Over the 21st century, the number of online services helping people book trips has grown significantly. And in a bid to help users manage and book their adventures more efficiently, Google created Google Travel. Google Travel is relatively underused but has a lot to offer. The web app lets you book flights, search for inspiration, and much more.
So, what exactly is Google Travel? How does it work, and what can you do with the platform? Let’s take a closer look and answer all of these questions.
What Is Google Travel?
Google Travel is an app that lets users book trips and manage itineraries. The Silicon Valley giant introduced the service in 2016, and you might have previously heard of it when it was known as Google Trips.
Unlike several other Google apps, including Drive and Docs, you can’t download Google Travel as a standalone mobile app for your smartphone. Instead, you’ll need to use it in your web browser; you can do this from either your phone, desktop, or tablet. Google Travel is free to use, but you will need a Google account.
What Can You Do With Google Travel?
Okay, so you’ve now got a better idea of what Google Travel is and how you can sign up for the platform. So, what can you do with it? Below, you’ll discover seven uses for the service—along with a walkthrough to help you find these features.
Search for Flights
Whether you’re casually browsing or know where you want to go, searching for flights is easy with Google Travel. You can tweak the dates you want to travel easily, along with setting how long you want the trips in your search to last for.
When looking for flights, you can customize your search using several parameters. These include:
- Connecting airports you’d like to use
- The time of day you want to travel for all legs of the journey
- The airlines you want to fly with
You can also look for flights based on baggage allowance and more.
To look for flights on Google Travel, you’ll need to go to the Flights tab. This is the third one from the bottom. Once you’re there, you can customize your search to fit your needs.
Keep Track of Prices
Getting the best deal when traveling has become trickier for several reasons. Countless comparison sites exist, while it’s also hard to know whether the prices you see are too high for that time of year or not.
Fortunately, Google Travel helps you get better value for money with a couple of neat tools. The first is a small tab you’ll find under “Best departing flights”, which shows you whether or not your flight ticket fare cost is typical for the time you want to travel.
You can also use the Date grid and Price graph closer to the top of your screen. Both will show you how much flight tickets cost for the period you’re traveling compared to days close by.
In addition to the above features, you can also toggle the Track prices option on. When you do this, you’ll receive email updates whenever prices go up or down. You can access all of these tools from the Flights tab.
Alongside flights, you can also check the prices of hotels. To do this, go to the Hotels tab and tap on the What you’ll pay button.
Browse for Inspiration and Set Trip Search Parameters
For many people, booking every part of their trip helps to customize it better for their needs. If you’re one of these individuals, you’ll be pleased to know that Google Travel lets you change several options to ensure that your search results are more tailored to your demands.
You can create better trips by using the Interests feature, which allows you to choose destinations based on what type of holiday you want—such as skiing or outdoors. You can access this tab by selecting Explore on the left.
Another way you can customize your trip is by deciding how you want to travel. Google Travel lets you pick either plane or car, and you can make this choice by going to the Travel mode tab—which is also in Explore.
Add Itineraries
Once you’re ready to plan your trip, you can use Google Travel to create the ultimate itinerary. When you start a new adventure on the platform, you can add pretty much everything to it—ranging from your flights to places you wish to eat.
If you book your flights and accommodation through Google Travel, your confirmations will get added to your itinerary.
Besides adding your plans, you can also use this section to inform yourself about your destination. Google shows you frequently asked questions, along with the average temperatures for the time of year that you plan to visit.
Once you’ve created a new trip, you can also find articles that you’ve looked at relating to the destination online. If you think these will be useful, you can hit the bookmark tab to save them. And if you haven’t yet begun your research, Google will pull popular resources to help you gain both insights and inspiration.
To add a new trip, go to the Travel tab and select Create trip.
Book Hotels
Of course, you can’t plan a trip somewhere and not have a place to stay. Like flights, you can book hotels through the Google Travel interface.
When looking for hotels, you can filter your search based on price and how many people will be on the trip. If you’d prefer certain hotel brands over others, you can choose for only your preferred options to show.
Other ways you can filter your hotel search include:
- Offers included
- Amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and kid-friendly
- The hotel’s class/star rating
You can use this feature to book hostels and guesthouses too. To start booking your accommodation, you’ll need to head to the Hotels tab. When you’re there, you can customize as you feel necessary.
Rent Properties
If you’re not interested in staying at a hotel, you can find private vacation rentals through Google Travel. You’ll see several options, such as:
- Apartments
- Guesthouses
- Cottages
Like hotels, you can also browse depending on the amenities you want, your price range, and more.
To rent properties instead of hotels, click on the Vacation rentals section. After that, you can make the changes you feel are necessary.
Use Google Travel to Plan Your Trip More Efficiently
If you don’t want to use a travel agent, Google Travel offers an excellent option for you to pay for and plan your trip without needing to visit several websites. You can check to see when you’ll get the best prices, along with seeking inspiration and more.
Since Google Travel is free to use, why not sign up and give it a try for yourself?