Google Maps for Android updated with cycle routes

Google has revealed it will update its Google Maps Android app with cycle paths for much of Europe, including the UK.

Other countries catered for include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, so if you’re planning some kind of bike tour of the EU you’re in luck.

Oddly enough the update will also cater to one non-EU country in the form of Australia.

The updated cycling features allow fully functioning turn-by-turn navigation with a voice direction option, if you want a gentle ride you can even specify the navigation to take a route with as few hills as possible.

The update brings European Android users up to speed with the US, which has had bike route support since 2010.

Google has been working on the European-facing update since July this year with efforts to research and map as many cycle paths as possible.

That’s not been a small undertaking, as Google software engineer Larry Powelson notes:

‘Today, there are more than 330,000 miles (equal to more than 530,000 kilometers, or half a gigameter) of green biking lines in Google Maps.’

The update should be available on Google Play now.