Chat GPT and my London vacation--oh my!

At the risk of being a cynic, did you actually check out the suggested restaurants and tour outfitters to see whether they: (a) really existed; (b) offered the tour Chat GPT suggested; at (c) the price Chat GPT quoted? Inquiring minds want to know.

Using that doesn't guarantee that your trip will work out though. That's the bottom line.

If you follow the plan that you were given, I look forward to an honest appraisal at the end of your trip.

Interesting to play with. We all decide where to visit and what to do based on SOMETHING - a guidebook, a friend, the internet….. Using Chat GPT might not be as intuitive for us as older users, but learning how to narrow my search focus could give some results worth exploring.

It reads like a day in the published itinerary of a guided tour company or a sample itinerary in a guidebook -- which is probably where Chat GPT got it. Why do you find this so impressive? Go to Greenwich, ride a boat on the river, then eat at a riverside restaurant. More impressive might be the overall 9-day plan, with sights and activities grouped logically and geographically, taking hours and closures into account.

Its response to your second round of questions is more impressive, with specifics that you'd have had to work to find. If you like Chat GPT's overall plan, I hope you'll follow it and report back on how things went. Whatever you do, have a good trip and don't hesitate to follow your own instincts if you prefer. (That would be "free time" in the tour itinerary.)

Oh my! Please people I am not trying to endorse this form of travel guidance over Rick Steves or your own research and planning! I am a huge Rick Steves fan and have bought nearly every travel book that he has published and watched probably all of his Youtube videos! I am simply stating that Chat GPT provided me a detailed itinerary in literally 5 minutes for my upcoming trip to London and it didn't seem to do to bad a job! I omitted specific restaurants and specific recommended tour companies + maps because I didn't want to advertise for any other travel companies/guides.

I am not following the suggested Chat GPT itinerary because I have spent the last 2 months researching and coming up with my own plan. However, with that said, Chat GPT seemed to do a pretty good job considering it took me less than 5 minutes. I suspect if I had inputted a few more parameters that this could have been amazing!

Could modern technology make travel agencies a thing of the past? Time will tell....

Unfortunately that suggested day in Greenwich misses out many of the sites that make it such a great place to visit. No mention of the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Naval College and most impressive of all, the Painted Hall. Forgive me if I'm underwhelmed.

the biggest problem I have with working that way is that generative ai is programmed that it must give an answer. It doesn't give references, and if it doesn't find what it is looking for it makes stuff up and presents that as fact. It scrapes what others have written. And it mixes up fact with guess and doesn't say which is which!

So if you want to work that way you need to check all results to see if each are real or made up, and if details are correct, then see how other humans reacted to being at each if they match your preferences and style. And are even open when you want to be there, and the costs.

Instead of saving work it actually makes more. No such thing as a free lunch...

By the way, when use such a "tool" how much of your personal data does it collect, and scrape from your device, and resell?

dale5050, this is so funny because i just had the same experience yesterday. I was driving myself crazy trying to plan my daily itineraries, and it was taking forever. So I decided to use both ChatGPT and Bard (Google) to sort out a daily itinerary for me.

The results were impressive. I tried it two different ways. The first asked for an itinerary of the AI's choosing, but I let it know what my interests were (historic sights, moderate hiking and scenic villages). It gave me a good list of places, but it was missing some places that I wanted to see.

So next I asked for an itinerary but gave both Bard and ChatGPT about 6-7 places that I wanted to visit in North Yorkshire. I also asked for more suggestions, giving my interests again, let it know I had a car and said what my base was. The results this time were impressive and a keeper. Both had good results but were also somewhat similar (probably because I had given a prompt with some destinations).

But the best thing about it is that it made the itinerary reasonable. I have a very bad habit of trying to crowd my days with all the places I want to see. When I first started out planning my North Yorkshire itinerary, I listed every place mentioned on my forum post, plus others, and then drove myself crazy trying to figure out how to get there, and where everything was on the map so I wasn't backtracking.

But the itinerary I received was eminently doable and very simple. Here's one example for the Yorkshire Dales below. Obviously you can choose what you want out of it, but this was perfect for me. I can certainly fill in more as I get there, but it gives me a good solid itinerary that I can use and add as needed.

