Booking a trip online [1] can be a major headache. If you're anything like me, the experience usually involves multiple browsers open at the same time, each with a multitude of tabs keeping track of flight prices, hotel reviews, local attractons, restaurants, and anything else I can think of. In short, it's a mess.

I've been a longtime fan of Google's simple and straightforward flight search [2] — but now, the great minds at Google are setting out to change the way more than just flights are booked. With Destinations on Google, which launches today on mobile browsers and the Google app, the company hopes to forever alter the entire research and booking experience. The company sought to build one single experience that could take a traveler from the conception to the booking phase of planning a vacation.

Using information from the company's search and maps databases, Destinations on Google offers a number of new and innovative features. The whole enterprise was developed with mobile in mind, since Google's research shows that the majority of trip planning takes place on phones and tablets.

We're excited to give Destinations on Google a thorough test drive when it comes to planning our Summer vacations — and these functionailities, in particular, will be game changers.

A Travel Search Brings You Right to a Central Hub

Searching for terms like "London travel" or "London vacation" on Google will bring aspiring travelers to a central planning page, which is full of information. Google uses your current location as your home base.

Google Suggests Itineraries, Too

Using maps and search data, the travel team built itineraries based on what travelers usually do. By searching teams like "X destinations," "X vacation," or "X travel," suggested itineraries for up to a week — and including surrounding destinations and suggested acctivities — will pop up.

You Get an Estimated Trip Cost

Destinations on Google is built to allow for searching on certain dates — or a more flexible approach when someone wants to fly when prices are best. There are specification fields for number of travelers, duration of the trip, and stops. (Conveniently, your preferences are remembered throughout your browsing session.) Destinations on Google then calculates a proposed trip price, using the least expensive flight and hotel options.

Flight Booking Routes Through Google Flights

The actual booking aspect of the flights on Destinations on Google looks familiar to anyone who has used Google Flights. Google compiles a list and makes recommendations; the actual purchasing takes place on the airlines' sites.

They Even Think of Hotels

When Destination on Google calculates the total price of a trip, they're taking into consideration rates from their newly expanded hotels search. Google will recommend hotels in certain star-classes, but as with flights, booking takes place on an external site.

Introducing Destinations on Google

Watch this video to see more about how Destinations on Google works.