This new Google Maps based application allows you to work out the cost for your car or motorbike journey in India based on the current cost of petrol in your city.

To use MyPetrolPlace.com enter a starting point and a destination. Then add the number of kilometres per kilogram your vehicle normally achieves. The application then calculates your daily and monthly fuel expenditure.

Your journey is also displayed on a Google Map. You can change the displayed route by dragging the markers. All the metro cities and state capitals in India are supported by the application.

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Spanish Gas on Google Maps

enCooche.com

enCooche.com is a Spanish website that lets you find the cheapest gas in your area.

You can enter a location and the type of fuel you need and enCooche returns a Google Map of available gas stations and their current prices. The prices are also lised in the map sidebar, which is quite handy to find the cheapest price at a glance.

If you click on a map marker you can get further details about a gas station. The information window also contains a handy tool that lets you work out the total price for the number of litres you wish to buy.

Donde Repostar Gasolina

This Google Map will find the cheapest gas stations for locations in Spain.

The map has a search engine so you can search for any location in the country and the results are then tagged on a Google Map. Clicking on a tag reveals the current price for gas at that gas station. The prices are all scraped from the website of the Ministry of Industry so should be very accurate.

Gas Maps Elsewhere

• GasPriceWatch.com - US
• Cost To Drive
• GasBuddy.com - Google Maps mapplet
• AltFuelPrices.com - alternative fuel prices and fill stations for the entire US.
• WhatGas.com - UK
• Cheap Gas Google Maps widget - USA
• Pumps.ie - Ireland
• Drive Pricing

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Google Maps Plane, Train & Boat Directions

rome2rio

Google Maps includes a number of little Easter Eggs with suggestions for your inter-continental travel. For example, if you ask Google Maps for driving directions from Japan to China Google Maps suggests, at step 42, that you 'Jet ski across the Pacific Ocean'.

If you don't fancy jet skiing then rome2rio could be the solution that you are looking for. This Google Maps based travel search engine can help you get to anywhere on Earth with flights, trains, ferry and driving directions.

This introductory video is a great introduction to what rome2rio provides:



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Great Motorbike Rides in Street View

DailyMotoRide

The creators of SundayMorningRides have launched a new website designed to showcase beautiful motorbike routes. The site uses Google Street View to provide a first-person experience of these great bike journeys.

Each day the site features a different route selected for its scenic qualities. Each route also includes an elevation profile and a Google Map. Detailed information, GPS file downloads and user testimonials for each route are provided via direct links to SundayMorningRides.

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Google Maps Adds A Fuel Cost Calculator

Google Maps has added a fuel cost calculator to driving directions on Google Maps in Europe. At the moment the estimated fuel costs seem to only appear in driving directions in Europe and not in the USA, Canada nor Australia.

The fuel cost estimation appears at the bottom of the driving directions in the map sidebar. If you click on the estimation a calculator opens allowing you to adjust the price, the type of vehicle you drive or switch between petrol and diesel.



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Route Planning with Google Maps

NSW RTA Live Traffic


Arek of All Things Spatial has written a great review of a route planning application for NSW, Australia. Here is a slightly truncated version on Arek's review. You can read the review in full on Arek's blog.

The Road Traffic Authority (RTA) in NSW has started publishing up to the minute information about traffic conditions in Sydney as well as in the greater NSW regional area. The site uses Google Maps to provide an excellent route finder that highlights any road works or hazards on a journey and allows the user to reroute to avoid any potential delays.

The live traffic conditions displayed on the map are refreshed automatically and the update time is clearly marked. Auto update can be turned off if required and users can customise the list of information displayed on the map.

Live updates include information on accidents, scheduled road works, major events, fires, floods and Alpine conditions. There is an option to add a traffic flow overlay for Sydney as well as the locations of live traffic cameras and temporary message signs.

The map also comes with a comprehensive list of points of interests that are very handy for planning a trip. These include: bike parking areas, heavy vehicles checking stations and rest areas, locations of Safe-T-Cams, general rest areas and RTA Motor Registries. Travel routes can be filtered to avoid incidents or road works on specific dates and can be saved for future reference.

Overall, this is quite a comprehensive information source, with an attractive multi tab design and extensive range of features.

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Animated Directions with Street View

Directions Map with Animated Street View

Can you create the best Street View tour?

Today's task dear reader is to create the most scenic Street View tour with Directions Map and post a link to your tour in the comments below.

If you need a directions widget for your business, school or college you could do a lot worse than embed a free Directions Map widget on your website. Directions Map uses Google Maps to help users create an embedable driving directions map for their website or blog.

The really fun part of this Google Maps based widget however is that it also allows you to create animated Street View tours. If you just add a starting point and a destination to Directions Map you can then view the route entirely in Street View.

Directions Map allows users to create driving directions from any starting point to any location. Users can also define the height, width and the map type of their widget. Once the widget has been embedded on a website it can then be used to follow the given driving directions or to view an animated walk-through of the route in Street View.

