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From ready-built routes that reveal all of nature’s best-kept secrets, to superior route planning and navigation tech that lets you decide what you want to discover, komoot makes it easy to explore more of the great outdoors—wherever and however you want.

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Wherever and however you choose to explore, komoot has a route for that. From hand-picked guides of the world’s most epic outdoor experiences, to ready-built routes in your area that can be filtered by distance, difficulty and public transport links —komoot helps you find your perfect adventure, whether it’s a mountain range away or in your own backyard.

Plan The Perfect Route

If you would rather plan your own adventure, komoot makes that easier, too. Whether you want smooth asphalt for your road bike, single tracks for your mountain bike or peaceful trails for your hikes, komoot generates sport-specific, topographic routing—tailor-made for your next outdoor experience . Simply customize each route to include whatever you want to see along the way, and view inch-by-inch surface and way type readings to ensure you always know what’s coming—wherever your adventure takes you.

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The best route planner out there. Simple as that.

Really good app on my phone that helps me plan and follow my route it all so keeps me in touch with friends and what's happening and ideas for some fantastic new walks. It's also fantastic when I travel to other countries and it shows me routes that other people have done.

The app has opened up the countryside in which I have lived for 20 years. The convenient planning format and turn by turn directions is more convenient than using maps. As a result, I have learned more about my local area in 3 months than the previous 19.75 years. Of course, purchasing an eMTB 3 months ago has also helped!

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Hit the Road with Ease: 10 Helpful Road Trip Planning Apps

Posted: August 6, 2023 | Last updated: August 6, 2023

Road trips are “in” this year. Whether you need a travel packing list, the cheapest gas price, or a toilet finder, there’s “an app for that!” Using a road trip planner app is a convenient way to store all your essential travel plans all in one place. Below we’ll explore ten useful apps that can help you stay organized, budget, and find your way around.

1. Roadtrippers (Route Planning)

Roadtrippers is a robust road trip planner app with many useful features. Not only can you plan out your entire trip, but you can also use the app to navigate. The app allows you to mark your planned stops easily and suggests things for you to do along the way. You can estimate how much you’ll spend on gas, book hotels and tours, and get traffic updates. Roadtrippers Plus has even more features, allowing you to create itineraries and download pre-made trip guides.

2. PackPoint (Packing List)

A road trip packing list can help you keep track of your belongings before, during, and after travel. It’s the best way to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything essential. But rather than keep track of a paper checklist, why not use an app? PackPoint is a travel packing list app that allows you to create custom packing lists for free. You can categorize your list and even see what the weather is like at your destination. The premium version also allows you to link to your TripIt itinerary! 

3. TripIt (Itineraries)

TripIt is a mobile itinerary app that allows you to compile your road trip or travel plans all in one place. You can send your travel confirmation emails to the app, add things like photos and PDFs, email your itinerary to someone else, and even sync your trip to your calendar. TripIt Pro has additional features such as trip reminders, a rewards program tracker, “go now” reminders, and a host of flight-related tools. If you love itineraries, you’ll love this road trip planner app!

4. Waze (Traffic & Directions)

Waze is a GPS navigation and live traffic app that helps you get where you need to go. Not only does it help you get to your destination, but it allows users to input information such as road hazards, construction sites, and police sightings.

Another popular feature of the app is its rerouting tool. When the app notices traffic back up ahead, it will notify you of the situation and offer alternative routes. Waze has also added features such as a speedometer, a gas finder, a parking garage/lot finder, and it will even sync with your music and podcast apps.

5. Google Maps (Destination Finder)

Suppose you’re directionally changed, like me. Using Google Maps to get around a new city is a game changer. The app isn’t just for driving navigation and can be used when getting around on foot or by bike. And if your location history has been enabled, the app will even give you destination recommendations based on places you’ve previously visited. In addition, Google Maps will let you share your location and download maps offline if you know you’ll have spotty service.

6. GasBuddy (Best Gas Prices)

GasBuddy is a fuel savings app that uses your location to help you locate cheap gas. You can also sign up for a free Pay with GasBuddy card to save even more at the pump. Here’s how it works.

Once you receive the card in the mail, you will connect it to your bank account. Next, you’ll use the app to unlock deals. Then, when you are ready to fill up, you use your GasBuddy card instead of your debit card. When you do this, you’ll receive up to 25 cents off per gallon, and if you upgrade to their premium account, you can get up to 40 cents off per gallon. The GasBuddy card works at 95% of gas stations in the U.S.

