Even although journey is genuinely one in every of my favourite issues to do (and my favourite factor to spend cash on), it might probably nonetheless be overwhelming to plan a dream journey. I’ve dozens and dozens of journeys — each home and worldwide — below my belt and but, I nonetheless discover the method of planning and reserving annoying.
According to a March 2025 survey, almost half of all Americans (44%) plan to make a journey that requires a flight or resort this summer season. That means hundreds of thousands of Americans are gathering their passports, creating itineraries and gearing as much as journey over the summer season. If you are a kind of individuals, you might be in search of assist along with your journey planning.
That’s the place AI might help. You can use quite a few different AI instruments for journey planning, from a general-purpose chatbot like ChatGPT that may reply your entire travel-related queries to Booking.com’s AI Trip Planner, which may very well be your AI-powered journey agent. Usually, although, I exploit Google instruments. Specifically, there are key Google AI options that may help you with your entire summer season journey prep.
Last week, Google introduced a number of new AI options and updates for its portfolio of apps and providers that may aid you e book a trip. Explore these updates for Google Search, Maps, Lens and Gemini that will help you plan and benefit from the final dream journey.
For extra journey recommendation, see the finest time to buy airline tickets and methods to discover low cost flights. I additionally clarify how I exploit Google Maps for stress-free journey.
Let AI make customized journey itineraries
Google’s AI Overviews in Search could make planning your subsequent journey less complicated. This instrument was initially introduced in March 2024, and I’ve been utilizing it for over a 12 months now to generate personalised journey itineraries for the cities I’m visiting. For occasion, I requested Google to plan a bookstore-focused tour of Edinburgh once I was there for 3 days final May.
Now the function is increasing. Google mentioned final week that it plans to broaden the capabilities of AI Overviews in Search so now you can make day-by-day itineraries for extra than simply cities however for distinct areas or complete nations. Just kind in a fast command like “create an itinerary for England with a give attention to historical past” or “create an itinerary for New Zealand with a give attention to nature.”
The AI attracts on knowledge from a variety of sources, similar to evaluations, images and enterprise profiles submitted to Google by individuals over time. From there, you possibly can export your itinerary to Gmail, Docs or Maps.
It’s all the time essential to recollect to not take AI-generated solutions at face worth since they make errors and even make issues up. You ought to diligently fact-check the data with professional sources in case the AI instrument is hallucinating, pulling outcomes from doubtful sources or producing false info. If you want a case examine, discover this piece by CNET’s Katie Collins, who examined the accuracy of a number of AI instruments relating to a metropolis she is aware of inside and outside.
Get journey inspiration from Gemini
Travel planning will be overwhelming, particularly in a brand new metropolis. When that occurs, I flip to Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot. Since the autumn 2024 replace to Google Maps, Gemini can counsel actions and eating choices in your travels.
You also can ask it to seek out budget-friendly actions in a metropolis or issues to do in a rustic you are visiting when it is raining. Gemini makes use of Google evaluations to curate personalised solutions and reveals them as pins on the map. This function makes planning simpler, serving to you uncover tailor-made choices and lowering stress.
For comparability, I typically give different chatbots, like ChatGPT and Claude, the identical travel-related queries and I get comparable solutions. Did I point out that it’s best to remember to fact-check what an AI chatbot tells you?
Create an AI journey agent
You also can attempt Gemini’s Gems function, which helps you to customise Gemini to create your individual private AI professional. Gems are personalized variations of Gemini that aid you sort out repetitive duties or perception when researching. That means you possibly can arrange a journey planner Gem that will help you select a journey vacation spot, discover eating places in a brand new metropolis or what to pack for a given trip.
Google is now providing Gems and not using a subscription. To use this function, you have to be signed in to Gemini Apps, after which you possibly can create a customized Gem by the “Gems supervisor” on the desktop.
When I experimented with this function, I created a “journey agent” Gem and wrote down directions for the Gem’s predominant targets and capabilities and the fashion and tone of response I wished from it.
I requested my Gem to create a 10-day itinerary for island-hopping across the Caribbean with the question, “I’ve all the time wished to island-hop across the Caribbean islands. Please create an itinerary (for about 10 days), hitting the key islands and largest points of interest.” My Gem responded by asking me what time of 12 months I want to journey, my funds and my preferrred touring tempo. From my responses, Travel Agent Gem deliberate a 10-day journey round Puerto Rico, St. Lucia and Barbados, mixing my pursuits in seashores, nature and historical past.
You can use Gem without spending a dime to design your final dream trip, with out reserving an costly journey agent. Even although these AI instruments will be useful, they can not substitute the recommendation and perception of an actual professional.
Allow AI to prepare screenshots of journey concepts
If you are something like me, your Photos app is stuffed with hundreds of photos from social media, Pinterest, TikTook and journey blogs. When journey planning, I wish to screenshot images of eating places, museums, parks and different points of interest I’m simply dying to go to. By the top, I’ve seemingly countless screenshots to sift by.
Last week, Google introduced it is rolling out a brand new function to the Maps app that may determine areas in your screenshots and save them to an inventory, making it simpler to prepare your journey plans. The function scans screenshots for textual content mentioning particular locations, shows these areas on the map and allows you to assessment, save or share them.
This screenshot record function is now out there for iOS customers within the US, with Android help coming quickly.
Find the most affordable resorts out there
I’ve no drawback reserving flights — actually. No matter what the sticker worth is. But reserving resorts? Whew, that is an expense that hurts. Especially since lodging is often the most important charge of any journey.
I exploit Google Flights day by day to seek out the most affordable flights potential. (No, I verify it day by day and have electronic mail notifications set for 15-plus locations when costs dip.) And now, Google is bringing that magic to reserving resorts.
At google.com/resorts, you may see a brand new possibility to trace costs in your chosen dates and vacation spot. Just like on Google Flights, you possibly can merely toggle the price-tracking possibility under the search filters, and you will obtain an electronic mail notification if costs drop considerably for any resorts in your search outcomes. You may even set filters, similar to star ranking or seaside entry, in addition to the realm you are viewing on the map.
I’ve notifications set for resort costs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in early May.
Opt for an AI-driven tour information
Easily translate menus or indicators with Lens.
OK, this is not a brand new journey function coming to Google, however it’s nonetheless an excellent one that may make journey a lot simpler. One of my largest issues when touring to a international county is the language barrier. The thought of changing into misplaced in a wierd metropolis and being unable to ask for assistance is my nightmare. Google’s Lens function can ease these fears.
Lens makes it simple to study extra concerning the metropolis you are visiting, your environment and the native language. It can rapidly and precisely translate road indicators, maps, menus and extra that will help you navigate a international language. Just level your digicam, faucet the translate filter and watch the phrases translate in your display screen.
Lens can decipher extra than simply textual content — it might probably additionally rapidly determine objects or buildings. Suppose you see a crowd of individuals hovering round a statue or a set of doorways. In that case, you possibly can merely level your digicam and ask one thing alongside the strains of “What are these for?” and Lens will generate an AI Overview with info and hyperlinks to extra assets.
AI Overviews in Lens (and Circle to Search) are actually out there for English queries. Soon, this function will increase to facilitate queries in Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.
For extra, see our traveler’s prep guidelines and methods to enhance your odds of not having your flight canceled or delayed.
