By Sandy Stachowiak
You need hotel reservations, flights, and a list of activities. When you make travel plans keeping it all together is essential. A humble tool packs a few powerful features you shouldn’t overlook for your next trip.
Google Keep is a useful note-taking tool that provides the organizational features you need when you are on the road alone or with a group. And it’s easy! How to Use Google Keep for Simple Project ManagementAre you looking for a basic, intuitive, and cross-platform project management tool? We show you how to use Google Keep for simple projects.READ MORE
Plan Your Trip Together
Have you ever had to organize a trip for a group of people? This can be a challenging task. Each person wants to offer ideas, voice their opinions, and stay up to date with the plans. This is when Google Keep can save the day.
Whether you are organizing your getaway with a family of six or just your significant other, take advantage of Google Keep’s collaboration feature. This lets everyone stay in the loop with the plans and keeps all travel items in one spot. How To Use The Power Of Social Networks To Plan The Perfect TripRemember travel agents? Me neither! No one knows an area quite so well as the people who live there. Happily, thanks to social networks, you can access those people and discover what's worth seeing.READ MORE
For instance, you can create notes with full details for each part of the trip. You might have notes for the resort accommodations, flight information, weather forecast, and boarding details for a pet. Each note can include text, links, images, and lists. Then add collaborators to each one and your group will have access to it all.
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Just click the collaborator icon on the note and enter your friend or family member’s email address in the pop-up box. They will receive an email with the title of the note and a link to open it in Google Keep. You can add more than one collaborator, making it perfect for planning with a group.
Google Keep can help take the stress out of planning a trip for more than one person with its valuable collaboration feature.
Decide on Activities With Annotations
For deciding on destinations, activities, and travel routes, you can upload, edit, and share images with Google Keep. And by using the image annotation and collaboration features together, everybody can have a say in the travel plans. Google Keep Brings Text Recognition To Images In The Latest VersionGoogle Keep is now appears stylized with a new orange action bar. The note-taking app now also gives you a feature to search printed text in images.READ MORE
For example, maybe you are planning a trip to Orlando, Florida and need to decide which theme parks to visit. You can grab a screen shot of the map, pop it into a note in Google Keep, and let your group circle the spots they want to visit.
To edit an image, you simply click on it from the note and then select the Annotate Image icon from the top right. The image will then open in a small window with a pen, marker, and highlighter to mark it up. You can also pick from several colors for the tools, so each person can use a different one. This is a great way to organize every one’s preference.
Edits that others make to the note will automatically update for everyone to see and will include an Updated indicator. So everyone that you shared the note with can not only add their two cents, but stay up to date too.
Don’t Forget a Thing, Make a List or Two
Google Keep has a wonderful checklist feature that you can use to keep your plans in order. And you will likely need more than one list for your trip.
First, you can create a list of all travel plans that need to be made. You might include booking a hotel, comparing flights, arranging a rental car, and mapping out activities. Then as you complete each part of the plan, just mark it off the list.
Next, you can plan your packing with the Google Keep checklist feature. Add your clothes, shoes, accessories, and toiletries in just minutes. If you like to plan your packing by day, you can create a list for each day during your trip to ensure that you have enough, and not too many, items.
Going on a road trip? Make a list of maintenance tasks on the vehicle before your trip. You may need to check the oil, tire pressure, and fluids, purchase new windshield wiper blades, and give it a good cleaning.
You can share lists with the others in your travel party. So it is handy if each person takes care of an item on the list. You can also use Google Keep on your mobile phone. This makes marking off list items convenient no matter where you are when you complete them. 7 Tips for Taking Better Notes in Google Keep for AndroidIf you use Google Keep for Android, these tips will make your experience a much better one.READ MORE
Remember to Confirm Bookings
When you plan a trip that includes a variety of parts, it can be easy to forget something. If you are booking accommodations, flights, and a rental car, you may want to confirm your reservations. Google Keep has a useful reminder feature built-in.
For instance, you may have a note for the hotel you have reserved. The note can include a link to the hotel’s website, photos you captured from the site, a list of amenities, and the email confirmation attached. Then just set up a reminder to confirm your reservation.
Another good example for using reminders is when you are comparing flights. You might have a note that includes links to the airline or travel assistance sites, a list of airfares found with dates and times, and your flight budget. You can create a convenient reminder to check airfares regularly until you find the right deal.
