Ireland, France, Others Get Bike Navigation in Google Maps

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

As the summer approaches, Google is making sure cyclists know where they're going.

Google has announced that it will bring biking navigation to several more countries in Europe. Launched last year in the UK, Australia, and a number of other countries, this week the company is launching navigation for cyclists in half a dozen more UK countries including Ireland.

Google has added information about bike trails, lanes and recommended roads directly to the map, working with partner organizations and adding bike paths through Google Mapmaker. When mapping out routes, Google Maps will estimate time for the route based on a number of variables including the type of road, terrain and turns.

"As the season of big bike races in Europe has started, why not check what route Google suggests for a historical stage of the Tour de France?" Google's Kai Hansen wrote on the Google blog, "Our bicycle route for the classic stage from Biarritz to Bordeaux navigates on 206 beautiful, often car-free kilometers close to the Atlantic Ocean, compared to the rather boring 206 kilometers on the N10/A63 which is suggested for cars."

Google's bike directions will be enabled for users in Germany, France, Poland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. It's already available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Jane McEntegart
5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • sundragon
    How about bringing it to Washington, DC? Google Fail much? We have had bike lanes for a few years, Bike Share for a few years, and quite a lot of cyclists reducing the traffic congestion... Hi, it's the F'ing US Capital...
    /end rant
    Reply
  • gm0n3y
    this week the company is launching navigation for cyclists in half a dozen more UK countries including Ireland.
    I didn't realize there were that many other countries inside the UK. That is one crowded little island.
    Reply
  • LordConrad
    10879962 said:
    this week the company is launching navigation for cyclists in half a dozen more UK countries including Ireland.
    I didn't realize there were that many other countries inside the UK. That is one crowded little island.
    You're thinking of England, which is a common mistake. The UK consists of multiple islands, which includes England.
    Reply
  • gm0n3y
    10879989 said:
    10879962 said:
    this week the company is launching navigation for cyclists in half a dozen more UK countries including Ireland.
    I didn't realize there were that many other countries inside the UK. That is one crowded little island.
    You're thinking of England, which is a common mistake. The UK consists of multiple islands, which includes England.

    My bad, I should have called the UK an archipelago. I was just attempting to point out the error in the article. From the source:

    we are now enabling biking directions in Google Maps for Germany, France, Poland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein
    So I guess at least one of the countries is in the UK.
    Reply
  • teh_chem
    10879847 said:
    How about bringing it to Washington, DC? Google Fail much? We have had bike lanes for a few years, Bike Share for a few years, and quite a lot of cyclists reducing the traffic congestion... Hi, it's the F'ing US Capital...
    /end rant
    Open up google maps > "Get Directions" See the four icons representing different methods of transportation? Click the one that looks like someone riding a bike. Ta-da! Enter start and end destinations; revel in having directions for cycling. The feature has been in google maps for a long time now.
    Reply