Google searches I use to plan all my trips

At the edge of the Tasman Sea in New Zealand (a trip which took a few months and hundreds of Google searches to plan)

The internet is an amazing place, but it can be overwhelming if you don’t know how to ask it exactly what you need.

Over the years, I’ve unintentionally created a growing list of Google searches I use every time when I’m planning my trips. I’ve broken these down into different sections to help you stay organized. (Fill in _____ with your city/region/country)

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Planning/logistics

• best neighborhoods to stay in ______

• Metro map _____

• How to buy metro tickets _____

• How to get from _____ airport to city center

• Does _____ have Uber?

Activities

• Atlas Obscura _____

• Weird things to do in _____

• Unusual things to do in ______

• Day trips from _______

• annual festivals ______

• seasonal activities _____

Shopping

• Flea markets in _______ (also be sure to check out their opening days/hours)

• Best souvenirs to buy in ________

• Things to buy at the grocery store in _______

• Best stores ______

General

• Fun facts about _______

• ______ trivia

• faux pas ______ (this is important to make sure you don’t unintentionally offend or anger locals!)

• What language(s) is spoken in ________

• How to say yes/no/please/thank you in ______ language

Food

• Foods to try in _____ (this generally works better to add the country first, then get more localized by region and city)

• budget/fine dining _____ (depending on your budget)

• street food _____

• _____ food market

Coffee

• Best cafes/coffee shops in ______

• Quirky cafes ______

• Cat cafes in _____

Music

(I realize this might only be applicable to musicians, but I thought I’d share anyways)

• ______ music

• ______ concerts

• music stores ______

• _____ conservatory

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During the last few years, I’ve also started “researching” using ChatGPT. It’s hit or miss for me, but it has given me a few ideas to further research online, and it’s also a way to get more customized results in a single place instead of having to trawl through pages of search results.

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I love planning trips, and researching a place makes me even more excited to travel! I hope these prompts make your trip-planning fun and build excitement for your trip!

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