Features

To see a journey and its steps in reverse, click on Get reverse directions at the top of the column on the left.

5 - Tweak your journey

Once Google has loaded a purple line to show your way from A to B, you're free to edit it. Just click and drag the line at any point to avoid, or follow, certain roads. When you drag the purple line, Google re-creates the directions on both the map and on the left panel, and updates the estimated time and distance.

6 - Stay away from motorways

If you've got some directions but you'd rather not deal with motorways, click on the Avoid highways box at the top of the left-hand column. The route and steps will immediately reload without any motorways included.

7 - Search using coordinates

Google Maps allows you to search using latitude and longitude coordinates. For example, typing '52.470000, -1.110000' (without quotes) in the search box takes you to Walton near Rugby.

8 - Find your nearest business

Enter the type of business you want to locate, or the name of the business you're looking for, such as pizza or Pizza Express, plus the word 'in' or 'near' (without quotes), along with a location. Google shows a map annotated with information from ThomsonLocal.com. For example, 'Pizza Express near Oxford Street, London' shows a map of central London with lots of red markers to represent Pizza Express branches and similarly named businesses. Click on one of the markers to see a pop-up containing address information and links

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for directions.

Click on the More info link in the description bubble. If other Google users have reviewed that business, their reviews and ratings will open in a pop-up window, which includes links for relevant webpages and online photos. To contribute your own review, click on the Write a review link in the pop-up bubble.

9 - Link to a map

To save the web address of a specific map (or business location, or set of directions), click on 'Link to this page' at the top-right corner of the map. Copy and paste the web address into an email or other text document. A quicker way to send a link by email is to click on the Send link. This opens your default email application with the map link included in the message body.

10 - Embed a map in your website

You can take the whole interactive map and paste it into your website or blog. Click on the 'Link to this page' link. Copy the HTML code in the second text box and paste it into the source code of your site. You can adjust the size of the map before you embed it. Just click on 'Customise and preview embedded map' below the HTML text box and select your preferred size to see a preview. If you're happy, copy the HTML code given in the preview window.

11 - Get a satellite view

Photos taken from the sky offer an alternative and fascinating way to explore an area. Simply search for a location as usual and click on the Satellite link at the top-right corner of the map to see a satellite image overlaid with map information. Google's satellite images are current, but they aren't real-time. You can use your mouse or keyboard short cuts to explore satellite images by panning and zooming, just as with normal Google maps. To switch back to the normal map view, click on the Map link at the top-right corner of the map.

12 - Check out the terrain

To see how hilly an area is, search for a map then click on the Terrain link at the top-right corner of the map. Elevated areas are shaded. Street names and other information are also included. As yet, there's no hybrid terrain/map or terrain/satellite view.