productivity

Google Maps (Travel Planner)

gongrzhe

by gongrzhe

Google Maps Travel Planner: Plan journeys, optimize itineraries, and get trip directions with AI-driven, automated trave

Integrates with Google Maps to enable AI-driven travel planning, itinerary optimization, and location-based services for automated trip management.

github stars

95

0 commentsdiscussion

Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.

Requires Google Maps API keyBuilt-in travel mode options

best for

  • / Travel planning and itinerary creation
  • / Location-based service development
  • / Trip optimization and routing
  • / Travel apps and booking platforms

capabilities

  • / Search for places using Google Places API
  • / Get detailed information about specific locations
  • / Calculate routes between destinations
  • / Look up travel times and distances
  • / Find places within specified radius
  • / Bias search results by location

what it does

Connects to Google Maps API to search for places, get location details, and calculate travel routes for trip planning.

about

Google Maps (Travel Planner) is a community-built MCP server published by gongrzhe that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Google Maps Travel Planner: Plan journeys, optimize itineraries, and get trip directions with AI-driven, automated trave It is categorized under productivity.

how to install

You can install Google Maps (Travel Planner) in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

MIT

Google Maps (Travel Planner) is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

Travel Planner MCP Server (@gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp)

smithery badge

A Travel Planner Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation for interacting with Google Maps and travel planning services. This server enables LLMs to perform travel-related tasks such as location search, place details lookup, and travel time calculations.

<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/y3u6yjiiq1"> <img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/y3u6yjiiq1/badge" alt="Travel Planner Server MCP server" /> </a>

Installation & Usage

Installing via Smithery

To install Travel Planner for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @GongRzhe/TRAVEL-PLANNER-MCP-Server --client claude

Installing Manually

# Using npx (recommended)
npx @gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp

# With environment variable for Google Maps API
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_api_key npx @gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp

Or install globally:

# Install globally
npm install -g @gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp

# Run after global installation
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_api_key @gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp

Components

Tools

  • searchPlaces

    • Search for places using Google Places API
    • Input:
      • query (string): Search query for places
      • location (optional): Latitude and longitude to bias results
      • radius (optional): Search radius in meters
  • getPlaceDetails

    • Get detailed information about a specific place
    • Input:
      • placeId (string): Google Place ID to retrieve details for
  • calculateRoute

    • Calculate route between two locations
    • Input:
      • origin (string): Starting location
      • destination (string): Ending location
      • mode (optional): Travel mode (driving, walking, bicycling, transit)
  • getTimeZone

    • Get timezone information for a location
    • Input:
      • location: Latitude and longitude coordinates
      • timestamp (optional): Timestamp for time zone calculation

Configuration

Usage with Claude Desktop

To use this server with the Claude Desktop app, add the following configuration to the "mcpServers" section of your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "travel-planner": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@gongrzhe/server-travelplanner-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "your_google_maps_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, you can use the node command directly if you have the package installed:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "travel-planner": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["path/to/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "your_google_maps_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Development

Building from Source

  1. Clone the repository
  2. Install dependencies:
    npm install
    
  3. Build the project:
    npm run build
    

Environment Variables

  • GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY (required): Your Google Maps API key with the following APIs enabled:
    • Places API
    • Directions API
    • Geocoding API
    • Time Zone API

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.

FAQ

What is the Google Maps (Travel Planner) MCP server?
Google Maps (Travel Planner) is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
How are reviews shown for Google Maps (Travel Planner)?
This profile displays 53 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.4 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.

Use Cases

Extended AI Capabilities

Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation

Example

Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services

Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent

Context Enhancement

Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data

Example

Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases

Get more accurate, context-aware responses

Workflow Automation

Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools

Example

Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification

Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop 0.7.0+ or Cursor IDE with MCP support
  • Basic understanding of MCP architecture and capabilities
  • Access credentials for integrated services (if required)
  • Willingness to experiment and iterate on configuration

Time Estimate

15-60 minutes depending on server complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install MCP server: npm install -g [package-name] or via GitHub
  2. 2.Add server configuration to ~/.claude/mcp.json
  3. 3.Provide required credentials and configuration
  4. 4.Restart Claude Desktop to load new server
  5. 5.Test basic functionality with simple prompts
  6. 6.Explore capabilities and experiment with use cases
  7. 7.Document successful patterns for reuse

Troubleshooting

  • MCP server not loading: Check config syntax, verify installation
  • Connection errors: Check network, firewall, credentials
  • Feature not working: Read server docs, check required parameters
  • Performance issues: Monitor resource usage, check for network latency
  • Conflicts with other servers: Check port assignments, namespace collisions

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Read server documentation thoroughly before setup
  • +Start with simple use cases to validate functionality
  • +Test in non-production environment first
  • +Monitor resource usage and performance
  • +Keep servers updated for bug fixes and new features
  • +Document configuration for team members
  • +Use environment variables for sensitive configuration

✗ Don't

  • Don't grant overly permissive access to MCP servers
  • Don't skip reading security considerations in docs
  • Don't expose sensitive data without proper controls
  • Don't run untrusted MCP servers without code review
  • Don't ignore error messages—investigate root cause

💡 Pro Tips

  • Combine multiple MCP servers for powerful workflows
  • Create custom MCP servers for your specific needs
  • Share successful configurations with team
  • Use MCP inspector for debugging
  • Join MCP community for tips and troubleshooting

Technical Details

Architecture

Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.

Protocols

  • Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  • JSON-RPC 2.0
  • stdio or HTTP transport

Compatibility

  • Claude Desktop
  • Cursor IDE
  • Custom MCP clients

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.

Integration

  • Tool composition: Chain multiple MCP tools in workflows
  • Context augmentation: Provide AI with relevant external data
  • Action delegation: Let AI execute tasks on external systems
  • Bidirectional sync: Keep AI context and external systems in sync

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.

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Ratings

4.453 reviews
  • Daniel Sethi· Dec 28, 2024

    We evaluated Google Maps (Travel Planner) against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.

  • Kaira Patel· Dec 20, 2024

    Strong directory entry: Google Maps (Travel Planner) surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.

  • Yusuf Rahman· Dec 16, 2024

    We wired Google Maps (Travel Planner) into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.

  • Amelia Garcia· Nov 19, 2024

    Google Maps (Travel Planner) has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.

  • Amelia Thompson· Nov 11, 2024

    I recommend Google Maps (Travel Planner) for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.

  • Yusuf Diallo· Nov 7, 2024

    Google Maps (Travel Planner) is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Yusuf Harris· Oct 26, 2024

    Google Maps (Travel Planner) has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.

  • Amelia Flores· Oct 10, 2024

    Google Maps (Travel Planner) is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Amelia Sanchez· Oct 2, 2024

    According to our notes, Google Maps (Travel Planner) benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.

  • Piyush G· Sep 25, 2024

    Strong directory entry: Google Maps (Travel Planner) surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.

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