Many people consider travelling and exploring new places to be one of life’s greatest joys. But good research and planning are essential if you want to get the most out of the limited time and money that most of us have for holidaying and adventure.
The number of options we face when booking flights, hotels, excursions, and other factors can be staggering. In fact, last year travel giant Expedia estimated that there were 1.2 quadrillion combinations of hotel rooms, travel dates and price points on its website.
Luckily, this is another area where generative AI can help. From planning itineraries to creating personalized crash courses in language learning and ensuring you don’t leave anything essential behind, there are many ways that chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude can act as a personal travel assistant.
So here are some tips and tricks for using generative AI chatbots to plan the perfect weekend getaway, business trip or city break, as well as some simple prompts to get you started.
Plan Your Priorities
Before you start using AI to plan your perfect getaway, have a clear idea of what you don’t want to miss and how you want to spend your time. This helps make sure that AI is tuned into your personal travel style and goals, and won’t just offer you a generic experience.
Itinerary Planning
When there are lots of things you want to see and do within a limited timeframe, AI can be great for organizing your options into an achievable itinerary. It can take into account travel time between different sights and attractions, as well as the need to plan for meal times and rest—just let it know whether you’re wanting to cram in as much as possible or would rather take things at a more leisurely pace.
Avoid Crowds
Travel and exploration are often easier, less stressful and more fun when you’re not fighting through crowds of people at peak times. Asking a chatbot to suggest the best times to visit, or to recommend alternatives to popular destinations and attractions that are less busy but just as rewarding, can be a great way to uncover hidden gems.
Avoid Embarrassing Failures Of Etiquette
Every part of the world has different customs and social norms, and without knowing them, it can be easy to make embarrassing mistakes or even cause offence. From avoiding eating on public transport in Japan to leaving a restaurant without tipping in the US, these might not be obvious to everyone. But by asking a chatbot to generate a list of dos and don’ts relevant to your trip, you can minimize your chances of getting something wrong.
Show It What You Need Help With
Finally, don’t forget that many chatbots and AI assistants (including ChatGPT) can now use computer vision to explain and interpret what you’re seeing. From pointing your camera at a subway map and asking how to get to a specific place, to recommending options from a restaurant menu, snapping a picture and asking AI to help you out can deliver great results.
Useful Prompts For Tourists And Travelling
Travel planning gets much easier when you know exactly what to ask AI. The right prompts can help you unlock cheaper flights, build itineraries, learn key phrases, and even avoid common mistakes on the road. Here are some practical examples you can try straight away to make your trip smoother and more enjoyable.
Save Money On Flights
Many AI chatbots can now access live internet data and APIs to help you find cheap flights, and can even sometimes find options that don’t appear on the popular flight aggregators.
Prompt: Find the cheapest way to fly between [starting point] and [destination] on [departure date]. Include hidden routes and consider nearby airports, also look for options that involve layovers and split-ticket bookings. Include options that don’t appear on Google Flights or Skyscanner.
Plan An Achievable But Adventurous Itinerary
Planning how to fit in everything you want to do can be a major headache, but AI excels at this sort of task:
Prompt: I am spending [duration of trip] in [destination]. Please create a balanced day-by-day itinerary broken down into morning, afternoon and evening activities, including the must-see sights, some off-the-beaten-path experiences, and recommendations for good places to eat.
Create A Packing Checklist
Upload your itinerary to ensure your AI travel assistant understands exactly what you’ll need.
Prompt: Please use the attached itinerary to provide a packing list covering the essential items that I should take with me, taking into consideration the climate and activities I will take part in. Cover clothing, toiletries, equipment, electronics and anything else I will need to be sure I have everything needed for my trip.
Navigate Public Transport
Prompt: I need to travel from [starting point] to [destination]. Give me instructions on how to do this via public transport, including where to get tickets and how to reach the departure point. Include a list of common mistakes that travelers often make when using public transport in [location].
Crash Course Language Tutor
This one works really well with ChatGPT’s voice mode, if you have a subscription that lets you use it (it’s often limited on free packages).
Prompt: Please act as my personal language tutor and give me a crash course on [language] in preparation for my trip. I want to spend 30 minutes per day learning basic phrases. Break each session into two parts: First, teach me useful phrases, and then run a brief roleplay where you play the part of a local and converse with me using what I’ve learned. Cover common travel situations such as ordering food in a restaurant, using public transport and asking for directions.
With the right approach, AI can take the stress out of planning and free you to focus on enjoying the journey itself. Whether it’s finding hidden deals, avoiding crowds, or packing exactly what you need, the right prompts turn AI into a powerful travel companion. Before your next trip, let technology handle the details while you focus on making memories.
