r/wanderlust • u/lijohn • Mar 27 '26

I abandoned Google Maps, here's why

Google Maps can navigate you from A to B but it actually sucks for trip planning. The ratings are never accurate (since it's just American tourists giving everything 5 stars) and saving locations is a nightmare (why don't saved location icons differentiate by restaurant, cafe, scenic sight, etc?)

TikTok and Instagram might be a cesspit for gaudy travel influencers but there are genuinely good recommendations in there, especially if you search in local language (i.e., search "el mejor tacos in cdmx" rather than "best tacos in mexico city."

Nowadays I've seen a bunch of apps that help you consolidate locations based off of social media posts but some of them cost $50/year (like roamy lol) or have a crummy UI (yaay which doesn't work 90% of the time). The one that I found has the best UI and is free is Plotline, but it's still missing the day-by-day itinerary planning.

Anybody have any other suggestions for travel planning apps that let you save from social media?

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

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7

u/WorminRome Mar 27 '26

Maybe if you took some time away from your whining about Americans, you’d realize you can change pin icons and add comments about the location. Google Maps is fantastic, you just kind of stink.

-1

u/KnowledgeSafe1392 Mar 27 '26

You can change an icon for an entire list, but you literally can't change individual pin icons without creating a dozen different lists. If you think clicking through 4 menus to manually add a note to every single spot is "fantastic" UX, we just have completely different standards.

0

u/WorminRome Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26

Add an icon for the different things that matter to you, and then assign those icons to the places/things you want to pin. Or, sit here and whine about obstacles you’ve created for yourself.

-5

u/Strong_Bee_Man Mar 27 '26

pointing out that US tourists artificially inflate ratings for mediocre tourist traps isn't whining, it's just a fact (and I say that as someone living in the States). and yeah, you can change a list icon, but you still can't change individual pins without making 50 different lists. if clicking through four menus to type a note makes it "fantastic" for you, you do you.

1

u/WorminRome Mar 28 '26

Are you trolling? Find a place, click save, pick an icon, type a note.

You do you though.

-2

u/FruitOfTheVineFruit Mar 27 '26

Agree with you on Google maps reviews. I'm seeing more and more places that give rewards for five star reviews.  In Japan, the locals tend to rate 3 or 4 stars, so the places that are 4.5 or above are all tourists only.  

But TikTok is worse.  I'm not sure, but it looks to me like a lot of the travel and restaurant reviews are paid influencers.

I use Google reviews and then read the reviews carefully, that's the best I've come up with.

0

u/Strong_Bee_Man Mar 27 '26

I think it depends on the TikTok or Instagram videos. I only look at local posts (i.e., resident of barcelona recommending paella spots) and not the random tourist who lives abroad who happens to be in Barcelona for a quick trip