google new travel features

Google's latest AI tool will help you plan your next vacation — here's how it works

All from a simple search query

Google is bringing travel-related features to its new artificial intelligence search results including trip planning, reviews and photos of your destination — but its opt-in for now. Although the search giant has started putting AI into the main results .

Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a module that sits above the normal search results providing AI-generated insights into the search query. 

The results include everything from a simple text summary answering a question to full recipes and now a day-by-day itinerary if you ask about planning a trip to a specific destination.

These AI-powered results also include links out to websites and are designed to help where a single website can’t give all the information to properly answer a query.

What travel information is Google adding to SGE?

Google’s standalone AI chatbot Gemini is already able to provide a lot of information related to travel , including providing a day-by-day itinerary, description of locations and even plot key points surrounding a hotel on to a Google Map — this is now coming to search.

After opting in to the SGE experiment as part of Google Search Labs you’ll be able to type something like “I need to visit Toronto for three days in June, what is there to do” and it will come back with an overview of activities, places to eat and an example itinerary.

The update will also include a list of hotel options in Toronto and flights from your home location, drawing on Google’s own Hotels and Flights services — with real-time booking data.

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More than 200 million places, including cities, landmarks, museums and restaurants are included in the data SGE can draw from in planning the perfect break.

How does travel information in SGE work?

Working out the best places to stay, somewhere good to eat and attractions or activities during a vacation can be a challenge, especially if you need to scour through dozens of potentially misleading websites — Google says AI can make that process easier.

Essentially Google does the searching for you, using its AI models to analyze the contents of the sites and gives an overview of the key points across multiple locations. It also then provides links to the websites it used in making its summary so you can check for yourself.

[It is] easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options. Google

You can type something like “plan me a 3 day trip to Philadelphia that's all about history” into the normal Google search box and SGE will pop up with suggestions that include attractions, restaurants and all the necessary travel information.

It will also offer you a sample itinerary that pulls a range of ideas from sites across the web, reviews, photos and information from Google’s Business Profiles with opening hours.

Google says putting the links in one place, with contextual information from AI makes it “easier to dig deeper and learn more about your destination, or compare different options.”

At launch it is only available in English and in the U.S. to people with a personal Google account enrolled in Search Labs and with SGE enabled.

More from Tom's Guide

• I put Google Search AI image generator to the test
• Apple could bring Google Gemini to the iPhone for AI
• Google's AI search tool just got a major upgrade

Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

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Google intros new AI-powered travel and product search features

Google’s new AI-powered search experience, released in May, might have gotten a mixed reception. But the search giant isn’t letting that slow its feature roadmap.

Google today announced new capabilities, some of which it previously previewed at its I/O conference , heading to Search Generative Experience (SGE) — the moniker for its experimental search experience — focused on travel and shopping.

Now, when a user asks questions about a place or destination in Google Search (e.g. “Is this restaurant good for large groups?”), they’ll see a snapshot that brings together information from across the web as well as reviews, photos and business profile details submitted by business owners. And when they’re shopping for a product — Bluetooth speakers, say — SGE will show factors to consider along with product descriptions, reviews, ratings, prices, images and recommendations.

The experiences evoke AI-powered search rivals like You.com and Perplexity AI . But Rany Ng, VP of Search, argues that they uniquely benefit from Google’s proprietary data, including details on more than 200 million places in the world and 35 billion product listings.

“With this improved experience in SGE, you’ll get useful insights to guide you along the way, so you can spend less time planning and more time enjoying the plans you’ve made,” Ng wrote in a blog post this morning. “And if you need to buy something that requires extensive research ahead of your summer travels, generative AI in Search can be particularly useful.”

In a related announcement, Google’s soon launching a new Add to Sheets experiment that’ll allow users to insert a search result directly into a spreadsheet and share it with friends, family or anyone else they might be collaborating with.

To take advantage of any of the new features, you’ll have to be enrolled in Search Labs , Google’s proving ground for new search-related technologies. It’s currently only available in English in the U.S.

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How Google’s New Travel Features Can Help You Book Your Next Trip

How do you shop for your fundamental travel needs such as a flight or a hotel? If you’re not using Google Travel (also known as Google Trips), you could be missing out on information that could help you make money-saving choices. And now Google Travel has added new features that can help you make informed travel choices during the coronavirus pandemic.

Google Travel Launches New Features

COVID-19 information has been added to existing search results: It includes information about airline change fees and cancellation policies.

Also new are driving alerts that flag COVID-19 checkpoints and restrictions along your route. For public transportation passengers, there is information about where you need to wear a mask and which stations are experiencing delays or closures.

But that’s not all. When you search for information for flights and hotels, you can instantly see COVID-19 travel advisories for your destination along with the number of cases in that area. The new tool also includes other pandemic-related information such as which hotels, resorts, or vacation rentals offer fully-refundable nightly rates.

Tips to Use Google Travel for Flights

The Google Flights tool lets you shop for the cheapest airfares to any destination. And its features can help you make the purchase that works best for you.

For instance, search results will let you filter for your preferred departure times and how many flight connections you’re willing to make to your get to your destination. You can also choose a specific airline (Southwest doesn’t participate). The tool will show you price differences for flights depending on whether you are traveling with a carry-on or checking a bag. And you can also narrow your selections by entering a price cap on your flight search.

Once you’re ready to buy a ticket, Google copies your selected flight(s) and takes you directly to your chosen carrier to make your purchase.

Tips to Use Google Travel for Hotels

Accommodation search results with prices will come from a dozen or more websites in just one click. Based on your selected travel dates, the site will display rates from the big OTAs (online travel agencies): Expedia , Travelocity, Priceline , Agoda, Hotwire, Orbitz and more.

