Your new travel agent is smarter, faster, and lives in your phone.
The dizzying and time-consuming process of planning a vacation is being completely transformed by the power of artificial intelligence. In 2025, tools like ChatGPT have evolved into sophisticated travel assistants that can handle almost every aspect of your trip. They are able to synthesize a massive amount of information in seconds to create a perfectly tailored and optimized travel experience.
These AI-powered “hacks” are not just about saving time; they are about creating a better, smarter, and more personalized journey from start to finish.
1. It can create an itinerary based on a “vibe”.
Instead of you having to do the research, you can now give an AI a simple, abstract “vibe” and have it build a concrete plan. You can try a prompt like, “Plan a 7-day solo trip in New England that feels like a cozy, intellectual, autumn-themed movie.” The AI will understand the aesthetic and suggest specific activities like visiting independent bookshops, scenic drives to see the foliage, and staying in a historic inn with a fireplace, according to Outside Magazine.
This is a completely new way to plan, moving beyond simple destinations to capturing a specific feeling or mood.
2. It finds a cheaper “dupe” for your dream destination.
If your dream vacation is out of your budget, you can use AI to find a more affordable alternative with a similar feel. You can ask it, “I want to go to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, but it’s too expensive. Find me a more budget-friendly destination with a similar vibe of colorful villages on a dramatic coastline.” The AI might suggest places like the coast of Albania or the less-touristy parts of the French Riviera, as reported by USA Today.
This is a powerful hack for finding a fantastic vacation that captures the essence of what you’re looking for, but at a price you can actually afford.
3. It can act as your personal dietary concierge.
Traveling with a specific or complex dietary restriction can be incredibly stressful. You can now use AI to do all the heavy lifting for you. Before your trip, you can ask, “I’m a vegan with a gluten allergy. Create a list of 10 highly-rated restaurants in Rome that have good options for me.” The AI will scan reviews and menus to generate a safe list, as mentioned by NDTV
You can even use it in real-time. Take a picture of a menu in a foreign language and ask it to identify the safe dishes for you, a task that would have been nearly impossible just a few years ago.
4. It can optimize your frequent flyer miles.
The world of frequent flyer miles and loyalty programs is incredibly complex, with different programs offering better value for different routes. You can now use AI to be your personal rewards expert. You can give it a prompt like, “I have 100,000 American Express points and 50,000 United miles. What is the most efficient way to use them to book a business class ticket from Los Angeles to Tokyo?”
The AI can analyze the different transfer partners and award charts to find the absolute best redemption, a hack that can save you a huge number of points.
5. It turns sightseeing into a game for your kids.
Keeping children engaged while sightseeing in a historic city can be a major challenge. You can now use AI to turn the experience into a fun game. Ask it to, “Create a fun, 10-item scavenger hunt for a 9-year-old at the British Museum in London.” The AI will generate a list of specific, kid-friendly artifacts to find, complete with fun facts about each one.
This simple hack can transform a potentially boring museum visit into an exciting adventure, keeping your kids entertained and engaged with the history around them.
6. It acts as your on-demand sommelier.
When you are faced with a long and intimidating wine list in a foreign restaurant, your AI assistant can be your secret weapon. You can take a picture of the wine list, upload it, and ask, “I’m having the steak. Can you recommend a good, reasonably priced local red wine from this list and tell me a little bit about it?”
The AI can analyze the list, identify the local varietals, and give you a confident recommendation with tasting notes in seconds. It’s a fantastic hack for discovering new wines and ordering like a local.
7. It can find hyper-local, non-touristy events.
One of the best ways to have an authentic travel experience is to attend a local event that is not in the guidebooks. You can use AI to scan local blogs, event listings, and community websites to find out what’s happening during your stay. You can ask, “I’ll be in Berlin this weekend. Find me some cool, non-touristy events like a neighborhood festival, a local band’s concert, or a flea market.”
This is a powerful hack for getting off the beaten path and experiencing a city as its residents do, allowing you to discover the true, local culture.
8. It can craft the perfect, polite “no” in any language.
Dealing with aggressive street vendors or touts can be a stressful part of traveling in some countries. It can be hard to know how to politely but firmly decline their offers without causing offense. You can use AI to help you with this. You can ask it, “How do I politely but firmly say ‘no, thank you, I am not interested’ to a street vendor in Marrakech in both French and Arabic?”
The AI will provide you with the exact, culturally appropriate phrase to use, giving you the confidence to navigate these tricky situations with grace.
9. It creates a “should I buy it” price comparison on the spot.
When you are shopping in a foreign country, it can be difficult to know if the “deal” you are getting on a product is actually a good one. You can use your phone’s AI to do an instant price check. Take a picture of the item, and the AI’s visual search function can identify the product and tell you how much it costs back home on Amazon or other online retailers.
This simple hack can save you from the buyer’s remorse of a bad “bargain” and can help you identify the items that are actually a great deal, making you a much smarter international shopper.