Keeping track of trips, whether you’re a frequent flier or once-a-year vacationer, can be a hassle. There’s a lot to keep track of, from boarding passes and money exchange to hotel reservations and rental car bookings.

But what if one app could collect and organize all that information, while also offering travel suggestions?

News that Google would soon begin testing a new mobile travel application leaked out last week, and now we have more details, including screenshots, of what that app will look like.

The app, called Trips, is being trialed with a small group of testers, and will allow users to keep track of past and upcoming trips, while also making recommendations about tourist destinations, restaurants, local transportation options, and more.

According to the initial leak, Local Guides were invited to be among the first to try a new “travel assistant app for Android and iPhone.”

Trips is described as a combination of Google Maps and Now, the company’s intelligent personal assistant. The app is currently being tested by members of the Google Maps Local Guides program.

Trips automatically scans emails and group together travel-related information, such as flights, accommodation, dining and sightseeing reservations as well as suggesting useful related suggestions. Users can also add their own travels.

That makes it slightly competitive with TripIt, which has the larger goal of helping to automate collection of your trips into a single interface, then provide useful services on top of that, like tracking points, getting flight alerts, setting reminders, changing seat selections, sharing trips with others, and more.

However, in the case of the Google Trips app, it seems the focus is less on mimicking the somewhat utilitarian nature of most travel planners and companion apps, and more on the fun that comes with exploring a new destination.

Other essential travel apps :

Hipmunk

Hipmunk (Android, iOS) presents a fast, all-in-one travel planning and booking solution, with a powerful flight and hotel search engine, as well as easy in-app booking. In addition to the usual flight search criteria such as price, Hipmunk also includes an agony index for flight duration, number of stops and other factors. Users can also take advantage of last minute hotel deals, view reviews from TripAdvisor and other sources, and check out heat maps that show hotel proximity to shopping, dining and entertainment venues.

SkyScanner

SkyScanner (Android, iOS) is a great tool for travelers looking for the perfect deal on domestic and international flights. SkyScanner works its magic by comparing prices across millions of flights and hundreds of airlines, from prestigious flag carriers to charter flights and budget airlines. From there, users can even book flights directly from the app with provided links to travel agents or airlines. Flights can be filtered by airline, cabin class, price or takeoff and landing times, with weekly or monthly chart views to check out prices over time.

LoungeBuddy

Looking for a good airport lounge in which to kill time between flights? Whether you’re traveling economy or first class, LoungeBuddy (Android, iOS) comes to the rescue, helping you find airport lounges in any of more than 500 airports worldwide. A helpful Lounge Access Wizard allows users to input the details of their trip, service level and any applicable elite benefits or memberships, and LoungeBuddy pulls up a list of locations you can access for free or a one time fee. Users can also filter or search by amenities, as well as view and post reviews and photos to share your experience with other travelers.

TripIt

TripIt (Android, iOS) promises to cut back on the travel hassle by consolidating your travel plans into a simple, convenient itinerary. Viewable online and synced to your cell phone, you can also share itineraries with your contacts. You just link your email account to TripIt, and the service will automagically dig through your inbox for reservation confirmations and other forms. Using that data, it builds an organized itinerary of your flight boarding times, hotel check-ins and more. The free app is ad-supported, while the paid version removes ads.

 

PackPoint

PackPoint (Android, iOS) is a travel packing wizard that helps users by providing a checklist of travel essentials that they need to pack, depending on the nature of their trip. Users simply create a trip profile, with their destination, length of stay and purpose of travel. PackPoint then creates a customized packing and luggage checklist that takes into account whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, the type and amount of clothing to pack based on the weather forecast, and other factors. The app also comes with a variety of premium features, such as TripIt integration for automatic packing list creation.

 

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