The 6 Google AI and Lens Tricks I Rely on for Smooth, Hassle-Free Holiday Trips

Even though traveling is truly one of my favorite activities (and my favorite thing to spend money on), it can still be difficult to plan a dream trip. I have dozens and dozens of trips – domestic and international – under my belt and yet I still find the planning and booking process stressful.

Millions of Americans will travel during the 2025 holiday season. That means millions of people are gathering their passports, planning driving directions, creating itineraries, and preparing to travel over the next few weeks. If you are one of these people, you may need help planning your trip.

This is where AI can help. You can use many AI tools to plan your trips, from a general tool. chatbot like ChatGPT which can answer all your travel related questions to Booking.com’s AI Travel Planner which could be your AI powered travel agent. However, I generally use Google tools. Specifically, there are key features of Google AI and Google Lens that can help you with all your vacation travel preparations.

I have used these tools extensively during my many travels. Here’s my portfolio of must-have Google apps and services that help me book and plan my vacations.

For more travel tipssee the best time to buy plane tickets And how to find cheap flights. I also explain how I use Google Maps for stress-free travel.

Let AI create personalized travel itineraries

Google AI insights in search can make planning your next trip easier. This tool was originally announced in March 2024, and I’ve been using it for over a year now to generate personalized travel itineraries for the cities I visit. For example, I asked Google to plan a bookstore-focused tour of Edinburgh during my three-day stay in May.

Now the functionality is expanding. Google announced plans last week to expand the capabilities of AI insights in search so that you can now create daily directions for more than just cities, but for separate regions or entire countries. Just type a quick command like “create an itinerary for England with a focus on history” or “create an itinerary for New Zealand with a focus on nature.”

The AI ​​draws on data from a variety of sources, such as reviews, photos, and business profiles submitted to Google by people over time. From there you can export your route to Gmail, Docs or Maps.

It’s always important to remember not to take AI-generated answers at face value, as it makes mistakes and even makes things up. You should diligently verify the information with expert sources in case the AI ​​tool is mind-blowingextracting results from dubious sources or generating false information. If you need a case study, explore this article from CNET’s Katie Collins, who tested the accuracy of several AI tools regarding a city she knows inside and out.

Take inspiration from Gemini to travel

Planning a trip can be overwhelming, especially to a new city. When this happens, I turn to Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot. Since the Fall 2024 update to Google Maps, Gemini can suggest activities and dining options for your travels.

You can also ask it to find economic activities in a city or things to do in a country you are visiting when it rains. Gemini uses Google reviews to curate personalized suggestions and displays them as pins on the map. This feature makes planning easier, helps you discover personalized options, and reduces stress.

For comparison, I sometimes ask other chatbots, like ChatGPT and Claude, the same travel-related queries and get comparable answers. Did I mention that you need to make sure to verify what an AI chatbot is telling you?

Create an AI travel agent

You can also try Gemini’s Gems feature, which lets you customize Gemini to create your own personal AI expert. Gems are personalized versions of Gemini that help you perform repetitive tasks or gain information while researching. This means you can set up a Gem travel planner to help you choose a travel destination, find restaurants in a new city, or what to pack for a given vacation.

Google now offers Gems without a subscription. To use this feature, you need to be logged in to Gemini Apps, then you can create a custom gem through the “Gem Manager” on the desktop.

When I experimented with this feature, I created a “travel agent” gem and wrote instructions on the gem’s main goals and abilities, as well as the style and tone of response I expected from it.

I asked my gem to create a 10-day itinerary to travel the Caribbean islands with the following request: “I have always wanted to travel the Caribbean islands. Please create an itinerary (approximately 10 days long), visiting the main islands and biggest attractions.” My Gem responded by asking me what time of year I want to travel, my budget and my ideal travel pace. Based on my responses, travel agent Gem planned a 10-day trip to Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, and Barbados, blending my interests in beaches, nature, and history.

You can use Gem for free to design your ultimate dream vacation, without hiring an expensive travel agent. While these AI tools can be helpful, they cannot replace the advice and insight of a true expert.

Allow AI to curate screenshots of travel ideas

If you’re like me, your Photos app is full of thousands of images from social media, Pinterest, TikTok, and travel blogs. When planning a trip, I like to take photos of restaurants, museums, parks, and other attractions that I’m dying to visit. By the end, I have seemingly endless screenshots to go through.

In March, Google announced the rollout of a feature in the Maps app that helps identify locations in your screenshots and save them to a list, making it easier to organize your travel plans. The feature scans screenshots for text mentioning specific locations, displays those locations on the map, and lets you view, save, or share them.

This screenshot list feature is now available for iOS users in the US, and Android support is coming soon.

Find the cheapest hotels available

I have no problem booking flights – really. Regardless of the sticker price. But booking hotels? Phew, that’s a painful expense. Especially because accommodation is usually the biggest cost of any trip.

I use Google Flights every day to find the cheapest flights possible. (No, I literally check it daily and have set up email notifications for over 15 destinations when prices drop.) And now Google is bringing that magic to hotel booking.

On google.com/hotels, you will see a new option to track prices for your selected dates and destination. Just like on Google Flights, you can simply enable the price tracking option below the search filters and you will receive an email notification if prices drop significantly for hotels listed in your search results. You can even set filters, such as star rating or beach access, as well as the area you’re viewing on the map.

Choose an AI-powered tour guide

OK, this isn’t a new travel feature that Google is offering, but it’s still a good feature that can make traveling a lot easier. One of my biggest concerns when traveling to a foreign country is the language barrier. The idea of ​​getting lost in a foreign city and not being able to ask for help is my nightmare. Google’s Lens feature can allay these fears.

Lens makes it easy to learn more about the city you’re visiting, your surroundings and the local language. It can quickly and accurately translate road signs, maps and menus to help you navigate in a foreign language. Just point your camera, tap the translate filter, and watch the words translate on your screen.

Lens can decipher more than just text: it can also quickly identify objects or buildings. Say you see a crowd of people hovering around a statue or door. In this case, you can simply point your camera and ask something like “What are they for?” » and Lens will generate an AI overview with information and links to additional resources.

AI previews in Lens (and Circle to Search) are now available in over 200 countries and territories, and in over 40 languages.

For morecheck out our traveler preparation checklist and how improve your chances of not having your flight canceled or delayed.