When I was building the Beijing Hotels Reservation site with WordPress, I want to add the map informations for all the hotels. The easiest method is copy the map code of my destination and paste it in the pages, however, there are almost 20 Google Maps plugins for WordPress, it is really very convenient that we can use Google Maps in our blogs, I pick up the best six plugins from them and introduce them to all.
Google Map Generator
This is a google map generator plugin. Need to embed code {gmap|address|width|height}. Eaxmple: {gmap|Athens, Greece|400|200}.
DownLoad: http://www.intelisoftbd.com/open-source-projects/google-map-generator.html
Google Maps
This plugin will let you easily embed Google maps in your posts. It will produce clean XHTML code without any iframe.
Features: add an embed Google map in your post by using this syntax [map:http://permalink_to_your_Google_map 640 480] “width” (640 in the example) and “height” are optional parameters. You can use px or %, it could be a recorded map or any other map you’re consulting.
DownLoad: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-maps
Simple Google Map
With this plugin you can insert a google map into your posts, pages, or wigitized sidebar without an API key. Google recently released version 3 of their Maps API. They made it smaller and faster, but with less features. The biggest advantage is that it doesn’t require an API key. So all you have to do is install this plugin and set a few options!
DownLoad: http://clarknikdelpowell.com/wordpress/simple-google-map
Google Map V3 for IDN
This plugin will embed a google map using shortcode or as a widget. This plugin is a different version of Simple Google Map. It enables to insert maps in your posts and pages from an address while Simple Google Map requires a latitude and a longitude. With this plugin you can insert a google map into your posts, pages, or wigitized sidebar. For this plugin, you will need an API key for geocoding, click here to apply for your Google Maps API key.
DownLoad: http://www.france-development.com/2009/11/18/google-maps-v3-for-idn
Google Maps Embed
If getting an API key is beyond the skill set or desires of your users, but they still want to be able to have a Google map, this plugin is the answer. It adds a button to the visual editor that allows them to use the link from Google Maps to embed a plugin. Blog administrators can set defaults for width, height, marginwidth, marginheight, frameborder, and scrolling properties for the embed code.
DownLoad: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-maps-embed
MapPress Easy Google Maps
MapPress adds an interactive map to the wordpress editing screens. When editing a post or page just enter any addresses you’d like to map. The plugin will automatically insert a great-looking interactive map into your blog. Your readers can get directions right in your blog and you can even create custom HTML for the map markers (including pictures, links, etc.)!
DownLoad: http://www.wphostreviews.com/mappress
If you don’t like these Google Maps plugins for WordPress, login your dashboard and search ‘Google Map’ at Plugins -> Add new.
