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National Geographic Trip Planner Deluxe Special Edition

Purchase options and add-ons, customers also viewed these products.

Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Yes
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12 x 12 x 3 inches; 1.8 Pounds
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 378201
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2003
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Riverdeep
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000028F0N

Product Description

National Geographic turns an everyday road trip into an adventurous expedition. Whether you're taking a short trip or a long journey, this essential tool helps you easily plan your trip and pack it with interest. National Geographic Trip Planner Deluxe contains all of the practical tools you need to prepare for your trip. Plan and map your trip on more than a million miles of roads, using mapping and routing technology from NavTech, the makers of MapQuest, and the GeoSystems digital map database. Once you select your destination and route, National Geographic Trip Planner Deluxe offers a unique perspective on activities, scenic drives, and points of interest, based on exclusive National Geographic travel resources.

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You'll never travel without our trip planner again

Travel planning at its best. build, organize, and map your custom itineraries in a free travel app designed for vacations & road trips, powered by our trip planner ai.

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Geoplaner V3.2 - [ in English | auf deutsch ]

Link Creator −> Geoplaner URL + waypoints (latitude, longitude, name (optionally))

1)  With the help of the Geoplaner, add and edit the waypoints which should be included into the link.

2)  Should the waypoint title/names also be included (increases the link length)?   yes

3)  Click here −>

4)  Copy the link with " Ctrl+C " and paste it with " Ctrl+V " to the destination.

Geoplaner - Info / Help

The Geoplaner ( Geo Converter + Route plan [n] er ) provides several GIS and GPS utilities in a single web-based application:

• Coordinate Finder - find locations worldwide with OpenStreetMap and Nominatim
• Altitude / Elevations   - retrieve SRTM elevations of any location
• UTM to Latitude / Longitude Converter - and vice versa
• Latitude / Longitude Converter - convert between three notations
• Geocoding - address to Latitude / Longitude converter
• Reverse Geocoding - Latitude / Longitude to address converter
• GPS Waypoint & Route Planner - create GPS waypoints and routes
• Import / Export GPS - Data - upload and download *.gpx-Files

Coordinate Finder

Operating OpenStreetMap by mouse click: Change the map type between   OpenStreetMap , OpenTopoMap , HikeBike , CyclOSM or WorldImagery ; move the visible map section and zoom in and out the map. Furthermore there are buttons for browsing through the waypoint list, removing single or all waypoints and editing GPS waypoint titles/names.

Coordinates or GPS waypoints can be created by:

• mouse click: Create a new waypoint by clicking with the left mouse button on the desired position on map. Select an existing waypoint by clicking on it, or move the waypoint. Remove a waypoint by pressing the "remove..."-button .
• coordinate input: Manually input of coordinates in UTM format: hemisphere, UTM zone, easting, northing; or Latitude and Longitude with three possible notations: decimal degrees: dd.ddddd° degrees, decimal minutes: dd° mm.mmm' degrees, minutes, seconds: dd° mm' ss.s''
• address search (Geocoding): Search for postal addresses: country, city, street no. or   POI: hilltop, lake, town, island. Check the correctness of the location by reverse geocoding by pressing the "-->" - button .
• gpx-file import: Import coordinates as list of waypoints or GPS route by selecting a *.gpx file on your PC and uploading it. Press "upload WPTs"-button for importing GPS waypoints and "upload Route"-button for importing a GPS route.

Elevation: The Geoplaner automatically retrieves and includes the altitude or sea depth when creating a new waypoint. The elevations are delivered by Google's elevation service. The new Google-free elevation service is coming soon...

UTM - Latitude / Longitude Converter (WGS84)

The Geoplaner converts UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) and Latitude & Longitude coordinates. The coordinate converter is based on JScoord V1.1.1. The datum or reference ellipsoid is WGS 84 (World Geodetic System 1984). The input of UTM coordinates includes:

• hemisphere (northern or southern),
• UTM zone (zone number),
• easting (x direction) and
• northing (y direction).

Geographical coordinates: Longitude and Latitude can be entered in three different notations:

• decimal degrees: dd.ddddd°
• degrees, decimal minutes: dd° mm.mmm'
• degrees, minutes, seconds: dd° mm' ss.s''

All formats or notations are converted into each other.

