The world is a big place. Even bigger now that we can travel around it again. However, sometimes travel plans don't even make it out of the (departure) gate because we simply can’t decide where to go.  Plus, planning an overseas trip for the family can be a complicated exercise. So.....what if we were to harness the power of AI (for good) and ask ChatGPT “Where should we go?”

I decided to take ChatGPT for a little AI spin to ask it where my family of four (myself, husband and two kids, Zoe and Henry) should go. I must admit, I started this journey with a generous helping of trepidation and ended it with a kinship for my new travel companion, ChatGPT.

Below is our fool-proof guide you can follow to use ChatGPT to decide on where to go, peppered with the suggestions it served up for my family of four to see the world.

 

Setting up a ChatGPT account

If you haven’t already, it's fairly straightforward to set up your own free ChatGPT account. Please read the ChatGPT terms and privacy policy before you sign up.

1. Head on over to https://chat.openai.com/auth/login

2. To register you will need either an email address, Google account, Microsoft account, or Apple account.

3. It will prompt you to verify your phone number to create an account.

 

How to get ChatGPT to (nicely) tell you where to go

It’s important to remember here that (like most things in life) the more you put in, the more you get out. Below we have listed 5 basic steps to guide you to getting the most out ChatGPT, before taking a deeper dive into each one.

1. Decide how you want to travel and what sort of money you want to part with.  

2. Follow templated Chat GPT prompts to discover the best holiday locations.

3. Further tailor your travel planning prompts and gain deeper insights.

4. Refine your search and ask follow-up questions.

5. Have a good think and ultimately decide on your travel destination.

 

1. Decide how you want to travel and what sort of money you want to part with.

Now could be a good time to call a ‘family meeting’ to have a bit of a round table on what everyone wants to get from a holiday. Do you want to relax, discover a new culture or have the family entertained? Or in my son’s case – explore intergalactic construction sites and cretaceous period dinosaurs? (Riddle me that, ChatGPT!).

Here are some great prompters.

• What time of year are you considering going on holiday?

• How long are you thinking of going for?

• What are some of the things you would like to do on holiday?

• What sort of experiences would you like the family to have?

• How would you like the family to remember the trip?

• How far would you like the family to travel?

• Do you want to stay in the same place, or visit several places?

• Do you want to relax, be busy or have an adventurous trip? Or a combination of all three?

• Is there anything else that you can tell ChatGPT that you would like to achieve from this trip?

 

2. Follow templated Chat GPT prompts to discover the best holiday location

You can use this template to copy and paste

“I am planning on choosing my next travel destination for my holiday. I currently live in [city, country] and am planning on visiting a travel destination for [number] days in [month]. I am planning to spend [$$$ NZD amount] on the entire trip including transportation and accommodation. Please provide me with a travel location that is perfect for my next holiday based on my following interests:

[Enter the type of holiday you want e.g: beach, city, countryside]

[Enter your preferred climate e.g: hot, cold, mild]

[Choose what mood of holiday you prefer e.g: relaxed, adventure, party, sightseeing, romantic]

[Enter specific types of activities/things you want to do e.g: skiing, waterpark, shopping, eating, partying, swimming, spa, experience culture]

[Enter any dietary requirements or preferences]

 

So here was ours 

 

Whirrrrrr…here we go.

We are off to…….Penang, Malaysia!

I have to admit, ChatGPT had a pretty solid case on why we should go there as a family. A real 'box ticker' location.

 

3. Further tailor your travel planning prompts and gain deeper insights

Okay, so where to stay? I tell ChatGPT, I want a place that’s fancy but also super family friendly. It serves me up the Shangri-la in Penang which I immediately Google. It’s flash and family-friendly! Well played ChatGPT, well-played.

 

4. Refine your search and ask follow-up questions

I decided to ‘spice’ things up a bit by slashing the budget and taking out the culture part, perhaps in a way to achieve that more ‘generic’ holiday of our dreams. Where are we going?

..........Gold Coast!

As it's a destination that really does 'say what it does on the tin', I'm happy with this suggestion. But what area shall we stay in? I want to shop while my kids want to spend all of their 16-waking hours in some sort of body of water.

..........Surfers Paradise!

 

5. Have a good think and ultimately decide on your travel destination

There has been plenty of food for thought on where we could go and I must admit, after awhile I really ‘got into it’. I quickly realised that the suggestions do become richer and deeper the more information you give ChatGPT. Much like sharing a bottle of wine with an old friend. 

So, from one seasoned family holiday planner to another, perhaps try using ChatGPT to kick start your thinking of where you may go. As they say, deciding where to go may just be the hardest part of the whole trip.

Safe travels (wherever they may be)

 

Please note that the AA does not endorse ChatGPT and this was purely an experiment.