4 Surprising Ways Google Can Help You Travel Smarter

Ready for a healthy retreat, or starting to think about scheduling some R&R after a busy start to the new year? With hot flight deals and savvy apps and websites that can save you cash, getting away has never been more affordable or easier to plan. Add in the latest functionality from Google and the whole thing is a literal no-brainer. Need proof? Here are four super-smart ways to use Google Assistant (available with Google Home products and Pixel 2, and compatible with the iPhone) you might not have thought about before.

1. Score flight deals in seconds. Do you use sites like Kayak or Hipmunk for tracking flight costs and scoring the best deal? Google makes keeping a pulse on prices even easier with its assistant. All you need to ask is something like, “Okay Google, how much are flights to Paris?” to score the best current prices, the best prices during your desired date range, and an option to receive email updates for your vacay route.

2. Get info about the best time to visit. Google can also be a great resource for info that helps you decide when to visit a specific destination or the current weather — by voice, in a matter of minutes. For this one, just ask: “Okay Google, when is the best time to visit Rome?” or “What’s the weather like in Barcelona this week?”

3. Get fast, hands-free help. Feel like you drive bae or your S.O. crazy with tons of questions as you’re rushing out the door, or have too much happening to hold firmly onto your phone? Tap into the powers of Google to get a quick rundown on important travel info, like local currency, fast translations, and traffic updates. You can even call an Uber, totally hands-free. Game changed.

4. Use Lens to learn more. Google Lens (available to Google Pixel customers) can help identify famous landmarks, historical sites, notable art, and other cool stuff. Here are a few of our favorite Lens features:

  • Text: Quickly save info from biz cards and websites, along with addresses and important phone numbers.
  • Shopping: See availability and pricing for the products you love by scanning their bar or QR codes.
  • Landmarks: Identify famous landmarks and learn more about them in real time.
  • Art, books, and movies: See a movie poster and learn about the flick in seconds, or look up a book for a brief summary and rating. Love museums? Impress your travel companions with knowledge about gallery openings, exhibits, individual pieces, and artists.

Have you used tech to help you travel? Tell us how it’s helped you on Twitter @BritandCo.

(Photo via Getty)

Sprinkle the magic of Christmas into every seasonal activity by creating some festive Christmas nail designs! Whether you like to lean towards the traditional reds and greens or prefer to think colorfully outside the box, the polishes and Christmas nail designs below will set your mood and nail look right. Winter nails don't have to be drab – from star-studded nail art to bejeweled nail beds, we've got just the inspo for you.

Christmas Nail Colors

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essie 'Off Tropic'

You can't get your dream Christmas nail designs done without some stellar nail polishes! If your look involves a deep green, this shiny pick will help you pull it off easily. Use it to coat the entire nail for a sultry seasonal mani.

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OPI Opaque Light White & Gray Shimmer Nail Polish

With Christmas comes cold, and this nail polish screams icy. Wear it alone or apply it over a traditional Christmas color like red or green!

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OPI Infinite Shine 'Bubble Bath'

This baby pink will look gorgeous as a solid coat for Christmas-y dates and dinner parties.

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ILNP 'Ruby'

It's red. It's glittery. It's perfect for the holidays!

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Essie 'Winter Trend'

Spending Christmas with your besties or roommates? It's time for you to have your first 'Pinkmas' with the sparkly magenta nails to match!

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Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 'White on Time'

A super solid white nail polish, alongside a thin nail art brush, can be used to paint snowmen, gift wrap, or snowflakes like some of our featured Christmas nail designs depict.

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RARJSM Holographic Gel Polish

For the lazy gal manicurists, this holographic polish will make any light reflect off your nails which is the point during Christmas!

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essie 'U Wish'

Embrace the holidays with this fiery red that defies expectations of what a Christmas color should be.

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Butter London Patent Shine Nail Polish

This one color will work excellently for minimalist Christmas nail designs – use it to dot, stripe, or wear it on its own.

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Revlon 'Iced Mauve'

Sparkles are a must for Christmas, which is why we're heavily eyeing this potent pink.

Christmas Nails Inspo

Nataszija / July Ninety Six

Nifty-Gifty Gems

Use small nail gems of any color to infuse your Christmas nail designs with festive energy. We're loving red in particular because it just feels luxurious!

Brydie/Instagram

Deep Red Elegance

The bold red French tips, in combination with some art deco-inspired golden stars, can really bring your seasonal mani to the next level.

Charlotte Herberts/Instagram

Colorful Christmas Stars

Use a stencil or freehand these tiny stars in different chrome nail colors for a more jolly vibe this year.

Bryony Howell/Instagram

(Gift) Wrap It Up

A nail art brush can be used to paint on cutie little Christmas bows like this silvery one!

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Oliwia Krauz/Instagram

Classic Colors

Multicolor nails are not dead – take the trend further for the holidays by crafting your look with a mix of whites, golds, greens, and reds.

Melou's Nails/Instagram

Let It Shine

For an understated (yet still spirited) Christmas manicure, glitter will be your go-to. We love the gradient effect that this hand has on!