Geocoding - address search: postal address or POI

Geocoding: The Geoplaner accepts postal addresses such as "state, city, street" or POI such as hilltops, lakes, cities and important places. However the returned geographic location are not always correct: Whereas the postal address lookup mostly returns correct locations, there are sometimes problems with the POI search, when the address string corresponds to several locations. So you should always check the search result on the map. If it is wrong, search for a more common POI or place nearby and then look for your POI on the map from there.

Reverse Geocoding: It might be also helpful to check the location by Reverse Geocoding (provided by OpenStreetMap/Nominatim). The reverse geocoder accepts geographic coordinates as input and returns a postal address. Just press the "-->" - button to trigger reverse geocoding.

GPS route planner | tour planner

The Geoplaner / Route Planner provides basic route planner functions for creating GPS routes suitable for outdoor or street navigation with outdoor GPS receivers. Auto-routing is not supported, however you can map out GPS routes by mouse clicks manually. When creating a route for street navigation GoogleMaps - "map " is most suitable, whereas for walking tours or hiking Open Street Map - "OSM" is more convenient. Open Street Map contains many hiking trails and tracks, especially in touristic areas and mountains and is constantly being completed.

The route planner internally buffers the coordinates as a list of single waypoints. However when downloading them you can optionally choose a waypoint download or a route download. This is important for transferring the waypoints or route to a GPS receiver afterwards. When uploading a GPX-File you can likewise choose whether you want to upload a route or a list of waypoints. The route planner converts GPS routes automatically into a GPS waypoint list. GPS track uploads are not supported yet. When uploading or downloading files no data or files are stored on the route planner server

Export/Download: After creating the route by setting several waypoints along the trail press the "download Route" -button and store the "route.gpx" - file on your PC. Then transfer "route.gpx" to your outdoor GPS receiver via Garmin MapSource or a GPS freeware, or directly save the file on the SD-Memorycard of your receiver.

Import/Upload: It is also possible to upload and edit existing GPS routes or to convert GPS routes into GPS waypoint lists and vice versa. When uploading waypoints or routes the route planner does not import elevations. However when scrolling or clicking through the waypoint list the Google elevation service will add the elevation values and the route planner automatically includes them for the gpx-file download.

Accuracy of coordinates and heights

Accuracy of googlemaps.

Most of the Google Maps are prepared from Landsat-7 satellite images . Landsat-7 was launched in April 1999 and is an Earth observation satellite of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The accuracy of the derived Google Maps / Google Earth vector data varies from 0.1m in urban areas to 15m in the Antarctica. The derived Coordinates are rounded by the Geoplaner to a precision of 1m.

Accuracy of OpenStreetMap

The accuracy of OpenStreetMap is partially lower than of GoogleMaps. Especially OSM country roads and walking trails can have deviations of 10m or more. The reason for this is, that most of the OSM data is recorded by volunteers with their GPS receivers and afterwards uploaded to the OSM database. Depending on their GPS receivers and the reception conditions the accuracy of the recorded tracks varies between 3m and 30m. The accuracy of most OSM city maps, however is significantly higher and is comparable with the accuracy of Google Maps.

Elevation accuracy

The elevation values are provided by the Google Elevation Service Geoplaner elevation server (which is coming soon). The raw data for that were originally  obtained during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) : The freely available SRTM data consists of SIR-C data from NASA and X-SAR data of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The SIR-C data have a height accuracy of about 6m on at a horizontal resolution of about 30m . The X-SAR data should indeed have a higher accuracy up to 1m, but cover only 40% of the earth's surface.

2023/08/27 - GPS Geoplaner V3.2

Changing tile URLs from "https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png" to "https://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png"

2020/10/18 - GPS Geoplaner V3.1

URL/link creator and HTML5 browsercache improvements: map type included and maximum number of waypoints increased to 100.

+++ Oct./Nov. 2019 - GPS Geoplaner V3.0 +++

+++ Replacing the overpriced GoogleMaps API with the free open-source JavaScript library Leaflet +++

2017/08/26 - GPS Geoplaner V2.8

a) HTTPS enabled with Let's Encrypt . b) OpenStreetMap checkbox added to the link creator.

2014/12/06 - GPS Geoplaner V2.7

Maximum number of uploadable waypoints increased to 2000.

2014/02/05 - GPS Geoplaner V2.6

New feature added which allows to create links composed of the Geoplaner- URL and up to 24 waypoints (latitude, longitude, name) as URL- parameters.

2013/03/22 - GPS Geoplaner V2.5

a) Graphical user interface improved, better scaling due to the screen size. b) HTML5 Caching introduced.

