French users of ChatGPT can now search for restaurants or museums on an interactive map directly within the chat interface. This feature, known as ChatGPT Maps, was previously available only in the United States and Canada but began expanding to the European Union in the summer of 2026. Unlike Google Maps, which has offered real-time navigation and traffic updates for years, ChatGPT Maps currently lacks these capabilities. Instead, users can ask natural language questions like "show me vegan creperies near Quiberon," and the system will display an interactive map with cards for each location. Each card includes details such as hours, address, contact information, photos, a description, and user reviews, which users can explore on the original websites. The maps are powered by Mapbox, an American company that provides map backgrounds for many applications, and OpenStreetMap, a free, volunteer-driven mapping service. In Europe, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had to adjust the feature to meet the legal standards of the European Union. By late September 2026, the ChatGPT Maps feature was working well in France, though it was only accessible through the web version of ChatGPT. According to Hipertextual, a tech news site, the feature still lacks four key functions compared to Google Maps: step-by-step navigation, real-time traffic and weather updates, the ability for users to post their own reviews, and the option to interact with secondary elements on the map. OpenAI does provide a way to submit feedback for each location, allowing users to report errors or missing information to the company, but this feedback is not shared with other users. The European version of ChatGPT Maps also includes advertisements. These ads, which are related to the user's search, appear at the bottom of the results. OpenAI launched advertising in ChatGPT across 31 European countries, including France, on August 24, 2026. Only users of the free version and the Go version (the basic paid plan) see these ads, while subscribers to the Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans are exempt. OpenAI claims that its ads are clearly marked, separated from the responses, and do not influence the content that ChatGPT generates. Local searches, such as finding a nearby restaurant or shop, are particularly valuable for advertisers, as they often indicate a direct intent to purchase. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires explicit consent for personalized advertisements, so users must agree to this before seeing targeted ads. To try ChatGPT Maps, users can add "/maps" to the ChatGPT address (chatgpt.com/maps) in a browser or select the nearby location search option from the drop-down menu next to the text field. They also need to enable location services in both ChatGPT and their browser to get local suggestions. It should be noted that the feature is not yet available in the iOS and Android apps of ChatGPT.