Here was my question: I will be spending 3 full days in the Yorkshire Dales and would like an itinerary that would allow me to visit some scenic villages, see some historic sights and also do some moderate hiking. I will have a car to travel to my destinations. My base will be in Helmsley

Day 3: Morning: Visit the Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, two
spectacular natural rock formations in the southern Dales. Take a walk
to the top of Malham Cove for stunning views of the surrounding
countryside.

Afternoon: Drive to the historic town of Richmond, where you can visit
the Richmond Castle, a Norman fortress with a fascinating history.
Take a stroll through the town center and admire the Georgian
architecture.

Evening: Enjoy dinner at a restaurant in Thirsk, such as the "Tulip
Restaurant" or the "Rose Tree Inn".

These were all on my list of places to see, so it worked out well. I think that AI is a good tool and can be very helpful to travelers. I did all my research ahead of time, but now I'm ready to put it in a form that will be easy to follow as I travel, and AI did this perfectly.

It reads like a day in the published itinerary of a guided tour company or a sample itinerary in a guidebook -- which is probably where Chat GPT got it. Why do you find this so impressive? Go to Greenwich, ride a boat on the river, then eat at a riverside restaurant. More impressive might be the overall 9-day plan, with sights and activities grouped logically and geographically, taking hours and closures into account.

I think that Dale5050 has the whole 9-day plan but just shared a portion of it. I'm doing something similar - going through area by area and getting all of my prior research and chosen destinations put into a package that makes it easy to follow. The info from AI did break it down into sights and activities that were grouped logically and geographically. That is what I found the most helpful. As far as hours and closures, once I put everything into Wanderlog, my trip planning tool, then it lets me know right away if I've scheduled something on a day that it is closed.

I know some of you are skeptics, but it really is a wonderful tool, imo.

To those of you who say it's too simple, keep in mind that this is a basic itinerary. It doesn't list every single thing at your destination. If I go to Richmond in Yorkshire, I'm sure there are other things I will see. But it breaks it down into reasonable pieces so people (like me) don't get overwhelmed.

That's not to say that it won't give you more details. For example, Johnnew52, you mentioned it left out details about places at Greenwich. To get those details, all you need to do is change your prompt. For example, dale5050 got a basic itinerary for the day, but when I keyed in "I am visiting Greenwich in London for one day. What are all the sights I can see there?", AI gave me a list of all the places John mentioned, along with some details. At the end it reminded me that it is "just a suggested itinerary, and you can tailor it to your own interests and pace."

My point is that it gives you as little or as much as you want it to. That's the beauty of it.

Travel agencies are a thing of the past….

Hadn’t heard about Chat GPT until this post.

Been planning my own excursions since 72: Havana, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Brussels, Dublin, Belfast, et al. Old school. Like doing the research.

Each to their own.

I think I agree with Mardee in that the better parameters you put in the better your results are likely to be.

I've no experience with using AI for an itinerary for myself and following it through to see if it works. I DO have experience reviewing AI generated itineraries. I post a lot on the Trip Advisor forum for Yellowstone. This year we've had several people post AI generated itineraries on the forum to ask if they looked good. Most of the time they had people ping-ponging back and forth across the park and trying to cover too much territory in a day. The AI did not seem to be able take in to account the drive times between areas nor did they mine any information on how long things might take to see. I have no idea what parameters these folks put in when they asked the AI for a plan and it's certainly likely they had not given good enough information to narrow things down. In all the cases the people posting had never asked questions on the forum before so probably had not done much research ahead of time....just thrown a general question at the AI and got a generic answer back.

With both Dale and Mardee, I know they have devoted a lot of time to their own research, thus were likely able to ask better questions.

I'll add that the Yellowstone AI itineraries were really not much worse than the general itineraries that people seem to pay for some kind of travel agent to work out for them. There are several travel sites that promise "off the beaten track" sights for the park that are pretty pathetic for the amount of money people are paying. I'll also add that the AI itineraries were WAY better than the advice I see on some of the FB pages for the park. The advice there is pretty awful...

Hang on Mardee - where are you starting your Day 3 itinerary from? Do tell me it isn’t Helmsley? If so you have nearly a two hour drive to get to Malham.

Malham Cove with a climb to the top and walk to Goredale Scar is going to take most of the morning. (Also don’t miss Janet’s Foss on the way there. )

Malham to Richmond is going to be nearly two hour drive too (especially allowing time to get parked...) Again you need to allow 2-3 hours to explore Richmond and visit the Castle.

