How to Print Google Maps and Directions—or Save a PDF

A neighbourhood map and a custom My Map use different paths. Decide which output you need first, then inspect the preview before sending anything to a printer.

Choose the output you need

A paper page or saved PDF is a reference for the route you checked. It will not reroute you after a missed turn or refresh itself when conditions change. If you need mobile navigation without a connection, use the separate Google Maps offline-download workflow.

For the driving display rather than a paper reference, see Immersive Navigation.

For a different offline app, see Organic Maps offline.

If you also use spoken directions, check Google Maps voice, street names and audio output before travel. A saved PDF is a separate reference rather than a repair for silent guidance.

Print Google Maps directions on a computer

1. Open Google Maps in a desktop browser.
2. Select Directions, then enter the starting point and destination.
3. Choose the intended travel mode and select the route you want.
4. Open the route’s Print control.
5. Choose Print including maps or Print text only.
6. Review the Maps print view, then select Print to open the browser or system print window.¹

Use a fixed starting address when preparing directions for someone else. Your current-location pin may be the wrong starting point for that person. Check the destination address and intended entrance as well as the place name.

Map-inclusive output is useful for orientation. Text-only output is a practical choice when the written turns matter most or map graphics make the pages harder to read. There is no need to force a long journey onto one sheet.

For a route with several destinations, arrange them first using the multiple-stops guide. In the preview, check that the legs follow your chosen order and that the final stop is included.

Before printing, review avoid ferries, tolls and highways for your route choices.

Save the directions as a PDF

After opening the printable route:

1. In Chrome’s print window, choose Save as PDF as the destination.
2. Check the page range and preview; keep all pages that contain required directions.
3. Select Save, choose a location and name the file.
4. Open the saved PDF and check it before printing or sharing it.²

The destination controls depend on the browser and operating system. If yours uses a different PDF label, use its supported PDF-saving option. Saving to a file does not require a physical printer.

A useful filename identifies the destination and preparation date, such as museum-directions-2026-10-13.pdf. Add the planned departure time or an entrance note when it matters. Avoid including a private home address in a filename you will share widely.

Example: check a three-page preview

Imagine the preview puts the overview map on page 1, most turns on page 2, and the last few turns plus arrival on page 3. Selecting only page 1 gives you a map without the complete instructions.

Save all three pages first. Read the first turn and the final arrival, then inspect the page break between the written steps. If the text is too small, try text-only output or a different layout and repeat the check. This is a preview-checking example; your route’s page count will differ.

Print a map of an area without directions

For a neighbourhood or a single location, position the ordinary map so the area you need is visible. Try the browser’s print command. In desktop Chrome, the shortcuts are Ctrl+P on Windows or Linux and Command+P on Mac.²

For a plain map, try browser printing and inspect the preview for menus, cropped areas, or blank panels before printing or saving a PDF.

For a small visual reference, a screenshot of the normal map can be another option. Open that image and inspect its print preview. Keep the map’s Google and data-provider credits visible, and follow the usage conditions for the material you are preparing.³

A screenshot records only the area captured. Zooming an image later cannot recover street detail that was never captured. If labels become unreadable, prepare a closer view or several clearly labelled views instead of shrinking an entire region onto one page.

Street View photographs have different restrictions: Google’s guidelines prohibit their use in printed materials. Do not treat a printable map view as permission to print Street View imagery.³

Print a custom Google My Map

For a map you made with pins or layers:

1. On a computer, sign in to Google My Maps.
2. Open the map.
3. In the left panel, open its menu and select Print map.
4. Follow the displayed options, then inspect the output before printing or saving a PDF.⁴

Choose the layers and area you want to present before preparing the handout, then verify the preview includes the intended places. Keep a separate place list when readers need addresses or descriptions that do not fit on the map.

Printing produces a visual reference. If someone needs the map’s underlying files, use the My Maps KML/KMZ and CSV export guide. For classroom use, the student-sharing guide explains access choices and paper alternatives.

Start from an Android phone or iPhone

For complete directions, the simplest handoff is usually a route link opened on a computer. Google’s Android and iPhone/iPad instructions describe More → Share directions and choosing an app to share through.⁵⁶

Send the link through an app you use, open it on the computer, and check the route before following the desktop printing steps. Sharing a route link is different from saving a finished PDF.

Send to phone goes in the opposite direction—from a computer to a mobile device—and Google excludes routes with multiple destinations from that feature.¹ Use the route-sharing path when your starting point is the phone.

Android printing

Chrome on Android supports More → Share → Print, with a Save as PDF choice in the print controls.⁷ This is Chrome’s workflow, rather than a universal Print command inside the Google Maps app.

Use it for a page or file that Chrome can display for printing. Inspect the result carefully if you are trying a map in the browser. When that output is incomplete, share the route to a computer and prepare its dedicated print view there.

iPhone and iPad printing

For a saved PDF or map image, use an app that supports printing. Apple’s AirPrint instructions use the app’s Share or Actions control, then Print. Choose an AirPrint-supported printer and connect the printer and device to the same Wi-Fi network. Not every app offers printing.⁸

Printing a saved file through a supporting app is a separate task from finding a print button in Maps. If the file is only a screenshot, check that it contains everything the reader needs.

Check the complete preview before printing

Use this short completion check for both paper and PDF output:

• Correct journey: confirm the start, destination, travel mode and any stops.
• Complete instructions: inspect every page, including the first turn and final arrival.
• Readable detail: check street names and text at the size the reader will actually use.
• Usable layout: check page range, orientation and any cropped edges.
• Preserved credits: keep attribution visible on map images.
• Current context: add a preparation date and recheck the route before travelling when conditions matter.

For directions you will distribute, review whether the starting point or notes expose a private address. Prepare an appropriate public meeting point where that better serves the group.

Fix missing controls, blank pages or tiny text

No Maps Print control: confirm you are working with a selected route in a computer browser. If the route panel has a details view, open it and look again. A place card or a phone app should not be assumed to expose the same controls.

Blank or cropped preview: close the preview, let the map finish loading and try again. Check the chosen paper size and orientation. For directions, try text-only output to see whether the written steps are usable. These low-impact checks may not fix the problem in every browser.

Directions end early: inspect the selected page range and the saved PDF. Compare its last instruction with the destination shown in Maps. Restore missing pages before printing again.

Text is too small: try text-only directions, a more suitable layout or several views. Recheck the preview after changing scale; fitting everything onto fewer pages can make a handout harder to use.

The printer is missing: first try saving a PDF. If the file is complete, follow the printer manufacturer’s setup instructions for that device.² You can finish preparing and checking the directions before resolving the physical printing problem.