On holiday, one traveller uploaded a photo of an unfamiliar washer-dryer to Grok and said what she was washing and that she didn't want to tumble dry. It recognised the brand, model and language, translated the controls and told her exactly how to set it, right down to temperature and spin speed. The year before, guessing had ruined new board shorts.
Here's a photo of the washing machine in my holiday rental. I want to wash [WHAT YOU'RE WASHING, E.G. SWIMWEAR AND T-SHIRTS] and I [DO / DON'T] want to use the dryer. Identify the machine if you can, translate the buttons and dial, and tell me exactly which programme, temperature and spin speed to choose, step by step.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Take a straight-on photo of the control panel with the dial and buttons readable.
- Send it to Grok with what you’re washing and whether you want to dry.
- Check the care labels on anything delicate before you press start.
More travel use cases
Chase a cancelled-flight refund with ChatGPT
After JetBlue cancelled his flight at the last minute, one traveller later asked ChatGPT to go and get his refund. He ended up with $866.36 back plus a $100 flight credit.
My flight [FLIGHT NUMBER] on [DATE] was cancelled by [AIRLINE]. I paid [AMOUNT] and [DID/DID NOT] accept an alternative. Tell me what I'm entitled to, then draft a short, firm refund request that quotes my booking reference [REF], asks for a cash refund to my original payment method within a set time, and says what I'll do if they don't respond.
Draft a multi-day bike tour with Perplexity, then check every distance
Planning six days of cycling around Lake Champlain, a rider gave the same prompt to several chatbots. Perplexity was the only one to produce a real loop around the lake, even reminding them to pack a passport for the Canadian leg, but its day lengths were uneven; the others misstated distances and ChatGPT suggested a hotel that didn't exist. In the end the rider rebuilt the route in RideWithGPS.
Plan a [NUMBER]-day cycling tour around [ROUTE OR AREA], starting and ending in [TOWN]. Keep each day between [MIN] and [MAX] miles or km, prefer bike paths to roads, stay in [HOTELS / B&BS / CAMPSITES] and suggest a lunch stop each day. Show each day's start, end and distance, and link the sources you used so I can check them.
Get two AI tools to plan your trip, then combine the best bits
A couple planning Tunisia had ChatGPT and Claude each design a day in the same three cities, then built their own plan from both. ChatGPT's ambitious desert day was too much, but Claude's food tour and two historical detours became highlights.
We're visiting [CITIES] in [COUNTRY] from [DATES]. Design one full day in each city for two adults who enjoy [INTERESTS]. Be realistic about travel times between places and flag anything weather-dependent. Explain why you chose each stop.
Reference: X @kristen__beck