2011/12/05 - GPS Geoplaner V2.4

a) Easier input of UTM coordinates with delimitors, e.g.: "5.865.883". b) Maximum number of uploadable waypoints increased to 500.

2010/10/20 - Geoplaner V2.3

a) Google Street View enabled. b) Minor improvements: file upload, waypoint deletion, address input.

2010/08/18 - Geoplaner V2.2

a) Implementation of reverse geocoding, triggered by pressing the "-->" - button. Reverse geocoder (Google) translates waypoints (coordinates) into postal addresses. b) Elevation output alternatively in "m" or "ft".

2010/07/01 - Geoplaner V2.1b

Performance improvements when uploading large gpx-files: The file upload or rather the data import into the browser is realised by javascript asynchronously.

2010/06/29 - GPS Geoplaner V2.1a - UTM-Lat/Lon converter & route planner

Improvement of address and POI search: The address of the position delivered by Google-GeoCoder is displayed for verification. This is helpful when using the Geoplaner as route planner.

2010/06/22 - GPS Geoplaner V2.1 - UTM-Lat/Lon converter & route planner

First version in English. The Geoplaner combines coordinate converter and route planner functions.

© 2009-2023 Martin Nathansen

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Android Police

Google wants to help plan your next trip with new tools in maps and search.

AI itineraries in Search and curated lists in Maps, just in time for summer travel season

• Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) will allow you to plan trips with detailed itineraries and suggestions.
• The update is further bridging the gap between SGE and Google's dedicated Gemini chatbot.
• Meanwhile, Google Maps is introducing curated lists of must-visit places, simplifying travel planning for users in the US and Canada.

Generative AI has pervaded nearly every aspect of Google’s business , right from Workspace tools to other core pillars of the business like Search and standalone projects like the Gemini chatbot. Although a lot of details still need to be ironed out, Google seems intent on including its Search Generative Experience (SGE) in Search results by default. To ensure users get the most out of this change, this summer, the company is maintaining the steady cadence of improvements with new capabilities coming to SGE and a few handy tweaks to Google Maps.

What is Google Search Labs?

If you haven’t heard, SGE started life as a Google Search Labs experiment in May 2023, and has since become available to billions of users around the world as an opt-in enhancement for the conventional search results page. The AI-generated summary usually collates information from the top links and summarizes it in a digestible format that’s a few paragraphs long. Now, Google is blurring the lines between the capabilities of the Gemini chatbot and SGE, introducing full-fledged itinerary planning support for the latter.

In its announcement, the company says anyone with access to the Search Generative Experience in the US in English can now type in a search query like “plan me a 5-day trip to Los Angeles that’s all about music culture.” The results should include a day-wise list of the places to visit, suitable restaurants, and a brief overview of your options for hotels and flights.

Google says it will pull reviews and photos from Business Profiles of the area you plan to visit along with information from other websites. You can use the quick summary to compare destinations and plan your trip efficiently. If you’re traveling with someone else, SGE also has shortcuts to export the suggestions to Google Docs, Gmail, and Maps, enabling easier sharing or a way to keep the results for later reference.

Lists could make Google Maps more useful

Speaking of Maps, Google also announced a few features to simplify summertime travel in the app. Say, you’re planning that trip to LA, you can just look up the city in Maps and swipe up. The app should display a few lists of must-visit attractions and stores. Google has special restaurant lists including a Trending list updated every week, a Top list for the all-time favorite restaurants, and a Gems list for the unheard-of secret places which you might otherwise miss. Additionally, you will find lists from popular sources like Lonely Planet, The Infatuation, OpenTable, and The New York Times.

Presently, the company is rolling out this feature only for users in the US and Canada, with curated lists available for a little over 40 cities. If it takes off, we hope to see it expand to other regions as well, because integrating advice from Google’s Local Guides community and the abundance of online listicles for popular destinations should be a piece of cake for the company.

Google is also giving Maps users convenient list customization tools when you hit the New list option in the Saved tab. Options include sorting by date added, manual sorting to create a ranked list, and support for linking to content from social media. AI also plays a role here, with photos and reviews summarizing important information about a place you’re looking up.

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2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip

One report estimates one to four million people will travel to see this year’s solar eclipse—but it's not the only cosmic event happening this year.