Select the price you want, and then you can book directly with the hotel or with a hotel the OTAs have chosen. Results will also display reviews, photos, and included amenities such as Wi-Fi and breakfast.

With just another click you can explore Things To Do near the hotel you’ve booked.

Final Thought

Because the impact of COVID-19 on destinations can change almost daily, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest travel-related information for places you may want to visit. We hope Google Travel tools and resources help keep you safe and help you make the best decisions about travel plans.

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Google Will Guarantee Prices on Select Flights — And Other Features We Love

Google unveiled its replacement for the Google Trips app this week in the form of a flurry of new features for Google Maps and the Google Travel site.

The new tools promise to make Google's trip planning, booking and mapping services more convenient and intuitive for users. A lot of the old app's functionality has simply been moved to other parts of Google's ecosystem, while updates to other services the company offers have vastly improved.

Most of these changes center around Google Maps , and a new portal called Google Travel, which consolidates many of the company's travel services into a single program. Some changes to both services have already been rolled out, and more are coming over the next few weeks.

Related: TPG Beginner's Guide

With all these changes, TPG looked at the features we're most excited to test — and use — in the coming weeks.

Get a Flight Price Guarantee

Google is moving its accommodations search feature, Google Hotels, along with Google Flights, into the Travel portal. TPG has written plenty about Google Flights and Google Hotels , so we're excited to see them integrated into the new Travel portal.

Google has also decided to showcase its price history tool following the move. Google Flights will show you whether current prices for airfare are high or low compared to what others have paid for the same route, and will also let you know when Google is confident prices will not drop any further.

And for select itineraries booked between Aug. 13 and Sept. 2 , Google is willing to back up those predictions. Starting Aug. 13, select flights landing before Nov. 24 will display a price guarantee badge on Google Flights.

That means if you book the flight and the price of your fare drops more than $5 below Google's lowest estimate, you'll be refunded the difference up to $500. The price guarantee will only be available on qualifying flights (probably only those pricing at the lowest end of Google's flight price history) within the US, and those to select international destinations.

Though it's too soon to test the feature, we'll be keeping an eye on what flights Google guarantees — and whether or not they end up paying out at the end of November. If you're planning on booking a flight in the next few weeks, consider first checking Google for a price guarantee.

Use Augmented Reality to Find Your Destination

Even with a GPS map in front of you, getting around a new city can be challenging. A new feature in Maps called Live View hopes to remedy this using augmented reality (AR) technology. Travelers will be able to use their phone's camera to find arrows pointing them in the right direction when navigating on foot.

Google's Live View is currently in Beta, but it will be expanding the new function to iOS and Android users with compatible phones this week.

See Reservations in Google Maps and Google Travel

One of my favorite functions of Google Trips is being moved to both Google Maps and Travel. A reservations page similar to the old one will collect bookings for tickets and hotel confirmations sent to users' Gmail accounts all in one place. The reservations are then grouped by destination and organized into trips and vacations.

Although Google Trips could be a little hit and miss about finding reservations in users' emails, I personally had incredible luck with hotels, Airbnbs, flights, buses and trains showing up on the app, including reservations made in languages other than English. I always found this function incredibly useful for locating tickets and confirmation numbers without sifting through my email, and I'm happy it hasn't disappeared.

The feature is already available on Google Travel, and will be coming to Maps soon. Check if your upcoming trips show up at Google.com/Travel.

Find Restaurants You'll Love and Make Reservations

For many, the entire point of taking a vacation is the food. You probably know that you can use Google Maps to find restaurants nearby, but there could be more to the dining function in the app than you expected. Not only can you make reservations within the app, but a function called Your Match can try to predict whether you'll like a restaurant based on previous eating habits. Artificial intelligence can be scary at times, but who knew it could also be delicious?

Your Match didn't appear for me at first because my privacy settings were set high. After I posted a few reviews on Google (well, almost a dozen), I started seeing Your Match recommendations showing up next to user ratings in the Maps app. And many of the places being suggested were, in fact, places I'd been and loved — but hadn't reviewed.

If you don't like sharing ratings and reviews but you still want personalized recommendations, you can also fill out a survey about your favorite types of restaurants and cuisines under the user preferences tab.

Pick the Right Neighborhood

Deciding where you want to stay during your trip can take a lot of research. Finding the right mix of restaurants, history, nightlife and other attractions takes hard work, but an upcoming function in Google Travel could simplify that process.

When searching for hotels on the platform, Google will recommend areas of the city for you and provide a few notes about what each neighborhood is known for. This feature hadn't launched when we tested Google Travel, but should hopefully be coming soon.

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How to Use Google Flights to Save Money on Your Next Trip (Video)

For some, the most anxiety-inducing aspect of planning a trip is sitting down and actually booking that flight. Trying to find an affordable flight that doesn’t come with hidden baggage fees and strict carry-on luggage requirements can be difficult and downright exhausting, after all.

Google has launched a handful of new travel-related features to make planning and booking trips — and exploring new destinations — easier than ever.

Some of these new features can be found within Google Flights . For budget travelers and frequent fliers looking to save a buck or two on plane tickets in the most convenient way possible, these updates will prove super helpful when determining the best deals.

Below, we’ve summarized the top three ways you can save money when you book your flights through Google .

Flights Price Insights

Google can now tell you if the price of a flight you’re looking at typically costs that much, or if it’s lower or higher than average. Looking up flights from Newark to Barcelona at the end of August, I found round-trip tickets with Norwegian Air for $781. Google said the price was “typical” for this itinerary, as “the least expensive flights for similar trips to Barcelona usually cost between $740 - 1,000.”