The animated walk-throughs of routes with Street View are very impressive. Given the impressive nature of these Street View animated routes I can see Directions Map also being used by websites to create virtual tours. In fact Directions Map has created a number of example animated Street View routes for locations around the world.

Here are links to some of the example animated Street View routes:

Chapmans Peak Drive, South Africa
Chateau d'Eox , Switzerland
Golden Gate Bridge
Colosseum, Rome
Las Vegas Boulevard
London, from the Houses of Parliament to the British Museum

Because Directions Map uses dynamic URL's you can even play about with the web address to quickly create your own routes by changing the start point and destination in the URL.

Here is the URL for New York to Boston:

http://s3.tripgeo.com/dirmap/map.htm?from=New%20York&to=Boston

If you want to view a Street View animation of the route from New York to San Francisco just change 'Boston' to 'San Francisco in the URL above. So what routes can you create. Post links to your routes in the comments below.

Update: microformats.dk has quickly created a page combining a Directions Map Street View tour of the Alpe d' Huez with a Kraftwerk YouTube video. Superb!

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Chile Taxi Prices on Google Maps

Taximetro

This Spanish language taxi fare calculator uses Google Maps to help you work out the likely cost of a taxi journey in a number of cities around the world. Currently the map works in Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile, Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Cordoba, Argentina and in Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.

To set your starting point you can click on the first green map marker and then on the map. Then click on the second map marker and then on the map to set your destination. You can also use the text input areas to add your starting and finishing point.

When you are happy with your journey the map will show your route and the likely cost of your taxi journey will be displayed in the map sidebar.

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Athens Taxi Prices on Google Maps

Athens Taxi Cost Calculator

This Athens Taxi Price Calculator makes good use of the Google Maps API's Styled Maps option to create a night map for the Greek capital.

To use the calculator, simply right-click on the map to specify your starting and destination address or use the input fields in the left hand side menu. The route of your journey will then be displayed on the map and the estimated taxi charge is displayed in the map sidebar.

The costs are calculated according to the most up to date laws (2010) and include a full itemisation of charges you can expect from your taxi trip. The charges also include the 11% VAT introduced for Athens taxi services in July.

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Instant Search for Google Maps

Google Maps - From 0 to Instant

This week Google released Instant Search. Instant search shows results as you type. It is a faster way to search as your results nearly always appear before you have finished typing. Feross Aboukhadijeh has created a Google Map that also responds to instant search.

As you type into a search bar the application will recommend locations based on what you are typing and centre the map on that location. The recommended locations appear beside the search box. The map will nearly always centre on your desired location before you have actually typed in the entire name of the location.

The application also provides instant driving directions. If you type in a request for 'Location A to Location B' you will receive instant driving directions. The route changes and updates as you type in your locations.

Hat-tip: www.microformats.dk

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Irish Mileage Calculator uses Google Maps

MileageSheet

Least week I posted about Tripcatcher a Google Maps based mileage logger for the UK. MileageSheet provides a very similar service for Ireland.

MileageSheet allows you to manage mileage rates, subsistence rates and expenses. The application allows the user to create routes and record journeys. It can then calculate distances and work out the mileage expenses.

MileageSheet can record employee information that is required by the Irish Revenue Commissioners and keep track of their expenses. It can also review employees' mileage sheets and the amounts payable according to their assigned schemes.

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Mileage Expenses with Google Maps

Tripcatcher

Tripcatcher is a free online mileage logger using Google Maps that should prove a great help in submitting your expenses. The application helps you keep an accurate record of your business miles which can save you money on your tax returns.

When you take a business trip Tripcatcher can calculate the distance travelled using the Google Maps API. Tripcatcher can then save the details of the trip, the mileage and other expenses for parking or tolls. If you are making multiple journeys over the same route Tripcatcher can quickly save the details for the added dates without you having yo re-enter all the details.

Currently the map is restricted to UK use because the developers are unsure about the tax rules for other countries.

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A Google Map Car Trip Cost Calculator

Go-gas.com

Go-gas.com is a simple, intuitive Google Map that can tell you how much a car journey will cost you.

You can plot the route of your car journey with a few mouse clicks or by typing in the starting address and the address of your destination. If you then input your car's fuel economy and the price of gas Go-gas.com will tell you how much the trip will cost.

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Finding Bio-Fuel with Google Maps

RouteCNGfinder

Owners of cars that have been converted into bi-fuel vehicles can often have difficulties finding gas stations that sell compressed natural gas (CNG). This can be particularly true if drivers are on long journeys in areas that they are unfamiliar with. In Europe routeCNGfinder can help drivers plan routes that take them via gas stations that sell CNG.

The service currently works in Austria, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland. RouteCNGfinder uses the Google Maps API's driving directions service to show a searched route with staged directions. In addition it will show all the gas stations along the route.

Users of the map can print out routes and save the gas stations found along the route or nearby gas stations as a Kml or CSV file.

Via: Le Technoblog du LAC

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