Constellations and comets. Solar eclipses and the aurora borealis. The cosmos are alive with wonders.. Eclipses were mentioned in Assyrian cuneiform tablets as early as 763 B.C. and Han Dynasty documents since 90 B.C. Similarly, the aurora borealis was observed by Assyrian astronomers around 679-655 B.C. and documented by Aristotle between 384 and 322 B.C.

While solar eclipses and the northern lights get the most attention, comets, meteor showers, and other spectacular night sky events happen all year round. Traveling to destinations specifically to stargaze is called astrotourism, and it’s been gaining momentum over the past decade. The 2017 solar eclipse further increased interest, with more than 216 million people attempting to see it , making it one of the largest recorded audiences for any scientific, athletic, or entertainment event.   Plus, the growth of dark sky parks and reserves (designated areas with minimal light pollution) has made it easier for people to engage with the cosmos.

Here’s why 2024 will be huge for astrotourism and where and when you should look up.

The year for astrotourism  

2024 could bring the best auroras in 20 years , including in regions that don’t typically see the northern lights, such as Arizona , Arkansas , and Virginia . Alex Filippenko , an astrophysicist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, says the strength of this year’s northern and southern lights is because the sun is nearing a maximum in its roughly 11-year solar activity cycle, expected to peak in 2025. He adds that the total solar eclipse that will take place on April 8 will also be visible in many parts of the U.S., and it will be the last one to occur here until 2044.

In April, the enormous 12P/Pons-Brooks comet will streak toward the inner solar system, becoming so bright that it may be visible to the unaided eye. Nearly three times the size of Mount Everest, the comet will align with the eclipsed sun on April 8 and swing by Jupiter on April 12 before reaching peak brightness on its way to the sun on April 21.

( This Swedish overnight train takes you straight to the northern lights .)

Come August, the annual Perseid meteor shower returns, scattering a flurry of up to 60 shooting stars per hour. On September 17,   Saturn will converge with the moon and do so again on October 14 and 15, November 11, and December 8. This spectacle will be visible to unaided eyes shortly after sunset, though binoculars could make the silvery lunar glow and giant yellow planet appear even more impressive.

Planning your own astro adventure

According to a report by the Great American Eclipse , an estimated one to four million people will travel to see this year’s solar eclipse. In response, travel companies are rocketing into astrotourism.

In 2021, Black Tomato launched a series of bespoke eclipse experiences, including adventures to Argentina and Patagonia and luxury private yacht trips in Antarctica . Wilderness Travel , a California -based adventure company, has offered expert-led eclipse trips for 20 years.

Texas-based Jean Ann LeGrand, who has seen eclipses on several Wilderness Travel trips, says, “the moment is ethereal—the personal excitement, the solar drama, the atmospheric changes; it’s as if you are being drawn in and cloaked in an experience of being made one with the sun.”  

Some of the best cities to view the eclipse in the U.S. are Austin and Dallas , Texas; Cleveland , Ohio; and Rochester and Niagara Falls , New York. Indianapolis has planned events at the Indianapolis Speedway, Children’s Museum, and zoo, where animals are expected to react to the sudden loss of light.

( The best places to see the 2024 total solar eclipse .)

August’s Perseid meteor shower is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere. For prime views, head somewhere dark, clear, and far from light pollution and threats of wildfires . Popular places for stargazing and meteor watching are Colorado and California, but to avoid the crowds (and potentially ash-filled skies), consider lesser visited dark skies in Nebraska or South Carolina .

Auroras are much harder to plan for in advance says Filippenko, but nights around the new moon are better than bright full-moon nights. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also offers a map that helps you determine whether or not the lights will be visible from your area.

Top spots to see the aurora borealis in Europe include Finland , Scotland , Iceland , and Norway , because they experience many hours of darkness. The southern lights illuminate the skies over the southern tip portions of Tasmania, Australia and New Zealand . But some of the darkest skies won’t be spotted from land. Rather, they’ll be found far from light pollution, in the middle of the ocean. Consider a cruise that passes through northern regions like Greenland and the Canadian Arctic .

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• AMATEUR ASTRONOMY
• SOLAR ECLIPSES
• DARK-SKY PRESERVES
• NIGHT SKY PHOTOGRAPHY

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Travel Genie - Trip Planner 4+

Create your trip itinerary, ahmed musawar, designed for iphone.

• 4.9 • 31 Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

iPhone Screenshots

Description.