To see what would happen if the tickets were considered expensive, I looked up holiday flights from New York to Indianapolis . Immediately, Google advised that the prices were “currently high,” and that the “least expensive flights for similar trips to Indianapolis usually cost between $175 - 315.” With that in mind, I can select “Track prices” at the top of the page to find a better deal later.

Alternatively, Google will sometimes predict whether it expects the price to increase, or if the price on display is the cheapest it’s going to get, so you know whether you should book your trip ASAP.

When you select your travel dates, you can sometimes view the price history to find out how much that specific itinerary cost travelers in the last few months. For the Newark to Barcelona trip, I was able to see that the flight cost $710 just 28 days ago, and $609 if booked 59 days ago. This can help you figure out if you truly are getting the best deal or if you should hold off on buying your ticket. Note that this feature is currently not available for all itineraries, but Google assures Travel + Leisure that they are working to make it cover as many flights as possible.

Fare Options

When you book your flights, you can now see the different fare options for select airlines. To find out how this worked, I again searched for holiday flights from JFK to Indianapolis and selected the 7:00 A.M. flight home with Delta Airlines. Google then showed me the fare I selected — the $339 Basic Economy seat — and compared it to Main Cabin, Delta Comfort+, and First Class seats in side-by-side columns. At a quick glance, I can see what amenities come with each ticket, and how much it would cost to upgrade from one option to the next. Looking at the different fares, for example, I found that with the exception of First Class, each passenger can bring a carry-on for free and check their first bag for $60. If I fly Basic Economy, I don’t get to select my seat and I’d be the last to board. For an extra $148, though, I can upgrade to Delta Comfort+ and choose where I want to sit and get priority boarding. All in all, this feature makes it easy to compare prices without worrying about hidden fees, so you know what you’re spending — and getting in return — before you book your ticket.

Google Flights Price Guarantee

Google is offering a special promotion for select flights booked between Aug. 13 and Sept. 2. If Google predicts that your trip is as cheap as it’s going to get, they will refund you the difference if prices do drop. Domestic and international flights must originate in the U.S. and travel dates must be between Aug. 13 and Nov. 24, 2019.

Check out Google’s blog for more information on their new Google Maps , hotel , and travel planning features.

Related Articles

How to Google Your Way to a Greener Trip

A handful of new tools from the search giant is making it easier than ever to make sustainable choices while traveling..

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One of Google’s new sustainable search tools allows cyclists to more easily find bikes and follow routes on their phones.

Photo by William Perugini/Shutterstock

In a world filled with greenwashing, it’s not easy to make ecofriendly decisions while traveling. But Google wants to change all that by harnessing its formidable data aggregation powers to make sustainable travel—well, more Googleable.

On October 6, the search giant announced a series of new features across its various travel tools that will empower users to make more ecofriendly trip decisions, ranging from the flights they take and the hotels they stay in to their ground transportation. The company says the effort is a response to the evolving priorities of travelers, who are more conscious than ever that tourism accounts for up to 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A Booking.com survey from last summer showed that 83 percent of travelers believe sustainable travel is vital, while 61 percent said the pandemic motivated them to travel more sustainably. Meanwhile, the total number of Google searches for “eco hotel” has doubled over the past decade, according to James Byers, Google’s product management lead for consumer flights and for travel sustainability.

“As travel returns from the dip we saw during the pandemic, we’re seeing more considerate travelers who are thinking more carefully about where they go and the footprint of their own travel,” Byers says.

These initiatives also align with a companywide sustainability effort at Google led by CEO Sundar Pichai. In 2020, Google became the first major company to commit to operating solely on carbon-free energy by 2030, and the company is already at 67 percent of its goal across all of its data centers.

In the realm of travel and sustainability, a team of engineers, designers, and researchers at Google led by Byers is now dedicated specifically to developing travel features that put the power of ecofriendly decisions into the hands of the user. Read on about how you can use these tools to make more responsible travel decisions on your next trip.

On Google Flights, travelers can now organize flights by price, duration—and carbon emissions.

Courtesy of Google

Lower your carbon emissions while flying

Carbon emissions data first appeared on the Google Flights search engine in 2020 in a handful of European markets—buried under the “details” section of a flight—and it rolled out to destinations globally last summer. But beginning October 6, flight search results on Google Travel now include carbon emissions estimates in a prominent place next to other key factors like price and duration on both mobile and desktop. Travelers can even review seat-specific estimates, which appear on color-coded maps that show emissions differences between seat classes (a first-class seat has significantly higher emissions than a coach seat, primarily because it takes up several times more space).

The emissions estimates were created with the help of sources like the European Environment Agency and real-time data from airlines, along with information on aircraft type and age, trip distance, and number of seats in each class. Flights can now be sorted by their carbon emissions, and most come with a percentage number that measures how much higher or lower their emissions rate is on average for that particular route. Flight options with lower than average carbon emissions are flagged with a green badge.

On a recent search between Seattle and New York City sorted by emissions, the top result showed 20 percent lower emissions on average for that route, or 395 kg, while a similar nonstop flight for the same price showed 20 percent more emissions on average, or 589 kg. In Europe, where train travel is common, a search between London and Paris pulled up train routes alongside flights—a feature Google Flights has offered since 2015. It showed that taking the high-speed Eurostar train would result in 72 percent lower emissions on average than a flight and would only take an hour longer—roughly the same travel time when factoring in the airline check-in process.