The drive back to Thirsk will take 45 minutes plus... It's around 150 miles along slow roads where overtaking may be difficult. You are unlikely to average much more than 30-35 miles an hour. Without any stops you are looking at 4-5 hours driving, depending on how busy the roads are.

That begins to sound like a very long day ....

Also why head to the Yorkshire Dales when there are so many other places to explore on your doorstep in the North York Moors?

Thank you, Pam! I agree that there are a lot of inappropriate uses for it out there, but if used correctly and within its limitations, I think it's a good tool.

Been planning my own excursions since 72: Havana, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Brussels, Dublin, Belfast, et al. Old school. Like doing the research.

Claudia, I think you may have misread my post. I DO the research. I have spent hours and days and months researching my trip, starting back in August. If you look through this forum, you will see dozens of posts I have written asking for advice about my itinerary; many of which you have responded to. And i will continue to do so.

But sometimes that research can become a little (or a lot) overwhelming. That's when AI is handy. I used AI simply to organize all my research into something that helps me. It's no different than any other type of organizing tool. And that's what I use it for.

wasleys, I think I mentioned this in my Yorkshire post, but I decided to stay in one location for all 7 nights. I got a really good deal on a self-catering cottage in Helmsley and just couldn't pass it up. I'm used to long drives here in Duluth. Every time I go to the grocery store, it takes me at least 25-30 minutes depending on the weather.

And I do expect Malhalm to take most of the morning (although I'm not doing the climb - I know my limitations). And I'm not missing Janet Foss. I'm doing a circular hike that starts by Malham Nat. Park Visitor Center that walks through Janet Foss, then Malham Cove and Gordale Scar. It's a little under 4 miles total. If the PDF link doesn't work, it's on this site - https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/things-to-do/get-outdoors/walking/short-walks/ - the Malham Landscape Trail

Btw, I did change the AI itinerary. I removed Richmond from it and added in Grassington and Kettlewell. I have Bolton Abbey and the Scrid as an option, but only if time allows. After that, I would head back towards Thirsk and ultimately Helmsley.

Also why head to the Yorkshire Dales when there are so many other places to explore on your doorstep in the North York Moors?

Well, my intent the whole time was to spend half the time in the Dales and the second half on the North Yorkshire Moor. But when I found the cottage at Laskill for £500 for 7 nights, I couldn't resist. But I still want to see some of the places in the Dales, so the first 3 days will be concentrated in the Dales, and the next 4 days will be in the North Yorkshire Moors (including York). And like I said, I'm used to driving distances, and will definitely be making stops along the way. 😊

Mardee wasn’t commenting about you.

Why isn’t this just one more tool to use when doing the research and planning for your travels? You look into various options and advice already when planning. It may give you a different perspective that could be helpful.

I found Dale and Mardee’s information very interesting.

Dale, did you ever check the accuracy of the suggestions ChatGPT made? I really am curious. My cynicism stems from an experience my husband had with it where ChatGPT was clearly wrong, used improper citations to insist it was right, and when given citations to prove it was wrong it was obsequious in its apologies.

Dale, this is very interesting. Please give the entire itinerary that AI gave you. Thanks!

