Visit first. Then go.

Often. Coastal cities with public beach and boardwalk cameras — plus harbor and promenade feeds — let you see the actual sand, surf and crowds, not the hotel's brochure photos. Zoom to the coastline on the map and look for camera markers near the water.

Find your route's highway cameras — US states contribute over 23,000 road feeds, and many countries have dense DOT networks. Check mountain passes for snow, desert highways for dust storms, and city ring roads for rush-hour congestion the morning you leave.

Yes. Search the flight or just watch the destination airport on the flight layer — you'll see the aircraft's live position, so you can time your drive to the terminal instead of circling the arrivals loop. It also shows delays before the airline's app bothers to tell you.

Better than a forecast alone. A weather layer tells you it's 8°C and raining in the city you're visiting; a live street camera shows you whether people are in heavy coats or light jackets. That's the difference between overpacking and getting it right.

No. The whole map is free with no account — it works in a phone browser anywhere with a connection. The optional Pro plan adds intelligence tools for power users, but travelers need nothing more than the free globe.