Simplifying Summer Travel Planning with Google’s AI Features
Planning a dream trip can be overwhelming, even for experienced travelers. With nearly half of Americans planning to take a flight or hotel stay this summer, many are seeking help with trip planning. Google’s recent AI updates across Search, Maps, Lens, and Gemini can significantly simplify the process.
Create Custom Travel Itineraries with AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews in Search allows you to generate personalized travel itineraries. You can now create day-by-day plans not just for cities, but for entire regions or countries. For example, you can ask Google to “create an itinerary for England with a focus on history” or “create an itinerary for New Zealand with a focus on nature.” The AI draws from reviews, photos, and business profiles to create your itinerary, which you can export to Gmail, Docs, or Maps. However, it’s crucial to fact-check AI-generated information as it can sometimes be inaccurate.
Get Travel Inspiration from Gemini
Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot, can suggest activities and dining options for your travels. Since the fall 2024 update, Gemini uses Google reviews to curate personalized suggestions and displays them as pins on the map. You can ask Gemini to find budget-friendly activities or things to do on a rainy day. While other chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude provide similar answers, always verify the information they provide.
Customize Your Travel Planning with Gemini’s Gems
Gemini’s Gems feature allows you to create a personalized AI travel expert. You can set up a travel planner Gem to help choose destinations, find restaurants, or determine what to pack. To use this feature, sign in to Gemini Apps and create a custom Gem through the “Gems manager” on the desktop. For instance, you can create a “travel agent” Gem to plan a 10-day Caribbean island-hopping trip, and it will ask for your preferences before creating a tailored itinerary.
Organize Travel Ideas with Google Maps’ Screenshot Feature
A new feature in the Google Maps app can identify locations in your screenshots and save them to a list, making it easier to organize your travel plans. This feature scans screenshots for specific places, displays them on the map, and lets you review, save, or share them. Currently available for iOS users in the US, Android support is coming soon.
Find Affordable Hotels with Price Tracking
Google is introducing price tracking for hotels at google.com/hotels, similar to Google Flights. You can track prices for your selected dates and destination, receiving email notifications if prices drop significantly. You can also set filters based on star rating, beach access, or map view.
Use Lens for Real-Time Translation
Google Lens can translate menus, signs, and more in real-time, helping you navigate foreign languages during travel. Available for English queries, Lens can also identify objects or buildings and provide information about them. This feature will soon support additional languages including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
By leveraging these Google AI features, you can make your summer travel planning more efficient and enjoyable. Whether you’re creating detailed itineraries or finding the best deals on hotels, these tools can help you have a stress-free and memorable trip.