Even in early A/B testing, travelers began to choose more sustainable flights as a result of displaying carbon emissions more prominently, which according to Byers was the overall goal of the update. And, it turns out, the more sustainable choice rarely increases the cost of a trip. “There’s very often a more sustainable option among the lower-cost flights for a given destination,” said Byers, citing a study last summer that revealed itineraries with lower emissions for the most part do not increase consumer costs. “It means that you don’t necessarily have to make a trade where you’re paying more.”

Google’s long-term goal is to share its emissions estimates as broadly as possible. In September, the search titan joined Travalyst , Prince Harry’s coalition focused on sustainability in travel, and is helping the nonprofit group to standardize air travel emissions calculations as an open model that can be used by anyone, including coalition partners like Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Visa, and Booking.com.

Drive—or cycle—more sustainably

According to the International Energy Agency , 75 percent of transportation emissions come from road vehicles, and Google Maps has created ways for road-trippers to make more environmentally friendly routing decisions. The navigation tool launched a new feature within the United States, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab , that now defaults to the fastest route with the lowest carbon emissions, with plans to launch in Europe in 2022.

The new routes, which by Google’s estimates could save more than a million tons of carbon emissions per year, consider factors like congestion, road incline, and traffic projections powered by AI. When a more fuel-efficient route is notably longer than the fastest one, Google Maps will let users choose whether they want to prioritize trip length or emissions.

Google Maps is tackling other modes of ground transport , too. The company has seen a 98 percent spike in use of bicycling directions over the past year globally, and it partnered with scooter and bike sharing companies such as Bird and Tier to expand ride-sharing data in more than 300 cities globally from New York City to Taipei. Information in the Google Maps app now includes more locations of pickup stations and real-time data on both vehicle availability and parking spots.

A new, in-app “lite navigation” tool—currently available to Android users, and rolling out to iOS users in the coming months—will help riders minimize looking at their phone by displaying key details of their route on their home screen, including route progress and elevation changes, without having to reactivate their screen or enter into turn-by-turn navigation.

And in the not-too-distant future, Google also hopes to decrease the pain—and environmental footprint—of poorly timed traffic lights, which can lead to idling cars that result in wasted fuel and more air pollution. In partnership with several municipalities and the National Roads Company of Israel, an internal team is testing ways that Google’s AI technology can make traffic lights more efficient in four locations in Israel; so far, it has seen an up to 20 percent reduction in both fuel use and intersection delays.

Hotels with certified green practices will now show up with a green leaf symbol in Google search results.

Find a truly sustainable hotel

As of September, users can more easily identify sustainable hotels on Google’s hotel search tool. Properties with certified sustainable practices now have an “Eco-Certified” label with a leaf icon next to their name, and users who want more specifics on ecofriendly practices, like waste reduction and energy efficiency, can find information in the “About” tab. The certifications, which hotels need to update themselves, come from 29 independent, third-party organizations, including EarthCheck , Green Key , LEED , and Green Globe —all endorsed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council .

“We’ve picked certifications that require onsite audits, where someone is actually going and looking at the property in question,” Byers explains.

A recent search for hotels in San Francisco using the “under $150” filter pulled up the Hilton San Francisco Financial District for $139, and clicking on the green leaf icon led to a page that disclosed the hotel’s soap donation program, food waste reduction program, and onsite electric vehicle charging stations among other ecoconscious features.

Soon, users will be able to sort the hotels by ecofriendly attributes, in direct response to consumer priorities, according to Byers.

“We’re excited to provide a signal back to the airline industry, to our nonprofit partners including Travalyst, and to aircraft manufacturers that [sustainability] matters to our travelers,” he said.

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Google Maps Gets New Features Just in Time for Holiday Travel

Updated transit directions, group lists, and emoji reactions

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Headed over the river and through the woods for the holidays? Eh, even if you're not, these travel-related updates could be helpful.

Google Maps can't help you make your connection if your flight is delayed, but maybe getting around where you land could be a little easier.

On Google's Keyword Blog, the company posted today about a new set of features coming to Google Maps . They include new transit-related features, a way to make planning and getting around with groups easier, and just for fun, some new emoji reactions.

Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

If you're headed for a city this holiday season, the new Transit Route Recommendations could be the feature you didn't know you needed. With this update, Google Maps is making it easier to find station entrances and exits, but it's also updating transit routes with information like ETA (estimated time of arrival), the number of transfers along the route, and the total length of the trip. There are also some new filters that let you choose options like routes that require less walking to your final destination.

Transit Route Recommendations is available in over 80 cities globally, including Berlin, Boston, London, Madrid, New York City, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

Another new feature is the ability to collaborate on routes with groups of friends (or family, if that's how you roll). The update is actually to the list feature of Google Maps, and it lets you collaborate with your group by adding places to the list that the group can then vote on using emoji reactions.

And speaking of emoji reactions, Google Maps is getting some new emoji features, thanks to Emoji Kitchen. You'll be able to react to photos in Google Maps and even create emoji mashups that more closely mirror the reaction you want to have.

The new transit features and group lists will be available "in the coming weeks" (so maybe not in time for that trip to Grandma's house over Thanksgiving), but the emoji capabilities are rolling out today.

In addition to these features, Google also dropped a second post with information about Map trends for the holidays that could help you figure out the best time to do your traveling or run errands around town.

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Popular destinations

clock This article was published more than  4 years ago

Google just debuted impressive new travel features. Here’s how they can make you a smarter planner.

The people who brought you the world’s biggest search engine are also working to make your travel planning more efficient. On Wednesday, Google rolled out new travel features that can help you find the best timing for your trips, determine where you should stay and figure out how much it’s really going to cost.

