How to Use AI for Holiday Planning: UK Guide

According to a recent ABTA report, the number of UK adults using AI for holiday inspiration doubled in the past year. A YouGov survey found that 58% of UK adults over 55 feel uncomfortable using AI for travel planning, making them the most hesitant age group in that research.

The hesitation is understandable. Planning a holiday involves real money, real dates, and sometimes complex health or mobility needs. Getting the details wrong is not just frustrating; it can be expensive. What this guide does is show you exactly what AI handles well, where it cannot be trusted, and how to write prompts that produce genuinely useful results for older travellers.

Is AI actually useful for planning a trip?

Yes, for certain tasks it really is. The key is knowing which ones.

Think of AI as a well-travelled friend who has read a lot about destinations but does not have live access to booking systems, transport apps, or real-time information. They can give you ideas quickly, help you think through options, and draft a rough schedule. They cannot check whether that train on Tuesday is running or whether the museum now charges more for over-60s.

In our testing, ChatGPT handled itinerary drafting, packing list suggestions, and local area overviews well. The point it struggled most was anything requiring recent or real-time data: prices, opening hours, visa rules, and live rail timetables.

What AI gets right and what it reliably gets wrong

After testing both ChatGPT and Gemini on actual holiday planning tasks, the pattern was clear. Some things it did well; others produced confidently wrong answers. This is what we found.

AI is good at:

• Drafting a day-by-day itinerary for a destination you name
• Suggesting places to visit, eat, or walk without large crowds
• Building a packing list matched to your destination and the time of year
• Comparing two destinations (beach versus city break, UK versus abroad)
• Adjusting a plan once you explain your pace or mobility preferences
• Creating a list of questions to ask your travel agent, hotel, or airline

AI gets these wrong. Always verify elsewhere:

• Live prices and availability. AI does not have real-time access to booking sites.
• Train and coach timetables. Always check on National Rail or your coach company directly.
• Current opening hours. Restaurants close, museums change their days, and attractions go under refurbishment.
• Visa and entry requirements. Use GOV.UK foreign travel advice for the current and definitive answer.
• Travel insurance for pre-existing conditions. More on this below.
• Places that do not exist. AI occasionally invents attractions. Which? reported an example where AI suggested visiting a location that is entirely made up. Always search for any attraction it recommends before you make plans around it.

How to start your first planning conversation

The most common reason people get unhelpful results from AI is a vague prompt. The more specific you are, the more specific and useful the response will be.

A good starting prompt gives AI:

• Who is travelling (two adults, solo, with grandchildren)
• When (specific month or dates)
• How long (four nights, a week)
• Rough budget (budget, mid-range, or not a concern)
• How you are getting there (no car, flying from Manchester, travelling by train)
• Your pace (no more than two activities a day, plenty of rest time)
• Any mobility or accessibility needs (avoid steep hills, prefer flat routes, step-free access)

For a step-by-step guide to setting up ChatGPT and having your first conversation, see our guide to using ChatGPT as a beginner.

Copy-paste prompts for UK holiday planning

These prompts are ready to use. Copy and paste them directly into ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, then adjust the details to suit your own trip.

A UK city break:

"Plan a four-day trip to Edinburgh for two adults in early September. We will travel by train from Leeds. Mid-range budget. No more than two activities per day and we prefer quiet cafes over busy tourist spots. No steep hills if possible."

A quiet seaside weekend:

"Suggest a UK seaside town with good train links from Birmingham. We want somewhere less busy than Brighton, with flat walking and a few independent shops."

A slower-paced itinerary:

"Give me a three-day itinerary for Bath for two adults. Include one half-day with nothing planned so we can rest. We walk slowly and would like somewhere for a long lunch each day."

A packing list:

"Make a packing list for a ten-day trip to Portugal in May for one person in their seventies. I take daily medication that needs to stay cool and I prefer comfortable walking shoes."

Planning around a Senior Railcard:

"I have a Senior Railcard and want to travel from London to the Lake District in October. Which train route is recommended, and are there quieter days or times that tend to be cheaper? I prefer one direct train rather than several changes."

If you want more ideas, our beginner AI prompts page has a wider collection for everyday tasks.

One note on rail travel: a Senior Railcard saves a third on most UK rail fares and costs £30 a year from the Senior Railcard website. AI does not know you have one, so always mention it in your prompt, then verify the actual timetable and fare on National Rail's website.

Planning around your pace and mobility

AI tends to build itineraries that are far too busy. If you want a realistic pace, you have to say so explicitly.

Phrases that work well in a travel prompt:

• "No more than two activities per day"
• "Include rest time between stops"
• "Avoid steep hills or lots of steps"
• "Allow for longer lunch breaks"
• "No more than 30 minutes of walking at a time"
• "We prefer uncrowded places and quieter times of day"

You can also ask AI to adjust a plan it has already given you. If it gives you a packed day, say: "That is too much for one day. Can you reduce it to two things and add more rest time in between?"

ABTA research shows that UK adults aged 65 and over are now the age group most likely to travel in September, up from 22% to 35% in recent years. September typically means lower prices, fewer crowds, and warm weather across most of Europe. If your dates are flexible, ask AI to compare July versus September for your chosen destination and see what it suggests.

Before you go abroad: what AI cannot help with

This section matters most, and it is the part where relying on AI alone can cause real problems.

Entry requirements and travel warnings

For any trip outside the UK, the only reliable source for visa requirements, entry rules, and safety warnings is GOV.UK's foreign travel advice pages. AI's information about entry rules can be out of date by months or years. Always check GOV.UK before you book, not after.

Your GHIC card

The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) replaced the old EHIC card and gives you access to state-provided emergency medical care in countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). What it does not cover is treatment at private hospitals, medical repatriation back to the UK, or most costs related to pre-existing conditions. You still need separate travel insurance even if you carry a GHIC card.

Travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a heart condition, diabetes, a history of cancer, or another medical condition, you must declare it when buying travel insurance. Failing to declare means the insurer can refuse to pay out if something goes wrong.

Standard comparison sites do not always cater well to complex medical histories. MoneyHelper's guide for over-65s includes a directory of specialist insurers for people who have been declined elsewhere. Use that, not AI, for insurance decisions.

Our article on using AI for health questions explains in more detail where AI is useful and where it is not a reliable source of medical information.

How to check AI's work before you book

AI suggestions are a starting point, not a finished plan. Before you make any booking, run through this list.

• Search the attraction or restaurant by name. Confirm it exists, check current opening hours, and look for a contact number or booking page.
• Check transport on the official site. For trains, use National Rail. For coaches, go directly to your coach company's website.
• Confirm entry requirements on GOV.UK if you are travelling outside the UK.
• Check prices on booking sites directly. AI does not have live pricing and the figures it quotes can be out of date.
• Ring the venue if you have specific accessibility, dietary, or mobility needs. AI cannot make those enquiries for you.

For a reminder of what personal information to keep out of any AI conversation, read our guide on what not to share with AI. Booking references, passport numbers, and home addresses should never go into an AI chat.

If you would like to build real confidence with AI tools before your next trip, the WellWired Academy teaches you everything step by step at your own pace, with no jargon and no pressure.

Frequently asked questions