Travel Better: How to Best Use Google Flights Explore
- Updated: 10/28/2023
- Janice
Google offers two tremendously valuable travel planning tools you might not be using that regularly save travelers significant time and money.
As well as help them discover more places to travel. They will do the same for you.
Of the two tools, find an overview of the first, Google Explore, below.
And the second is Google Fights Price Tracker, which I share more about in the article, “How to Save Time & Money with Google Flights Price Tracker.”
Table Of Contents
What is Google Explore & Why You Should Use It
For any traveler who has puzzled over the question, “Where should I go next?”—Google Explore will be your new favorite shortcut to figure it out.
This shortcut is a powerful map-based search tool built on top of the Google Flights search engine. Additionally, it offers links to outstanding trip-planning resources.
Google Explore brilliantly shows all possible travel destinations from one location across a navigable map.
Rather than listing travel options on a search results page as Google Flights does, Google Explore brilliantly shows all possible travel destinations across a navigable map from one location.
And welcomingly, these search results are no longer limited solely to plane travel and airport locations.
An update to Google Explore includes driving and combo flying-driving destinations, like National and State Parks and nearby small towns and resort locations.
Where To Find Google Explore
Find Google Explore in one of four ways.
1. Go to the Google Explore homepage. Avoid confusing Google Explore with Google Earth. If you Google “Google Explore,” you may see Google Earth listed first. Instead, click here for the Google Explore homepage.
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2. Find Explore on Google Flights. Google Flights is Google’s airfare search engine. It is the first place I go to anytime I need plane tickets. Locate “Explore” on the left-hand sidebar menu. I circle where to find it in the screenshot below.
3. When using Google Flights, access Google Explore’s powerful map-based search functionality by leaving your destination blank or non-specific.
If you do not want to leave your destination empty, you can enter a region or a country. In the short video clip below, as an example, I select Europe as my region. The Explore functionality displays all the travel options from my origin point (Chicago) to Europe.
4. Finally, access Google Explore from any of Google’s suite of travel planning websites, such as Google Travel, Google Hotels, or Google Things to Do. Find and access Explore in the left-hand sidebar menu on any of these sites.
Use Desktop or Mobile?
To get the most out of Google Explore—I recommend using the desktop version. Using Explore on a larger screen allows for easier zooming to view destination options on the map.
To get the most out of Google Explore, I highly recommend using the desktop version.
You can also access Google Explore on mobile devices. See where to find Explore on the mobile versions of Google Flights and Google Travel below.
Three Key Things to Know About Using Google Explore
There are three helpful things to keep in mind when using Google Explore. I list them below.
1. You can heavily customize searches.
Google Explore allows you to customize travel searches to fit your specific needs and preferences in several ways. See where to find the filters in the image below.
You can adjust additional filter options on the flight-segment search results page. See my five-step Google Explore tour in the section below to see how.
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2. Be aware of the Basic Economy fare.
As a family traveler buying tickets for more than one person, having ticket pricing on Google Explore (and Flights) default to Basic Economy is one of my pet peeves.
This bare-bones ticket category does not include seat selection, checked baggage, or sometimes even carry-ons in their pricing—which all can add up rapidly and expensively.
The frustrating thing is that Google Flights and Explore often label these tickets as “Economy,” like in the roundtrip ticket on Frontier example below. Note for these tickets—Frontier will charge an additional fee for carry-ons and checked baggage.
And if you are wondering how much—$116-120 per carry-on, and $108-112 per piece of checked luggage. That could total an additional $800+ per flight for a family of four. Insert angry emoji here.
So, a good reminder when looking at ticket pricing on Google Flights or Explore is to read the fine print. And then go to the carrier website to reprice the ticket and to get more information about ticketing classes before you buy.
Pro tip: Bypass seeing the artificially low Basic Economy no-inclusions flight prices in your search results by customizing search filters.
To do this, click the “Bags” drop-down filter on your flight search results page—find it above the “Best departing flights” list—and select the total number of carry-ons and checked baggage for your group.
When you do this, the prices for displayed flights will adjust to include the additional fees. Or it will eliminate showing Basic Economy fares altogether, depending on the airline.
For more information and video clips on refining your search, jump to the “Customize Your Search” section below.
