Planning a vacation around Europe? Don’t bother. Google has captured all of it on Street View by now. All of it. These newfangled Street View trikes let Google go where no car can, joining hoards of black-socks-with-sandals tourists inside the Roman Colosseum, the Baths of Diocletian, the Cupola in Florence and Chateau de Fontainebleau in France.
I saw all these same places right after I graduated from college. Had Google Street View been around at the time, I could have avoided the gang of sticky-fingered children who tried (but failed) to pickpocket me outside the Colosseum (Who’s laughing at my fanny pack with the combination lock now?!), the McDonalds outside Fontainebleau (no free refills), and the overweight family from the deep south who all bought mesh hats with fans built into the brims along the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Although seeing that was almost worth the entire trip alone. Man, they loved those hats.
I don’t actually advocate Googling your way through Europe instead of going there yourself, of course. You’ll see some breathtaking historical sites, beautiful architecture and, if you’re lucky, several three-wheeled bicycles with panoramic cameras ding-ding-dinging their bells as they weave their way through the crowded, narrow side streets.
When in Rome: New Street View imagery of historic sites in Italy and France [Google]
More on TIME.com:
Google Street View Goes Off-Roading