Google Maps ... you will have heard about it before - internet giant Google is offering a map system for free, called (you guessed it) Google Maps. While free maps are ten a penny on the web, Google takes an all-inclusive, state-of-the-art approach. Meaning that you can get basic maps, satellite images of a mixture of both. Great fun - but a useful tool for the tourist? I took Google Maps for a test drive in Ireland ...
By the way ... I am looking for your experience with Google Maps in Ireland too! Drop us a note if you have interesting stories to tell.
What is Google Maps?
Amongst the dozens of tools available on Google, Google Maps combines the origins of Google as a search engine with cutting edge technology - you put in a (geographical) search term and get a satellite image of it. Plus related information from the Google empire, most of it geared towards revenue generation. In short: Expect ads.
Search terms can be specific or general - and the search engines behaviour annoying at times. I put in Glendalough and was immediately whisked to Australia. Apparently "intelligent" search is not a feature. Lesson One: Always specify at least the country, better the county!
Now Google Maps is a rather "holistic" tool. You can choose to display a schematic map only. Or you can take the satellite picture as it is. Or you might choose to opt for a satellite picture with a map overlay - my personal opinion on the last feature constantly oscillating between "great" and "annoying". The map overlay also shows just how basic these maps can be, especially in rural areas ... the satellite images showing quite a few unmarked roads. And sometimes the map overlay is a few hundred feet off the image layer.
You may also zoom in and out - the search engine will initially choose the display size it deems most suitable for your search term. But take note that not all satellite images come at the highest resolution. But it is a free tool after all.
Using Google Maps
It is as easy as A-B-C ... you put in your search term, refine your search (if your search term was ambiguous), zoom in. The actual handling of the maps is very intuitive, mastered within seconds.
The drawback - you need a computer of average power and modernity. And, more important, you need a fairly good connection to an ISP. Both of which make any use of Google Maps in the field virtually impossible for the average traveller. Or will cause such costs as to make alternatives viable from the outset, despite the service being free.
Google Maps is best used in the planning stage at home or in a hotel room. Or after the holiday to re-live your experiences. And don’t even think about using Google Maps on a PDA, let alone a cellphone, unless you really want to suffer.
Google Maps Compared to Conventional Travel Planning Tools
In general I would rate Google Maps amongst the cleverest online tools available - to be used in addition to conventional planning tools like guidebooks or websites. While the satellite images are great, the information contained is sparse and subject to a distorted perspective (see below).
The mapping section is, how shall I say ... computer-friendly. It contains necessary detail like roadnames, but there it stops. Additional information from height indicators to hints at features is simply not there. In this aspect any large-scale map purchased from Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) wins hands-down.
The Pitfalls of Google Maps
Uneven Coverage
While Dublin City is seen in good, detailed satellite images, some deep, confusing shadows in the city centre prevent it from being great. Glendalough is superb, but Clonmacnoise almost invisible and Tara simply drowning in fuzziness. Take note that Google Maps occasionally zooms in beyond sense, leading to dramatic losses in picture quality.
Unusual Viewpoint
The Spire of Dublin in O'Connell Street is Dublin's highest landmark, yet it cannot be seen. Only its shadow gives it away. The reason: you look straight down upon it ... great for scanning a building layout if it actually has a major horizontal dimension. The Cliffs of Moher and Slieve League look decidedly unimpressive from space.
Dangerous Sense of Security
Always remember - Google Maps distorts! The Grand Canyon looks like a manageable indention from straight above and on a two-dimensional screen. Never, ever plan a cross-country hike without consulting a detailed map first. I recently discovered a basic map that mentioned the viewing point on the Cliffs of Magho on (Lower Lough Erne) being "a short walk" from a jetty. Apparently nobody had noticed that while the horizontal distance was indeed only 500 yards, the vertical distance is around a thousand feet ...
The "Face on Mars"-Effect
Remember all the hubbub about the sphinx-like face on Mars? It was a trick of light, shadow and unusual perspective. Beware of interpreting the satellite images in a rush - I showed Dublin City to a friend who remarked she never knew Dublin had so many canals. Actually these were the deep shadows of tall buildings on wide streets, indistinguishable from the real canals and the Liffey. Beware of wild goose chases ...
Rubbish, Pure Rubbish!
As you may see in my image comparison above, the mapping leaves to be desired in places. To simple forget world-famous Inch Strand is ridiculous ...
The greatest peril of Google Maps may, however, be to the amount of time you have available for other things - it is seriously addictive and you will start looking up your grandma's house, famous places all around the world, Area 51 and other stuff.
A Final Verdict ...
Google Maps is a new tool and it undoubtedly will grow. At the moment I see it as a fun tool to play around with or to do some research. A good map will give you more geographical detail, but it will not show you which houses have rooftop gardens - practically useless information, but who knows when it will come in handy?
I am sure that Google Maps will become more and more interlinked with other Google services, mainly as a money-making tool. Handy if you need a 24-hour-drive-in taxidermist or so.
Will Google Maps have a large impact on travel planning? At the moment I don’t think so, but then I once thought that an Atari ST was all the computing power I ever needed.
