Here’s how you can enjoy your next vacation sans the first world hassle of planning. Meet Google Trips, the only tour guide you will ever need. With a multitude of ingenious travel features for the modern tourist, this new app by Google essentially transforms your smartphone into a comprehensive trip planner and travel agent all in one.
Firstly, organising your travel information just got a whole lot simpler. Google Trips can seamlessly import and consolidate your itinerary, travel dates, airline reservations and hotel deets into the app via your Gmail account. Now you can access all your information with a single swipe on the app.
We all know how important having internet connection is in a foreign land – your smartphone is as useful as a rock without WiFi or data. Ditch the expensive international data plans (or having to scramble to the nearest Starbucks in hopes of leeching off free WiFi), Google Trips actually works offline. You can now download your itinerary, walking directions and maps before embarking on your adventures, ensuring that everything you need is right at your fingertips.
Being the foodies that we are with regrettably only one stomach and limitless dining options, deciding on a place to eat can be a first world problem sometimes, especially in cities like Japan and Hong Kong. The “food and drink” tab on Google Trips narrows down your food-hunting quest, dishing out recommendations at specific locations. From aesthetically pleasing cafes to Michelin-starred restaurants, engaging in our favourite activity has never been easier.
Do you even need to plan an itinerary? This next feature is for the ones who absolutely hate planning – the “Things to Do” function curates personalised itineraries based on how long you’ll be in the city and proposes popular attractions to visit. Navigating the city without prior research is more than possible, with detailed information on the public transport system under the “Getting Around” tab.
Here’s the icing on top of the cake – this travel app is absolutely free of charge, all you need is a smartphone and a Gmail account. Don’t work hard on your well-earned holiday, let Google Trips do the job.
(Google Trips is available for download on Android and iOS)
