It’s hard not to love Google. It may be the behemoth of search engines, and not entirely honourable in its dealings with the Chinese government, but it does keep coming out with some beautiful bits of technology.

One of the most delightful - and useful - is Google Maps which, although officially still in Beta form in the UK, is already becoming a favourite with web-savvy travellers.

Go the homepage (www.maps.google.co.uk ), type in a postcode, the name of a town or village, or even give it a complex request such as “Indian restaurants in Manchester” and Google will instantly draw up a road map of the area highlighting all the relevant information with little coloured pins.

Click on a pin and a balloon will appear above it packed with useful information. On the Manchester map, for instance, one of the pins points to Shimla Pinks, a stylish-looking curry house on Dolefield Crown Square. Click on it and the address, phone number and web address will appear, along with links that take you to customer reviews, a copy of the menu, a 360-degree photo of the interior, opening times and driving directions.

If a simple road map seems dull - even one you can drag around the screen with your mouse - then click on “hybrid” and Google will drop a satellite image of the area over the map, showing houses, shops, fields and roads in brilliant detail.

If you think that’s clever, wait until you see what can be done by combining this mapping technology with other information available online. Since Google released the application into the public domain, software geeks from California to Calcutta have been hard at work in their bedrooms creating so-called “mash-ups” that allow all sorts of data - anything from gig listings in New York to commuter trains in Dublin - to be plotted in real time on live maps.

Some of these mash-up maps are of questionable usefulness, such as the one that locates every public toilet in San Francisco (it’s unlikely you’ll be at your computer when you need that one). Nor do I ever foresee myself wanting to know the whereabouts of every sweet shop in Toronto. Proof, perhaps, that some of these hackers aren’t yet out of short trousers.

However, some of the maps are not only fun, but could also prove invaluable next time you hit the road. Here’s our roundup of some of the best mash-ups.

Skibonk.com

Planning a last-minute dash to the slopes? Go here, click on a country and a region and you can see all the resorts plotted on a map. Click on them and you’ll see a quick rundown of the snow conditions, how many lifts are open and the weather forecast. Links take you to piste maps and detailed weather reports. Handy.

Alternative West Highland Way

If you’re planning to walk the West Highland Way you’ll want to know where you can stop off for a hot Bovril and a bed for the night. This map shows you, along with places of interest, beauty spots, hotels and campsites, all marked with map references and links to relevant websites. There’s a forum for walkers to add their comments - though it’s a bit short of content for now.

Ashes Farm Cottages

Once you’ve found a nice little hotel or B&B to check into the weekend your next task will be to quiz the owners about the local area: where to eat, what to see, the best pubs and so on. At Ashes Common Farm in Almondbury, near Huddersfield, you can do your research before you check in because this clever little map on its website highlights nearby attractions such as the Rat and Ratchet, “Huddersfield’s best real ale pub” and the child-friendly Tolson Museum. Driving directions are a click away.

Pillow and Pancakes

If you’re planning a road trip in North America and you want to be sure of finding cosy B&Bs rather than grubby motels, start searching at Pillows and Pancakes. As well as listing 8,595 properties - most of them in the US - it makes clever use of a Google map that allows you to click from state to town to neighbourhood, then gives full details, photos and prices of the nearest B&Bs with links to direct booking sites.

Pamplona Bull Run Injuries

If there’s one thing sillier than running with the bulls in Pamplona, it’s hacking a map that combines a detailed satellite image of the town with a list of all those people who were injured in the 2005 event. The map shows exactly where each incident took place and what happened - Jesus Angel Merino, 48, from Navarra was horned, while Christopher Seaton, 24, from Florida, broke his wrist. The purpose, apparently, is so that future visitors can avoid the accident blackspots. Yeah, right.

Pub Finder

What could be more useful than a map dotted with pubs? How about one that shows which are the best boozers based on customer ratings? The dark red pins on this map indicate pubs that have been well received by users of the review site, BeerInTheEvening.com. Pale pink ones are the ones to avoid. Click through from the map and you’ll see all the reviews, a journey planner and alternative venues nearby. So far the map only covers London.

MapEire

What information would you consider most important to slap on a Google map of Ireland? Tourist sites, perhaps? Times of church services? Not according to the designer of MapEire who has put on petrol prices, car parks and the prices of pints of Guinness and lager at various pubs. So far it only covers Dublin but the rest of the country should follow shortly.

* For the latest on mash-up maps and how to make them, go to Google Maps Mania

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