Google has made it easier for you to travel this summer. The tech company revealed new features to make planning more fun without taking up too much time. Google wants to help users plan their upcoming summer vacation with tools that will assist during the planning stages. From Google Flights to the explore tool, which helps those vacationing find the perfect place to stay, Google’s latest focus will allow travelers to only worry about getting their paid time off approved.
After the pandemic, Google has discovered upcoming trends that travelers are looking forward to this summer. The company discovered that passport appointments grew by +300% during the first three months of 2022. Hopeful travelers are using Google Flights to search for summer vacations in Europe at a rapid rate. Five of the top 20 destinations are European cities, which include London, Paris, Rome, Athens, and Lisbon. New York, Los Angeles, and Miami are also included in the top 20.
Luxury hotels, guy’s trip destinations, bachelor party ideas, and singles cruises were all up in the search engine. Research has also shown that people want to get back to traveling outdoors. summer attractions in the US include Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as Lake Tahoe and the Grand Canyon. As the world continues to open back up, Google’s new tools help travelers in four different ways.
On Google Flights, you can track flight prices between two cities for certain dates Want a flight to Palm Beach for Memorial Day weekend? Now, you can also track flight prices for any date. If Google detects lower than typical fares anytime in the next 3-6 months, the company will notify you with an email. This is great for planning for far-off, dream destinations.
The Explore tool on google.com/travel lets you browse locations around the world with filters for things like budget or trip length, and travelers will also see an option to ‘Explore nearby’ and narrow your search to places you can easily drive to. Select any destination to see helpful information including average hotel prices or what kind of weather to expect–perfect for a weekend road trip getaway.
If you are looking for a hotel near a specific venue you can head to Google travel to easily find places to stay within walking or driving distance of a particular landmark or address. Just enter the address or landmark in the hotel search bar, and you’ll see a boundary on the map to indicate which hotels are nearby. This also works if you want to find a great neighborhood for dining, shopping, or sightseeing, you can toggle new interest layers on the map to see the hotspots.
For the vacation dreamers and planners, Google has 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. Tap the bookmark icon on any hotel, and it’ll be saved for easy reference.