3. Not all airlines are included in search results.
You will not find fares for U.S.-based Southwest airlines or several European or Asian low-cost carriers on Google Flights and Explore.
Or in some cases, not all flights from all carriers will display. Google answers why it does not include all flights in its search engine results partway down this page.
Visit the individual sites of these airlines to price out tickets. Or use other search engines or OTAs (online travel agencies) I recommend in the article, “Airfare: Find The Right Flight.”
Pro tip: To find all the airlines that fly to a place, go to the airport website for that destination and look for its “Arrivals & Departures” or “Flight Schedules” pages.
These pages will show you which airlines serve that airport. Though, take note of seasonality. More and different airlines may fly to that airport in high or shoulder seasons.
How to Use Google Explore: A Five-Step Tour
I use the desktop version of Google Explore in this five-step tour to best showcase how to use it.
Five Steps to Using Google Explore:
1. Go To Google Explore
See the four ways to get to Google Explore in “Where to Find Google Explore,” in the section above.
2. Set Main Search Parameters
Set your departure location. Then, be as specific or imprecise as you want for your destination. Leave the “Where to?” destination blank. Or set it as a region or country.
I show how to conduct both an open-ended and a specific region search below.
Set your dates. Depending on your schedule flexibility, set your dates to be specific or flexible—such as by selecting to search for a “One-week trip in the next six months,” a flexible search option provided by Google.
Open-ended “Explore” Searches
Using my home base (Chicago) as my departure point and leaving the “Where to?” field blank, my search results display a map of the U.S. highlighting potential trip options.
By clicking on the zoom plus-minus buttons in the lower right corner, I can focus on different areas of the country to see even more flights and trip recommendations. Next, I can “grab” my zoomed-in map with my mouse and drag it around to view flight deals around the country.
For example, a zoom-in and drag to the south show me a combo flying-driving trip to Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas—a location I have not considered for a trip yet. I am a big fan of National Parks, so this is a good recommendation.
Alternatively, I can zoom out and drag my map using my mouse to view trip options anywhere in the world. Zooming in on Asia, I see roundtrip tickets from Chicago to Tokyo—at the time of my search—for under $800.
A special note for driving trip enthusiasts—when you click on the Google Explore “Where to?” field from the drop-down menu, select “Explore destinations nearby” to look at trips within a six-hour drive.
Or click on the red destination pin labeled “Explore nearby” that hovers above your departure point. When you do this, Google will auto-zoom you in to view trips within approximately a three-hour drive.
Regional or Country-Specific Searches
Instead of leaving the “Where to?” destination field blank, you can set a search to focus on a region or a specific country.
In the example below, I entered my destination as “Europe.”
Or I can enter a specific country, like Mexico, and view my fare options.
3. Customize Your Search & Find Your Search Results
Google Explore allows you to customize several aspects of search at two points—at the initial search window, shown below. And, on your flight search results page, at which point Google provides you with expanded options.
Within the initial search window, you can search for travel destinations based on 15 filters, like your number of preferred stops or your desired duration for your flights. Since Google updates these filters regularly, what you see may be slightly different.
I list the filters you can customize at the initial search below.
Types of Filters You Can Customize at the Initial Search
- Type of ticket: roundtrip or one-way
- Number of travelers
- Fare class
- Departure location
- Destination: specific location, region, country, or leave blank
- Travel dates: specific or flexible dates
- Number of stops
- Travel mode: flights only or places reachable by car and plane
- Interests: search for destinations based on one of six interest categories (e.g., beaches, skiing, etc.)
- Price: set limits for what you are willing to spend
- Airline alliance: search all airlines or select a specific flight alliance group
- Flight times
- Flight duration
- Number of carry-ons
You can adjust six additional filters on the flight search results page.
I show how to scroll down to locate the “View flights” button on the main Explore page and where to find the other filters once you are on the flight results page in the clip below.
Additional Filters on the Flight Search Results Page
- Specific airline
- Number of checked bags
- Emissions: search for flights with less emissions only
- Layover duration: set time limits for your layover
- Connecting airport: select your preferred connecting airport
- Separate tickets: opt to hide multi-leg tickets booked on different airlines
As an example, I set the “Duration” filter for an upcoming spring flight to Europe to search only flights under 15 hours.
