The clever way Google can help you dodge queues and miss crowds forever
The nifty tool lets you pinpoint when it might be the best time to visit.
WAITING in a line at a busy shop, tourist attraction or restaurant is never very fun.
But there is a clever way to dodge queues and Google is your secret weapon.
The search engine has a really feature - known as Popular Times - which predicts when places will be rammed (or not).
It’s based on anonymous data from people who opt to share their location when using their mobile.
It lets you pinpoint when might be the best time to visit.
For example, you can see that on Fridays at the London Eye the most popular time is between 2pm and 3pm, whereas arriving at 10am should slash your waiting time.
How to use the Popular Times feature on Google to avoid queues
Firstly, do a Google search for the restaurant, attraction, etc. On the right hand side you will see a box with Google’s listing for the destination.
If you scroll down you will see the Popular Times graph. You can then flick between the days to find the quietest times.
Not all places have a times graph - it only appears once Google has enough data to establish opening times.
Although, there are plenty of places where it does work across the UK.
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Steve Nowottny, news and features editor at MoneySavingExpert, said: “We all hate standing in queues, so this is a clever, completely free and entirely legit way to dodge them everywhere from your local Pizza Express to the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s not 100% precise, of course, but if you’re planning a trip to somewhere that might be busy, a two-second Google search can give you a rough and ready idea of when will be quiet and when it’ll be rammed – and potentially prevent you waiting for hours in line.”
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