AI help

I have used Gemini, but as always with AI, double check with providers when relying on critical information - schedule, rates, availability, etc.

Nettie, for AI to know it exists it has to be on the web. For AI to have a well rounded understanding of it, it has to be on the internet a lot. That often isnt the case in Montenegro. I once checked some ideas AI, then asked a real person who does trip planning in Montenegro and my AI plans turned out to be weak (I am being nice with that description). Italy and Croatia, sure, two of the biggest tourst attractions in Europe, but for Montenegro, BiH, N. Macedonia, Albania I suggest you use a real person for help.

With 5 trips to Montenegro under my belt the 5th about 2 months ago and the 6th next month I should be an expert, but I still hire help. That AI experiment I mentioned was an attempt to find some stops on a full day route. AI was a flop, the professional ended up directing me to a winery in an abandoned 500 year old village up a winding road on the side of a mountain a few miles from the Albanian border. Heck, thats what I travel for.

I don’t find AI helpful for this purpose. Everything is still just an internet search away. What kinds of things are you looking for? Happy to steer you to some useful resources!
I’m more familiar with Croatia v northern Italy, but the Italy forum and Slovenia forums are both very active.

I am begrudgingly looking at using AI to help on the ground (menus, sites)

AI is great with menus. Take a picture of the menu, load it, and it translates it immediately.

I use ChatGTP regularly. I think AI is a handy tool, but it’s not a guidebook. Especially when you’re asking broad questions, it loves to feed you bad info. For setting your overall agenda and planning, nothing beats an actual guidebook. To Mr. E’s point, it’s drawing from the internet. So the results you get from “what should I see here” are the net result of every travel influencer on earth. Your interests may not align with theirs.

Where I’ve found it handy is drilling down into logistics. Can I drive from A to B on X day and is there someplace I can stop between? How long of a drive and what’s the route like? It’s a good organization tool, especially in a situation like yours where you might build parts of an itinerary but need help visualizing how it will come together. Sometimes you just need some confirmation bias. Like, you know what you want to do but need a voice to back yourself up. That’s purely psychological, but it doesn’t make it less useful.

Agree with last post. I asked for One Hotel locations in Berlin. Got that on a map. Then I asked it to use same map, and locate the Christmas markets. It did that, and helped me know where I wanted to make a reservation. Helpful on itineraries for recent trip to Scandinavia, and distances and how I might get there (overnight ferry, flight, train). I used it for general information about the itinerary, and then made some more personal decisions on how to finalize.