diff --git a/server/src/mcp/tools.ts b/server/src/mcp/tools.ts
index ab542be..b2dbd8a 100644
--- a/server/src/mcp/tools.ts
+++ b/server/src/mcp/tools.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { createNote as createCollabNote, updateNote as updateCollabNote, deleteN
 import {
   markCountryVisited, unmarkCountryVisited, createBucketItem, deleteBucketItem,
 } from '../services/atlasService';
+import { searchPlaces } from '../services/mapsService';
 
 const MAX_MCP_TRIP_DAYS = 90;
 
@@ -235,25 +236,12 @@ export function registerTools(server: McpServer, userId: number): void {
       },
     },
     async ({ query }) => {
-      // Use Nominatim (no API key needed, always available)
-      const params = new URLSearchParams({
-        q: query, format: 'json', addressdetails: '1', limit: '5', 'accept-language': 'en',
-      });
-      const response = await fetch(`https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?${params}`, {
-        headers: { 'User-Agent': 'TREK Travel Planner' },
-      });
-      if (!response.ok) {
-        return { content: [{ type: 'text' as const, text: 'Search failed — Nominatim API error.' }], isError: true };
+      try {
+        const result = await searchPlaces(userId, query);
+        return ok(result);
+      } catch {
+        return { content: [{ type: 'text' as const, text: 'Place search failed.' }], isError: true };
       }
-      const data = await response.json() as { osm_type: string; osm_id: number; name: string; display_name: string; lat: string; lon: string }[];
-      const places = data.map(item => ({
-        osm_id: `${item.osm_type}:${item.osm_id}`,
-        name: item.name || item.display_name?.split(',')[0] || '',
-        address: item.display_name || '',
-        lat: parseFloat(item.lat) || null,
-        lng: parseFloat(item.lon) || null,
-      }));
-      return ok({ places });
     }
   );
 
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-places.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-places.test.ts
index aa05833..60a594b 100644
--- a/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-places.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/unit/mcp/tools-places.test.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ vi.mock('../../../src/config', () => ({
 const { broadcastMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ broadcastMock: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock('../../../src/websocket', () => ({ broadcast: broadcastMock }));
 
+const { searchPlacesMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ searchPlacesMock: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock('../../../src/services/mapsService', () => ({ searchPlaces: searchPlacesMock }));
+
 import { createTables } from '../../../src/db/schema';
 import { runMigrations } from '../../../src/db/migrations';
 import { resetTestDb } from '../../helpers/test-db';
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ beforeAll(() => {
 beforeEach(() => {
   resetTestDb(testDb);
   broadcastMock.mockClear();
+  searchPlacesMock.mockClear();
   delete process.env.DEMO_MODE;
 });
 
@@ -267,44 +271,53 @@ describe('Tool: list_categories', () => {
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 describe('Tool: search_place', () => {
-  it('returns formatted results from Nominatim', async () => {
+  it('returns OSM results when no Google key is configured', async () => {
     const { user } = createUser(testDb);
-    const mockFetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      ok: true,
-      json: async () => [
-        {
-          osm_type: 'node',
-          osm_id: 12345,
-          name: 'Eiffel Tower',
-          display_name: 'Eiffel Tower, Paris, France',
-          lat: '48.8584',
-          lon: '2.2945',
-        },
+    searchPlacesMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      source: 'openstreetmap',
+      places: [
+        { osm_id: 'node:12345', name: 'Eiffel Tower', address: 'Eiffel Tower, Paris, France', lat: 48.8584, lng: 2.2945 },
       ],
     });
-    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', mockFetch);
 
     await withHarness(user.id, async (h) => {
       const result = await h.client.callTool({ name: 'search_place', arguments: { query: 'Eiffel Tower' } });
       const data = parseToolResult(result) as any;
+      expect(searchPlacesMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(user.id, 'Eiffel Tower');
       expect(data.places).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(data.places[0].name).toBe('Eiffel Tower');
       expect(data.places[0].osm_id).toBe('node:12345');
+      expect(data.places[0].name).toBe('Eiffel Tower');
       expect(data.places[0].lat).toBeCloseTo(48.8584);
     });
-
-    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
   });
 
-  it('returns error when Nominatim API fails', async () => {
+  it('returns google_place_id when Google Maps is configured', async () => {
     const { user } = createUser(testDb);
-    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: false }));
+    searchPlacesMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      source: 'google',
+      places: [
+        { google_place_id: 'ChIJD3uTd9hx5kcR1IQvGfr8dbk', name: 'Eiffel Tower', address: 'Champ de Mars, Paris', lat: 48.8584, lng: 2.2945, rating: 4.7, website: 'https://toureiffel.paris', phone: null },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    await withHarness(user.id, async (h) => {
+      const result = await h.client.callTool({ name: 'search_place', arguments: { query: 'Eiffel Tower' } });
+      const data = parseToolResult(result) as any;
+      expect(searchPlacesMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(user.id, 'Eiffel Tower');
+      expect(data.places).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(data.places[0].google_place_id).toBe('ChIJD3uTd9hx5kcR1IQvGfr8dbk');
+      expect(data.places[0].name).toBe('Eiffel Tower');
+      expect(data.places[0].rating).toBe(4.7);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns error when place search fails', async () => {
+    const { user } = createUser(testDb);
+    searchPlacesMock.mockRejectedValue(new Error('Search failed'));
 
     await withHarness(user.id, async (h) => {
       const result = await h.client.callTool({ name: 'search_place', arguments: { query: 'something' } });
       expect(result.isError).toBe(true);
     });
-
-    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
   });
 });