Can ChatGPT help plan a vacation? Here’s what it can and can’t do

Some people like to plan trips.

But I am not one of them.

So, the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research tourist destinations and create itineraries is exciting.

But I’m also skeptical.

Are the recommendations just scratching the surface – for example, recommending that I see the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Or can we 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 website says I can “go ahead in line” if I set Microsoft defaults on my computer and scan the QR code to install the Bing app. I’m both. I’m still waiting.

ChatGPT is easier. I went to the developer’s website, clicked on the word “ChatGPT”, registered an account – and started chatting.

“Confident!” replied ChatGPT. But first, I need to tell you about my interests, budget and how long I plan to go.

I’m looking for a week-long beach trip in mid-March to spend time with my family, without a set budget, I typed.

“Sounds like a great idea!” he replied, before recommending Hawaii, the Caribbean – specifically the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic – Florida and Costa Rica, along with details of the weather and popular attractions for each.

splendid. But I live in Singapore, I said.

“I see!” it shouted. (ChatGPT likes exclamation marks.) If so, Bali, Indonesia; Langkawi, Malaysia; and Phuket and Krabi in Thailand are better options.

One more thing – I want really good food, I typed.

In that case, he said, 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 sticky mango

Not bad. But I have another question: I want to avoid the crowd.

In that case, I might want to consider:

• Langkawi — “a beautiful island off the west coast of Malaysia … [with] many remote places”
• Krabi — “not as busy as other destinations in Thailand such as Phuket or Koh Samui”
• Bali — “beaches in the north of Bali, such as Lovina Beach, tend to be less crowded”

Everything is true.

But what about tree houses in Bali – is it possible?

“Yes! … Here are some options,” he said:

1. The Hideout Bali
2. Bamboo is beautiful
3. Sandat Glamping Tent
4. Free Spirit Spheres

Which one has the best online reviews?

“All the recommended places have good online reviews,” replied ChatGPT, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel.

However, the review missed the mark in some cases.

For example, say Sandat Glamping Tents has a rating of 4.9/5 on Google (actual: 4.5/5) and “over 400 good reviews” on Tripadvisor (actual: 277 reviews).

But perhaps the biggest blunder: Free Spirit Spheres is actually in Canada, which the bot admitted when pressed.

Cost estimates for each hotel are more accurate. But ChatGPT can’t show the hotel photos or help with the book – even though it provides ample instructions on how to do both.

For traveling through the United States, ChatGPT recommends Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway and the Great River Road, the latter tracing the Mississippi River through 10 states.

What about train travel in Europe? “Confident!” said, suggesting:

1. Orient Express – from Paris to Istanbul
2. The Glacier Express – from St. Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland
3. Bernina Express – from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy
4. Golden Pass route – from Lucerne to Montreux, Switzerland
5. Trans-Siberian Railway – “one of the most famous railway journeys in the world” from Moscow to Vladivostok, Russia

One problem: the “Orient Express” is no longer in service. Does ChapGPT know this?

No, but it seems to confuse every departure from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – which uses carriages restored from the original train service – with the Paris to Istanbul route every year, which will run in August this year, and already. expire.

ChatGPT can name the airlines that connect the cities, but cannot provide current flight information or help book flights.

It could not provide details on the lowest fares — or any costs — from London to New York this spring because it did not “have access to real-time price information,” it said.

In fact, ChatGPT data ends in September 2021; doesn’t “know” anything that’s happened since.

However, the bot was able to answer which months the London to New York route is usually cheapest, which it says is “January and February, or during the shoulder season in March and November.”

As the best airline in the world, he said: “As an AI language model, I cannot have personal preferences or opinions.” But then it named the top five airlines named “World’s Top 100 Airlines” by Skytrax in 2021.

The list is incorrect.

The list provided by ChatGPT appears to be the Skytrax airline ranking from 2019.

Ask ChatGPT “Where should I eat?” and “What is the best restaurant?” in a certain city produces two different lists – one with more popular places to eat, and the other with those who have other industry awards.

For example, answer these two questions for Singapore:

Where should I eat?

1. Food center
2. From Tai Fung
3. Jumbo Seafood
4. Liao Fan Hong Kong Chicken Rice & Noodles
5. Odette
6. Team Ho Wan

What is the best restaurant?

1. Burnt Ends
2. Hazelnuts
3. Corner house
4. Hawker Chan
5. Jaan
6. Andre’s Restaurant

It’s a decent list but dated. Restaurant Andre, which was considered one of the best in the city in 2010, closed permanently in February 2018.

Every city I asked ChatGPT about the results in the bot praises the local food scene. New York City is a “foodie’s paradise,” Florence is “known for its delicious food” and Melbourne is “famous for its coffee culture.”

ChatGPT is fun, but are all cities getting this treatment? To test this, I asked for food recommendations in Galveston, Texas. This time, ChatGPT only provides a list.

And if you’re wondering about the best coffee in Melbourne, ChatGPT speaks at Proud Mary – a coffee shop that tops many “best” lists of the day.

I have many other questions for ChatGPT, such as:

“How should I spend five days in South Africa?”
“Which chateaux welcome visitors in Bordeaux?”
“If I only had one day in London, what would I do?”
“Which ride has the longest line at Disney World?”

But before I could, the screen said “Access is denied” along with the message “error code 1020”.

This error may be caused by overloaded servers or exceeding the daily limit, according to the Stealth Optional technology website. Either way, all previous conversations are inaccessible, a huge negative for travelers in the middle of the planning process.

A new window does not solve the problem, but opening one in “incognito mode”. After logging in, I clicked “Upgrade to Plus,” which indicated that the free plan is available when demand is low, but for $20 a month, the “Plus Plan” gives you access to ChatGPT at any time, faster responses and priority usage. new features.

With access back, I quickly asked about wait times at Disney World, a topic I discussed with luxury travel consultant Jonathan Alder of Jonathan’s Travels about last week. Alder lives near the park and has lost count of the number of times he has visited, he said. However, only one answer – Epcot’s “Frozen Ever After” – overlapped.

ChatGPT mentions that FastPass and Genie+ can reduce wait times at Disney World, which is partially true. The company is doing away with its FastPass virtual “skip the line” program when it introduces Genie+ in fall 2021.

ChatGPT is fast, chatty and feels like you’re interacting with a human being. I found myself responding with unnecessary pleasantries – “Ok, sure” and “Thank you” – out of habit.

I can see how it can save travel time, especially if you are looking for information or in the early stages of planning.

But the information should be current, of course – and the bugs and error messages, which I faced many times in addition to the “1020” message mentioned above – should be fixed.

OpenAI states that the current version of ChatGPT “is a free research preview.” It also said the system may “occasionally produce incorrect or confusing information” and “is not intended to provide advice.”

When I asked about their travel planning abilities, they said they “can help with many aspects of travel planning” but may not be able to “provide personalized advice based on your unique situation.”

My verdict: Travel agent jobs are safe for now.