Additionally, if you want to save even more on gas, you can participate in their Shop Your Way program. Use the app to shop for their retailers, and they will apply more gas discounts to your card.

7. Flush (Toilet Finder)

The Flush restroom finder app is genius! All you have to do is open the app, and it will display public restroom options near you. The app also tells you if the bathroom is handicap accessible, if there is a fee, and even lets you know if a key is required. And this app isn’t just for those in the U.S.; it helps you find toilets worldwide!

8. Trabee Pocket (Budget Tracker)

The Trabee Pocket app was designed specifically for tracking your spending while traveling. The app allows you to enter pre-trip costs, add on-the-go costs, categorize your purchases, and show you how much you’ve spent via a pie graph. And if you don’t want to hold on to your paper receipt, you can take photos and upload them to the app.

When your road trip is over, you can export your expense detail to a PDF or even a CSV file that you can open in Microsoft Excel. This simple-to-use expense tracker is great for budget-conscious road-trippers looking to watch their spending!

9. HotelTonight (Last-Minute Stays)

If you’re looking for last-minute hotel deals, HotelTonight is your app. Perfect for road trips, this app is ideal for those who decide, unplanned, that they want to stay the night in town before moving on to their next destination. So how does it work?

HotelTonight partners with hotels to help them fill up their unreserved rooms. In return, they can offer deep discounts to get those rooms filled. And although the app advertises last-minute accommodations, you can also book stays up to 100 days in advance. Be careful, though! Because these are great deals, you likely won’t get a refund for a cancellation or the ability to request a different type of room.

10. Guide Along (Audio Tours)

Guide Along , formerly known as GyPsy Guide, is a GPS-narrated audio tour app that will give you information about your current location. While driving or walking, the app will suggest local tips and tell you about all the things there are to do and see around you. It’s a personal tour guide at your fingertips! The app lets you download and play tours offline if you know you’ll have bad cell service in an area.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of road trip planner apps, so be sure to research and find the apps that best fit your needs. It’s always a good idea to test out your apps before your trip so you’re not fumbling around while driving. Enjoy your vacation, and be safe out there!

This article originally appeared on Wander With Alex . Photo Credit: [@scanrail/DepositPhotos]

More Articles From Wander With Alex

• How to Spot Vacation Rental Scams and How to Avoid Them
• Vacation Vibes: 13 Travel Tips for a Relaxing and Stress-Free Trip

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IHG Hotels Partners with Google to Build AI Trip Planner

Justin Dawes , Skift

April 9th, 2024 at 7:00 AM EDT

IHG Hotels & Resorts sees a future in helping travelers plan their entire trip, not just where to stay.

Justin Dawes

​​IHG Hotels & Resorts is planning to release a trip planning tool powered by artificial intelligence from Google. 

The hotel giant plans to release the tool in the second half of the year as a feature within its One Rewards mobile app, which the company has been upgrading regularly since relaunching it almost two years ago.

The first version of the AI tool will focus on helping users with the “dreaming phase” of travel, according to Josh Weiss, vice president of guest digital products for IHG. 

“We knew that a significant portion of our mobile app users and our web users have their minds made up about where they want to go … but we also know that a substantial portion of people —  perhaps even a growing segment of our customers — are open to inspiration,” Weiss told Skift.

This is the first announcement that Google is making about a hospitality company integrating its generative AI tech, according to Carrie Tharp, vice president of strategic industries for Google Cloud. 

“You should expect a lot more in the travel space, which is why it’s important to get moving,” Tharp said.

And it’s among the first announcements like it by a hotel brand. Many have said they are experimenting with AI in various ways, but that usually hasn’t included trip planning. 

“A lot of the work is on the guest to sort through where they want to go, what are the criteria, and there’s lots of tools that help them do that today, but nothing quite like the experience we used to have decades ago with travel agents,” Tharp said. “And so I think IHG gets to step into the foray of really advancing what digital can do.”

IHG is designing the tool using the Google Cloud platform for building AI software, called Vertex AI . And the AI comes from Google’s proprietary Gemini (formerly Bard) model.

The partnership between the two companies began in 2022 when IHG migrated components of its data to the Google Cloud database. Google has played a big role in helping IHG organize its data and create a foundation that can be used toward new innovations, Weiss said. 

The Long-Term Vision

IHG first wants to ensure the core of the tool is valuable, with as few bugs as possible. And then the company plans to upgrade regularly.  

The vision is that the chatbot will be able to answer general and specific questions based on Google’s swath of information paired with IHG’s data. 

