Some people like to make travel plans.
But I’m not one of those people.
So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is very appealing.
But I am also skeptical.
Are suggestions just scratching the surface — for example, suggesting that I go see the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Or can they recommend lesser known restaurants and handle specific hotel requests?
The answer is: yes and no — at least for ChatGPT.
Unfortunately, I can’t test Bing. When I tried to access it, I was put on a waiting list. The site says I can “continue to queue” if I set the Microsoft defaults on my computer and scan the QR code to install the Bing app. I did both. I’m still waiting.
ChatGPT is easier. i went to developer siteclick the word “ChatGPT,” sign up for an account—and start chatting.
‘Can you help me plan a beach trip?’
“Of course!” ChatGPT replied. But first, I need to tell her about my preferences, budget, and how long I plan to be away.
I’m looking for a week-long beach trip in mid-March for family time without a fixed budget, I entered.
“Sounds like a great idea!” it answered, before recommending Hawaii, the Caribbean — specifically the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic — Florida and Costa Rica, along with detailed weather information and popular attractions for each.
Pretty. But I live in Singapore, I said.
“I got it!” it cried. (ChatGPT prefers the exclamation point.) In that case, Bali, Indonesia; Langkawi, Malaysia; and Phuket and Krabi in Thailand are better options.
One more thing – I also want good food, I typed.
In that case, it says, the better bets are:
- Penang, Malaysia — for char kway teow, nasi lemak and laksa
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — for pho, banh mi and bun cha
- Osaka, Japan — for takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushikatsu
- Bangkok, Thailand — for pad Thai, green curry and mango sticky rice
Not bad. But I have another request: I want to avoid crowds.
In that case, I might want to consider:
- Langkawi — “a beautiful island off the west coast of Malaysia … [with] many remote spots”
- Krabi — “not as busy as other destinations in Thailand like Phuket or Koh Samui”
- Bali — “beach north of Bali, such as Lovina Beach, tend to be less crowded”
All right.
But what about a treehouse in Bali – is that possible?
“Yes! …. Here are a few options,” it said:
- Bali hideout
- Bambu Indah
- Glamping Sandat Tent
- Free spirit ball
Which has the best online reviews?
“All of the places I recommend have great online reviews,” replied ChatGPT, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel.
However, reviews have missed the mark in some cases.
For example, it says Glamping Sandat Tent has a rating of 4.9/5 on Google (actual: 4.5/5) and “400+ excellent reviews” on Tripadvisor (actual: 277 reviews).
But perhaps the biggest mistake: Real Free Spirit Spheres in Canadawhich the bot confirmed when pressed.
ChatGPT is nothing without an apology.
More accurate cost per hotel estimate. But ChatGPT can’t display photos of hotels or help book them — although it does provide plenty of instructions on how to do both.
By road or by rail?
For a trip across the US, ChatGPT recommended Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway and the Great River Road, the latter of which runs along the Mississippi River through 10 states.
What about train trips in Europe? “Sure!” it says, suggest:
- Orient Express Train – from Paris to Istanbul
- The Glacier Express — from St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland
- Bernina Express — from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy
- Golden Pass — from Lucerne to Montreux, Switzerland
- Trans-Siberian Railway — “one of the most famous trains in the world” from Moscow to Vladivostok, Russia
One problem: “Orient Express” no longer works. Does ChapGPT know this?
Yes, but it seems to confuse every departure of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — using wagon restoration from original train service — with its annual Paris to Istanbul service, which will run in August of this year and is sold out.
flight
ChatGPT can name airlines connecting cities but cannot provide current flight information or help book flights.
It couldn’t tell me the cheapest fares — or any — from London to New York this spring because it doesn’t “have access to real-time pricing information,” it said.
In reality, ChatGPT data will end in September 2021; it doesn’t “know” anything that has happened since then.
However, the bot can answer which month the London to New York route is usually cheapest, saying “January and February, or during the peak season months March and November.”
The world’s best airline said: “As an AI language model, I cannot have personal preferences or opinions.” But it went on to name the top five airlines named in Skytrax’s “World’s Top 100 Airlines” in 2021.
The list is incorrect.
The list provided by ChatGPT appears to be Skytrax’s airline ratings from 2019 for replacement.
“Where should I eat?”
Ask ChatGPT “Where should I eat?” and “What are the best restaurants?” in a given city generates two different listings — one with the more popular places to eat and the other with places with more industry awards.
For example, here’s how it answered those two questions for Singapore:
Where should I eat?
- hawker center
- Dinh Thai Phung
- giant seafood
- Liao Fan Chicken rice with Hong Kong soy sauce & noodles
- Odette
- Ho Van’s Heart
What are the best restaurants?
- burnt ending
- chestnut
- Corner house
- street vendor
- Jaan
- Restaurant Andre
It’s a decent but dated list. Restaurant Andre, considered one of the city’s best restaurants in the 2010s, closed permanently in February 2018.
Every city I asked ChatGPT for resulted in bots praising the local food scene. New York City is “a food lover’s paradise”, Florence is “known for its delicious food”, and Melbourne is “famous for its coffee culture”.
ChatGPT is especially fun, but are all cities treated like that? To test this, I asked for food recommendations in Galveston, Texas. This time, ChatGPT only provides the list.
And if you’re wondering about the best coffee in Melbourne, ChatGPT said it was at Proud Mary — the coffee shop tops many “best” lists today.
Specific questions
I have many other questions for ChatGPT, such as:
“How should I spend five days in South Africa?”
“Which castle in Bordeaux welcomes guests?”
“If I only had one day in London, what should I do?”
“What games have the longest queues at Disney World?”
But before I can, my screen says “Access Denied” along with “error code 1020” message.
According to the technology website Stealth Optional, this error can be caused by the server overloading or exceeding the daily limit. Either way, all of my previous chats are inaccessible, which is a huge minus for travelers in the process of planning.
A new window didn’t fix the problem, but opening a window in “incognito mode” fixed it. Once in, I clicked “Upgrade to Plus”, showed that free plan is available when demand is low, but for $20 per month, “Plus Plan” gives access to ChatGPT all the time, responsive Faster and prioritize the use of New Features.
Having access back, I quickly inquired about wait times on Disney World rides, a topic I spoke to with luxury travel advisor Jonathan Alder’s Jonathan’s Trip about last week. Alder lives near the park and doesn’t count how many times he visits, he said. However, only one of their responses — Epcot’s “Frozen Ever After” — matched.
ChatGPT mentioned that FastPass and Genie+ can reduce wait times at Disney World, which is partly true. The company phased out its “skip line” virtual queue FastPass program when it introduced Genie+ in the fall of 2021.
Carried away
ChatGPT is fast, chat a lot, and it feels like you’re interacting with a human. I find myself responding with unnecessary humor – “Ok, sure” and “Thanks” – out of habit.
I can see how it can save travelers time, especially if they are looking for an overview or are in the early stages of planning.
But of course, the information will have to be updated — and the errors and error messages I’ve encountered many times beyond the “1020” message mentioned above — will need to be fixed.
OpenAI states that the current version of ChatGPT “is a free research preview.” It also said the system can “occasionally generate inaccurate or misleading information” and that it “is not intended to provide advice.”
When I asked about its travel planning capabilities, it said it “can assist with many aspects of travel planning” but it may not “provide personalized advice based on your own circumstances.”
My Verdict: The work of travel agents is guaranteed for the time being.
