For busy college students, planning anything — whether it’s just a night out or an entire vacation — can be stressful enough to make you want to just stay home. It can feel like there are too many apps, payment plans, and group chats for plans to actually be fun. Uber’s picked up on this, and in 2026, the company is expanding beyond its rideshare features. Pack your bags, because Uber is making its way into the travel space (and not just by car).
On April 29, Uber held its annual product event, Uber GO-GET 2026, where the brand announced a ton of new features, including some huge news for travel fans. With these updates, Uber is consolidating rideshare services, hotel booking, reservations, and more onto one app, making those girls’ trips and study abroad weekend plans simpler than ever.
Starting with perhaps the biggest update: You can now book hotels on Uber. The tool works in partnership with Expedia to bring users a wide range of hotel selections (with Uber One members able to book hotels for 20% off and earn 10% back in Uber One credits on all bookings). Later this year, Vrbo rentals will also be available to book in the app as well.Â
It doesn’t stop at hotel bookings. There’s an entire new Travel Mode in the app. In the official announcement of the new features, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that Travel Mode can “[guide] travelers through busy airports,” and also provides recommendations for tourist destinations and restaurants, with the ability to make reservations right in the app in partnership with OpenTable. Travel Mode also offers a “room service” feature, which streamlines delivery of food and other travel essentials. Last, but certainly not least, for those having a Euro Summer, you can reserve an Uber Boats in certain destinations in Europe.
On top of the big travel news, Uber is adding even more new features, including some bougie Uber One benefits, a Shop With Me feature, and Voice Bookings are powered by AI when your hands aren’t free to type. Clearly, it’s a new era for Uber, and one that could change the way college students use the app for good.