There could also be integrations from third-party travel companies for products like events and attractions bookings. Weiss expects IHG to test several companies to see how their products integrate with the app. 

IHG gave a few examples of prompts the chatbot will be able to answer in the long term:

•  “Give me four late-night dinner options near the InterContinental London Park Lane.” 
• “Does the Kimpton Shinjuku Hotel in Tokyo allow pets?” 
• “What jazz shows are happening near the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Times Square South the weekend of October 12th?” 

There could also be an opportunity in the future around engaging the customer before and during the stay, not just before booking. 

User feedback will help determine how the tool evolves, whether that’s focused more on hotel information and insights, or more on local events and attractions and entertainment.

“I don’t know the answer to that yet,” Weiss said. “But the great thing is we have the opportunity to take it in multiple directions very quickly based on what these platforms enable us to do.”

A Work in Progress 

The IHG tool will be the latest of many from large and small travel companies since OpenAI released the first generative AI tech in 2022. None of them yet have lived up to the big ideas about the future of travel planning and personalization that experts have been talking about. 

But Tharp said it’s important for travel companies to start experimenting now and adjusting based on feedback. 

“Every experience is not going to be perfect. Having human-in-the-loop feedback and being able to help tune the responses and really suit things to your brand voice is important,” Tharp said. “You don’t want to wait until everything’s perfect and a competitor has a really market-moving-type experience. You want to be out there learning as you go.” 

Weiss added that the tool will be there for those who really want to try it, but it won’t disrupt the experience for those who want to continue searching and booking as they currently do. 

“Some users have great desire to be part of very early developments and are willing to accept lots of glitches in exchange for some advantages and the chance for their feedback to actually help shape the future of the product,” he said. 

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Tags: artificial intelligence , future of lodging , gemini , google , google cloud , google gemini , ihg

Photo credit: Pictured: A King Premium Bay room with a balcony at Hotel Indigo Panama City Marina, which opened in 2023 in Panama City’s historic waterfront district. IHG Hotels & Resorts

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How to plan a food trip through the Ribble Valley, UK

Michelin-starred dining, independent butchers and artisan cheesemakers make this beautiful corner of Lancashire a rural idyll for food travellers.

From its blasted fells and verdant plateaus to its tangled woods and meandering rivers, the Ribble Valley is a rural wonderland that apparently inspired the otherworldly landscapes of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings . It is a natural haven for birders, walkers and cyclists, particularly where this corner of Lancashire merges into the Forest of Bowland, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Ribble Valley also tastes amazing. A seasonal food ethos grows out of its fertile farmland, underpinning the work of Michelin-acclaimed restaurants such as the Northcote in Langho and market-town gems such as Cowman’s sausage shop in Clitheroe. Key local producers, such as cheesemaker Mrs Kirkham’s, enjoy national recognition. Yet none of this feels overexposed. With the majority of travellers passing by the Ribble as they rush north to the Lake District, it continues to offer visitors a sense of discovery.

Where to eat at in the Ribble Valley

1. The Parkers Arms , Newton-in-Bowland

Reaching No 7 on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK list in 2023, The Parkers Arms has long been a place of pilgrimage for clued-up foodies. It serves gutsy Lancastrian cooking – and its pies are legendary. But that only tells half the story. Chef Stosie Madi’s work is often deft and light, exemplified by her fish cookery, while her French-Lebanese heritage brings a distinctive flavour to the menu. Dishes might range from minced mutton manoushe flatbreads to braised Bowland rabbit leg, butter-roasted loin, mustard sauce, mash and greens. Passing walkers or cyclists can snack from the bar menu. Three courses, £50.

2. Northcote , Langho

The valley’s benchmark dining destination for more than three decades, this Michelin-star restaurant and boutique hotel is constantly evolving. From its cookery school to the annual international guest chef event Obsession (in January and February), there are always interesting things happening at Northcote. Expect seasonally driven dishes, such as halibut with Jerusalem artichoke and winter truffle or aged dairy cow tartare, warm bone-marrow, alliums and horseradish, accompanied by exceptional wines from managing director Craig Bancroft’s lovingly curated cellar. Mains from £29; doubles from £216 per night, B & B.

3. La Locanda , Gisburn

High-quality local, seasonal ingredients are the cornerstone of Italian cooking – so, naturally, chef Maurizio Bocchi feels at home in the Ribble Valley. Key imports such as wine and olive oil aside, the Modena native cooks authentic Italian dishes using local meats, game, dairy and vegetables. The menu might include rabbit stuffed with Tuscan sausage and cabbage with rosemary potatoes, or cappellacci pasta filled with pumpkin and amaretti biscuits, finished with butter, sage and hazelnuts – served up in La Locanda’s comfortable farmhouse-style space. Mains from £15.  