The features are some of many tweaks Google has been making to its travel services for years. In 2011, Google purchased travel-industry software and launched Google Flights. It created the app Google Trips in 2016 but closed the service in August 2019, opting instead to merge travel services with its other products (such as Google Maps) under the Google Travel umbrella .

The new tweaks are even better for avid Google users who already rely on Gmail or Google Maps, because the advice that the site provides improves as the system learns about your search history and preferences. Google now shows users information about upcoming trips (with a focus on things to do when you get there), potential trips (based on flights you’ve been searching), popular destinations in general and your past trips.

“I’d be hard-pressed to point to any [travel] aspect of Google that I wish they did better,” says Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, who has been using the tech giant’s travel services since launching his company in 2015. “Google continues to be the gold standard in any arena that they enter in — flights, hotels, travel included.”

These were the 10 most-Googled travel destinations of 2019

These are the additions, and how they can help you get organized.

Plan the best trip time

You know you want to go to Rome , but you’re not sure when to go to Rome. Google now has a feature for people with flexible dates who want to time their vacation just right. The site now features tabs such as “When to visit” (under Explore) and “What you’ll pay” (under Hotels) to consult. Fill in your desired dates and see the weather forecast, what crowds will be like and how prices vary. The site shows whether prices seem high or typical.

You may be flying to your destination. Keyes thinks that one of the site’s best features is its powerful flight search engine that depicts options from up to seven origins and seven destinations. The tool is great for people who live in between major airports and want to compare different routes. Instead of doing repeat searches, or searching among a sea of tabs, users input their preferences upfront and receive all the information in one place.

“It’ll tell you instantly what is the cheapest fare on any of those 49 routes,” Keyes says. “Not only is it really powerful being able to scroll through a ton of different information at once, but it does so really, really quickly.”

Stay in the right neighborhood, for you

Where you stay can be a game-changer for your experience. Google’s new features treat choosing a hotel in the right location thoughtfully, showing users summaries of a city’s most appealing neighborhoods, including what the area is known for and the average cost of its hotels. Select a location, and Google will narrow down your options to a highlighted neighborhood.

Google will also show you hotels similar to places you’ve stayed before. If you loved a boutique hotel in San Francisco, Google will remember that and show you something similar. It’ll also keep in mind your search history in a given destination.

“For example, if you’ve been researching Tokyo Tower, we’ll highlight how far it is from hotels nearby,” Google explains .

Keyes appreciates the holistic nature of Google integrating all of your profiles to provide new information for travelers.

“They do such a good job of integrating so many different aspects of the things that you’re looking for in travel,” he says. Say you’ve "been poring through Google Maps and see some place and save it. And then next time I want to go to Hawaii, I’ll look and say, ‘Oh, there are these six places that I wanted to go to all around Waimea. So, I should maybe be looking at getting a hotel around there.’”

A local’s guide to Honolulu

People who think the personalized results are too invasive: They can be disabled in account settings.

Know the real cost

One of the most frustrating parts of booking hotels online is seeing one price at the beginning of your research, and ending up with a higher one by the end. Google wants to combat that issue by giving users the opportunity to see the total cost of their whole stay, including taxes and fees, so there are no surprises.

The battle against resort fees is on. Who will win the war, hotels or guests?

You can now toggle between seeing the hotel’s nightly price without the taxes and fees, the nightly total that includes all of the costs, and the stay total that will tally up everything.

Stay one step ahead with trending destinations

As a bonus, Google’s debut of its new travel features also predicted trending destinations for 2020, based on the company’s search data from December 2019. Apparently, travelers are most interested in visiting Danang, Vietnam; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Seoul ; Tokyo; Tel Aviv ; Marseille, France ; Vienna ; Bangkok ; Dubai ; and Perth, Australia.

Follow By The Way on Instagram for city highlights, travel tips and more

JetBlue plans to go completely carbon neutral on all U.S. flights

Map out your visits to national parks around their free-entry days

5 New Google Features for Tourists & Business Owners

Behold the rise of the revenge traveler !

After being cooped up inside our houses for two years because of the pandemic and not being able to travel anywhere aside from trips to the supermarket, travel restrictions have finally become more lenient over the past few months. Traveling in and out of the country are now possible as other destinations open up to tourists, too, paving the way for the so-called “revenge travelers”.

Revenge travelers are those who travel now and travel hard to make up for those lost times when they were itching to explore but couldn’t.

However, traveling is not the same as it was before. Well, not exactly. There are more things to consider such as travel requirements and protocols, many of which vary from country to country and from city to city. Planning takes more time because you would have to research a lot more information to ensure that your travel experience will be as smooth as possible.

Data from Google shows how much the needs of the travelers have changed and has become more complex. People now spend more time researching, planning, and looking for more options. The increase in insurance-related searches in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia also shows how travelers now make sure that they will be covered if anything happens, which also helps give them peace of mind while on vacation.

Since planning vacations is now more complicated, we’ll share with you some things that will help you in planning your trip. We already know about how essential Google Maps , Google Street View , and Google Translate have been for travelers! But in this post, we’ll discuss new Google features that you can use when you’re planning a vacation.

WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?

Google Travel Now with COVID Info

This Google feature can help you find your best option for flights, give you a lot of hotel options, and show you the things you can do at a destination. It also includes travel guidelines and restrictions in each place you look up.

On Google Flights , you can search for a flight to a certain destination and you’ll be shown various options from different airlines. Here, you can filter your search according to stops, airlines, prices, times, and more. If you want to look for the cheapest flight available, you can also view a date grid or a price graph where you can see the prices for the weeks or months around your desired date of travel.

