How you phrase a question to AI shapes the quality of the answer—specificity beats vagueness, constraints beat open-endedness, and context beats assumptions. Learning to prompt well means the difference between generic suggestions and recommendations that actually fit your trip.
Writing prompts for AI is a skill, not magic. Think of it like giving directions. "Go that way" is useless. "Turn left on Main Street, go 2 miles, turn right at the Shell station" works. The more specific and clear your directions, the better the result.
Most people write vague prompts and get useless answers, then blame the AI. But the real issue is the prompt itself. Learning to write good prompts—a skill called "prompt engineering"—changes everything.
A good prompt has four things:
Bad: "Plan a trip to Italy."
Good: "Create a 10-day Italy itinerary for two people visiting in September. Budget is $6,000 total. We love food and wine, prefer smaller towns over major cities, and want at least 3 days in a single location so we're not constantly moving. Include estimated daily costs and train times between cities."
Notice the difference? The bad prompt is so vague the AI has to make dozens of assumptions. The good prompt removes all guessing.
Use this structure for travel prompts:
"I'm planning [trip type] for [number] people in [time frame/month]. [Key details: budget, group composition, preferences, any constraints]. I want you to [specific outcome]. Focus on [what matters to you]."
Example: "I'm planning a family road trip for 4 people (ages 5, 8, 35, 65) in July. Budget is $3,000 total for 2 weeks. My 5-year-old gets tired easily, my parents prefer not to hike, but my 8-year-old needs activity. I want you to create a day-by-day itinerary with stops that work for all ages. Focus on natural scenery and interactive museums."
Don't assume the AI knows things. Don't use inside jokes or vague references. Don't ask multiple unrelated questions in one prompt—ask one thing clearly. Don't assume the AI knows your accessibility needs—spell them out.
Try this: Take a travel question you've asked an AI before and got mediocre results. Rewrite it using the formula above—add specific details, budget, dates, who you're with, and what you actually want as output. Ask it again. You'll be shocked at how much better the answer is.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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