Google Maps HTTP API for driving and walking directions
Do you know how I can get walking directions from Google by giving two specific coordinates? How can I send simple HTTP GET requests and have the result in a KML file?
I don't want to geocode, but get the driving directions as the KML file returned by this method:
http://www.gringod.com/2008/02/26/save-google-maps-driving-directions/
Answer
There is no documented and approved method at the moment to access the Google Maps Directions API via an HTTP request (update: Google added walking and driving directions via web services in May, 2010).
Nevertheless, an undocumented method that returns a JSON output is the following:
http://maps.google.com/maps/nav?q=from:London%20to:Dover
The format of the q parameter should be from:xxx%20to:yyy. Replace xxx and yyy with the start and destination respectively. You can use a latitude and a longitude instead of full addresses.
By default this request returns driving directions. To get walking directions you can add the optional parameter dirflg=w to the query-string. (Source)
Note that not only this is undocumented, but it may also violate the restrictions 10.1 and 10.5 of the Google Maps API Terms and Conditions.
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