I put the new artificial intelligence technology to the travel test.
The rate of AI technological leaps is pretty mind-numbing, with new inventions and innovative ways to use the breathtaking technology coming out seemingly every day. I will admit to obsessing over this ground-shattering technology and have been testing different iterations of it since it reached mainstream consciousness.
I wanted to put it to a real-world test. I wanted to see how well it could plan a legitimate trip, help me along the way, and tell me everything I needed to do. I wanted to plan an RV road trip through Southern California for me, my wife, and my 18-month-old son. I admittedly know nothing about RVs, campsites, equipment needed, or traveling with a toddler, so I wanted to see how ChatGPT could help.
The major problem with ChatGPT is that it’s a Large Language Model (LLM) that’s only trained on what’s available on the internet up to 2021 (as of this writing–it has since added browsing capability). So, asking it for anything more current is pretty useless (again, only as of this writing). That meant it couldn’t help me rent an available RV, book a campsite, or find the latest travel gear. That was all impossible for ChatGPT.
But it wasn’t totally worthless. I used ChatGPT to plan my road trip and actually followed its suggestions and recommendations to see what it was capable of. Then, I hoped and prayed it wouldn’t drive me into a lake.
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Day 1: Asking ChatGPT to Secure an RV and Plan an Itinerary
Well, I need an RV. I first asked ChatGPT to find me an RV to rent in Los Angeles that had a bathroom, a kitchen, and enough space to fit the 12,000 things you need to bring for an 18-month-old. ChatGPT told me to look at Outdoorsy because it’s a “peer-to-peer RV rental platform where you can find a variety of RVs listed by individual owners.” Feels like an ad for Outdoorsy, but ChatGPT probably just scrubbed their site for the verbiage.
Outdoorsy made it super easy by delivering the RV right to my house and picking it up at the end of the trip. I rented this RV, because it had a moon skylight for us to see the stars from, a big bed, and enough room to fit a travel crib. I tried to get ChatGPT to run measurement specs on the width of the RV against my Guava Lotus Travel Crib and SlumberPod, and it did a decent job telling me the crib’s dimensions and the camper’s width. It also told me to look at dozens of different car seats that would fit securely in the same RV, and the Evenflo Extend is what we went with. I also asked ChatGPT for instructions on how to safely put the car seat into the RV, and it gave me enough general information with step-by-step instructions to figure it out without using a YouTube tutorial.
Next, I knew I wanted to travel from Los Angeles to Oceanside to Temecula and onward to Joshua Tree before returning to Los Angeles. I asked ChatGPT to help plan some itineraries for me. Prompting is more art than science, so I had to refine my search about a dozen times until it was able to find what campsites to look at, how much gas would cost for the trip, suggestions for restaurants, sightseeing spots, and even a list of things to bring, which was remarkably specific (after a dozen prompts).
Ultimately, ChatGPT said to stay at Guajome Regional Campground in Oceanside, Vail Lake RV Resort in Temecula, and Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground in Joshua Tree, but it couldn’t tell me availability dates or make reservations for me.
These types of features are being slowly rolled out. For instance, there’s an Expedia plugin on ChatGPT that you can use to search and make bookings and an OpenTable plugin for reservations. None of this worked for us because the restaurants ChatGPT recommended weren’t on OpenTable, but I tested it out for ones that were, and it brings you to their site after you tell it your date, time, and number of people.
Next, I asked ChatGPT what to bring. Again, you need to become a prompt aficionado because if you’re too generic, you’ll get generic answers. But if you have time and patience, it can be a great resource. I wanted a cooler, and it recommended this one from Yeti. I needed a travel stroller, and it gave me loads of options based on reviews and recommendations. We ended up with an Uppababy G-Luxe. We also wanted a booster seat, and it advised us to try this one from Bombol because it’s light, small, and easy to use.
Day 2: Cheating on ChatGPT With Google Maps
Our Outdoorsy RV arrived in the morning, and we packed up our gear. I asked ChatGPT for directions, but it’s not great at this. The directions are super generic, like getting on the freeway and going south (thanks, AI). Newer AI models with browsing capabilities are better, but we didn’t have that for this trip, so we cheated on ChatGPT with Google Maps instead.
The first leg of the trip was a two-hour drive, and I needed to keep my 18-month-old occupied. I asked ChatGPT for suggestions, and it was pretty pedestrian: bring books, have snacks ready, use an iPad, take breaks, etc. There was nothing revelatory here, although I highly recommend snacks and breaks for everyone’s sanity.
When we arrived at the first RV park in Oceanside, I asked ChatGPT how to hook up the RV to the sewer at the site (this is the worst part of traveling with an RV). I’ll hand it to ChatGPT; it gave me step-by-step instructions, including important details like wearing gloves, using disinfectant wipes, and washing your hands afterward.
Some other notes that ChatGPT was good for finding a restaurant with outdoor seating and kid-friendliness worked nicely. The restaurants we ended up at for the trip included Heritage Barbecue in Oceanside, Devilicious in Temecula, and The Red Dog Saloon in Joshua Tree. All had kid menus, outdoor seating, and plenty of distractions for young ones.
Day 3: What ChatGPT Excels At
Our drive to Temecula was a breeze, and we took ChatGPT’s advice to visit the Temecula Olive Oil Company Olive Ranch on the way out. This was a perfect stop because our 18-month-old watched a baby lamb get fed, chased some ducks, and tried ample olive oil samples.
We camped at Vail Lake RV Resort at night, and I asked ChatGPT how to build a fire to cook s’mores under the stars. This is where ChatGPT excels. It instantly spits out a laundry list of every item you’ll need, then gives you step-by-step instructions on building a fire safely and assembling s’mores. We unfolded our giant Gathre Play Mat (another ChatGPT suggestion) and ate melted marshmallows and chocolate by the fire. It was the perfect way to end the night, and we had a clear view of the stars from the inside of our RV.
Day 4: Can ChatGPT Plan a Good Road Trip?
We left early for Joshua Tree because I asked ChatGPT how to avoid traffic. It did mention that traveling before 7 a.m. can also help with temperatures when driving through the desert–it was a nice touch.
We arrived at Joshua Tree in the morning and only encountered a short line to get into the park. If you’ve never been to Joshua Tree, it’s probably helpful to know that there isn’t a visitors center inside the park. With our barely-there cell service, we asked ChatGPT where to pull off the road with specific suggestions to see Skull Rock, Arch Rock, Jumbo Rocks, and the Cholla Cactus Garden. While it wasn’t exact because, again, it lacks updated mapping capabilities, it did lead us in the right direction.
We didn’t stay the night in Joshua Tree and instead decided to head home. The 18-month-old had a ticking clock, and it was getting close to his deadline. So, I asked ChatGPT for some fun sightseeing spots between Joshua Tree and Los Angeles. It gave us a long list of great options, and we decided to make one final detour at the Cabazon Dinosaurs. The popular roadside attraction has a giant T-Rex, an Apatosaurus, and some animatronic dinos for the kids to interact with.
The little one slept hard in his new car seat the rest of the way home. ChatGPT ultimately gave us a fun adventure and was fairly useful, but by no means was it perfect for planning a road trip. While the technology is a helpful bridge to doing whatever you’re setting out to do, for now, it’s a fun toy, a semi-useful tool, and a slightly frightening harbinger of what’s to come.