Dale
i will be visiting london march 7-16. please set up an itinerary. i am 53 years old. i like history. i want to try an english breakfast. i want to try afternoon tea. i will be traveling with my wife and a 7 year old son. i want to try a pint of ale. i want to ride the london eye.
ChatGPT:Certainly! Here's a suggested itinerary for your visit to London:
Day 1: Arrival and Relaxation
Arrive in London and settle into your accommodation.
Take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood to get acclimated.
Dinner at a local pub for your first taste of British cuisine.
Day 2: Historical London
Morning visit to the Tower of London, a historic castle on the banks of the River Thames.
Explore the Tower Bridge Exhibition and its glass walkways for stunning views.
Lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Afternoon visit to the British Museum, home to a vast collection of world art and artifacts.
Day 3: Buckingham Palace and Afternoon Tea
Morning visit to Buckingham Palace to witness the Changing of the Guard.
Walk through St. James's Park.
Afternoon tea at a traditional tea house like Fortnum & Mason or The Ritz.
Evening at leisure for a relaxed family dinner.
Day 4: Family Day Out
Spend the day at the Natural History Museum, a fascinating and educational experience for your son.
Lunch at a nearby family-friendly restaurant.
Afternoon visit to Hyde Park for some outdoor recreation.
Dinner at a restaurant offering a variety of options for all tastes.
Day 5: Explore Covent Garden and West End
Morning visit to Covent Garden, known for its markets, shops, and street performers.
Lunch at a charming cafe in Covent Garden.
Afternoon matinee show in London's famous West End.
Dinner in the West End area, exploring the vibrant nightlife.
Day 6: English Breakfast and Thames Cruise
Start your day with a traditional English breakfast at a local café.
Morning visit to the Tate Modern for contemporary art.
Lunch at a riverside restaurant.
Afternoon Thames River cruise to enjoy London from a different perspective.
Dinner at a riverside restaurant.
Day 7: London Eye and South Bank
Morning visit to the iconic London Eye for panoramic views of the city.
Explore the South Bank area, visit the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, and enjoy street performances.
Lunch at a South Bank restaurant.
Afternoon at leisure for shopping or exploring.
Dinner at a restaurant with a view along the Thames.
Day 8: Greenwich Exploration
Morning visit to Greenwich, home to the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian.
Explore the National Maritime Museum.
Lunch at a local pub or café.
Afternoon walk in Greenwich Park.
Dinner in the Greenwich area.
Day 9: Pub Experience and Farewell
Spend the morning exploring a local market like Borough Market.
Enjoy a pub lunch with a pint of traditional ale.
Afternoon at leisure for last-minute shopping or relaxation.
Farewell dinner at a recommended restaurant.
Day 10: Departure
Depending on your departure time, you may have some time for last-minute activities or shopping.
Check out from your accommodation and head to the airport.
Feel free to adjust the itinerary based on your preferences and any specific events happening during your visit. Have a wonderful trip!

...continued itinerary:
Dale: recommend a pub for my first day in london. i will be staying at fitzoria at capital.
ChatGPT On your first day in London, staying at Fitzrovia at Capital, you have a variety of pubs to choose from in the surrounding area. Here's a recommendation:
The Champion
Address: 12-13 Wells St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3PA, UK
Why The Champion? This pub has a cozy atmosphere, a good selection of ales, and classic pub fare. It's centrally located in Fitzrovia, making it convenient for your first day. You can enjoy a relaxed evening here to unwind from your journey.
Keep in mind that London has a rich pub culture, and there are many options to explore. If you find yourself wanting a different atmosphere or type of pub, feel free to ask locals for recommendations or explore nearby streets like Charlotte Street, known for its dining and pub options. Enjoy your time in London!
Dale
what is the cost to get into the tower of london on day 2. give me a recommendation for lunch on day 2
ChatGPT
As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, the admission prices for the Tower of London can change, so it's a good idea to check the official website for the most current information. Typically, admission prices range from £25 to £30 for adults, and there are often discounts for children.
For lunch on Day 2, considering your visit to the Tower of London, you might want to try a nearby restaurant. One recommendation is:
Perkin Reveller
Address: Wharf, St Katharine's & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB, UK
Why Perkin Reveller? Located just outside the Tower of London, Perkin Reveller offers a mix of British and European dishes in a historic setting. You can enjoy a meal with views of the Tower and the Thames River. The restaurant has a varied menu that caters to different tastes, making it a good choice for a post-Tower of London lunch.
Again, it's always a good idea to check for any changes in restaurant details or operating hours before your visit. Enjoy your time at the Tower of London and your meal afterward!

I can go on but I think I will stop for now. Simply google search "Chat GPT" and tinker around with your own travel plan dates and see what you find! It might surprise you!

Wait, you will find yourself sharing a lunch table with Sarah Connor.

Thanks. Very interesting.

That last bit....where to eat near the Tower of London....they have their own cafe inside the walls and it is excellent. Lots of choices; plate lunches, salads, sandwiches, soups.

With all of this said, I still enjoy planning and researching my own travel locations. This is only a tool to help us all have a better vacation. I was initially inspired to travel to Europe by watching the Rick Steves Youtube videos--he is the best! I simply wanted to provide another tool to help others (and myself) make the most of our time and money--perhaps give those like myself a good starting place to begin the travel journey.

Bear in mind that this was produced in literally 2 minutes--the more variables that I inputted the better and more tailor made were the results. I would have posted more, but I just wanted to give the readers a taste to perhaps explore more themselves. The bottom line is that Chat GPT is real and interesting. AI is here to stay and I for one plan to embrace the future to enhance my own personal explorations!

