Is anyone else using ChatGPT?

[danige]

Is anybody else using ChatGPT or other AI chatbots for travel planning?

I've never been one to use travel agents much although I certainly acknowledge, there's a place for specialist advice at times (shout out to Lee at RoundAbout Travel!). I usually prefer to construct my own itinerary and believe I end up with a better knowledge and understanding of where I'm visiting than I would otherwise. Besides, this process is very much part of the enjoyment and anticipation of the trip.

My usual technique has been to read through the relevant forums, look at the commercial itineraries and gradually distil a list of places to go, attractions to visit, areas to stay etc.

Now, all of that can be done in an instant through ChatGPT and in my experience so far, extremely well. Perhaps the most useful feature is the ability to immediately revise the itinerary generated by ChatGPT. eg add/remove days, change the emphasis with more or fewer towns / activities, change dates / times to incorporate special events (suggested by ChatGPT!) etc. This rapid, iterative process will quickly generate a great, personalised itinerary.

Finding suggested transport links, accommodation, restaurants etc complete with costings is equally easy. You don't have to take generated content on trust either as ChatGPT will give you links to all the information it relied on.

I suppose the downside is that possibly my depth of knowledge is reduced compared to having to ferret all this out by myself but that's probably an acceptable trade off.

Generally, I’ve found it to be a game changer! I'd be interested in others' experiences or suggested alternative chatbots?

 

[Flyerwin]

I did the obvious and asked ChatGPT

Is anybody else using ChatGPT or other AI chatbots for travel planning?

Yes, a lot of people are using ChatGPT and other AI chatbots for travel planning! AI can be super helpful for a range of tasks, from suggesting destinations based on interests to giving personalized travel tips and even helping with itinerary planning. It’s like having a virtual travel assistant at your fingertips.

Some of the ways people are using AI for travel planning include:

• Destination Suggestions: AI can analyze preferences like budget, weather, activities, and more to suggest potential destinations. If you're unsure where to go, it can help narrow down the options.
• Itinerary Creation: Based on your interests, AI can help you put together a day-by-day travel itinerary, including sightseeing spots, restaurants, and local experiences. It can even factor in things like travel time and opening hours.
• Flight and Accommodation Research: Some chatbots can help you compare prices on flights and hotels, and suggest the best options based on your preferences and budget.
• Local Tips: AI can give advice on local customs, safety tips, language basics, and even weather updates.
• Packing Lists and Travel Checklists: AI can generate customized packing lists based on your destination, the length of your trip, and the activities you'll be doing.

People like the convenience, and it’s also a way to get a more tailored, real-time response rather than sifting through endless blog posts or travel websites. Have you used AI for travel planning yourself?

 

[Human]

I've certainly used ChatGPT to help give me inspiration/ideas. I like the way that itineraries can be totally customised: you can put in where you're staying, how long you're there for, how you want to get around, what your personal interests are, how active (or not) you would like to be, and so on.

I also like the way that you can genuinely dialogue with it -- so if it gives an itinerary, for example, that's a little too active, you can ask for a gentler one.

ChatGPT is only as good as its sources, and sometimes it's clear that its sources are absolutely hopeless. But for non-essential things like getting a bit of travel inspiration, I've found it useful.

 

[Pushka]

I am and used it for our current trip in Japan. Needing to drill down a bit to get the answers I need.

 

[danige]

I am and used it for our current trip in Japan. Needing to drill down a bit to get the answers I need.

Definitely, the quality of what you get out depends a lot on the input you give and what and how you ask. For example, telling ChatGPT your age, fitness levels, previous trips, experience, general likes and dislikes etc can markedly improve the output. Often ChatGPT will ask follow up questions that can be useful and something you hadn't considered.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes we use it several times every day - yields stunning results sometimes - gives you a giggle other times - it’s another tool that can be a huge benefit - but plenty other free AI apps that our team use also - the pro versions yield far greater results and content if you happy to pay

 

[danige]

Yes we use it several times every day - yields stunning results sometimes - gives you a giggle other times - it’s another tool that can be a huge benefit - but plenty other free AI apps that our team use also - the pro versions yield far greater results and content if you happy to pay

Thanks, that's interesting to know. I do use it for a lot of different stuff now but ATM at least, can't quite justify more than $30 a month for casual use!

 

[exceladdict]

I was going to start a new thread to ask something similar, but instead I'll propose to take this one a bit off topic to using AI beyond travel planning but to professional and personal life.

This weekend i've asked claude to help me build a html web app which can do a bunch of manual data manipulation/clean up as a part of my import process for bank transactions to my budget spreadsheet. Hit the usage limit a few times, but am very pleased with the time and monotony it will save me when updating my budget every few months. (love the look of gather but not quite ready to let my years of data in my spreadsheet go non-updated).

Also asked claude to help at work with building a simple web app for our team to simplify a manual process. Absolutely amazing what you can get turned around quickly, that previously would take a BA and a developer quite some time, to the extent that you wouldn't bother testing the idea because of the cost of a prototype.

Downside to claude is I'm hitting the message, conversation and usage limits pretty quickly with tasks like this. So I'm considering a pro plan.

Am not on as good terms with copilot, whose answers are a little less helpful, but we have access to for work so use for any sensitive info or data. It did help me create a testing plan for an upcoming system launch, though I still needed to do a bunch of manual work, and asking it to output a document to match our style guide did not turn out in a way our designers would approve.

Personally, I asked copilot to read and provide advice on a travel insurance PDS and it was making up information that wasn't in the document. (perhaps there were hidden artifacts in the PDF, who knows). The PDS was too long for chatty to read in one go, so couldn't get any more help from them.

I recently read the book 'the shortest history of economics' (strongly recommend) where the point was made that it takes some time after a new technology is introduced before it transforms industries and economies. While this isn't directly comparable to the steam engine or electric engines - getting hands on with these tools in the last little while has certainly made me realise I don't want to be left behind as these do start to transform white collar work!

 

[SCM]

I have the pro gpt plan as well as gemini, I have to say its very cheap for the value you get - a highly productive personal assistant and researcher.