AI for travel: how I plan routes, food and a plan B — with the prompts
A frequent traveler's hacks: a photo route with no backtracking, locals' food instead of tourist prices, a tour guide at any building, and wine picked from a shelf photo.
01 — Why
What does AI actually change about travel?
I'm constantly on long trips — and don't tell me I'm the only one: half a day hunting for "a pretty café with good food," legs destroyed on day one, an hour on forums about the airport transfer.
AI removes the logistics, not the romance. The difference is simple: trip prep used to be an evening with ten tabs; now it's a few prompts on the way. And the prompts solve exactly what actually comes up: where to go, how to get there, where to eat, what to do in the rain, and "what is this gorgeous building?"
Everything below comes from trips where I actually used it: Singapore, Paris, Budapest, three weeks in Japan. Take the prompts as they are — and swap in your city.
02 — The route
How do you build a route that doesn't destroy your legs on day one?
This is the foundation. Without a logical route you walk in circles and rack up those 30,000 steps. I do it in two prompts — places first, then logistics:
Prompt 1:
You are a professional travel blogger and an expert on [city].
Recommend the top 10 most photogenic, instagrammable places
in this city.
Prompt 2:
Turn these places into a photo tour, spot by spot, based on their
geography. The route must work on foot or by public transport,
minimizing wasted transfers.
Start from [main point/hotel], and order the locations so I move
logically across the map with no backtracking. Important: for every
leg from A to B, show what interesting things I'll pass on the way
so I don't miss anything. The whole route must fit into [X] days.The key phrases in prompt 2 are "no backtracking" and "what I'll pass on the way": they're what turns a list of places into a route. Build your own version:
03 — The logistics
Airport, food, plan B: which prompts cover the trip's daily grind?
Out of the airport — 30 seconds instead of half an hour of forums:
I need to get from [airport] to the city center / to the [area]
district. Give me all the main options:
- Public transport (trains, buses, metro): exact travel time,
current prices, frequency, where and how to buy tickets.
- Taxi/transfer: approximate cost, reliable local services or apps.
For each option: operating hours, official sites/apps for tickets,
practical tips (where the stop is in the airport, how to pay,
whether multi-day passes exist).Locals' food instead of tourist prices — this is how I hunted for places in Singapore, to eat authentically without going broke:
I need budget-friendly but high-quality places to eat in [city].
Show me food courts and food halls highly rated by locals, and
inexpensive restaurants and cafés where the city's residents
actually eat — not tourists.A plan B for rain or heat — nothing ruins the mood like a downpour with no plan:
Build a detailed alternative plan for bad weather in [city]:
the best museums and galleries (what to see, price, time needed),
atmospheric covered markets, bookshops with beautiful interiors,
indoor viewpoints, spas or thermal baths if typical for the city.
Important: organize everything by district and mark what's near my
main route — so if the weather turns, I find the nearest shelter
and don't lose the day.That last line is the trick: a plan B anchored to your route, not an abstract museum list.
04 — On the spot
How do you get a tour guide and an expert's advice right on the street?
A tour at any building. I'm standing by the Palais de la Découverte in Paris, curious about its history. Instead of Google — ChatGPT:
I am standing near [place] in [city]. Tell me its full history,
in detail and engagingly: when and why it was created, who the
architect was and what the idea was, how it changed over time,
which events and famous people are connected to it. Include the
details I might miss: urban legends, hidden symbols in the
architecture, what this place means to locals. Give practical
tips: what to pay attention to. Tell it vividly, like a real tour
guide telling a story — not like a dry Wikipedia entry.Picking wine (or any product) without being an expert. My grandmother and I are in a Paris supermarket in front of the wine shelf. She likes dry white; I know nothing about wine. I photographed the shelf and sent it to ChatGPT 😁
I'm uploading a photo of a supermarket wine shelf. My grandmother
needs a dry white; she likes [preferences]. From this photo, point
out the specific bottles visible on the shelf that match.Photo prompts are the most underrated travel move: a shelf, a window display, a menu in an unknown language, a transit map — one snapshot solves it.
05 — The build
How do you assemble a trip with AI, start to finish?
Build your next trip step by step — each step takes one prompt from this article:
Run the generator from section 02: top places for your vibe + a logical route with no backtracking, anchored to your hotel and day count. The output is your trip's skeleton, day by day.
The airport prompt (section 03) — both directions. For multi-city trips add: "compare train/bus/flight between [city A] and [city B] by time, price and luggage convenience."
The locals' food prompt — and ask it to anchor the places to your step 1 route: "distribute these cafés across my route's days so lunch lands near each day's locations."
The weather plan-B-by-district prompt (section 03). Save the answer offline — you need the plan B exactly when you're standing in the rain with the worst signal of the trip.
The tour prompt and photo prompts (section 04) work as you go: at a beautiful building, in front of a shelf, over a menu in the local language. That's no longer prep — that's a travel companion.
For big 2–3-week trips with hotels and inter-city transfers I bring in an AI agent — that's how I planned Japan: hotels, locations, transfers. It's a separate level; see AI agents in plain words.
06 — For the road
What should you take from this article?
Save the checklist — and walk through it before your next trip:
- Route built with the "no backtracking" prompt and fits the trip's days
- Airport transfer: all options, prices and where to buy tickets — saved
- The "where locals eat" list is anchored to the route
- Bad-weather plan B organized by district and saved offline
- The tour-guide prompt saved in notes — for beautiful buildings en route
- Photo prompts remembered: a shelf, a menu, a display — one snapshot
AI in travel isn't "plan my vacation for me" — it's removing the logistics: route, transport, food, plan B and a guide in your pocket. Every prompt above is tested on real trips — take them, swap in your city, and see how much time is left for the actual traveling.
FAQ
Won't the AI invent nonexistent places and prices?
It can — so verify the facts: check opening hours, prices and tickets against official sites (the airport prompt explicitly asks for links to them). Models build places and routes well; "as of today" details — schedules, promos — live on official sources.
Which travel prompt is the most useful?
In my experience — the "no backtracking" route that shows what you'll pass on the way: it saves both legs and hours. Second place — the plan B by district for bad weather: it rescues an entire day and takes a minute to make.
Does this work in small towns, not just capitals?
It works, but verify more: models have less data on rare locations, so inaccuracies are likelier. A hack: ask for "only places you can confirm," and cross-check details with local sources or reviews.
What should I use for a long 2–3-week trip?
For long logistics — hotels, inter-city transfers, connections — I bring in an AI agent: it holds the whole picture instead of answering isolated questions. That's how I assembled three weeks in Japan. For trips up to a week, this article's prompts are enough.