If you’re decided on a date for your travel but you don’t want to book just yet, you can track prices for a specific date and receive email updates when the prices change. If your travel dates are flexible but you’re on a budget, it also allows you to track any dates and get email updates when the prices for the flights you’re looking for are low.

Google Hotel will show you available hotels in a destination and show you the prices from different booking websites. Once you’ve picked a hotel and a booking website, you will be redirected there and you can start the booking process.

These are not new features. But what’s fresh is that both the Flight and Hotel sections now provide information related to COVID-19, allowing travelers the option to look for more flexible booking options.

Google Travel Help

The Google Travel Help page will help you find the travel policies, restrictions, and requirements related to COVID-19. It has a section where you can find travel advisory information from different countries.

Explore Tab

Google Travel’s Explore tab will help travelers look up more destinations and see more details about each destination easily. When you look up a place you want to visit, it will show you the things to do, flights, and hotels in one page. For some destinations, it will also show when the peak season and off season is, which could help you decide when you should visit.

The Things to Do section would allow you to look up places you can visit in a destination. Here, you can read information from the place’s wikipedia page as well as reviews that people posted on Google.

If you don’t have a specific destination in mind yet, you can also choose to explore destinations nearby. It will show you places near your location that you can go to.

Travel Insights with Google

Aside from tools for travelers, Google also has a feature that aims to help tourism industry partners know travel insights so they could plan for the future. In Travel Insights with Google , businesses in the travel industry can access information including destination insights and hotel insights with data from Google’s Analytics.

Hotel Center

Another feature that would be useful for businesses in the travel industry, even the smaller ones is the Hotel Center . This could help hotels and travel companies include free booking links in their profiles. These links will show up along with hotel ads when travelers look up hotels on Google.

Business owners can also view the performance of their free booking links.

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Google introduces three new travel features in ‘Search’

Google has introduced three new features in Search to make it easier for users to browse hotels, book flights and plan vacations.

The tech giant introduced a new way for users to browse and discover hotels on mobile.

According to the company, if you search for some hotel and tap to view more, they will find a new option to explore each property in a swipeable story format.

From here, they can tap through photos of the hotel and get a better idea of it, plus they can also save the hotel, pull up more details about the area or view a summary of what people find notable about the property.

Moreover, Google also introduced a new pilot programme for “price guarantees” for users in the US to save money on their next flight.

Now, if users see a flight with the price guarantee badge on Google, the company said that the price they see today will not get any lower before take off.

“We’ll monitor the price every day until departure, and if it does go down, we’ll send you back the difference via Google Pay,” Google said in a blog post.

“Now you can book with the confidence that you’re not missing out on a great deal. During this pilot programme, price guarantees are only available for ‘Book on Google’ itineraries that depart from the US,” it added.

In addition, the company is making it easier to find things to do on vacation.

Now, users can look for an attraction or tour company on Search or Maps, and they will find prices directly on their listing, plus a link to book their ticket.

For famous places to visit, they will also find suggestions for related experiences, like a city-wide tour that includes multiple stops, the company said.

Source: IANS

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What are your favorite new features in ios 18 [poll].

We are into the second developer beta of iOS 18, which means all of the new features (at least currently available) have been put through their paces for a few weeks. So we’re curious, what are your favorite new capabilities and features of iOS 18?

Apple Intelligence will be a major upgrade with iOS 18 on iPhone 15 Pro/Max devices and newer come this fall. But it’s not available to test in the developer beta so far.

• What is Apple Intelligence? Here’s how iOS 18’s AI features will change the way you use your iPhone, Mac, and iPad

But there are lots of new features and changes outside of the upcoming all-new AI.

Those include new Lock and Home Screen customization , revamped Control Center , locking and hiding apps, Messages upgrades , a dedicated Passwords app , overhauled Flashlight , Game Mode, live audio transcription, an Eye Tracking accessibilty feature, an overhauled Photos app, iPhone Mirroring on Mac , and much more.

Top comment by Shane

The one thing I noticed that no one is talking about is when I read my iCloud email on a separate device (such as my Mac), my iPhone's lock screen notifications are no longer showing that email notification. It only took them 17 years to figure that out.

It’s still early, but going on three weeks, you’ve probably got some thoughts on what’s been most useful, helpful, or meaningful with the new iOS 18 features and changes.

So we want to hear your opinion. Choose as many of the features as you’d like in the poll below and share more specifics or name a feature that’s not included in the comments!

Read more on iOS 18:

• How to change iPhone app colors and theme in iOS 18
• iOS 18: How to change Lock Screen controls on iPhone
• iOS 18 finally lets you hide app and widget names on your Home Screen, here’s how
• Here’s how the upgraded iPhone flashlight works in iOS 18
• Here’s a look at the revamped Settings app in iOS 18
• Here’s the new Passwords app in iOS 18
• Here’s how to turn on iPhone Eye Tracking in iOS 18

Top image by Jeff Benjamin

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.

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Plan your summer travel, with help from Google

May 02, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

Summer is fast approaching in most parts of the world, and there’s a familiar travel planning buzz in the air. Whether you have a destination in mind or are just dreaming about an escape, Google has tools to help you get inspired and research your options so you can book with ease when the time is right. Read on for new features that’ll make travel planning a joy, this summer and beyond.

