What is a travel map for?
A travel map gathers every place that matters for a trip: the restaurants you spotted, the beaches someone recommended, the hotel, the little café you saw on Instagram. It's useful three times:
- Before: see where places are in relation to each other, choose the area to stay in, build your days.
- During: open your phone and see what's good around you, even without signal.
- After: keep a souvenir of the journey and share it, as a poster, a video or a travel book.
The hard part isn't the map, it's gathering the places. Creating your travel map starts with bringing together everything you've noted here and there.
Google Maps, My Maps or a dedicated app?
| Google Maps lists | Google My Maps | MyFavsMap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gather your places | One list at a time | By hand, on a computer | Google Maps saved places, a pasted list or a screenshot |
| Sort by category and country | No | Layers you build yourself | Automatic |
| Day-by-day itinerary | No | No | Yes, 3 modes |
| Poster, video, PDF travel book | No | No | Yes |
| Where to use it | Phone and computer | Mostly on a computer | Web, iPhone and Android |
Google Maps is still perfect for getting to an address. To prepare a whole trip, a dedicated map saves a lot of time (see our comparison with Google My Maps).
Create your travel map in 5 steps
- 1Create your free accountOn myfavsmap.com or in the iPhone or Android app, with your email. No credit card. Your places sync between phone and computer.
- 2Bring your places inImport tab: your Google Maps saved places, a list of names to paste, or an Instagram or TikTok screenshot.
- 3Let the map sort itselfEach place gets a category (restaurant, beach, nature, culture, shopping…) and is sorted by country. One filter is enough to show only Lisbon restaurants, or what's left to visit.
- 4Plan your itineraryItinerary tab: automatic from your places, manual by tapping your places on the map, or a road trip from one city to the next.
- 5Take it with you and share itOnce loaded, your map works offline. Share a list by link, invite your travel companions, or make a poster of your trip.
No need to import everything at once: paste the ten addresses you have in mind for your next trip, and your map takes shape right away.
Create my map →Step 2 in detail: where your places come from
Your Google Maps saved places. Your saved places and lists export with Google Takeout, then land on your map in one go. The guide: export your Google Maps saved places.
A list of names. A copied caption, a list in your notes, tips received by message: paste them, one name per line. Each place is found, and you see the list before saving (the guide).
A screenshot. “10 places to see in…” infographics become real places on the map, nothing to retype (the guide).
One place at a time. You can also add a place by hand whenever someone recommends one.
Step 4 in detail: three ways to build an itinerary
- Automatic: pick a destination, a number of days and a way of getting around (walking, scooter or car). The itinerary is built from your saved places, day by day, in a logical order.
- Manual: put each day together yourself by tapping your places on the map, then spread them over several days in one tap.
- Road trip: a start, a finish, stops and nights, with estimated distances and driving times.
Going further: from 200 saved places to a day-by-day itinerary.
After the trip: the souvenir map
A travel map doesn't stop when you get home. From an itinerary or a road trip, MyFavsMap turns it into three souvenirs to share:
- The poster: your journey illustrated, with the stops, their photos and the number of nights, ready for Instagram or for printing.
- The video: the route drawing itself stop by stop, with photos of the places.
- The PDF travel book: your days, your places and their photos, to keep or send to friends who go after you.
And as you mark places as visited, your map slowly becomes the map of everywhere you've been.
Five tips for a map you'll actually use
Start small. 10 to 20 places are enough to see which neighbourhoods interest you.
Choose where to stay with the map. The right place to stay is often in the middle of the densest cluster of places.
Group by day. Nearby places on the same day means less travel and more time there.
Add your notes. The dish to order, opening hours, the name of the friend who gave you the address: you'll be glad to find them on the spot.
Open the map before you leave. Once loaded, it works without signal, handy abroad.
Travelling together
A travel map is often prepared as a couple or with friends. A shared trip is a common map where everyone adds their places live (read the guide).
Free or paid?
Creating your travel map is free: an account with no credit card, importing your places, the map, filters, one- or two-day itineraries, and a poster with a small watermark. The Explorer plan shows all your places, unlocks multi-day itineraries and watermark-free posters, with a 7-day free trial.
