Planning the perfect getaway can be daunting and often time-consuming because it comes with a whole lot of options to consider, decisions to be made, and coordination to be done. We round up a list of useful tips and tricks from Google to take the stress away from planning your trip to make your getaways just a little sweeter and easier.

 

1) Beat the crowd and get your accommodation sorted with Google’s Hotel Search function

 

When searching for hotels on Google Search, you are now able to compare pricing and ratings at a glance. It also shares tips when room rates are higher than usual, and if the hotel area is busier due to increased visitors from a holiday. So if you’re planning a trip say to Boston, you can make sure you’re avoiding dates when big conferences or events are scheduled and hotel prices tend to be high saving you plenty on your getaway.

 

2) Find the best travel deals and book your seats with Google Flights

 

The first step of planning your getaway is choosing your destination and booking your flights. Google Flights allows you to compare fares across various airlines, find the best deals for your travel dates, and even reserve them directly from the carrier.

 

Feeling uninspired? Google Flights also provides suggestions for affordable getaways to meet your interests and budget. It provides fare price alerts to ensure that you are kept up to date regularly to allow you to make that informed purchase! After all, the less you spend on your flight, the more you can spend enjoying your trip.

 

3) Lock down the date on your Google Calendar.

 

It’s tough work keeping track of everyone’s commitments. With Group Calendar, you can view multiple schedules at a glance to identify a golden window of opportunity to take a vacation together. Let Google Calendar do the heavy lifting of looking for a common available time through two features – “Find a Time” or “Suggested Times”.

 

Remember to set-up notifications on your calendar so you’ll have no excuse to postpone or miss your travel date.

 

4) Get up-close with the destination of your choice with Google Street View

 

Use Street View to plan your vacations or virtually explore the country before arriving. The 360˚ panoramas help you figure out driving directions, arrange meeting points and get to know your destination better. You can find out how your hotel looks like on the street and get a sense of the surrounding neighbourhood. This allows you to hit the ground running the very moment you land!

 

6) Get your in-pocket concierge with the Google Assistant

 

Whether it’s with a quick translation, the fastest route from your hotel to the beach, or with currency conversions – Google Assistant is ready to help with your trip. The Google Assistant give you recommendations for restaurants and cafes when you’re abroad. Simply ask for places nearby and you’ll see several options to get you started.

 

Say “Ok Google” or press and hold the Home button and get it to find answers to any question you might have instantly — such as “How much is 100 Singapore dollars in Thai Baht?”, “Say ‘How much is this’ in Vietnamese” or  “How long will it take to get to the airport?”

 

(Note: Google Assistant in Singaporean English was recently launched in November 2017. It is available on the Google Pixel 2 XL, Android phones 6.0+ (Marshmallow and above) and iPhones (iOs 9.3 and above).

 

 

7) Search what you see with Google Lens exclusively on the Pixel phone

 

If you are proud owner of a Pixel phone, you can get the most out of your photos and camera using Google Lens.  The nifty function built into Google Photos and Google Assistant identifies objects in photos in front of you to give you helpful information instantly.

 

With Google Lens, you can explore a new city like a pro by using it to help you recognize landmarks and learn about their history, or even discover cool happenings around town by snapping a picture of a poster. 

 

 

 

8) Say goodbye to language barriers with Google Translate

 

One of most frustrating issues faced travelling is trying to communicate in a foreign language. Google Translate offers translations for over 100 languages, making it easier to connect with the locals.

 

There are many ways you can do this. You can either type it into the Google Translate App on  your phone, or use Conversation mode that records speech and translates them for a seamless two-way conversation.

 

You can also use the Word Lens function on Google Translate that offers instant visual translations, perfect for quick translations like like signs or menus.

 

 

9) Find your way around with Google Maps

 

Jetsetters rejoice as you can now save your maps and access them offline. Even better yet, you’ll now be able to search for various categories offline – from restaurants to parks!

 

You can also create your own personal itinerary on Google Maps by keeping track of the restaurants, bars, boutiques that you intend to visit, using the new “lists” feature. Share this lists with your friends so they know your recommended list of “die-die must try places to eat in Hong Kong” so that they can easily find directions to them.

 

 

10) Relive your travel moments with Google Photos

 

Feel free to snap away on your trip without worrying about your space on your phone with Google Photos, as it provides free, unlimited storage for photos up to 16 megapixels and videos up to 1080p resolution.

 

Google Photos does the hard work of sorting your photos, and organising them for easy access, sharing and retrieval. It also automatically creates collages and mini videos, for you to look back the unforgettable moments of your trip.