4. The Inn at Whitewell , near Dunsop Bridge

This remote inn on the River Hodder has accommodated travellers since the 16th century. It is an evocative old building; all worn flagstone floors and roaring fires. Eat in its cosy bars or restaurant. First visit? Look to those dishes, such as the fish pie, chicken liver pate or bangers and champ with onion gravy, that have become established classics over many years. Do not miss the in-house wine shop. Mains from £16.50; doubles from £145 per night, room only.  

5. Freemasons at Wiswell , near Whalley

A degree of fine dining glitz runs through chef Steven Smith’s polished pub. You will find Sunday roasts as well as complex and creative dishes, such as prawn mousse-filled sea bass with Thai mussel curry, and salt and pepper tempura broccoli. There is a tasting menu, a chef’s table for those who like to watch kitchens work and, for those staying over, four stylish bedrooms. Mains from £39; doubles from £240 per night, B & B.  

An unmissable experience

Bowland Brewery

In its attractive food hall, upmarket cinema and bowling lanes, Holmes Mill development in Clitheroe offers numerous distractions. Heaven for cask and craft ale drinkers, its large beer hall is also the home to Bowland Brewery, which for 20 years has quenched local thirsts with tipples such as its classic, citrusy pale Hen Harrier or the Bowland Bumble, made with honey from the brewery’s beehives at nearby Little Middop Farm. On select Fridays, outside operational brewing hours, tours offer visitors the chance to learn about the brewing process: from raw malts and hops to the mash tun and the fermentation tanks. A tutored tasting of three third-pints follows. One-hour tours, £20 per person.  

Where to stay

The Higher Buck, Waddington

Is Waddington the Ribble Valley’s prettiest village? Fans of Hurst Green, Downham or Chipping might disagree, but this cluster of ancient buildings huddled around a gurgling stream is unquestionably idyllic – and home to three individually compelling pubs (see also The Lower Buck Inn and Waddington Arms). The Higher Buck has seven handsome, well-maintained bedrooms while its crowd-pleasing menu similarly excels. A cheddar soufflé with apple chutney and the Buck’s sensational steamed steak and ale pudding are testament to chef-landlord Michael Heathcote’s rigour. Mains from £17; doubles from £115 per night, B & B.  

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What are some things to do in Elektrostal?

This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.

Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!

Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Elektrostal.

Do I really have to go back home?

Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!

Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Elektrostal to Moscow drive , or go to the main page to plan a new road trip .

Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Moscow? Try searching for places within 1 hour of Moscow .

You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Moscow to Elektrostal . Or get a full Moscow to Elektrostal flight plan .

Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend.

And if you know Moscow well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Moscow!

More info on this route:

road conditions from Moscow to Elektrostal

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Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What travelers need to know.

Umbraphiles feeling the post-eclipse blues should start checking the expiration date on their passports.

The next total solar eclipse is set to happen on Aug. 12, 2026, over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small part of Portugal, according to NASA . 

In North America, only a partial eclipse will be visible, so if April’s event made you an eclipse chaser and you want to see totality, you’ll need to head overseas.

Here’s what you’ll need to know before packing your bags:

Do you need a passport or visa for the best destination?

The path of totality for the 2026 eclipse mostly goes through places Americans can travel visa-free with their passport, so long as they’re planning to stay for less than 90 days.

Spain, Portugal, Iceland and Greenland all allow visa-free tourist travel for U.S. passport holders.

Spain, Portugal and Iceland are also members of the Schengen Area, which allows for visa-free travel in much of Europe, meaning if you decide to make a multi-country trip out of your eclipse adventure, you won’t need to clear customs if you’re coming from much of the rest of Europe, either.

One major change for travelers to Europe from the U.S., however, is that electronic preauthorization will become a requirement beginning in mid-2025. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) requirement will apply to all four open countries in the path of totality. 

Depending on the state of the Ukraine war, travel to Russia may or may not be an option for most Americans by 2026, so it’s unclear what the paperwork requirements will be by then.

Is it better to see it from the beach?

Beaches can be a great place to see the eclipse because there are few natural obstacles blocking observers’ views of the sky. The 2026 path of totality passes over beaches on Spain’s northern and southeastern coasts, as well as over islands in the Mediterranean Sea including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The eclipse will also pass over coastal areas in Greenland and Iceland, according to the National Solar Observatory . 

