diff --git a/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.test.tsx
index 4ddfae0e..2dea519d 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.test.tsx
@@ -225,13 +225,16 @@ describe('PlaceFormModal', () => {
     expect(screen.getByDisplayValue('48.8584')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('FE-PLANNER-PLACEFORM-021: maps search error shows toast', async () => {
+  it('FE-PLANNER-PLACEFORM-021: maps search error surfaces the server-provided reason', async () => {
     const addToast = vi.fn();
     window.__addToast = addToast;
 
     const user = userEvent.setup();
+    // The backend forwards the real upstream error (e.g. a Google Places API message);
+    // the modal must show it instead of a generic "search failed" so the cause is visible.
     server.use(
-      http.post('/api/maps/search', () => HttpResponse.json({ error: 'fail' }, { status: 500 })),
+      http.post('/api/maps/search', () =>
+        HttpResponse.json({ error: 'Places API (New) has not been used in project 123 or it is disabled' }, { status: 403 })),
     );
 
     render(<PlaceFormModal {...defaultProps} />);
@@ -241,7 +244,7 @@ describe('PlaceFormModal', () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(addToast).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        expect.stringMatching(/search failed/i),
+        expect.stringMatching(/Places API \(New\) has not been used/i),
         'error',
         undefined,
       );
diff --git a/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.tsx b/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.tsx
index ae70fa61..fc76fb79 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { Search, Paperclip, X, AlertTriangle, Loader2 } from 'lucide-react'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../i18n'
 import CustomTimePicker from '../shared/CustomTimePicker'
 import { DEFAULT_FORM, isGoogleMapsUrl, type PlaceFormData } from './PlaceFormModal.helpers'
+import { getApiErrorMessage } from '../../utils/apiError'
 import type { Place, Category, Assignment } from '../../types'
 
 // The submit payload mirrors the form, but lat/lng are parsed to numbers and
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ function usePlaceFormModal(props: PlaceFormModalProps) {
       const result = await mapsApi.search(mapsSearch, language)
       setMapsResults(result.places || [])
     } catch (err: unknown) {
-      toast.error(t('places.mapsSearchError'))
+      toast.error(getApiErrorMessage(err, t('places.mapsSearchError')))
     } finally {
       setIsSearchingMaps(false)
     }
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ function usePlaceFormModal(props: PlaceFormModalProps) {
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Failed to fetch place details:', err)
       setMapsSearch(previousSearch)
-      toast.error(t('places.mapsSearchError'))
+      toast.error(getApiErrorMessage(err, t('places.mapsSearchError')))
     } finally {
       setIsSearchingMaps(false)
     }
diff --git a/client/src/pages/atlas/useAtlas.ts b/client/src/pages/atlas/useAtlas.ts
index d8dee913..2fef96ed 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/atlas/useAtlas.ts
+++ b/client/src/pages/atlas/useAtlas.ts
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ export function useAtlas() {
     try {
       const result = await mapsApi.search(bucketSearch, language)
       setBucketSearchResults(result.places || [])
-    } catch {} finally { setBucketSearching(false) }
+    } catch (err) { console.error('Bucket-list place search failed:', err) } finally { setBucketSearching(false) }
   }
 
   const handleSelectBucketPoi = (result: any) => {
diff --git a/client/src/utils/apiError.ts b/client/src/utils/apiError.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..181cb42a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/utils/apiError.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+ * Pulls the server-provided error string out of an axios-style error so the UI can
+ * surface the real reason (e.g. a Google Places API message such as "Places API (New)
+ * has not been used in project … or it is disabled") instead of a generic fallback.
+ */
+export function getApiErrorMessage(err: unknown, fallback: string): string {
+  const message = (err as { response?: { data?: { error?: unknown } } })?.response?.data?.error
+  return typeof message === 'string' && message.trim() ? message : fallback
+}