Peachi Nails/Instagram

Merry & Bright

Tiny star details are sure to turn heads this Christmas! You could use any hue, but a standout gold like this one really makes your nails pop!

Check out our weekly newsletter for more seasonal inspiration!

Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated

Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are the talk of the town lately — and Ali Krieger definitely has something to say about it. The timeline of Ashlyn and Ali's divorce and Ashlyn and Sophia's relationship is messy at best, but the latter couple constantly dispel any rumor that there was overlap. For much of this narrative, Ali's been pretty silent, but it's clear she's ready to speak her truth. In a statement posted to Instagram, the soccer superstar opened up. Here's what she had to say.

See Ali Krieger's full statement about the Ashlyn Harris drama here!

  • Ali says that while she's had an "outpouring of love and support" over the last year, she's been confronted with "a wave of dishonesty and misinformation" in regards to her marriage to Ashlyn Harris.
  • Ali noted that her "unwavering priority" is to her kids, and that she requests privacy while she comes to terms with the state of her personal life right now.
  • This comes after Ashlyn Harris made comments about the dissolution of their marriage on a podcast, stating that there was a total lack of intimacy and that the cheating "is so far from the truth."

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On December 3, 2024, Ali posted her statement to Instagram. She opened with, "I’m overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support I’ve received this last year. However, amidst this warmth, I’ve also had to confront a wave of dishonesty and misinformation regarding my marriage and personal life."

Ali shared that she isn't ready to make a more formal statement, but she feels "compelled to address this currently to prevent further distortion of the truth." But at the end of the day, Ali explained that her "unwavering priority" is her kids at this moment, and that she'll share more when her "heart feels ready."

She closed her statement with, "In this vulnerable time, I humbly ask for privacy and understanding from all involved, as I grapple with the profound changes in my personal life."

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre

This comes after Ashlyn spoke on the Naked Sports with Cari Championpodcast. Ashlyn noted that she was in a relationship without intimacy, eventually leading her to ask for an open marriage as a "last attempt." She also stated that people constantly see her as a cheater, which she says is "is so far from the truth."

I guess we'll know the truth in time...but for now, this is definitely messy. Wishing both sides of this divorce peace and understanding!

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If you were on the internet at all this summer, then you're probably familiar with all the It Ends With Us cast drama. The rumored rift between director and star Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively didn't come to light until after the movie released, but Justin just revealed some brand new information that totally reframes the whole film: he almost suffered a "breakdown" while filming.

Justin Baldoni has been vocal about taking the role of Ryle, who abuses Blake Lively's Lily throughout the film, really seriously, but his latest interview with the How to Fail podcast reveals the effect of the character went way farther than anyone knew.

Keep reading to see why starring as Ryle Kincaid opposite Blake Lively in It Ends With Usaffected Justin Baldoni's mental health.

Justin Baldoni says Ryle Kincaid was "very hard" to get rid of.

Sony Pictures Releasing

When host Elizabeth Day asks about how he decompressed after playing Ryle, Justin admits the character was harder to shake than he anticipated. "That was very hard and honestly, that took a few months," he says. "I had dreams as him for a while, and it lived in my body, but I think for the most part, he's out."

And while starring in such a role is difficult on its own, he also had the job of directing the scenes he was in! "Directing is a very lonely job, I'll just be very candid," he says. "Because you are kind of at the top of this totem pole. In your moments of quiet, everybody has a thousand questions for you and also nobody wants to disturb you and you don't really have many people to talk to and you can't necessarily share your anxiety or your nervousness about something because you're also the leader."

His scenes as Ryle involved everything from romantic scenes with Blake Lively to a physical fight with Brandon Sklenar, and there were times he had to go "shake it out" away from the rest of the cast.

Justin Baldoni almost had a breakdown after filming a scene with Blake Lively.

"I've done a lot of somatic therapy so there were times when I was actually just shaking," he says. "There's a moment in the movie where Ryle finds Lily's phone and he finds a phone number and he's very jealous and he's heartbroken and he's angry and he doesn't harm her but you can see in his eyes how dangerous he is. After that scene, I had a near breakdown."

Despite the fact he plays such a "dangerous" character, Justin quickly became the most beloved cast member after the movie's release. Fans became suspicious whey they realized Blake Lively, Brandon Sklenar, and Jenny Slate didn't follow the director on Instagram (and avoided talking about him in interviews)...and then the internet came to the conclusion there was a major rift between the director and the cast (which hasn't technically been confirmed by anyone who's rumored to be involved).

Justin spent the movie's press run raising awareness for domestic violence support, while the internet quickly criticized how Blake Lively treated the film like a lighthearted rom-com, using the opportunity to promote her haircare line.

A source told People that Blake Lively felt "surprised," "vulnerable and upset"about the response to the film's press, while Justin's Jane the Virgin costar Gina Rodriguez came to Justin's defense and told People in September that "sweet, sweet soul" Justin is "my brother forever. Forever and ever."

"You know what?" Justin says. "[Gina's comments] came at a very special time for me and that meant a lot. She really showed up for me. That was really sweet...She's a sweetheart. She's family forever."

Read up on what Brandon Sklenar said about a potential It Starts With Us sequel movie.