Google Launches New Set of Travel Search Tools

Google is rolling out a handful of new travel planning features just in time for summer vacation.

In a blog post published on Monday, VP of Travel Products Richard Holden revealed some of the new tools that are now available to travelers, including notifications for when airline ticket costs dip and new features for finding the best hotel, restaurant and attractions within a brief walking distance.

A favorite tool among today’s travelers, Google Flights allows users to track airfares for specific dates between two cities by simply searching for their destination and opting in for email updates when prices drop substantially for those dates. However, starting Monday, users can track prices to find deals for any dates and they’ll get an email if and when Google detects lower than typical fares for flights taking off in the next 3-6 months.

Google is also making it easier to browse destinations within driving distance with the Explore tool featuring filters for things like budget or trip length. Explore users will now see a pink dot and a bubble that reads “Explore nearby” that they can tap to narrow their search to places that they can drive to in just a few hours. Simply select a destination to view the average hotel prices, current weather and other helpful information.

When it comes to finding the ideal accommodations, travelers can head to google.com/travel to find hotels within walking or driving distance of a particular landmark or address just by entering it into the hotels search bar. A boundary on the map will indicate which hotels are nearby. Users can also pinpoint the best neighborhood for dining, shopping, sightseeing and other interests on the map.

Google has also introduced a new way to keep track of properties that travelers are interested in during the planning process with a bookmark icon for hotels. To see their saved properties, users can look for the Saved tab on mobile or the right-hand panel on their desktop.