This travel site is the Google Maps helper you never knew you needed

Trying to get from point A to point B? If only it were that simple! With any manner of travel these days, you’ve got options: planes, trains, buses, ferries, and beyond. And finding the best path to embark on isn’t always easy.

Even finding all the available options can sometimes be a pain. But it doesn’t have to be.

For over a decade, I’ve been using a tool that demystifies how to get from one location to another. It’s a great way to see all the available travel options in a single spot—complete with estimated prices and travel times.

Notably, there’s absolutely no AI at play here. AI travel tools may be interesting for brainstorming ideas, but this tool will show you only real transportation options with up-to-date information. 

Let’s get moving.

Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures!

Google Maps who?

The next time you encounter a complicated web of route options, remember a site called ​Rome2Rio​.

➜ Rome2Rio shows every last possible travel option in a single streamlined place. It even finds routes Google Maps misses—that’s the main point.

To get started, head to the ​Rome2Rio website​. You can also install the free app for your ​Android​ device or ​iPhone​, if you’d rather. Whichever path you pick, you won’t need to create an account or jump through any silly hoops to get going.

Just plug in the destination you’re starting from, the destination you’re headed to—and that’s it.

You’ll instantly see all your options, with prices attached.

Rome2Rio has two boxes to fill out: where you’re starting and where you’re going.

The site will even provide options that string together multiple modes of travel. If the best method available for a given trip is to take a train, board an airplane, and then jump on a ferry, Rome2Rio will tell you.

You’ll see every travel option imaginable—and how much it costs—in a matter of moments with Rome2Rio.

You can actually book your travel through Rome2Rio, too, but I’ve always just used it as a search engine and a starting point for my travel planning.

Ultimately, Rome2Rio is a huge, regularly updated database that does one thing and does it exceptionally well. It even beats most AI-powered travel tools in 2025, assuming you just want to know concrete ways to get from A to B.

  • Rome2Rio is available ​on the web​, as ​an Android app​, and as ​an iPhone app​.
  • The service is completely free. (It makes money with ads and affiliate links, if you use it to book travel.)
  • Rome2Rio’s ​privacy policy​ says the service will never sell your personal information. And again, you don’t even need an account to use it.

Navigate your way to even more productivity-boosting goodness with my free Cool Tools newsletter. You’ll get an instant introduction to an incredible audio app and a new off-the-beaten-path gem in your inbox every Wednesday!


https://www.fastcompany.com/91308306/rome2rio-google-maps?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Created 1d | Apr 19, 2025, 11:10:05 AM


Login to add comment

Other posts in this group

Find these 6 Easter eggs on your iPhone or Mac

If real Easter eggs aren’t your thing this weekend, you may find hunting for digital ones more enjoyable. And there are some cool ones to find at your fingertips, provided you have an iPhone or Ma

Apr 19, 2025, 11:10:07 AM | Fast company - tech
This music streamer is giving its users a version of Spotify Wrapped every month

With music streaming, users have gotten used to being at the mercy of algorithms. But French music streamer Deezer is making it easier for its subscribers to make the algorithm work for them.

Apr 19, 2025, 11:10:05 AM | Fast company - tech
Feeling lonely? X cofounder Ev Williams has an app for that.

When Twitter cofounder and Medium founder Evan “Ev” Williams was planning his 50th birthday party, he didn’t know who to invite. Having spent more of his life building and scaling tech

Apr 18, 2025, 11:30:05 PM | Fast company - tech
A TikToker sues Roblox for using her viral Charli XCX dance without permission

If you thought you’d heard the last of the viral “Apple” dance, think again. The TikToker behind it is now suing Roblox over its unauthorized use.

Last year, during the height of Brat su

Apr 18, 2025, 6:50:08 PM | Fast company - tech
What to know about Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s right-hand man

A Wall Street Journal report this week gave an extensive look into how Elon Musk, the

Apr 18, 2025, 4:40:03 PM | Fast company - tech
Netflix beats first quarter forecast, revealing it hasn’t been touched by Trump’s tariffs, yet

Netflix fared better than analysts anticipated during the first thr

Apr 18, 2025, 2:20:07 PM | Fast company - tech
Why are AI companies so bad at naming their models?

Six hours after OpenAI’s launch of GPT-4.1, Sam Altman was already apologizing. 

This time, it wasn’t about

Apr 18, 2025, 9:40:03 AM | Fast company - tech