One way I could use googlemaps would be when introducing a new continent. I could have the students view my map and "visit" some of the interesting sites in the various countries. I would add a writing component to this also. Perhaps they would have to pick a country to visit, write down the places they would like to visit and then write 3 things they learned about the place. These things could be shared in class so people would get an overview of places to visit in Europe. They could also be required to add to other sites to visit on the map, thereby learning a new tech skill! :)
Here is the link to the map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102200791479676917061.00046f746976a27f18db3&z=5