The best times to shop and eat out to avoid crowds

Google Maps isn’t just about giving you the best time to do things — it also reveals habits that all of us have adapted in this strange, new pandemic world. In a blog post, Google’s Chief Holiday Innovation Officer Holly Day says driving continues to be the most popular way of getting around, and catching a ride on public transport is down by more than 50 percent. Cycling is also seen as a viable alternative — interest in getting around in two wheels is up 30 percent when compared to the days before COVID was something we all had to watch out for. People are also not as inclined to ask for directions to places they’ve never been before, and this is likely due to social distancing. 

There’s one more piece of information Google wants to share with us, and it’s that interest in cooking at home is dropping, while “takeout” as a search term has spiked 306 percent between March to October 2020. More people are also appear to be consuming Mexican, Chinese, and BBQ, because those are the most-searched cuisines across the country.