As the weather warms up and our minds wander to sunny summer getaways, you might be wondering how you can make the planning process as simple as possible
There are lots of ways you can plan your travels, from a simple Google search to dedicated apps covering everything from booking to itineraries and excursion suggestions.
So it may come as no surprise that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help you make decisions regarding your trip while also offering suggestions of its own like your own personal travel buddy.
ChatGPT is an AI tool that can be used to do just about anything.
From composing essays to writing a song, ChatGPT can generate content and answer your burning questions – sometimes to hilarious and bizarre results.
Wondering how you can use ChatGPT to plan your next trip? Here’s what we know.
Picking your destination
If you’re not sure where you want to travel to for your next holiday, you can use ChatGPT to suggest the perfect destination based on your preferences.
We tested this, using the prompt: ‘I am looking for a travel destination that has sandy beaches, plenty of activities in the city for families, and an overall relaxing atmosphere. Can you help me figure it out by giving five recommendations worldwide?’
And ChatGPT provided five different recommendations based on the parameters given.
You can narrow down the search by asking for more information on one specific destination, such as ‘I am thinking of visiting Cancun, can you give me some more information and why I should go there?’
Creating an itinerary
After selecting Cancun as a destination, we went on to use ChatGPT to create a travel itinerary for the trip.
ChatGPT provided us with a travel itinerary within minutes, using a prompt with parameters we chose asking it to include two different excursions for a seven-day trip so we have plenty of time to relax.
The tool came back with a bullet-pointed list complete with different day headings to break down the trip into simple sections.
You can also ask ChatGPT to recommend different excursions for you to enjoy based on factors such as whether you want an adrenaline-fuelled day out, a place for the kids to have fun, or somewhere to be at one with nature.
It came back to us with everything we need to know about some top attractions in Cancun, including opening times, costs, and what key things there are to do there.
We double-checked that the places and times suggested were, indeed, correct, and it is always worth doing your due diligence when using ChatGPT to plan your travels before setting any plans in stone.
Planning your travel expenses
After you’ve picked your dream destination, ChatGPT can help you with the somewhat unpleasant bit – the cost of it all.
While the data given may not necessarily be correct to the penny, it gives a ballpark estimation of the costs involved.
We asked ChatGPT: ‘Based on the trip you created, what will the total expense of travelling and excursions be for a family of four, including two adults and two children? Excluding hotel and flights.’
It gave a rough breakdown of the costs involved with a seven-day trip to Cancun, including ticket costs for the excursions it suggested, coming up with a lower and upper budget to consider.
However, it did also say that these prices ‘will vary based on various factors such as the specific excursions chosen, the season of travel, and personal preferences.’
Booking flights and hotels
While ChatGPT doesn’t provide real-time information on flights and hotels, it can be used to give suggestions on your best options.
We asked the tool for recommendations on flights, including information on how long it will take and roughly how much it will cost with the prompt: ‘Suggest me quick and affordable flights to get to Cancun from London, United Kingdom. Include the names of the airlines, how long they will take, and also how much each will cost.’
It offered a number of suggestions for me to choose from, while also noting that ‘the time of booking, seasonal fluctuations, and availability’ will affect results.
As for hotels, we asked: ‘Suggest me some 4 to 5-star hotels and resorts in Cancun I can stay in with a family of four, including two adults and two children. Please make sure it’s not too far from the things I want to do on my itinerary. Also, include a rough price for each hotel.’
Sure enough, ChatGPT came back with a number of suggestions that we checked to make sure they were where they said they would be and rated what it said. What’s more, it also offered information on amenities at the hotel to help narrow down where you want to pick.
Important information
Our holiday is planned, but there is still some important information that ChatGPT can provide.
We wanted to know all about the emergency service details in the area and hospitals, should the worst happen.
We also asked about local amenities – such as supermarkets and pharmacies – should we need to stock up on any supplies.
ChatGPT responded with emergency service details including the number to call, and how the operating system works.
It also gave multiple hospitals, pharmacies, and supermarkets that, once checked, were indeed all close to the spots suggested earlier by ChatGPT.
Now our holiday is planned – we’ll get our bags packed and ready for some fun in the sun.
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