Hey Reader,

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about using AI to plan travel, so I wanted to share my honest take and how I actually use it when I’m planning a trip.

Here’s the short version: I don’t think AI is very good at planning trips from scratch.

I’ve tried asking ChatGPT for things to do, restaurants to try, or full itineraries, and I’ve run into a few issues:

• It’s recommended restaurants that are closed
• It’s suggested generic or chain spots I’d never go out of my way for
• The itineraries often feel disconnected or unrealistic for how people actually travel

When I’m deciding what to do on a trip, I still strongly prefer blogs, YouTube, and TikTok. I want to know what real people did, what they loved, what they skipped, and what they’d do differently. That kind of context just isn’t something AI does well yet.

Where AI does shine for me is once I’ve already done my research.

My actual travel planning flow looks like this:

1. I research blogs, YouTube videos, and TikToks
2. I keep a running note on my phone with sights, restaurants, neighborhoods, and tours I’m interested in
3. Once that list is done, then I use ChatGPT to help organize it into a logical daily plan

This is the part AI is really good at—turning a messy list into a clean, efficient schedule.

Here’s a prompt you can copy and use that works really well for me:

I’ve found this saves me so much time and mental energy—especially for cities where logistics matter just as much as what you see.

If you’re curious how I plan specific trips, this is exactly the process I use for destinations like Tokyo, Chicago, Maui, and Europe. Blogs first. AI second. Never the other way around.

If you’ve tried using AI for travel planning, I’d love to hear what’s worked (or totally failed) for you—just hit reply and tell me.

Have a great week!

Lauren The Traveling Moore Blog

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