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March 29, 2007
Directions from Google: "Swim across the Atlantic Ocean"
[UPDATE 01-JULY-2007: Looks like Google has disabled the swim across the Altantic easter egg. However, I was told by someone at Google it was an oversight and it will be put back in the next update.]
This is very amusing! If you ask Google Earth or Google Maps for directions which require you to go across an ocean, then Google will give you those directions. For example, if you ask for directions from Boston, MA to London, UK (see step 9) it gives you driving directions to the coast and then will tell you to "Swim Across the Atlantic Ocean". Here's the same thing in Google Earth 
. Caution: following these directions may be hazardous to your health!
Note: this cross-ocean-direction thing only works with a limited number of cases for the places I tested. If you come up with other directions that work (especially other oceans), let me know by leaving a comment here. It does seem to work for other Atlantic journeys like "san diego, ca to berlin, germany" (at least with Google Maps, GE won't find that path). Also, there appears to be a bug with the directions path in GE (the path isn't set to stay above sea level - that would make sense if you tried to drive). This tip came from Philipp Lenssen of Google Blogoscoped.
Posted by FrankTaylor at March 29, 2007 01:53 PM
Comments
Posted by: Globalwarming Awareness2007 at March 29, 2007 02:39 PM
This blog is excellent!
Posted by: Damián at March 29, 2007 07:29 PM
I see that New York to London recommends you swim to France first then take a ferry to England (described as "Slight right at Dover - Boulougne-sur-Mer").
Also it takes the trouble to stear your swimming around the various islands on the way. It works out the entire journey as "about 29days 10 hours" I wonder how much of that is the swim.
Posted by: Timothy at March 30, 2007 05:35 AM
I tried going the other way from my home to a mate in the US (Great Kingshill, UK, to Williamstown, MA) and again there was a diversion through northern France. Similar timing of 29 days 10 hours, though presumably this is against the current?
Posted by: Chaz at March 30, 2007 09:20 AM
Boston, MA to Rome, Italy works. And you have to swim all the way to Le Havre :)
Posted by: Javier at March 30, 2007 07:07 PM
Looks like all entries into Europe are through one port in France. From there, it looks like you can drive throughout the continent (Lisbon, Rome, etc.). The directions even put you on a ferry to Dublin. Maps handles ferries (Seattle to Victoria, BC, and even Australia to Tasmania). I haven't found a Pacific route similar to swimming the Atlantic yet.
Posted by: Stuart Goldman at March 30, 2007 09:08 PM
It seems to work to other areas of Europe as well. One interesting thing is that you can now find directions for Russia (even as far as Irkutsk in Siberia)despite Russia lacking the road layer
Posted by: nxdat at April 3, 2007 08:09 PM
For the person who wondered how much of the 29 days 10 hours was the swim... Trans Altantic swims are always New York to the single port in France (can't remember the name off the top of my head). If you click the link for the print view, it gives the time for each segement. The swim is listed as 29 days. A note for those interested, that works out to swimming at a pace faster than the men's world record for the 100m freestyle...for the entire 29 days!
Posted by: Joe at April 12, 2007 10:53 AM
Going from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Novokuzneck, Russia is 12,618 miles
Posted by: Chris at April 12, 2007 10:21 PM
here's another one
1. Go to google.com.
2. Click on More, then Maps
3. Click on Get Directions.
4. From: New York , New York .
5. To: Paris , France .
6. Then, read line #23.
Posted by: silent at April 14, 2007 07:21 PM
Northern virginia to germany works. "Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi"
Posted by: nerdy1 at April 14, 2007 08:00 PM
I got the same results with El Paso, TX to Madrid, Spain.
Posted by: chasemice at April 17, 2007 07:30 PM
London UK to Topeka Kansas USA.
Google Earth told me to go across to France and swim across the Altantic ocean but I need to drive at the other end down some highways, I guess I will need to drag my car behind me when I swim.
I am curious why it doesn't direct you to the nearest airport and says "Get on a plane" or to a dock and says "Get on a ship" instead of telling me to fricken swim for 30 days.
Posted by: Ghost at April 19, 2007 05:40 PM
Northern virginia to germany works. "Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi"
Posted by: hotindir at June 21, 2007 08:59 AM
It doesn't work any more! Did they remove it?
Posted by: Mary at July 1, 2007 10:55 AM
Found your blog by accident after a similar search.. from Oklahoma City, OK to Brazil and was instructed to "Swim across the Atlantic Ocean"
Posted by: Patrick at July 9, 2007 03:53 PM
Argh! It doesn't work now! I think they fixed it :( it was funny while it lasted. the kml file doesnt work anyways...
Posted by: Google fixed at July 12, 2007 12:06 AM
Type "Prudhoe Bay" to "Rio Grande, Brazil"
"65. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean
Entering Brazil
9,207 km"
"Drive:
19,731 km – about 53 days 3 hours"
Atleast they give a realistic swimming speed :P
Posted by: David at August 4, 2007 06:12 PM
Congratulations, well done!
Posted by: Bugati at August 23, 2007 11:55 PM
When it was possible to swim from North America to Eurasia, the farthest I could do was Borzya, Chita Oblast, Russia to Overland Drive, Unalaska, AK, USA. Now I can do Overland Drive, Unalaska, AK to the northernmost gap in BR163 in Brazil (you have to combine the URL, naturally) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=from:+72855+to:+72804&sll=5.88289,
-62.85841&sspn=75.413692,164.355469&ie=UTF8&z=3&om=1
Posted by: Rich M. at September 11, 2007 12:18 AM
You can still swim to Brazil, apparently.
Posted by: anonymous at October 8, 2007 01:11 PM
it doesn't work anymore! none of them :( and JUST when i was trying to show off my hidden knowledge to people. any idea why? maybe the google people caught the mistake.
Posted by: katie at October 25, 2007 12:11 AM
roflmao, Google is funny!
Posted by: mark at March 20, 2008 02:01 AM
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The title suggests google wants everyone to ride bikes everywhere. I posit that that would be great.
Globalwarming Awareness2007