In this article, I review ChatGPT as an AI travel planning tool, assessing it’s ability to craft a detailed trip itinerary. Can ChatGPT be the ultimate travel planning tool? Let’s find out.
Explore the potential of ChatGPT in this AI travel planning review. Join me as we design a detailed trip itinerary from Barcelona to Malaga. Discover how to craft personalized travel experiences, complete with activities, accommodation, and budget-friendly tips for each destination along the way.
Detail in = Detail out
First, it’s worth stating that you need to be specific when requesting information. Otherwise ChatGPT will only provide minimal information. By providing specific requirements, such as daily breakdowns and transportation preferences, I obtained a comprehensive itinerary tailored to my needs. My first attempt wasn’t detailed enough for a full itinerary. It did provide some decent suggestions but was very light on.
Refining The Prompt
When engaging ChatGPT, specificity is key to receiving tailored information. I experimented with various prompts before settling on the optimal one:
Me: “Hi there, can you please design me an itinerary for my next trip? I’ll give you the area I want to see and how long I want to go for and then you can design the itinerary.
- I’m interested in doing activities like sightseeing, hiking, climbing, exploring cities, enjoying local foods, swimming in the sea and seeing the highlights of the area.
- I would like you to break the itinerary down for each day. Include transport, activities and suggest where to stay.
- I would like to have it broken down for morning, afternoon and evening activities.
- Please make it quite detailed and something I can use while travelling.
- Please keep in mind that I’m looking for more budget travel with a focus on exploring.
- In terms of transport, I would like to do train travel where possible and take the bus if the train isn’t an option.
- Also provide any useful tips or things that I need to know about each destination.
- I would like you to provide the results in an easy-to-read table format.
Does this make sense?”
After ChatGPT confirmed it’s understanding, I provided it with the following information:
Me: ”I would like to start in Barcelona and head towards Malaga, exploring that region. My total trip time is 10 days. As it’s only a short time I would like to see maybe 3 other places.“
Note: I’ve included a copy this prompt with spaces to fill in your own details at the end of this post.
Why This Region?
Spain is an incredibly popular tourist destination and this area is well documented. Consequently, there’s a lot of information out there for ChatGPT to access and use to build the itinerary. If I was using ChatGPT for an itinerary in an area which is significantly less documented the quality of the information would likely be lower.
Additionally, I’ve picked this region as it’s an area I’m familiar with and have travelled before. This gives more insight into how viable the suggested itinerary is.
The Result – AI Travel Planning
Based on the above prompt, this is what ChatGPT provided:
Great! Let’s plan an exciting itinerary for your 10-day trip from Barcelona to Malaga, exploring some fascinating destinations along the way. Here’s a detailed breakdown for each day:
| Day | Location | Morning Activities | Afternoon Activities | Evening Activities | Accommodation | Tips & Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | – Arrive in Barcelona | – Explore Gothic Quarter | – Enjoy tapas dinner in El Born | Budget hostel or guesthouse in the city center | – Purchase a Barcelona Card for discounted transportation and attractions. |
| 2 | Barcelona | – Visit Sagrada Familia | – Stroll along Las Ramblas | – Relax at Barceloneta Beach | Same as previous night | – Book Sagrada Familia tickets online in advance to skip the lines. |
| 3 | Barcelona to Valencia | – Travel to Valencia by train/bus | – Visit City of Arts and Sciences | – Explore Valencia’s Old Town | Budget accommodation in Valencia city center | – Consider purchasing a Valencia Tourist Card for discounts on attractions and transportation. |
| 4 | Valencia | – Explore Central Market and sample local delicacies | – Visit Valencia Cathedral and climb the Miguelete Tower | – Enjoy paella dinner at a local restaurant | Same as previous night | – Try horchata, a traditional Valencian drink made from tiger nuts. |
| 5 | Valencia to Granada | – Travel to Granada by train/bus | – Visit Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens | – Wander through Albaicin neighborhood for sunset views | Budget accommodation in Granada city center | – Book Alhambra tickets well in advance as they often sell out. |
| 6 | Granada | – Explore Granada’s historic center | – Visit Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel | – Try Granada’s famous tapas culture in the evening | Same as previous night | – Consider taking a guided walking tour of Albaicin to learn about its history and culture. |
| 7 | Granada to Ronda | – Travel to Ronda by bus/train | – Explore Ronda’s Puente Nuevo and El Tajo Gorge | – Visit Plaza de Toros, one of Spain’s oldest bullrings | Budget accommodation in Ronda city center | – Take comfortable walking shoes as Ronda has hilly terrain. |
| 8 | Ronda | – Hike in Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park | – Visit Arab Baths and Old Town | – Enjoy traditional Andalusian cuisine for dinner | Same as previous night | – Pack snacks and water for the hike, and check weather conditions beforehand. |
| 9 | Ronda to Malaga | – Travel to Malaga by bus/train | – Explore Malaga’s Picasso Museum and Old Town | – Relax at La Malagueta Beach | Budget accommodation in Malaga city center | – Visit Atarazanas Market for fresh produce and local snacks. |
| 10 | Malaga | – Visit Alcazaba Fortress and Gibralfaro Castle | – Wander through Malaga’s botanical gardens | – Enjoy a farewell seafood dinner at a beachfront restaurant | Same as previous night | – Consider a day trip to nearby Nerja or Marbella if time allows. |
This itinerary offers a balance of sightseeing, cultural experiences, outdoor activities, and relaxation, while keeping budget travel in mind. Remember to check the opening hours of attractions and book tickets in advance whenever possible. Enjoy your trip!