Mr. E!
Thanks for the Sarah Connor reference--I had a good laugh about that one! Now...after all of these posts on the topic I can only promise one more thing Mr. E.....(In the words of famous cyborg/historian Arnold Schwarzenegger)
I'LL BE BACK

dale5050 I just tried it.

Creepy feeling. Since i put together a one night stay in Budapest for some folks a few weeks back I asked GPT to do the same. I wasn't very useful. No, it was really worthless.

So I simply asked for a one day itinerary in Budapest. Here it is in part. The issue is that the Danube Promenade and the Shoes are on the Pest Side of the river. GPT has them on the Buda side. And the numbering went a little wacky. And the Shoes do not honor "those who were killed during WWII", it is a very specific memorial.

Late Morning:
3. Castle Hill Funicular: For a unique experience, take the Castle Hill Funicular down from Buda Castle to the Danube River. It's a short but scenic ride.

Danube Promenade and Shoes on the Danube Bank: Walk along the Danube Promenade, enjoy the views of the Chain Bridge, and visit the poignant memorial called "Shoes on the Danube Bank," which honors those who were killed during World War II.

Lunch:
5. Lunch in Pest: Cross the Chain Bridge to Pest and find a local restaurant for a traditional Hungarian lunch. Goulash, lángos (fried dough), or chimney cake are popular choices.

I have no use for it. Makes no more sense than does the metric system and driving cars on the wrong side of the road.

Interesting response, Dale. I only found a few clangers in the reply from the program.

I am interested that you are polite when making the request, even including "please". Does that help?

I find it interesting how packed your Day 2 is and how completely empty your Day 3 is. I am surprised that the gizmo didn't try to balance the days, and didn't swap Day 2 when you or your wife or son will likely still be jetlagged.

If you arrive on March 7, that's a Thursday. Thursday in London is now the new Friday and Friday is part of the weekend. Putting the Tower of London on the Day 2 Friday is courageous. It just says morning visit, doesn't mention getting there for opening so that you can first go to the Crown Jewels without a crowd. Doesn't mention that on a Friday the Tower opens at 9 in March. If you get there just at a random time on a Friday you will find that half of London is in the queue for the Crown Jewels ahead of you.

They then march you over to the Tower Bridge Exhibition without feeding you at the very good cafe at the Tower and without suggesting the relatively close Borough Market, not mentioning the lifting of the Bridge.

Suggesting to, after spending half a day at the Tower - with a 7 year old that is the minimum you will be there - to then spend the afternoon at the British Museum is madness. Both the Tower and the British Museum are crowd heavy and involve lots of walking and are very tiring. Why in the world would they put both on the same day, especially Day 2?

Day 3 is Saturday and they have you going to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and tea. OK, a very very easy day. Unfortunately the walk to the Palace and waiting for the Changing of the Guard will be wasted. In the off season the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. oops.

About that afternoon tea at Fortnum's or the Ritz. Two of the very most expensive places possible. The expression "tea house" is not commonly used in England - maybe Japanese. You may hear the expression tea room(s) or café. Fortnum and Mason is a shop with a tea room or two above. The Ritz is a megastar hotel with tea in one of the restaurants. They don't mention the dress code at the Ritz. I have been turned away for wearing trainers and no jacket. They are very strict. Saturday is the busiest day of the week at both of those. You won't want much dinner after either of those.

"Day 5: Afternoon matinee show in London's famous West End." oops. Day 5 is Monday. In most cases, West End theatres are traditionally dark on Mondays. Matinees are usually Saturday and midweek.

English breakfast on Day 6 - you will probably have that at your hotel either included or optional.

Greenwich on Day 8 - a shame that you're not encouraged to travel to Greenwich by boat, the best way.

Day 9 - your final day, is a Friday. To guide you to Borough Market on a Friday is courageous. That's its busiest day along with Saturday. They suggest that you go there in the morning. It is MUCH more a lunchtime event... And it is a real shame since you mentioned it as a prime requirement, that it isn't until the last day in London that you get your pint. You might like it and if it had been earlier you could have repeated it. Other than that Day 9 is a real vacuum, with so many more exciting things to do in London.