Welcome to TravelGenie – the ultimate travel planning app for tourists visiting major cities! Discover a wide range of tourist attractions, unique experiences, and trendy restaurants. Create your perfect trip itinerary effortlessly with TravelGenie, featuring cities such as NYC, London, Paris, Rome, and beyond. Efficient Itinerary Planning: Easily plan your route and create a customized itinerary that fits your schedule and interests. Explore popular attractions, hidden gems, and local hotspots, all in one place. Seamless Navigation: View your itinerary in map view, making it easy to navigate around the city and plan your route. With TravelGenie as your guide, you'll never miss a must-see attraction or experience. Ticket Booking: Book tickets for attractions, tours, and activities directly through the app, saving you time and hassle. With TravelGenie, you can secure your spot at top attractions and experiences in advance. Share Your Adventure: Share your travel itinerary with friends and family, so everyone can join in on the fun and excitement of exploring together. Whether you're planning a romantic getaway, family vacation, or solo adventure, TravelGenie has got you covered. Download TravelGenie now and start planning your perfect trip!

Version 2.5.3

Ratings and Reviews

Best app for creating your travel itinerary.

I was blown away by how quick and easy it is to create your personalized travel itinerary with this app and the fact that you can see your itinerary on a map to see how far everything is from your hotel is just what I was looking for. Love this app!

Great app for traveling

I’ll highly recommend anyone visiting New York to use this app for planning their trip.. Will save you a lot of precious time 😊

App Privacy

The developer, Ahmed Musawar , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Exploration Thanks $4.99
• Wanderlust Token $0.99
• Adventure Support $2.99
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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The Accessible Flight Simulator

Free - web based - multiplayer - global satellite images.

GeoFS is a flight simulator with a global environment generated from satellite images and digital geographic data. You can run it for free in your web browser without anything to install, subscribe to worldwide HD aerial images (suitable for VFR flight) or install the available mobile Apps. Dedicated plans for schools or businesses are available with GeoFS PRO

•  Free 10 meter global satellite images Aerial HD imagery on subscription.
•  Massively multiplayer
•  Navigation charts with 40,000 referenced runways
• cell_tower Radio Navigation (GPS, ADF, VOR, NDB, DME)
•  ADS-B (real-life) commercial traffic in real-time
•  Runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile (iOS, Android)
•  Joystick support
•  30 available aircraft (+ community contributed)
•  Configurable or real-time weather (METAR) wind, turbulences, thermals, ridge lift, clouds, precipitations, fog
• GeoFS is using Cesium , a virtual globe framework (just like Google Earth) that provides worldwide photo-realistic landscape .
• GeoFS is available for free with global standard resolution (10 meters per pixel) satellite images.
• Or it can be enhanced with a HD subscription to fly over high resolution, photo-realistic landscape. (Microsoft Bing Maps aerial images).
• GeoFS HD is particularly suitable for VFR practice as it makes easy to spot landmarks, roads and other small details used for navigation.
• Take a look at the screenshot gallery for more examples.
• Learn more about GeoFS HD here . You can try GeoFS HD for free, for one day.

Global satellite images

• Day/Nights cycles can be set manually or naturally based on location
• PAPI and Runway lights are available on major runways to help with approach.
• The location presets offers to fly directly to places of interest,
• or you can just search for any location and be instantly placed at the right spot.
• The map also provides everything required for navigation with air space, traffic, navaids and about 40,000 runways for take-off/approach.
• You can fly absolutely anywhere in the world.

Accessible and realistic

• GeoFS is a real flight simulator and provides a realistic physics engine .
• Flight dynamics is based on the laws of physics and simulate lift, drag and stall on all aircraft surfaces as you fly. Controls and instruments are simplified to make everything easier, even without any experience.
• Aircraft have been tweaked to match real-life performance.
• Instruments, are accurate and functional and all the newest GeoFS aircraft are equipped with a virtual cockpit.
• Weather data is retrieved from openweathermap.org, and processed to generate real-life atmospheric conditions at your current location
• Ridge lift is modeled so it is possible to practice soaring with the available gliders.
• Some aircraft are fitted with an autopilot.

Massively multiplayer

• Multiplayer allows you to fly together with other pilots.
• Once logged-in with a Google or Facebook account, it is also possible to chat with other pilots.
• A list of connected pilots offers to join anyone in flight.
• Real-life commercial traffic may be visible around you. ADS-B transponder data is fetched from opensky-network.org and used to populate GeoFS skies.

