I finally ditched generic travel apps thanks to this tiny NotebookLM trick

I hate travel planning, usually leaving it to a few clicks on travel apps. But travel apps usually bring up generic advice. I wanted to create personalized AI walking tours that felt like a history nerd whispering secrets in my ear. Paying for a guide was a non-option, and I needed the best free alternative to paid travel apps. So, I am trying out a digital prototype on Google’s research tool, NotebookLM, for the fun of it.

My tiny trick isn’t a “secret” NotebookLM method. It’s just deciding to use it as a hyperlocal research partner for one neighborhood at a time, then letting Google Maps anchor that research to walk those streets. Then, the method can be easily carried over to other kinds of travel plans.

1

Why NotebookLM can be an alternative travel planner

A personal planner you can tailor exactly to your interests

Most travel tools rely on algorithms and baked-in databases. Of course, there are some excellent travel apps (with and without maps), but NotebookLM gives you another way to do your travel planning. NotebookLM is different because it uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). This is a fancy way of saying it only knows what you feed it.

Instead of relying on a generic algorithm, you give the Gemini model a specific, high-quality set of sources you collate on your own or tell it to find via Discover. Whether you want a tour of museums in New York or a rundown of the most frequented pubs in London, the research and the responses stay grounded on your input. It can result in a travel guide that cuts through the noise of sponsored recommendations and run-of-the-mill travel spots. But let’s keep our expectations in check also, as NotebookLM’s responses are only as good as the sources we feed it.

2

Curate your own hyperlocal sources

The quality of your guide depends entirely on what you feed the AI

NotebookLM isn’t a search engine. Do not ask NotebookLM to “plan a trip to Paris.” It will give you generic advice (or hallucinate). Instead, you have to be the curator first, and then lead it with the right prompts.

I start by hunting for “hyperlocal” text. Depending on my needs, I look for articles from local historical societies, Wikipedia pages, scanned PDFs of out-of-print guidebooks from Archive.org, or even passionate Reddit threads like r/travel or a subreddit on my city where locals argue about the best hotspots. Tourism board PDFs and official destination guides are other good sources. You can even try restaurant menus (we have to eat somewhere after all!). Perplexity’s AI-powered search is a great tool to use here.

Once you have your sources (usually 5-10 solid URLs or PDFs), upload them into a new notebook. Some sources won’t load, so you can always go back to the Source discovery box and find more. The bank of sources creates a “fenced” brain for the AI. It will now only answer questions based on this specific pile of high-quality data, ensuring your walking tour is grounded in your research.

3

Coach NotebookLM with the right prompts

Instead of a summary, build a structured itinerary

If you just ask for “interesting facts,” you will get a wall of text that reads like a boring list. You need to shoot for a better structure.

I use a specific prompt to force the AI into “Guide Mode.” I ask it to act as an expert local historian. Then, I give it a structural command:

This prompt does two things. First, it filters out the fluff. Second, it gives me bite-sized stories I can actually digest while standing on a street corner. The output is usually clean, concise, and full of the kind of trivia that makes you look smart if you are going around with travel companions. Tweak the prompt according to your itinerary… and obviously feel free to use your own prompts.

4

Export your itinerary to Google My Maps

Turn your text research into a custom map with a quick manual step

If you are anything like me, you probably have a dump yard of notes filled with cool travel spots that you never actually visit because plotting everything on the map is a pain. While there’s no integration between the two Google tools, we can jerry-rig that raw text from NotebookLM and force it into Google Maps and create a more visual plan to navigate with.

We aren’t using the standard Google Maps list feature here, which is tedious to manage. Instead, we are using Google My Maps, a powerful tool that lets us import data in bulk.

1. Ask NotebookLM to structure your data by using a prompt like:

   Create a table of these locations with the following columns: Location Name, Exact Address, and a short 15-word Description of why it is interesting.

2. Copy the generated table and paste it directly into a Google Sheet or an Excel file, then save it as a CSV.
3. Open Google My Maps in your desktop browser and click Create a New Map.
4. Select the Import button located on the layer card on the left side of the screen.
5. Upload your CSV file and follow the prompts to tell Google which column contains the address (for positioning) and which contains the name (for the label).

Once the import finishes, you will see your custom itinerary instantly populated across the city. You can now open this map on your phone’s Google Maps app under You > Maps and walk your route with the AI’s history notes right there in the description field. You can even view it on Google Earth in all its 3D glory. Select the kebab menu on the left and go to View on Google Earth.

5

Generate an audio walking tour

Listen to an audio guide while you walk with the NotebookLM podcast

This is the feature that truly makes it interesting for me. NotebookLM has a feature called Audio Overview, which takes your source notes and turns it into a conversational podcast between two AI hosts.

Before I start, I generate this audio file. Since I curated the sources specifically for this walking route, the audio creates an ideal backdrop for the walk.

It is not GPS-triggered like a fancy museum app, but it doesn’t need to be. I simply pop in my earbuds, hit play on the Audio Overview, and listen to the hosts banter about the history of the neighborhood I’m walking through. It turns a silent stroll into an immersive experience, and it costs absolutely nothing. It’s a great fit for the solo walks I take around the city.

Why should travel apps have all the fun

We usually fall back on generic algorithms and let them dictate our taste. Yes, it’s so convenient. However, by taking just twenty minutes to curate your own sources and using NotebookLM to process them, you can reclaim that sense of serendipitous discovery. Remember, NotebookLM Free caps you at 50 sources per notebook. That should be enough for a single destination. As travel information becomes stale fast (e.g. restaurant closures), counter-check the information. Also, in my experience, the truly hyperlocal gems may have no web presence, which NotebookLM’ sources relies on. Here, you have to fall back on word of mouth. But do the research and the follow your own curiosity, powered by NotebookLM’s smart personalized pocket guide.