Track flight prices for any dates

On Google Flights , you can track prices for specific dates between two cities. Just search for your destination, toggle to opt-in, and we’ll email you if prices drop substantially for those dates. But maybe there’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to go and you just want the best deal possible (dream trip to Rome, anyone?). Beginning today, you can start tracking prices to find deals for any dates, and you’ll get an email if we detect lower than typical fares in the next 3-6 months. As they say, good things come to those who wait!

Browse destinations within driving distance

Not sure where to visit? The Explore tool lets you browse locations around the world with filters for things like budget or trip length. In the default view, Explore will show flight prices, but now you’ll also see a pink dot and a bubble that reads ‘Explore nearby’. Tap this feature to narrow your search to places you can drive to in a few hours, and select any destination to see helpful information including average hotel prices or what kind of weather to expect. If you do decide to take that road trip, there are plenty of ways Google Maps can help .

Find the perfect place to stay

Once you know where you’re going, it’s time to decide where you’ll stay. You can search for hotels on Google or head straight to google.com/travel. Heading to a new city? It can be overwhelming to choose what neighborhood to stay in, but with new interest layers on the map, you can quickly see which areas have the most options for dining, shopping or sightseeing. For more popular destinations, you can also tap ‘Where to stay’ under the search filters, for a handy neighborhood guide.

For some trips, you may want easy access to a certain landmark or address. Beginning today, you can enter that location in the hotel or vacation rental search bar and you’ll see a toggle to show properties within a 15 or 30 minute trip by foot or car. This might be helpful if you’re going to an event, like a wedding or a conference, and want to stay near the venue.

Stay organized along the way

For the vacation dreamers and planners, we’ve introduced a new way to keep track of properties that pique your interest so you can pick up your travel planning right where you left off. Just tap the bookmark icon on any hotel or vacation rental, and it’ll be saved for easy reference. To see your saved properties, look for the Saved tab on mobile or the right hand panel on desktop.

Here’s to safe and happy travels!

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5 Google Maps Tips You Need To Know When Planning Your Next Trip

W hether a brief weekend escape or an extensive expedition across continents, planning a trip can be a daunting task. The challenge of selecting the ideal destinations, navigating through unfamiliar territories, and ensuring that you experience all the essential sights without overlooking anything, can quickly become overwhelming for any traveler. This is where online maps come into play, and one prominent tool that almost everyone has used at some point is Google Maps.

Google Maps goes beyond basic directions . It offers a suite of features designed to make trip planning not just easier, but also more enjoyable. You can map out itineraries, discover new attractions, get insights into local restaurants and services, and even find electric vehicle charging stations . The platform's real-time updates, user reviews, and detailed information on points of interest can help you make informed decisions while exploring new destinations. Moreover, its customization features allow you to create personalized maps that cater specifically to your travel plans, which are also shareable. Here are five essential Google Maps tips that every traveler should know. These tips will not only help you streamline your trip-planning process but also ensure that your travels are as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

Utilizing Offline Maps

When you're heading out on a trip, one thing you definitely don't want to worry about is losing access to your maps when your signal drops. That's where offline maps come in handy. Google Maps allows you to download maps for offline use, ensuring you never get lost even when you're off the grid.

Downloading maps for offline use is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone or tablet. 
• Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner.
• Choose Offline maps.
• Tap Select your own map in the following window.
• Drag the map window to your desired area.
• Select Download.

Depending on the size of the area you're downloading and your internet connection speed, this process may take a few moments.

Once the download is complete, you'll be able to access the map even without an internet connection. Offline maps are not only convenient, but they can also save you time and frustration. Imagine hiking in a remote area and losing your cell signal — having the offline map ensures you can still navigate your way back to your starting point without any hassle. This is also one of the many secret Google Maps features that can come in handy.

Customizing Your Route With Multiple Stops

We all have days packed with errands or sightseeing, where we just wish we could plan the routes efficiently. Google Maps allows you to do that by customizing your route with multiple stops. It's a nifty feature that can save you time and make your trips more organized.

Follow these steps:

• Open Google Maps on your device and enter your final destination.
• Click on the three buttons next to your starting point and select Add stop. 
• You can add multiple stops by repeating this step. 
• Rearrange stops by dragging the three lines next to each destination.

Now, Google Maps will calculate the most efficient route for you, taking into account all your stops along the way. This is perfect for those days when you have several places to visit or errands to run, but you want to make sure you're not zigzagging all over town. It can also save you time and fuel. Plus, it's a great way to ensure you don't forget any important stops along the way. 

When customizing your route with multiple stops on Google Maps, keep in mind to arrange your stops in a logical order to minimize backtracking and optimize efficiency. Additionally, consider traffic conditions and estimated travel times between each stop to plan your schedule accordingly. Lastly, ensure that all stops are accurately inputted to avoid any confusion or missed destinations along the way.

Taking Advantage Of Live Traffic Updates

This feature provides real-time information about traffic conditions, allowing you to avoid packed routes and save valuable time.

As you navigate with Google Maps, the app constantly monitors traffic conditions along your route. If there is heavy traffic, accidents, or road closures ahead, Google Maps will highlight the problematic area on the map using yellow or red markers.

To enable live traffic updates, open the Google Maps app and enter your destination. Once your route is set, Google Maps will display real-time traffic information along the way, including any incidents or slowdowns. You can then choose to follow the suggested route or explore alternative options based on the traffic conditions. 

When using live traffic updates on Google Maps, keep in mind to regularly check for updates throughout your journey to stay informed about changing road conditions. You can also report problems on the road yourself on Google Maps . Lastly, be flexible with your travel plans and prepared to follow alternative routes suggested by Google Maps to avoid congestion and minimize travel time.