Instructions

For detailed instructions about this flight simulator, please visit the Instruction Page

Here are the basic controls:

• + and - keys to set throttle
• 0 to 9 to set throttle directly: 9 being full throttle and 0 being idle
• Mouse can be used as a yoke
• As you gain some speed, pull gently (mouse down) on the stick to take off
• Press K to fly with the keyboard. Press M to fly with the mouse
• Press C to cycle through all the camera modes

Google will now let you use AI to build travel itineraries for your vacations

As we inch toward the summer holidays, Google is announcing a slate of travel updates that place it squarely in the travel planning process and give it a lot more insight into purchasing intent in the travel sector.

First up, Google is rolling out an update to its  Search Generative Experience (SGE) that will allow users to build travel itineraries and trip ideas using AI, the company announced on Wednesday.

The new capability — currently only available in English in the U.S. to users enrolled in Search Labs , its program that lets users experiment with early-stage Google Search experiences and share feedback — draws on ideas from sites across the web, along with reviews, photos and other details that people have submitted to Google for places around the world.

When users ask for something like “plan me a three day trip to Philadelphia that’s all about history,” they will get a sample itinerary that includes attractions and restaurants, as well as an overview of options for flights and hotels, divided up by times of day.

For now, the itineraries are just that: There are no options to buy services or experiences on the spot. When you’re happy with your itinerary, you can export it to Gmail, Docs or Maps.

Google has not commented on when or if it might roll this out more widely. But it points to how the company is experimenting with how and where it can apply its AI engine. A lot of players in the travel industry may be eyeing up the role that generative AI will play in travel services in the coming years — some excitedly, some warily. But even now, startups like Mindtrip and Layla , which provide users with access to AI assistants that are designed to help you plan your trips, are already actively pursuing this.

But with this new update, Google is taking on startups like these while also gathering data about travel purchasing intent (useful for its wider ad business) and learning what kind of appetite its users might have for such services.

Image Credits: Google

Google also announced that it’s making it easier to discover lists of recommendations in Google Maps in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. If you search for a city in Maps, you will now see lists of recommendations for places to go from publishers like The Infatuation, as well as from other users. You will also see curated lists of top, trending, and hidden gem restaurants in 40+ U.S. cities.

Finally, the company is adding new tools to help you customize lists you create, so you can better organize your travel plans or share your favorite spots with your friends and family. You can choose the order the places appear in a list so you can organize them by top favorites or chronologically like an itinerary. Plus, you can link to content from your social channels.

Google’s New Travel AI Tools Want to Plan Customer Trips

Justin Dawes , Skift

March 27th, 2024 at 12:04 PM EDT

Google is the among the tech giants investing in a reimagined, AI-powered future of travel planning and booking. How can the smaller companies compete?

Justin Dawes

Google said Wednesday that it is adding several new tools meant to help travelers plan trips and explore destinations. 

Most notably, they include the ability for Google Search to create itineraries based on prompts from users, as well as enhanced information in Maps about certain cities and places to visit.  

AI-Powered Trip Itineraries in Search

Google has added an experimental AI-based itinerary creation capability to its traditional Search tool for users that opt in. 

Users can prompt Search for an itinerary for a certain destination, and it responds with flight and hotel options, as well as suggestions for attractions and dining. Any links that Google provides bring the users to travel company websites, where they can complete the bookings. 

To create the itineraries, Google said the AI draws on information from across the web, as well as reviews and photos that users post about businesses. 

Users can then export the trip ideas to Gmail, Docs, or Maps, the company said. 

Google said in May 2023 that it would be experimenting with integrating generative AI into search and invited users to test the new tech. The trip itinerary capability is a new piece of that experiment. 

It’s available in English in the U.S. only. Users can try it by enrolling in Search Labs and enabling the Search Generative Experience.

Microsoft relaunched Bing in February 2023 with similar attributes powered by OpenAI and has made updates along the way, such as for personalized event suggestions . 

Several startups have emerged with similar products over the months, a handful having received small amounts of venture capital. Since ChatGPT was released in November 2022, experts have questioned whether entrepreneurs stand a chance against giants like Microsoft and Google, which have vast amounts of data and resources. 

Recommendations and Customizable Lists in Google Maps 

Google is adding a capability to its Maps app meant to provide users with more details about destinations for select cities in the U.S. and Canada. 

It includes recommendations from locals and publishers, like The Infatuation, as well as lists of “trending, top, and hidden gem” restaurants created by info from Google Maps. 

