As summer approaches in the northern hemisphere, Google has rolled out some innovative enhancements to multiple applications aimed at simplifying your travel planning, integrating artificial intelligence for added convenience.

To start, the AI Overviews, which many users have likely seen at the top of search results, are now being enhanced to encompass travel itineraries spanning regions, countries, and cities. Just inquire about an itinerary for your desired location (for example, the southern part of France) and specify any additional preferences (like traveling with children or considering a particular price range), and the AI will handle the rest.

You’ll receive a detailed day-by-day guide highlighting destinations and activities, along with access to images and reviews from past travelers. This will also allow you to easily share recommendations via Google Docs or Gmail with fellow travelers. Currently, this feature is available for users in the United States, but it’s advisable to verify the information with human resources, as generative AI is still in the experimental phase.

AI Overviews can now generate trip itineraries for various regions and nations.
Credit: Google

Next up is a new hotel price tracking feature available at google.com/hotels. This tool operates similarly to the existing price tracking for Google Flights. If hotel prices fluctuate on your chosen dates, Google will send you email notifications—making it easier to snag a good deal quickly. This feature, which was already beneficial for flight bookings, is now being expanded to hotels and is rolling out worldwide.

Additionally, a new Screenshot functionality is being introduced in Google Maps. When activated, this feature will analyze your screenshots to extract location names and provide you direct access to those places on the map. For those who frequently save images of locations they wish to explore, this enhancement should be quite beneficial, with all the AI text recognition tasks processed locally.

This identification feature primarily relies on text recognition, meaning that your screenshots must contain recognizable text for locations. This capability is currently available in Google Maps for iOS users in the U.S., with Android support expected to be available soon.

Google Maps can now identify locations from your screenshots.
Credit: Google

Moreover, there’s another AI update for Google Maps that hasn’t been highlighted in Google’s recent blog. According to Android Authority, when using Google Maps on Android, selecting a location and activating the Gemini feature with a voice command or button press will bring up an Ask about place shortcut above the main input area. This makes it more convenient to inquire about the selected destination. Although this isn’t a brand-new capability, it is now more accessible than before.

Returning to Google’s official announcements, the last couple of points serve as reminders of previously launched features. A recent report from DailyHackly mentioned that custom Gemini Gems AI bots are now available to all users, regardless of whether they have a Gemini Advanced subscription. This enables anyone to create a custom Gem for obtaining travel insights, including popular destinations and packing suggestions, according to Google.

Lastly, Google reiterates the features of Google Lens for travel enhancement. Within the Google app for both Android and iOS, users can tap on the Lens icon in the search field, capture an image, and ask questions related to their photo, such as “What is this used for?” or “What is the history of this location?” Users will receive AI-generated answers displayed above standard search results.