Section 44. Get Directions to Anywhere with Google Local

44. Get Directions to Anywhere with Google Local

BEFORE YOU BEGIN	SEE ALSO
Map a Location Navigate Through Google Local	Use Google Earth to Get Directions

When you use Google Local, you're often primarily interested in finding directions to somewhere. As you'll see in this task, it's just as easy to find directions as it is to map a location.

Get Directions to Anywhere with Google Local

Type Your Search Terms

In the search box at the top of the page, type your starting and ending destination, like this: 19 Beech St., Cambridge, MA to 10 Market St., San Francisco, CA. Remember to include the state as well as the city and street. If you need directions only from city to city, you don't have to type street numbers.

Alternatively, click the Get directions link next to the search box, type your starting location in the left search box, and type your destination in the right search box. When you're done, click Search.

Caution

Be aware that the directions Google Local gives are not always the most direct, and there is a chance that they might be outdated. It's a good idea to double-check the directions using another online map service, such as MapQuest at www.mapquest.com.

Read and Print the Directions

A map appears with the starting location pinpointed in green with a triangle in the pin and the ending location pinpointed in red with a square in the pin. Step-by-step directions are on the left side of the page, along with the distance in miles and the approximate driving time. Read the directions. To print them out, click the Print link above the map and print as you would any page.

Note that you can navigate the map as you can any map by using Google's navigational tools, as described in Navigate Through Google Local

Get a Map of Each Step

The directions on the left side of the page are numbered. For a close-up map of any of the steps, click the number, and a close-up map of the directions for that step appears superimposed over the main map of directions. You can zoom in and out of the close-up map by clicking + to zoom in and to zoom out. To close the close-up map, click the X in the upper-right corner of its window.

View the Start or End Address

To see a close-up map of the start address, click the Start address link on the left side of the page; for a close-up of the end address, click the End address link. The appropriate close-up map appears superimposed on the main map.

Get Return Directions

If you want return directions, you don't have to do another searchclick the Reverse directions link on the left side of the page. Return directions appear. On the map, the start address and end address reverse (note the change in pin color and shapes).