When looking at a specific restaurant or place on Maps, a new AI-based feature is meant to show users key photos and reviews that summarize people’s favorite aspects. The AI can also help identify what a dish is called, Google said, which could be helpful for travelers in a new country. 

Another new Maps feature: Users will be able organize lists they create within the app. The list creation tool has existed for a while, but the new capability allows users to organize based on their top favorites or something else. The lists can also link to content from social media channels, meant to add context for anyone viewing a saved list. The list update is being released globally this month for Android and Apple devices.

As Google continues to enhance its trip planning capabilities, it becomes a bigger threat to companies like Tripadvisor, which offers itinerary-creation tools. Tripadvisor’s hotel metasearch business has already taken a hit since Google Hotels entered the market. 

Translation 

Google is “soon” adding a new capability, accessible through select Android mobile devices, that’s meant to translate content on the screen without switching apps. It could be especially useful to travelers trying to find their way around a country where they don’t speak the language. Google used the examples of translating a PDF restaurant menu or a social media post. 

It’s part of the Circle to Search tool that was released in January, which allows Android users to initiate a Google search by circling text or an image on the screen.

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Tags: artificial intelligence , google , maps , online travel newsletter , search

Photo credit: Google is releasing updates to Search and Maps for travelers. Pixabay

LET'S PLAN YOUR DREAM VACATION

Expert africa trip planner.

From the sands of the Namibia Desert in the west, to the great Pyramids in Egypt in the north, to the Masai Mara tribal land and its National Park in the eastern country of Kenya, to the southern tip of South Africa where sea lions and penguins delight visitors with their antics. The vastness of this continent cannot be understated! Popular safaris include Sabi Sabi Sands in South Africa. With the help of an African safari planner, you can traverse the beautiful nature of the safari on the African safari honeymoon of your dreams. Explore the wilds of the Serengeti and meet kaleidoscopic wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater on a safari-packed adventure in Tanzania are just a short list of the vast array of safari options. A visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years of his 27-year sentence for a historic and haunting tour to remember for the rest of your life. Whether you're looking to plan a romantic African honeymoon, a beautiful anniversary trip, or an adventurous outing, Africa offers it all! Enjoy all of these things and more with help from an Africa travel agent.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS...

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Enjoy a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara (Kenya) during the great migration.

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GO AHEAD, EXPLORE A LITTLE

See africa before you go.

The largest country in the world at 17,075,400 square kilometres (or 6,592,800 sq mi), Russia has accumulated quite an impressive reputation. Covering more than an eight of the Earth's land area, 142 million people live there making it the ninth largest nation by population . Still known for its impressive days as the expansive Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Russia was the world's first and largest constitutionally socialist state. A recognized superpower, the USSR was known for its excellence in both arts and science winning many awards in both fields.

Russia changed drastically after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but it continues to be a powerful and important nation. It has one of the world's fastest growing economies and the world's eight largest GDP by nominal GDP. Russia is also one of the five countries which officially recognized nuclear weapons states. In conjunction with this title, Russia is also a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the G8, APEC and the SCO, and is a leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

A European city in a country that lies over a vast part of Asia, Moscow holds one-tenth of all Russian residents . The city is located in the western region of Russia and is the capital and epicentre of political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation happenings. "Muscovites" , as residents are known, tend to be cultured and worldly. This may be due to the many scientific, educational, and artistic institutions that are based here. An intoxicating mix of the exotic and the familiar, it is the largest city in Europe with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world.

The city is situated on the banks of the Moskva River which flows through much of central Russia. Moscow is actually located in a basin for the Volga, Oka, Klyazma, and Moscow rivers. The city of Moscow is 994 sq. km with 49 bridges spanning the rivers and canals that criss-cross the city.

Forests are another part of Moscow's make-up. They coveer over a third of the territory in the region. A variety of animals like elk, wild boar, deer, foxes, weasels, lynx, martens, and birds make their home here.

Located in the UTC+3 time zone , Moscow has a humid continental climate. The summers tend to be warm and humid and the winters are long, cold, and hard. High temperatures occur during the warm months of June, July and August at about 23 °C (73 °F). Heat waves sometimes grip the city anywhere between May to September with temperatures spiking up to 30 °C (86 °F). Winters are harshly chilly with temperatures dropping to approximately 9 °C (15.8 °F). There is consistent snow cover for 3 to 5 months a year, usually from November to March.

Update 10/07/2009

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