Have you ever needed to book an activity? If you are planning on taking a tour, renting equipment, or reserving a table at an exclusive restaurant, use the reminders. You might try to make arrangements only to discover that the facility is closed at that time or they have asked you to call back closer to the requested date. Pop a reminder onto the note that has the activity details and you will not forget to follow up.
Reminders can be time and date or location-based for flexibility and you can have them repeat if needed. These helpful notifications can keep you on track with your plans. And, again, if you use the mobile Google Keep app, you can receive reminders on-the-go.
Create Cultural Notes
Once you begin making travel plans, you have likely selected your destination. You have researched it, looked at maps, and read helpful tips for your spot. Plus, you kept all information in a handy Google Keep note. But if you are traveling abroad, there is more to know than the basics. Traveling Overseas? Four Essential Tips for American TravelersI have several tips for traveling overseas that can help those wanting to take their U.S. mobile phone abroad.READ MORE
Consider creating a note with cultural details. This could include links to currency converter and translation tools, a list of common words and phrases in the local language, differences in food offerings, and details for attire.
You should note those important things about the country you are visiting so that everyone in your travel party can access them. Being prepared for overseas travel is a must and this is one way that Google Keep can help.
Prepare Check-In Notes
If you do happen to be planning a trip for a group, it is likely that you will split up at some point during your adventure. One way to stay in touch with the group when this happens is to set up check-in notes ahead of time. 10 Awesome Travel Blogs to Drool OverTravel finds its place in every dream list. These ten top travel blogs and globe-trotting tips can take you to most exciting destinations in the world even on a budget.READ MORE
A check-in note can prevent anxiety. You can create a note for each day during the trip for parties to check in. They can quickly type in the time and their location and then upload an image from their spot. You can set up reminders on the notes if needed, which is convenient so that no one forgets. Just keep in mind that each person must create their own reminder — these are not shared on the notes.
This is a terrific method for checking in with your group while on the trip. And it is a great way to enjoy details and photos together after the trip has ended.
Finalize Your Itinerary
Once your travel plans have been made, reservations have been confirmed, and the details are safe in Google Keep, it’s time to create the itinerary. For this, you can take advantage of the Google Docsintegration. Word Processing In Google Docs? 5 Important Tips To Keep In MindFor the majority of my life, Microsoft Word was the word processing tool to use if you were going to do any serious work. Sure, there were alternatives like Corel WordPerfect and later on OpenOffice,...READ MORE
For instance, you can begin with a note that includes a list of the activities you have planned. Click the More (three-dot) icon on the note and select Copy to Google Doc. A small pop-up box will display for you to open that item in a new tab. You will then see your note, list, or image copied to a new cloud document.
From there, you can edit the document to include dates, times, and other relevant details. When you are finished, you can easily share the itinerary. For those group trips, share it with the rest of your party to see if everyone is on the same page. They can comment on specific portions or simply give their approval if they agree.
When the itinerary is finalized you can download or print it quickly. And with Google Docs on your mobile device, you can access the itinerary from anywhere during your trip.
Helpful Organizational Features
Google Keep also has a variety of options for organizing your travel plan notes.
- Use color codes to see similar notes at a glance. You can color all notes with blue for one trip or use a different color for each stage of the trip.
- Create and add labels for fast access to relevant notes. You can create a label for “Spring Break” and then another for “Summer Vacation”.
- Drag and drop notes to rearrange them and display them in either grid or list view.
- Pin notes to keep the most important items at the top.
- Add a drawing for instructions, hand-written notes, or just some fun.
Are You Ready to Plan Your Trip With Google Keep?
Google Keep offers terrific note-taking capabilities, checklist options, image annotating, and useful tools to keep it all organized. And when you combine the web application with the mobile app, you can share and access your plans before, during, and after your trip from anywhere. 10 Creative Ways to Use Google Keep Every DayGoogle Keep is a simple note-taking app. But its simplicity hides its usefulness. Here are ten tips and ideas to use Google Keep for the little everyday things in life.READ MORE
Will you give Google Keep a try for planning your next trip? Which features do you like the most about Google Keep that will help you?
Image Credit: Maglara via Shutterstock.com Source:www.makeuseof.com
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