ChatGPT for AI Travel Planning – The Review
Upon first glace the itinerary looks pretty good, but how useful is this actually? Let’s break it down.
Selecting Additional Destinations
I asked ChatGPT to pick up to three other places to visit between Barcelona and Malaga. It suggested Valencia, Granada and Ronda along the way. These are all popular tourist destinations and have some great things to do and see. But how does that fit into the activities I said I was interested in?
Customising for Activities
In the initial request I mentioned that I was interested in the following activities. How many of them are in the final itinerary?
- Sightseeing – Yes
- Hiking – Yes, Ronda
- Climbing – No
- Exploring cities – Yes
- Enjoying local foods – Yes
- Swimming in the sea – Yes
- Seeing the highlights of the area – Yes
When it comes to using AI travel planning, it is quite impressive that it managed to include six out of the seven activities I specified. While it didn’t include climbing, It would have been difficult to incorporate it into a 10-day trip, so it makes sense that’s there’s going to be some sacrifices.
BTW, If you’re interested in climbing in Spain, check out my list of Europe’s Best Climbing Hostels.
But is it Possible? Reviewing the Viability
The itinerary does a good job in breaking each day down into morning, afternoon and evening, providing suggestions for each. I also appreciated that it allocated time to account for the travel between locations. While it doesn’t provide all the details required (such as accommodation) it’s a useful starting point on where to go and what to see.
Although slightly hectic with only two nights per location, it remains manageable. I think a lot of this comes down to how I structured the original request. By limiting the results to morning, afternoon and evening ChatGPT didn’t suggest too many different things. However, If I was to use ChatGPT for AI travel planning again, I would just ask for two places between Malaga and Barcelona.
Useful Tips
As part of this review of AI for Travel Planning I asked for useful tips for each location. The inclusion of practical tips enhanced the itinerary’s utility, covering aspects like booking tickets in advance and trying local delicacies.
Requesting More Information
The best part of using AI like ChatGPT for travel planning is that I can ask for more detailed information as needed. In this review, I wanted to know about the travel times between the recommended destinations. Here’s how that went:
Me: Can you please give me the travel times between each of these places if I take the train and also the travel time for the bus?
ChatGPT: Certainly! Here are the approximate travel times between each destination if you opt for train or bus travel:
| From | To | Train Travel Time (approx.) | Bus Travel Time (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | Valencia | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Valencia | Granada | 5-6 hours (with transfer) | 6-7 hours |
| Granada | Ronda | 3-4 hours (with transfer) | 4-5 hours |
| Ronda | Malaga | 2 hours | 2.5 hours |
Please note that these travel times are approximate and may vary depending on factors such as the specific train or bus route, transfers, and any delays. It’s advisable to check the latest schedules and book tickets in advance to secure the best fares and ensure smooth travel between destinations.
Requesting Links to Book Transport
Need help with booking? ChatGPT can help with that too.
Me: Can you please provide me with some links to the websites where I can book trains or buses?
ChatGPT: Certainly! Here are some links to popular train and bus booking platforms where you can book tickets for your journey:
Train Booking:
- Renfe (Spain’s National Railway Network): Renfe Official Website
- Trainline: Trainline Website
- Omio: Omio Website
Bus Booking:
- Alsa: [Alsa Official Website](https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/home
- FlixBus: FlixBus Official Website
- Busbud: Busbud Website
- Movelia: Movelia Website (For bus travel within Spain)
These platforms offer easy-to-use interfaces where you can search for available routes, compare prices, and book tickets online. Make sure to check for any discounts or promotions that may be available at the time of booking. Safe travels!
Impressive! That concludes my review of ChatGPT for AI travel planning
Conclusion – AI Travel Planning Review
My review of ChatGPT for AI travel planning was a positive surprise. Once I refined the initial prompt, ChatGPT did a good job of creating an travel itinerary for me. It followed my specific requirements well and used this to create an interesting and viable itinerary. The tips it provided for each day were also useful. While it may not provide all the information required or uncover hidden gems, it excelled in creating a structured itinerary for the region between Barcelona and Malaga. It turns out that AI-driven travel planning tools like ChatGPT can be used to effectively develop a customised travel itinerary and it’s something I will consider using it again.
Have you used ChatGPT for Travel Planning? How did it go?
Happy Exploring!
Kieren
Appendix – Personalised Travel Plan
Here’s the script if you want to use it to create your own personalised itinerary. Just copy/paste it into ChatGPT and fill in the relevant areas. Feel free to modify it as needed.
Initial Script:
Hi there, can you please design me an itinerary for my next trip? I’ll give you the area I want to see and how long I want to go for and then you can design the itinerary.
- I’m interested in doing activities like [add your activities here].
- I would like you to break the itinerary down for each day. Include transport, activities and suggest where to stay.
- I would like to have it broken down for morning, afternoon and evening activities.
- Please make it quite detailed and something I can use while travelling.
- Please keep in mind that I am looking for more [Budget, Mid or Luxury] travel with a focus on exploring.
- In terms of transport, I would like to do [add preferred form of travel] travel where possible and take other options if my preferred form of transport train isn’t an option.
- Also provide any useful tips or things that I need to know about each destination.
- I would like you to provide the results in an easy-to-read table format.
Does this make sense?
Once ChatGPT has confirmed it understanding, use this:
I would like to start in [Enter starting location] and head towards [enter final destination], exploring that region. My total trip time is [XXXX] days. I would like to spend [XXXX to XXXX] days in each location with more time if the location has a lot to do.