Second Opinion #22: Google Trips Review

Ian and his mom Amy enjoy traveling together, but usually Amy relies on travel books to find attractions. On a recent trip to Chicago, Ian planned everything out using the Google Trips app; can it completely replace an expert travel guide?

Ian and his mom Amy enjoy traveling together, but usually Amy relies on travel books to find attractions. On a recent trip to Chicago, Ian planned everything out using the Google Trips app; can it completely replace an expert travel guide?


Overview

Google Trips – Travel Planner – Android Apps on Google Play
Google Trips – Travel planner on the App Store
App for trip planning
Integrates into the rest of the Googleverse

Location info sourced from Google Maps, Wikipedia
Reviews from Google Maps
Tickets, reservations, bookings that are emailed to your Gmail automatically appear
Anything you star in Google Trips appears in Google Maps

Sections in the app

Reservations

Either appear automatically, or you can add them manually
Can send details of reservations to others via email

Things to do

Does well at surfacing attractions you might not be able to find just by searching around on Google Maps
Listed by category – top spots, nearby, on a budget, etc
Each attraction has

Pictures
Average Google Maps rating
Paragraph summary (my “tour guide factoids”)
Map
Business hours
Phone number
Top reviews

Saved places

List of attractions you’ve starred
Appear in Google Maps

Day plans

User-created strings of attractions
Heavily depends on how popular a destination the area is
You can create your own
App can magically make one for you, with some preferences like morning/afternoon/full day or favoring saved places

Food & Drink

Overview is a custom summary of the area in question
Top Spots shows the highest-rated restaurants from Google Maps

Getting around

Gives info on public transit, taxi/riding services, drivability, and walking/biking

Need to know

Emergency numbers, hospital information
Popular shopping areas
Money – currency and tipping practices
Internet access

Works best if planning a visit to a larger metro area

In smaller areas, all “custom written” stuff is missing, only has Google Maps locations

Does not do well at telling you the prices of attractions

Attributions

Free Music Archive: Beat Doctor – Organic (electric edit)

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