I, Amber from IO+, visited Nijmegen and asked ChatGPT to put together an itinerary for the day. Assignment: ‘Plan your day in Nijmegen. I’m traveling alone by train and don’t want to spend more than 10 euros. ”As a result, I spent most of my time outdoors and walked a lot. 25,000 steps to be exact. But did I have fun? Here’s a video of what happened that day.
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Do you plan it yourself or use AI?
The daily itinerary was similar to what people usually do alone in a strange city. We would walk around the city, visit parks, and maybe even visit nearby villages. Paid planners and travel agents often suggest similar experiences when a traveler’s budget isn’t as big (for example, if there’s a lot of cycling or walking).
AI provides quick plans, but they are not necessarily more creative than plans created by humans.
Lost due to AI route
AI has its limits. For example, we found that the route wasn’t always clear and had to rely on Google Maps on a regular basis. When I first asked ChatGPT for the route from Café de Blonde Pater to Kronenburg Park, I was told that I should walk in a west direction, but after some follow-up questions it suddenly turned out to be south.
Another option is to follow road signs. However, it turned out that following such signs can be quite time-consuming, since there are so many streets. So when we asked for landmarks and buildings to follow, it was easiest to find the next location.
When it came to public transportation, one thing that stood out was that ChatGPT answered correctly when asked for the train platform number. However, the answer stated that you should monitor the signs yourself for last-minute platform changes.
AI makes inaccurate estimates
I have to admit that with a budget of 10 euros excluding train fares, I placed some limitations on ChatGPT.
Nevertheless, there are many things you can do and buy in Nijmegen for less than 10 euros. ChatGPT still offered big-ticket offers like specific coffee shops, lunch spots, and museum visits that quickly exceeded small budgets. For example, at both coffee spots, ChatGPT suggested buying coffee with something to eat. Unfortunately, these combinations can quickly eat up a large portion of your budget. So I carefully calculated myself how much I could fit into my budget and spent exactly 10 euros. This consisted of a lungo coffee (€3.20) from Café de Blonde Pater, a chicken and cheese sandwich from BackWerk (€3.25) and a cappuccino (€3.55) from Café Camelot.
Interestingly, ChatGPT itself calculated that the proposed date would end up being higher than budgeted. This indicates that the estimate is not a good match to the task.
Find out the facts yourself
ChatGPT does not take into account the current situation. For example, we suggested visiting the Valkhof Museum near Valkhof Park. However, it was temporarily closed. This was not mentioned in the chat. Moreover, admission tickets cost as much as your budget.
Get inspired with a critical eye
ChatGPT is a great source of inspiration for your day out and a good starting point for planning. However, be sure to research the practical details yourself, such as current prices, routes, and opening hours. You can also let yourself know when you’re bored of a particular place or when you’ve seen everything there is to see. 1.5 hours per park felt quite long, at least to me. As a result, by the end of the day I wasn’t able to stick to a very strict schedule and ended up going home earlier than ChatGPT had planned.