I did this to eliminate flights with overnight layovers. Even though fares with long layovers are typically cheaper, the time cost of prolonged transiting, especially if vacation time is short, is too steep. See how to do this in the clip below.
4. Learn More About Your Destination
Once you have identified your destination, scroll through the exceptionally helpful planning information in the “Discover” section on Google Explore.
For example, for a potential trip to Tokyo from Chicago, I can learn more about visiting or planning a trip using the information I show in the quick video clip below.
In this example, Google Explore provides information about top things to see and do in Tokyo. Explore also shows me hotel pricing with a link to search for more options.
Scrolling down further, I can learn the best times of year to visit or the top questions people planning a trip to Tokyo ask.
Short of reading an entire guidebook, you will be hard-pressed to find such comprehensive and valuable distilled trip planning information anywhere else.
Short of reading an entire guidebook, you will be hard-pressed to find such comprehensive and valuable distilled trip planning information anywhere else. The resources provided by Google Explore offer an incredible time-saving shortcut.
5. Play Around with Flight Pricing
By this point, if you have determined where you want to go and it involves airfare, you may want to see if you can save money. The best way to explore the most affordable dates to travel is to look at the Google Flights fare calendar.
Using the fare calendar allows you to see at-a-glance, all the flight prices from your origin point to your destination over two months.
This feature is especially beneficial if you are flexible on your travel dates.
For example, in the clip below featuring a Chicago to Tokyo flight, by looking at the two-month fare calendar, I can see that if I leave on a Thursday and return in two weeks on a weekday, I can get the cheapest fare available for my flight.
To view the fare calendar for a specific destination, you can do this in one of two ways.
By accessing it from your Google Explore flight search results page, as shown in the example above, you can click on the dates in the menu bar above the “Best departing flights” list.
Or—by exiting Google Explore and restarting a search on Google Flights. Locate the Google Flights icon on the left-hand Explore sidebar menu to begin your search.
Takeaways
When you do not know where to go for a trip, use Google Explore. Tapping into its flexible search engine will help you save time by figuring out more travel options in your budget faster. And as an added benefit, you may discover places to visit not previously on your travel radar.
And when used in combination with Google Flights Price Tracker, you will plan better and more affordable trips with less effort.
Google Explore Will Help You:
Save time.
Find trip options faster. Get valuable destination planning information on the same screen.
Spend less.
Searching for all trips from your origin will help you find a great destination in your budget every time.
Discover new places.
Locate terrific places to visit that are in your price range and are new on your trip radar.
Related Articles
When using Google Explore and Google Flights, also take advantage of the Google Flights Price Tracker tool to get alerts and to be notified when your targeted flight price goes up or down.
I explain where to find it and how to use it in the article “How to Save Time & Money with Google Flights Price Tracker.”
Or read from my collection of other helpful how-to and travel tip articles below:
- 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
- Google for Travel: Plan Better with These 8 Tools
- Why You Will Love Google Maps for Trip Planning
- 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research
- 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
- Pack Faster & Better With This Universal Printable Packing List
- Travel Insurance Simplified: 4 Reasons You Need It
- Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack
- The Top Travel Apps I Use for Better Travel
Or check out my complete collection of travel planning resources on my “How to Plan Better Travel” page.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
Love to travel? Sign up for my monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
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2 Responses
VK, yes! I’ve also heard both sides of the same thing. I often pop up an incognito window just to compare as well, even though plenty of online resources claim it has zero effect on pricing. I haven’t seen the $ difference you saw on your last check, though it is a good reminder to take the extra few seconds to go incognito to make sure I am seeing the best prices. And thanks for the kind words!
Hi Janice!
I love Google Flights and Explore and use them all the time.
I’m not sure if you mentioned it, but one thing I always do is to open up Google Flights using an Incognito or Private window to prevent Google from tracking how much I’m spending on a flight.
Years ago, I heard that Google tracks how much you’re willing to pay for a flight and then serve up similar prices in the future.
This is not so good for me since I sometimes travel on short notice and pay through the nose for the privilege!
Alternatively, I’ve also heard that this is complete nonsense and that there’s no need for the incognito window.
However, just yesterday, I found a USD 150 difference between the incognito window and the window opened up using my google profile.
Anyway, heaps of beneficial info throughout the blog!
Keep up the great work, and thanks again for finding all these fantastic tips!