How to mark a route on Google Maps, save personalised maps and get backlinks

I needed to know how to mark a route on a Google Map, save it, and incorporate it into my articles and have just discovered how. I write about Les Trois Chenes and our life here. Les Trois Chenes is the name of my house, our Bed and Breakfast and self catering cottage (Gîte in French). I am a professional artist and experienced art teacher and we also run painting holidays here, so I write about our region, Limousin, S W France and all the interesting things there are to do and to see here. It is great hiking and rambling country and as I've started to take photographs and to write about the walks (Walking in South West France: Videix in the Snow), I have long felt the need to be able to draw the routes we take onto a map base. Google is excellent for this and provides all the tools you need. This is what I have found out so far, described in pictures and as few words as possible. I hope you find it useful, and if you know more than me, please add to this information through the comments, and I'll do the same as I find out more about the huge potential of Google Maps. I would especially like to know if I can incorporate the active version of this map into my Hubs.

Have a look at the links below from others that have written helpful articles on this subject.

First find you area by typing the town, country, region into the search box. I've entered Videix France and chosen the satellite option top right of your map.

The next step is to choose My Maps, (circled in red), and enter your log-in details or open an account.

• On the left hand side of the page, complete title and description of your map
• Zoom in or out using the tool on the left of the map area
• Use the three symbols at the top left corner of the map to drag the image, to place markers and to draw your routes

I'm going to place markers on my house and on the church. Click on the marker symbol and drag it into position. You can move it later if you get it wrong!

You can then add a title and description. If you choose Rich text you can then format the text and add pictures

You can also add links within the text of your place markers

You have three options when you click on the pull down arrow next to the line drawing symbol

• Draw a line - this draws a line anywhere you like
• Draw a line along routes - this snaps onto the roads
• Draw a shape - this creates an area that is blocked in with a colour

Once you have added your shape, you can edit the form, change the colour and size of the outline, and adjust the colour and opacity of the fill. As with the place markers, you can add a title and description to your shape.

Click on the Link button at the top right hand corner of your map to pick up an URL or HTML so that you can link it or embed it into your articles and sites. Please do let me know if we can embed them into our Hubs.

This is my Chestnut Dryer Walk Around Vayres and I've used some of the things that I've outlined above. There are lots more things that you can do, but I have tried to cover the basics so that you can get that map out quickly. Please feel free to have a look at it and my Walk 1 Videix A Snowy Walk Around the Village of Videix, I would welcome any comments, positive criticism and ideas.