How to research and plan a vacation, right from your phone

By: JD Biersdorfer

The Google Maps app celebrates its 20th anniversary this year , but like Apple Maps (launched in 2012), it's already gone beyond basic navigation services to delve into trip planning. Both apps provide tools for marking your favorite places, reading reviews, making reservations , and viewing points of interest around you.

Below is a guide to some useful tools for travelers.

Know your place(s)

When you search for and select a business in the app, both Google Maps (for Android and iOS) and Apple Maps (for iOS) display a “place card” with the address, hours, reviews, and other details about that location.

In Google Maps, tap the Explore tab at the bottom of the screen to see nearby places. On some restaurant maps, you can make reservations through the OpenTable reservation service. Google often includes an immersive 360-degree photo of the area in Street View mode.

Apple Cards, where you can save and add your own notes, include buttons for the establishment's phone number, website, and other information. Tap the Search box and choose Search Here to see places near you. Apple's 360-degree view feature is called Look Around; tap the thumbnail photo on the map to open it.

To bookmark a place for later reference, tap the Save or + button on the card. Saved places are stored in Your Google Maps Lists (which include a default Travel Plans section) or in the Apple Maps Library, found on the Search screen of the app.

Both Google and Apple combine specialized lists of places into local guides that can be private or shared. In Google Maps, tap the Explore tab to see local guides, or the Contribute tab to create your own.

To see Apple's travel advice, open Maps, scroll down, and tap the Explore Guides button. Last month, Apple announced it was adding reviews and ratings from sources like Michelin, The Infatuation, and Golf Digest.

Take advantage of screenshots

If you're someone who takes screenshots of notes, internet articles, and photos as a reference when researching a trip, a new Google Maps feature, Screenshots, can help you turn those static images into an editable itinerary, thanks to the help of Google's Gemini artificial intelligence. (The Screenshots feature is already available for iOS and is expected to be available for Android devices soon.)

To use it, open Google Maps and tap the Saved tab at the bottom. On the next screen, select Screenshots. After a brief video tutorial and some permission checkboxes, tap the option to import existing screenshots into Google Maps. Once enabled, the app can automatically add future screenshots.

After importing the screenshots, Gemini analyzes the content and creates a list of locations extracted from the images, with links to more information, space to add your own notes, and a map.

Explore outdoor spaces

Map apps aren't just for cities, especially if you enjoy hiking, camping, and the U.S. National Park System. Both apps link you to the National Park Service website so you can receive alerts and announcements. A few years ago, Google Maps strengthened its guides to national parks and popular trail routes. To find a park or trail, just search for it in the app.

Apple updated its Maps app last fall with its own detailed hiking trails and topographic maps of many parks. Serious hikers can also create and save their own routes within the app by simply selecting a starting point on a map, tapping Create a Custom Route, and following the on-screen instructions.

Of course, it's not always possible to get a cell phone signal in remote areas, but you can download maps to your phone before you head out. In Google Maps, tap the name of the location, open the More menu, and choose Download Offline Map. In Apple Maps, tap the Download button on the location card.

Navigate the airport

If your flight is delayed or you're in an unfamiliar airport, use your maps app to find food, drinks, and other entertainment. (If you have a short layover, checking the gate map at your connecting airport can also be helpful.)

On the airport information card in Google Maps, tap the Directory button to see the shops and businesses in the terminal. Google also offers detailed indoor maps for some airports.

In Apple Maps, tap the buttons on the airport information card to see nearby restaurants, shops, and security checkpoints, or zoom in and explore the terminal map in detail.

Drive in style

If you're hitting the road and using Google Maps to navigate, you can customize the experience a little more.

Once you've entered your route, tap the blue arrow on the screen showing your location and use the menu to change that icon to your preferred car style and color. Now, just enjoy your vacation.