By taking advantage of live traffic updates, you can make informed decisions about your route and avoid getting stuck in gridlock. Whether you're commuting to work or heading out on a road trip, this feature can help you reach your destination more efficiently.

Exploring Nearby Attractions And Restaurants

When you're in a new area, or even just exploring your own neighborhood, Google Maps can be a great tool for discovering nearby attractions and restaurants. 

To start exploring:

• Open Google Maps and zoom in on the area of your interest. You should see several options below the search bar, including Restaurants, Gas, Coffee, Shopping, ATMs, and more. 
• Click on the option you want to explore. For instance, if you are looking for places to eat nearby, select Restaurants to see a list of dining options in the area. Each restaurant will be marked with its location on the map, along with details such as the establishment's name, its rating, and sometimes photos or reviews. 
• Refine your search further by applying filters for rating and distance. 
• After selecting a restaurant that catches your interest, click on it to view more detailed information, including its address, hours of operation, contact details, and directions on how to get there. 

Google Maps also allows you to call the restaurant directly from the app if you wish to make a reservation or inquire about menu items.

You can explore all these categories by swiping right on the options pane below the search bar. To view the full list, click on the More button (three dots) at the very end.

Create A Custom Map To Share With Friends And Family

You can also easily create a custom map and share it with whoever you want on Google Maps. It's a great way to collaborate on travel plans, recommend must-visit places, or simply share your favorite local hangouts.

• Open Google Maps on your computer and sign into your Google account. 
• Click on the menu icon and choose Saved > Maps > Open My Maps. 
• Start a new map by clicking the Create A New Map button. 
• Give your map a title and a description that encapsulates the essence of your adventure or theme. This could be anything from "Family Road Trip to Yellowstone" to "Best Coffee Shops in New York City." 
• Populate your map with markers. Click on the marker icon, then click on the location on the map you wish to mark. For each marker, you can add a detailed description, upload photos, and even include links for more information. 
• Additionally, Google My Maps allows you to draw paths and shapes, perfect for outlining routes or highlighting areas of interest. 
• Once your map is ready, click on the Share button. Here, you'll be prompted to set the map's privacy settings. You can choose to make it public, share it with specific people, or keep it private with a link.
• Finally, invite your friends via email or simply send them the link.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

Advertisement

Driverless cars are mostly safer than humans – but worse at turns

Driverless cars seem to have fewer accidents than human drivers under routine conditions, but higher crash risks when turning or in dim light – although researchers say more accident data is necessary

By Jeremy Hsu

18 June 2024

A self-driving car in downtown San Francisco

Jason Doiy Photography/Getty Images

One of the largest accident studies yet suggests self-driving cars may be safer than human drivers in routine circumstances – but it also shows the technology struggles more than humans during low-light conditions and when performing turns.

The findings come at a time when autonomous vehicles are already driving in several US cities. The GM-owned company Cruise is trying to restart driverless car testing after a pedestrian-dragging incident in March led California to suspend its operating permit. Meanwhile, Google spin-off Waymo has been gradually expanding robotaxi operations in Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.

“It is important to improve the safety of autonomous vehicles under dawn and dusk or turning conditions,” says Shengxuan Ding at the University of Central Florida. “Key strategies include enhancing weather and lighting sensors and effectively integrating sensor data.”

How this moment for AI will change society forever (and how it won't)

Ding and his colleague Mohamed Abdel-Aty , also at the University of Central Florida, pulled together data on 2100 accidents from California and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) involving vehicles equipped with some level of automated self-driving or driver assistance technologies. They also gathered data on more than 35,000 accidents involving unassisted human drivers.

Next, they used a statistical matching method to find pairs of accidents that occurred under similar circumstances, with shared factors such as road conditions, weather, time of day and whether the incident took place at an intersection or on a straight road. They focused this matching analysis on 548 self-driving car crashes reported in California – excluding less automated vehicles that only have driver assistance systems.

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The overall results suggest autonomous vehicles “generally demonstrate better safety in most scenarios”, says Abdel-Aty. But the analysis also found self-driving cars had a crash risk five times as great as human drivers when operating at dawn and dusk, along with almost double the accident rate of human drivers when making turns.

One research roadblock is the “autonomous vehicle accident database is still small and limited”, says Abdel-Aty. He and Ding described the need for “enhanced autonomous vehicle accident reporting” – a major caveat echoed by independent experts.

Watch a humanoid robot driving a car extremely slowly

A robot named Musashi with a human-like "skeleton" and "musculature" can perform basic driving tasks – but this isn’t the safest approach to autonomous transport

“I think it is an interesting but extremely preliminary step towards measuring autonomous vehicle safety,” says Missy Cummings at George Mason University in Virginia. She described the numbers of self-driving car crashes as being “so low that no sweeping conclusions can be made” about the safety performance of such technologies – and warned of biased reporting from self-driving car companies. During her time at NHTSA, says Cummings, video footage of incidents did not always match companies’ narratives, which tended to paint human drivers as the ones at fault. “When I saw actual videos, the story was very different,” she says.

Some crashes do not get reported to the police if they only involve minor fender benders, and so any comparisons of autonomous vehicle crashes versus human driver crashes need to account for that factor, says Eric Teoh at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Virginia. His 2017 study of Google’s early tests of self-driving cars found just three out of 10 specific crashes made it into police reports.

“Both California and NHTSA do not require comprehensive data reporting for autonomous vehicle testing and deployment,” says Junfeng Zhao at Arizona State University. “Autonomous vehicles – particularly robotaxis – often operate in particular areas and environments, making it difficult to generalise findings.”

Journal reference

Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48526-4

• artificial intelligence /
• driverless cars

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