Other than these it seems to hit many of the most visited highlights of London.
.

oh, and travelling at the beginning of March, it is worthwhile putting the items most important to you and your wife and child near the beginning of the trip. At that point in March there is a good likelihood of running into some weather so prioritizing outdoor things on good days towards the front so you can alter plans and do inside things on bad days and rejig. If you do less important or indoor things first you will have boxed yourself into a corner later in the trip if the weather turns.

Mr. E, I respect that you don't like using it as a tool. I'm sure others feel the same way. But like any tool, the more you use it, the easier it gets and the better the results are. It's like using spreadsheets and databases. When you first start out, the results are usually pretty crappy. But repeated use makes them better.

A first time user of AI will almost always get unsatisfactory results because the prompts from the user aren't well written. The better the information you feed it, the better it works. In a way, it's similar to coding. I can do some very simple coding in HTML but my results are terrible compared to someone who spends a lot of time at it. It's true of anything. Practice doesn't always make perfect (although it can), but it does make the results better. 😊

I am interested that you are polite when making the request, even including "please". Does that help?

Ha ha, Nigel! I can't speak for Dale, but I sometimes add "please". However, I think that's a bit ingrained in me. I was taught to always say please and thank you, and I guess that applies to artificial intelligence. I do thank our dogs for moving out of the way so I don't kill myself falling over them. And I have been known to thank Google maps and Siri. 🤣

When I was living in England and we wanted to plan a trip, we would walk into the travel office on any high street, choose a rack of magazines for our geographic area, choose a booklet (or a few) for our destination, and thumb through the sections for length of stay, level of service and rating of accommodations. There was a certain smell to all those glossy brochures. And we could sit there as long as we liked thumbing through them until we made our selections.

Then our Chat(ty)GPT predecessor would help us build and book the trip.

I'd love to walk into one of those places today. For nostalgia, mind you.

I'm seriously annoyed that it hasn't become second nature to me (yet) to ask ChatGPT to help with my itinerary! I think it's not too late for my messy 2024 London visit.

And while I'm at it, perhaps I'll ask whether there's a travel agency on a high street where I can thumb through some travel brochures. For nostalgia.

OP.
Kudos to you for doing this. Although there have been posted disparagements about the itinerary, it is another tool in the quiver of trying to plan your travel.
It is certainly better to have a go at this than to do nothing but post for help with vague plans to visit Europe on the forum. Or to ask for help on the forum before having done any sort of research. And then to receive replies that have you wondering and questioning what you should see or do.
Nothing like a query for restaurants in Rome and to get info on a pizza place in Naples.

You know what would be really useful--the ability to generate condensed lists of hours/days of operation for a city's sights at a specific time of year. Unfortunately, one cannot rely on ChatGPT to scrape current info from all the appropriate websites. This was its response when I tried it:

"I'm sorry, but I don't have real-time information, and my training only includes knowledge up to January 2022. Therefore, I can't provide specific days and hours of operation for tourist sights in Tirana, Albania, for May 2023.

"To get the most accurate and up-to-date information, I recommend checking the official websites of the specific tourist sights you're interested in or contacting them directly. Additionally, local tourist information centers or travel agencies may also have the latest details on opening hours and days of operation."

I think Chat GPT can be useful if you understand it's limitations. It's an information gatherer, but it can't really think. So while it won't make up anything, it will gather wrong information if there's enough of it out there--and there's plenty of wrong information available on the internet. It also won't make assumptions that human beings feel are logical, so if Dale gave only the dates in March with no year as he wrote it in his example, then it won't assume that he's talking about 2024 like we would. I don't know if adding the year would prevent it from recommending a matinee on days when there's no matinee available though, that might call for logic it's not programmed to consider. For example, it followed a family day for the 7 year old with a theatre district day that includes enjoying the nightlife! It's not going to ask you how active your 7 year old son is, or what his interests are like a human on this forum would. In some ways it treated each piece of information in the request separately, possibly because they were listed separately, and didn't make logical (to us) combinations such as combining the river cruise with the visit to Greenwich. So as I understand it, it's good for gathering and sorting information, but you're going to need to follow up on the accuracy of it, as well as adding the human logic. ;-)

Acraven, you might try using Bard, which is Googles AI, as Google has access to more current information than ChatGPT. For example, I can get opening times and dates and so on when I ask Bard. I can’t get those from ChatGPT.

https://bard.google.com/

Thanks, Mardee. I'll play around with that.