Key Takeaways
- Perplexity AI excels at research using validated internet results, while ChatGPT is versatile but inconsistent.
- ChatGPT excels at organizing itineraries over Perplexity AI, showcasing a mix of adventure and relaxation.
ChatGPT and Perplexity AI are both versatile AI-powered chatbots that claim the ability to research relying on an extensive database of existing knowledge supported by limited internet search abilities. I put these claims to the test as these bots help me plan a big multi-generational family vacation.
My Two Favorite AI Chatbots
Perplexity AI is my go-to AI for research because it validates its answers with curated internet search results, and provides those sources. ChatGPT, on the other hand, might be the best all-around AI in my opinion. It’s certainly the most popular, and this has spawned a growing number of customized GPTs for specific purposes. There are at least three different travel-themed custom GPTs available in the “Explore GPTs” section. I experimented with a few of them, and their performance was poor and inconsistent. I suspect they are each customized to specialize in just one aspect of travel.
Choosing a Great Location
My mother is planning a grand multi-generational trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in 2025. So, I have been studying the area like only a tech journalist can. It includes a plethora of outdoor activities in and around the National Park, and tourist attractions in the nearby towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Most notably, the Dollywood theme park, Ripley’s Aquarium, and numerous sky lifts and skywalks.
Picking a Campground
For campground offerings, ChatGPT gave a list of six campgrounds that fit my prompt except for one “more rustic experience” with no RV hookups and only cold water on-site.
Prompt:I’m planning a weeklong trip to the Great Smokies for my young family of 4 plus my parents. Can you recommend a nice place for us to RV camp? We want to be close to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the National Parks.
After the recommendations, there was a section titled “Tips for Your Trip” which an inexperienced traveler might find helpful. They included things like checking the campground’s schedule of events for fun family activities.
Perplexity AI picked out the Gatlinburg KOA campground and supported the choice with a 200-word explanation of features and amenities. It also included multiple web sources, including the KOA website, and two travel site lists of popular campgrounds in the area.
I’m tempted to give this round to Perplexity. Why? Because it picked out the same campground as my mom! What more can you ask from an AI? I’m also unsure how helpful the ChatGPT suggestions would be to someone’s vacation planning. A campground would still have to be chosen, but at least it’s a starting point closer to the finish line.
What to Do?
While Perplexity excels at research, making lists and organizing information is more of ChatGPT’s jam. I expected ChatGPT to win this round, but I’m surprised at Perplexity’s poor performance.
Prompt: Please suggest 10 family-friendly things to do or see there. Include a few rainy-day activities as well as some budget-friendly options.
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park was what made Pigeon Forge a vacation destination, and it sees just under 3 million guests per year. Its omission from Perplexity’s list of recommended activities is nearly a disqualification. Furthermore, we’re just given the name of the attraction and a single sentence about it. ChatGPT nails the prompt by separating the list into “Outdoor Activities”, “Indoor and Rainy-Day Activities”, and “Budget-Friendly Options”. However, the budget-friendly National Park activities were included under “Outdoor Activities” instead of the budget options. Neither model mentioned any of the multiple skyways, sky bridges, or sky parks, but the activities offered were otherwise well-representative of the area.
Itineraries
Aren’t itineraries the most tedious part of vacation planning? It’s fun to look at all the unique activities and share favorites with your family. It’s good to show older kids activities you know they’ll like and watch them get excited about the trip. The hard part is planning what to do each day to mix just the right amount of adventure and relaxation. Even exciting dinner shows can be too much for little kids (and moms!) who have already had a full day. This is the part that both first-timers and experienced travelers would appreciate help with. I admit, I did not think AI was up to the challenge.
Basic Itinerary Challenge
First, I gave both AIs a complex prompt that gave parameters without choosing specific activities. It requested 2 days in Dollywood, 1 rest day, and a few days in the National Park. To my surprise, both AIs nailed the challenge!
ChatGPT
ChatGPT divided each day into morning, afternoon, and evening. Days with morning and afternoon activities included relaxed evenings at the campground. The requested rest day was on Wednesday (I love it when the AI makes sense!) and included a relaxed morning and afternoon at the campground. This was followed by an outing for dinner and a show in the evening. It followed the restrictions of the prompt with two days of Dollywood (Monday and Thursday) and three days at the National Park. It did not repeat activities, and it suggested the Gatlinburg Skylift Park. Finally, a sky activity!
Perplexity
Plan a weeklong itinerary for a multigenerational family staying at the Pigeon Forge KOA campground from Saturday to Saturday. The week should include exactly 2 days at Dollywood, at least 3 days exploring attractions at the National Park, at least 1 day of rest, and a day visiting other local attractions.
Perplexity did not provide as detailed a response as ChatGPT because it did not divide the day into three parts. It still suggested more than three options or attractions for each day. In fact, it was able to specify campground activities to keep busy on the rest day (it has a lazy river!). However, overall the itinerary was vague compared to ChatGPT and had fewer overall activities suggested.
Detailed Itinerary Challenge
My final prompt to both chatbots was:
Plan a weeklong itinerary for a multigenerational family staying at the Pigeon Forge KOA campground from Saturday to Saturday. The week should include exactly two days at Dollywood, at least three days exploring attractions at the National Park, at least one day of rest, and a day visiting other local attractions. The itinerary should include as many of the following activities as possible: The Island at Pigeon Forge, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Cades Cove, Wonderworks, Ripley’s Aquarium, Clingmans Dome, the Sugarlands Visitor Center, and the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park.
They both nailed it, again! Both included all the requested activities and stuck to the same format as they did in the first challenge. ChatGPT went through each day’s morning, afternoon, and evening, while Perplexity gave an overview of each day. I’m thrilled with both results!
And the Winner Is?
AI chatbots work for travel planning! We are the winners! I’ll be using AI chatbots to assist with travel planning in the future, especially to new places. Will I tap Perplexity AI or ChatGPT? If I’m looking for one right answer (perhaps anticipating where my mom would like to stay?) I will at least check Perplexity, but ChatGPT surpassed my expectations on this challenge.
Obligatory Final Word About Internet Safety and AI Limitations
Because AI chatbots are a new technology, it’s easy to forget to apply standard internet safety rules to their use. Information shared with AI is not private. AI developers collect and track prompts to improve the model. Always be careful what you share online! AI also has limited reach. I intentionally did not ask for hours of operation or seasonal/safety considerations of the National Park or attractions. Reservations should be made by humans. The final step in vacation planning should always be to double-check and confirm everything.
