A solo mum who spent 25 days travelling by rail from London to Pisa with her six-month-old used ChatGPT to plan the route, asking specifically for pram-accessible trains and quieter departures away from rush hour. It was mostly helpful, but a few times it suggested trains that didn't exist where there were only buses.
I'm travelling by train from [START] to [END] over [NUMBER] days with a [AGE] baby and a pram, using [RAIL PASS]. Suggest a rough route with stops, keeping each train journey under [HOURS] hours, favouring step-free or pram-friendly stations and quieter departure times. For each leg, name the operator so I can check the timetable myself, and flag where I might need a seat reservation.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Give ChatGPT your dates, rail pass, baby’s age and your limits on journey length.
- Check every suggested train on the operator’s or rail pass’s own timetable before relying on it.
- Book only the first few nights and legs, then plan the rest as you go.
More travel use cases
Write a detailed prompt to get a travel plan that feels like yours
Planning Key West, a Kiplinger writer found a simple 'two-day itinerary' prompt gave generic tourist picks. Adding details such as 'focus on water activities, include a ghost tour, build in hotel breaks, no breakfast' produced plans that felt like hers, though everything still needed checking.
Create a [NUMBER]-day itinerary for [DESTINATION]. The atmosphere I want: [E.G. RELAXED, OUTDOORSY]. Must include: [E.G. A GHOST TOUR]. Focus on: [E.G. WATER ACTIVITIES]. Build in: [E.G. AN AFTERNOON BREAK AT THE HOTEL]. Skip: [E.G. BREAKFAST PLANS, BUSY NIGHTLIFE]. Avoid the obvious top-ten list where you can and tell me why each pick suits me.
Do your pre-trip background reading in half an hour with ChatGPT
A travel writer used ChatGPT instead of hours of reading before a Door County trip: which attractions people call overrated, which are worth the crowds, and which town suits her. It recommended two restaurants that had closed, but she felt confident enough to book a rental that night.
I'm going to [DESTINATION] in [MONTH]. Give me the lay of the land: which popular attractions are often called overrated and which are worth the crowds, the best times to visit them, and three varied sample itineraries. I like [PREFERENCES]. Which town or area should I stay in, and why? Then play devil's advocate on your own suggestions.
Find the food locals actually eat with Perplexity
His mum had spent weeks fighting with generic tourist guides for a Curaçao trip, so one traveller spent five minutes with Perplexity and got an itinerary with food tips drawn from locals' posts on Reddit. She was delighted.
I'm visiting [DESTINATION] for [NUMBER] days. Skip the generic tourist lists. Using recent discussions from locals and frequent visitors (for example Reddit and local forums), recommend places to eat and dishes I should try, plus things to do that locals rate. Include the source for each tip and note anything that may have closed.
Reference: The Standard