Cruising Altitude: What it was like to see the eclipse from a plane

Will there be eclipse cruises or flights?

Almost certainly, although most operators have not announced specific plans yet. 

Cruise lines will also offer more viewing opportunities. Princess Cruises “has created a bespoke itinerary aboard Sky Princess to position the ship near Spain on that date,” according to a spokesperson for the line. The cruise will open for bookings on Princess’s website on May 23.

Cunard Line has sailings on its Queen Mary 2 , Queen Victoria and Queen Anne vessels that will put passengers in prime spots to watch .

'The ship can move': Why you should watch next solar eclipses from a cruise ship

Holland America Line is also planning multiple sailings around the event, though details are still to be announced. “Guests have reacted positively to our 2024 eclipse cruises and with the next full eclipse in 2026 we plan to have three sailings in Europe that will align with the path of the eclipse,” Paul Grigsby, the line's vice president of Deployment & Itinerary Planning, previously told USA TODAY in an email.

Want to see the next total solar eclipse in 2026? An expert recommends booking travel now.

• 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years.
• Travelers worldwide will likely head to Spain, Iceland, and Greenland for the event.
• A hotel expert encouraged travelers to start planning and booking their trips now.

It'll be two decades before the next total solar eclipse hits the US .

Another option: hop on a plane to Europe and turn the 2026 total solar eclipse into a viewing vacation.

Eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told Space.com that up to 3.7 million people likely traveled for the solar eclipse on Monday.

HotelPlanner's chief communication officer, Philip Ballard, told Business Insider that the eclipse was a major revenue generator for many cities. For places like Austin, Texas, and Rochester, New York, it could have created $1 billion in revenue, Vox reported.

"I would say the total solar eclipse has become a global phenomenon," Ballard said.

Ballard added that the next solar eclipse , which will pass through Iceland, Greenland, and Spain on August 12, 2026, could result in similar tourism and revenue influxes.

And if travelers are considering a trip to Europe for the solar eclipse, Ballard recommends planning your trip now.

Determine your eclipse viewing destination

According to Space.com , 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years. Its path will go through Greenland, parts of western Iceland, and northern Spain.

Choosing where to watch the eclipse will be a tough and important decision for travelers.

Iceland and Greenland have some positives. These regions will experience longer totality times, so viewers can watch the eclipse longer. Plus, the sun will be higher in the sky, so finding a spot to watch the eclipse will be less challenging, Space.com reported.

The downside is that these regions are more likely to be cloudy, according to the outlet.

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While parts of Spain are likely to offer clearer skies, the eclipse's timing will be shorter and closer to the horizon, which means travelers will need to plan and track down a viewing location with unobstructed views of the western horizon, Space.com reported.

Regardless of the destination, according to the outlet, one bonus is that the strongest meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere will happen the following night, so travelers can pack two events into one trip.

Book flights and hotels far in advance

Ballard encouraged people to book their hotels in their destination of choice as far in advance as possible.

"You should start looking now and booking hotels now because those cities in the path are already going to be at peak season," Ballard said.

Ballard said it's similar to when a Super Bowl city is determined or a Taylor Swift tour date is announced — you immediately see spikes in bookings. He predicts hotel occupancy rates will hit near-record highs, and room prices may double around the solar eclipse date.

Ballard's general rule of thumb is to book international travel at least three months in advance, but since this is such an anticipated event, booking earlier is smart. His advice is to start discussing plans with friends and family. If you decide on a destination, book a refundable room to keep your options open if plans change.

Regarding purchasing a plane ticket, a study from Expedia states that international travel's sweet spot is at least six months in advance.

According to Expedia, travelers who book six months in advance save an average of 10% more than travelers booking within two months or less.

Skip the hassle of planning altogether and book a solar eclipse tour

Another option is to let a tour operator do the work for you. A handful of tour companies have seen the increased interest in the solar eclipse and launched tours designed around the event.

These tours will have predetermined locations to view the eclipse, hotel blocks reserved, and itineraries highlighting both the region and the eclipse.

However, these can sell out quickly. For example, Space and Telescope created an 11-day tour of Spain around viewing the 2026 solar eclipse. The tour has already sold out as of Wednesday, and the waitlist is full.

Other operators, such as Wilderness Travel and Eclipse Traveler, have similar itineraries for the total eclipse in 2026.

Watch: A small Australian town was treated to a rare hybrid solar eclipse

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