If traveling is your passion, your trip is Google’s hobby. To travel with Google, you neither have to be a tech geek, nor a world-class adventurer. Free and easy to use, Google’s services can help you plan, book, and navigate your way through any journey. Google can be your personal tour guide. Not only that, but your travel agent, historian, and your language teacher, all in one. Anything that doesn’t fit into Google’s repertoire is probably not worth doing or knowing. But hey, maybe that’s just me.
Another thing about traveling with Google, that fits my fancy, is that it’s green. Carbon-neutral since 2007, Google’s offset program balances out the company’s energy use with renewable energy investments and carbon reduction projects. So, not only is Google your travel buddy, but it’s also an eco-friendly one.
Some tough guys like to do things the old-fashioned way. Like, with a paper map. If that’s you, don’t worry–you can still use Google to plan your trip. For example, statistical information from Google can help you choose your destination. But for those of us who embrace the future of travel/tech, here are the 9 reasons to travel with Google:
Google Maps
Google Maps is the most popular mapping service in the world. It’s also the most accurate. It can tell you how to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. Carrying as much as 21 petabytes of data, Google Maps is the most comprehensive mapping service. But hey, don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. As a bonus, you can use Google Maps to find out what’s around you. In fact, the percentage of people who use Google Maps outnumber those who get lost. In serious need of a bathroom? Google Maps can help you find one. On a serious note, Google Maps can help you find the nearest airport, hospital, train, or bus station.
67% of smartphone users frequently use Google Maps to find their way around. Weak signal? No problem. Google Maps can work offline. Any finger-pointing is optional.
Google Translate
Google translate is a savior first, then a translator. For any kind of traveler; business, leisure, or otherwise, Google Translate is a must-have. It can translate 109+ different languages in form of text, handwriting, speech, and even images. Online and offline. Traveling with Google translate is like traveling with a personal translator. And there are additional features that make it even more useful. For example, you can use Google Translate to translate a menu. You can also use it to translate a sign. And you can use it for free. Google is so free, it’s almost like it’s not even there. Oh, in case you were missing a human translator, Google’s one can speak too. Yes, I’m talking about Google translate. It can give voice output too:
Apparently, as 92% of Google Translate users are outside of the US, it’s not just Americans who are using it. Now, Americans may argue that they don’t need Google Translate because they speak English. But that’s not true. Like, only about 1/3 of the world speaks English. So, if you’re traveling to a country where you don’t speak the language, you should definitely use Google Translate.
Google Flights
Google Flights is a flight search engine, a great way to find the best deals on flights. You know, Google is my best travel buddy. His flight search engines price graph is one of the biggest reasons why! The price graph shows you the cheapest days to fly. And even more importantly, it also shows you the most expensive days to fly. I mean, you understand that burgers are cheaper at McDonald’s than at a fancy restaurant, right? Well, the same is true for flights. While sometimes cheaper is unworthy or vice versa, Google Flights can help you find the best deals. If you have to trust someone as a search engine for your travel flights, Google is a very simple choice.
Google considers 200+ ranking factors to find the best flight for you, and you won’t get stuck in the “searching” part. Sometimes, we keep on searching for the flight, and the flight misses us out. If Google didn’t find the best flight for you, it will tell you that.
Google Travel
If you haven’t traveled for long, FYI, “Google Trips” is now called Google Travel. It’s a comprehensive way to plan your trip. The platform can help you find things to do, places to eat, and places to stay. It can also help you find the best deals on flights and hotels. Yes, the google flights we mentioned earlier is a sub-group of google travel. Traveling as a group? Google Travel can help you plan your trip together. And for those who are traveling solo, Google Travel can help you find other travelers to meet up with. How? Well, Google Travel can help you find other travelers who are going to the same place as you.
Gmail, Google’s email service, plays a fairly big role in Google Travel. As they have a large number of users, they can easily find what places, hotels, and flights interest you.
Google Photos
Google Photos is another way to travel better with google. In general, it is a way to store, backup and share your photos. And for travel, it’s a great way to share your photos with your friends and family. What’s the point of traveling if you can’t share your photos with your friends and family? More than half of your trip is about sharing your photos with your loved ones. Google Photos is a great way to do that. It’s free, and it’s unlimited for Pixel users. And it’s almost unlimited for everyone else, as long as you don’t mind compressing your photos. Some travels are about taking photos, and some are about sharing them. Google Photos is a great way to do both.
Google Keep
You can keep track of your travel plans with Google keep. One way to use it is to create a packing list. You can add items to your list, and then check them off as you pack them. This can help you avoid packing too much–or forgetting something important. People mostly wear only 50% of the clothes they pack when they travel. So, a packing list can help you pare down and travel light. And google keep is not only about packing–you can use it to jot down ideas for things to do or create a list of restaurants you want to try. Forever-useful, and it’s all in one place on your phone. If you are comfortable with Google’s privacy policies, of course.
Google Weather
Before you pack your bags, it’s a good idea to check the weather at your destination. That way, you’ll know what to expect and can pack accordingly. Google can help you with that. Just type in the name of the city or country you’re going to, and you’ll get a 5-day forecast. Google will also show you a map of the area, so you can see what the weather is like in other nearby cities. But remember, weather forecasts are not always accurate. Yes, not even Google can predict the weather with 100% accuracy. Travelers should always be prepared for the possibility of bad weather, no matter what the forecast says.
Google Voice Assistant
Whenever I travel solo, I use Google’s Voice Assistant for entertainment, guidance, and company. It’s like having a personal tour guide and comedian in your pocket. And TBH, it’s mostly entertainment, like 3/4th of it. Sometimes it does assist with information. For example, when in Paris, I asked my Google Voice Assistant to show me where the Eiffel Tower was. It showed me not only where it was on a map, but also gave me interesting facts about the tower. But mostly, playing games like “Would You Rather” and “I Spy” make car rides, long walks, and waiting in line a lot more bearable. And if I’m not in the mood of playing games, I’ll ask it to flip a coin. On my last long trip to Europe, I used my Google Voice Assistant to flip a coin about 500 times to make all my decisions.
Google Lens
For a traveler, especially a solo traveler, Google Lens is a game-changer. Just point your camera at something–a building, a sign, a menu–and Google will tell you what it is. No more guessing or feeling embarrassed when you can’t figure out what that thing is. In fact, most of the time, you don’t even need to point your camera. Just hold up your phone and Google will do the work for you. Google lens recognizes the price of things, so you can haggle with confidence. Most tourists overpay by 20-30% in everything. That’s a lot of money, considering that most people travel on a budget.
You may be thinking, “I don’t need Google to tell me what things cost. I can do that myself.” But can you, really? Still, with Google lens, there’s no need to do any math in your head. Just hold up your phone and get an instant answer.
Google play store
I’m trying to be as objective as possible, but I have to say, Google Play Store is the best app store out there. It’s easy to use, and it has everything you need. If you’re traveling, you’ll need a lot of apps. You’ll need a translator, a currency converter, a map, a weather app, a travel guide, and a lot more. And to use those apps, of course, you’ll need to install them. That’s where Google Play Store always comes in. It’s the best and the most secure place to find and install apps.
Bottom Line
Traveling is not all about google, but as you can see, it is a great tool to travel with. But remember, don’t get too lost in your phone and google during the trip. You should also enjoy the moment and the place you are in. Like, try and really be there! Many people use google as a way to escape their current reality. But if you use it as a way to enhance your experience and to document and share your experiences, then you are really living. Travel indeed is all about the experiences you have and the people you meet; it’s living in the moment.
