Places (New) Autocomplete - JavaScript Library

A case study in leveraging direct Google Maps API integration to reduce operational costs, while contributing open-source tools to the developer community.

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From Open-Source Library to Production: Places (New) Autocomplete Now Powers Itinee

A year ago, I built and shared Places (New) Autocomplete - JavaScript Library on Devpost to help developers easily adopt Google Maps Platform's latest Places (New) API with session tokens, field masking, and modern UX out of the box.

Today, I am delighted to share where this journey has led: that library has become the core location engine behind Itinee — an intelligent day-by-day travel planner and itinerary platform.

How the Library Powers Itinee

In travel planning, inaccurate location data causes routing chaos. By implementing the Places (New) API through this library, Itinee achieves:

  • Seamless Place Search and Autocomplete: Zero-friction place discovery with Google session token optimisation to keep API usage efficient and predictable.
  • Rich Location Context: Instant retrieval of precise coordinates, operating hours, place ratings, and destination photography directly into daily schedules.
  • Real-Time Travel Calculations: Combining selected place coordinates with Google Maps Routes and Distance Matrix services to compute realistic walking, transit, and driving durations between itinerary stops.

What Itinee Adds on Top

Since launching the library, Itinee has expanded into a comprehensive travel management platform:

  • Smart Day Sequencing: Drag-and-drop itinerary creation with automatic arrival time recalculation and planned stay durations.
  • AI Travel Day Auditor: Real-time schedule health scoring to prevent travel fatigue and optimise stop pacing.
  • Mobile Experience: Cross-platform companion mobile applications (Android and iOS in progress) with proactive "Time to Move" push notifications.
  • Public Discover Guides: Curated, interactive travel itineraries and destination guides for cities worldwide: Explore Guides.

Explore the Live Application

If you are planning an upcoming holiday, city break, or road journey, please give Itinee a try and let me know your thoughts.

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