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🚗 Why Not Just Use Google Maps? Plan a Thrift Experience With Every Shop
It is a fair question. Google Maps is excellent, and you probably already have it on your phone. So why use the Chattanooga Thrift Trail to plan a thrift experience? Short answer: a good thrift day has a lot of shops, and a thrift experience is a different job from getting from A to B. Here is where each tool shines.
The shop limit
Google Maps limits how many stops you can add to a single route. That is plenty for a trip to a restaurant. It is not much for a day that could include a Goodwill, two church thrift shops, an antique mall and a vintage boutique. Once you hit the limit, you have to split your day into several separate routes and rebuild each one by hand.
The Thrift Trail's route planner has no built-in shop limit. Build a loop of five shops or fifteen, or add everything in a neighborhood, and it draws the whole route on one map.
Who decides the order?
Google Maps keeps your stops in the order you add them, so the order is up to you. If you type the shops in a clumsy order, you drive back and forth across town. The Trail builds a driving order for you, starting near where you are, and it works around each shop's hours so you do not arrive at a closed door. Many thrift stores close earlier on weekends, and some are closed a day or two each week. The Trail already knows.
Made for thrifting, not for errands
- Charity notes. A 💛 note shows which local cause each charity shop's proceeds support.
- Shop details. Price level from $ to $$$$$, restrooms, wheelchair access and the payments each shop takes, so there are no surprises at the register.
- Every kind of shop. Thrift stores, curated vintage shops and antique malls, filtered the way you want.
- Visited boxes. Cross shops off as you go. Your progress is saved on your device.
- A printable guide. Download your route as a PDF to keep in the car.
- Storefronts only. Every shop is a real shop you can walk into.
They work well together
The Trail does not replace Google Maps for navigation. Each shop has a Get directions link that opens turn-by-turn directions in the maps app you choose (Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze), so you can use the Trail to plan the day and your maps app to drive it.
Quick answers
Does Google Maps limit the number of stops?
Yes. A single route can only hold so many shops, and Google can change that limit. If you plan a long thrift day, you may need to split it into several routes.
Is there a limit on the Thrift Trail?
The route planner does not set a limit. Add as many shops as you can fit in your day.
Can I still use Google Maps with the Trail?
Yes. Tap Get directions on any shop and it opens in your maps app.
Thrift tip: Plan the loop on the Trail, then save a few minutes at the end of the day for the shop that is closest to home. Leave it for last.
Ready to try it? Open the Chattanooga Thrift Trail map and tap Let's Go Thrifting.
Plan a route through Chattanooga area thrift stores, vintage shops and antique malls, ordered around their hours.
Plan My Thrift Route →
Browse All Shops & the Charities They Support