If you're planning to go on a vacation but can't decide where to start, OpenAI's ChatGPT can provide more than a little help. ChatGPT has become one of the decade's most popular language processing models, and people are coming up with more and more clever ways to use it. It can help develop code for a particular task and debug a faulty one, help a person plan their daily schedules, and much more.
Another increasingly popular application for ChatGPT is vacation planning. There are several ways the service can be used to help put together a vacation plan, from providing destination recommendations to helping craft a budget. Before one gets started, they'll have to create an OpenAI account, which is necessary to try the tool. It can be used for free, or users looking to get more out of it can upgrade to a $20/month subscription plan for additional benefits. Of course, one should keep in mind that ChatGPT's suggestions are just a starting point, and all plans should be verified carefully.
8 Ask ChatGPT To Act Like A Travel Advisor
The first thing users should do is ask ChatGPT to act like a travel advisor. Since the tool is capable of picking different conversational styles and tones, asking it to talk like a travel advisor helps set a context and get relevant outputs. Upon entering the prompt, "Act as a travel advisor to help me plan my next vacation," the tool responds, "Of course! I'd be happy to help you plan your next vacation." Following this, the language processing tool asks questions to help users plan their vacation, starting with destination preferences, travel dates, duration, interests and activities, budget, and other important things.
7 Find A Destination Based On Your Preferences
The first thing ChatGPT asks is destination preferences, i.e., where the person would like to go and whether they have any particular country or region in mind. Users can tell the AI chatbot about the place they have in mind, even if they aren't sure of a particular city or country just yet — they just need to describe the characteristics of the desired destination. For instance, some in a hot region might want to spend a couple of days in a place with a pleasant climate, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Users can also specify if they wish to go abroad or stay in their own country. One can also add context about whether they want to spend time at a place with scenic views or lots of fun activities, or simply relax and enjoy delicious food all day. If users don't like the first list of recommendations, they can ask ChatGPT to suggest other places.
6 Get To Know A Place Before You Go
ChatGPT can also provide reasons why someone should or shouldn't visit a particular place depending on their interests. Screen Rant asked the tool to give more details about Interlaken, Switzerland, for example. In its response, ChatGPT explained the region is among the most beautiful and happening places to travel. It mentioned that visitors could indulge in adventure sports, hiking, and water sports, set off to nearby excursions, and admire the natural Alpine beauty in the area.
5 Choose The Best Time To Visit
Once users pick their destination, ChatGPT can help pick their travel dates, too, if their schedule is flexible. The chatbot can suggest the best time to visit a particular location based on several factors, such as climatic conditions, tourist footfall, etc. For the current example, the chatbot suggested that the "best time to visit Interlaken and experience pleasant climatic conditions is during the summer months of June to August."
Users can also enter the duration of their upcoming vacation, followed by their preferred dates. ChatGPT will ask about any specific preferences related to activities the user would like to have in their itinerary, allowing it to take the context into consideration in its responses.
4 Discover Activities In The Area
Screen Rant asked ChatGPT to suggest some fun activities available in or around the region and, more importantly, those that are safe to perform with a group of four to five people. In its answer, the language processing model included things like paragliding and skydiving, which are definitely more for thrill seekers. Other activities it suggested include hiking, boat cruising, rafting, and biking along the scenic routes in and around Interlaken. ChatGPT also asks users to check the credentials and reviews of the tour providers who conduct these activities for a better idea of what the experiences might be like.
3 Define Your Budget And Plan Accordingly
To start planning your spending for the trip, ChatGPT will ask for the "specific budget range for the vacation." At this stage, users should enter their budget for the trip, if they have one, or ask the chatbot about the approximate cost of a trip to the location for the said number of people. The chatbot will account for factors including accommodation, transportation, activities, dining, and personal preferences. In this case, it concluded that the trip could cost about $2,500 to $6,000, excluding international flights.
The language processing tool can give a fair idea of transportation costs, depending upon the preferred mode, such as public transport or cab rental. However, it's important to note that the chatbot's database isn't up to date, so its suggestions should be followed up with additional research.
2 Get Accommodation Recommendations
ChatGPT can also suggest to users some of the well-known accommodation options. Upon writing the command, "please suggest some accommodation options in Interlaken, Switzerland, on a budget," the chatbot came up with several options. Although it got the name of the places right, the estimated price range it showed was different from the actual prices available online. In its response, ChatGPT includes that "these are estimated costs and can vary based on factors such as the time of year, availability, and specific room types." Hence, even though users can get some recommendations, it is always better to cross-verify the information to get an exact idea.
1 Prepare An Itinerary
Finally, ask ChatGPT to prepare an itinerary that contains all the information, including the daily schedule, the time it takes to go from one place to another, and other details. At first, the tool responds as a paragraph, but to make things easier, users can ask it to create a table containing several columns. Although ChatGPT can't export the itinerary in a spreadsheet, users can always take screenshots and get a printout or save a soft copy on their smartphone or tablet.
For this particular example, the itinerary contained all the required information, but once again, some of it seemed a bit off, so users should always double-check. For instance, the language model says that a flight from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Zurich, Switzerland, takes 10 to 12 hours, while the fastest flight available now takes over 13 hours. The approximate time from Zurich to Interlaken, however, is correct.
While a person shouldn't rely solely on ChatGPT, its suggestions can be a useful way to get a vacation plan off the ground.