Walking with Google Maps?

[randyjaco]

I am in Europe and trying to navigate a foot to different sights. It turns out that walking with Google maps is way different than driving. The pointing arrow goes every which way, sometimes indicating one direction and after a few hundred feet telling you to go back in the opposite direction. Is there a good tutorial that demonstrates actual walking with Google maps?

Randy

 

[SpookDroid]

That shouldn't be the case, I've used Maps for walking around with no issues. Do you have good GPS signal? Is anything interfering with your phone's compass (strong magnets, etc.)? When standing still the compass might go crazy if it's not calibrated properly, but once you're on the move, GPS should know the direction you're moving unless you're in an area with poor signal (tunnels, very high buildings, inside an armored truck...). Just remember to use turn by turn navigation or the location update won't be real time, and that can lead to issues like the one you describe.

 

[Kodak2]

Try using the driving directions when you want to navigate on foot, I have found it a better way than using the Google maps walking directions some times, just keep an eye on the map to see if you can take any non drivable shortcuts.

 

[randyjaco]

I am walking around in Naples Italy. The Fi signal is carried from strong to none existent. The streets are very narrow. I often have to go to a pizza to get a good signal. The aggravating part is that the directional arrow is all over the place. Figuring out which way to go often takes several tries
Randy

I have now moved to Google Go. It is better. One of the problems I found was that my point north toggle was on. I now need to figure out to shorten the distance of the turn announcement to about 30 feet. It is now about 75 yards. Here in Europe, that may be 2 or 3 turns ahead, causing me to turn in the wrong direction.
Thanks for the help
Randy

 

[davidnc]

Most of the time that I use Google Maps for walking it works fine, same as the driving mode.

But once I used it in uptown trying to find a certain restaurant that I was meeting others at. I was at a business center that covered several city blocks.
A lot of restaurants and financial buildings crammed in that center and sidewalks everywhere

While walking if I strayed to far off course it would then try to re direct me to go another way, to get to the same restaurant. It got kinda confusing, Ha. But I finally found it

That was the only incident I had with while using the walking mode of Google Maps

 

[bbycrts]

I enter my destination and then go to the turn-by-turn directions (works for walking, too). Doing that in Paris gave me flawless directions; trying to follow the arrow in London earlier in the trip was maddening.

 

[dennis246]

I don't have a total solution but a helpful hint is take your time walking when you start directions. If you walk 20 feet in 90 degree heat and see the wrong map direction, no real problem. If you walk fast and notice at 150 meters you are heading in the wrong direction, it's a real pain, especially with luggage, backpack etc.

Doesn't help if you are in a big hurry but I find starting slow works best for turn by turn walking directions. It's been a huge help for us the past 9 days in Italy (from the US).