Spring is here, the weather is getting warmer and we’re just a handful of weeks away from schools being let out for the summer! Hmm, that’s interesting. I’m hearing some applause, a smattering of boos and some of you just put your heads in your hands. I get it. It’s time to plan an entire summer’s worth of activities to keep your kids busy and out of your hair.
While that’s an unenviable task for anyone, there is a simple solution that can at least handle the summer vacation planning. It’s a completely free AI tool called GuideGeek.
I understand, for some people, using artificial intelligence to plan a trip or set an itinerary for a place you’ve never been to may initially seem intimidating. Maybe the entire concept of AI feels like a bridge too far and you’re just waiting for robots to inevitably take over the world. Rest assured that’s not the case here. All GuideGeek is taking over is the way in which you’ll plan your family vacations moving forward.
Plus, survey data shows that families with kids are especially likely to use AI for travel planning. It makes sense! Who is more pressed for time than parents? And once we find a hack that works, we stick with it.
Simple and specific
While the technology that went into creating and building GuideGeek is light-years beyond my comprehension, on the user side it’s no different than texting. Literally. (And yes, I’m using “literally” correctly for once). The entire process is a text message conversation that takes place on WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook Messenger.
Now, has anyone in human history ever used AI before sending their first-ever text message? My guess is no. That’s like a baby walking before they crawl. So, now we’ve established that we’re all experts in AI.
Using GuideGeek is like texting with a friend who knows absolutely everything about travel and all the details of the most sought-after destinations around the world. Except they text faster than any other human and you don’t have to bring them a souvenir as a thank you after you get home from the trip.
Try it now. Text GuideGeek on Instagram and just tell it how many people are going on the trip, everyone’s ages, and a few specific interests or activities that you want to do once you arrive at your destination. Within a matter of seconds, GuideGeek will respond and either give you suggestions on potential destinations, or ask you for a little more information to help it make a proper determination.
Something for everyone
Once you’ve decided on a destination, GuideGeek shifts into a whole other gear. Tell it the dates of your trip and ask it to plan a full itinerary — we’re talking three meals a day, multiple activities for everyone, where to watch a sunset, family-friendly hot spots, local celebrations and off-the-beaten-path gems only the locals know about. You’ll have a full plan in a matter of moments.
Here’s where the texting functionality really comes into play. After all, GuideGeek’s itinerary is not an assignment that you must complete. What if each member of your family is a vegetarian and Wednesday night’s dinner suggestion is a popular BBQ joint. Just let GuideGeek know and you’ll be making a reservation for five at The Soy Polloi in no time.
No vacation guides have ever been written with you exclusively in mind. They’ll tell you what awaits at your destination, whether it be beaches, shopping, restaurants, casinos, parks or museums. But there’s no way it can know who in the party has special needs or food allergies or if one of your kids fell off their skateboard and broke their foot a week before the trip. Let GuideGeek know little Billy didn’t quite land the ollie and it’ll replace the two-hour walking tour with a sedentary outing to the planetarium.
GuideGeek stays with you
As long as you remember to bring a phone charger, GuideGeek will be available to you 24/7 for the entirety of your trip. As anyone who has ever vacationed with children knows, not everything goes perfectly according to plan. There will be hiccups, someone might get sick, maybe there’s a bad rainstorm on the day you were going to the beach. These things happen.
This is why GuideGeek is truly the best travel AI for parents. It’s a built-in backup plan for everything.
Travel influencer Michael Motamedi is how I found GuideGeek in the first place. He and his wife and daughter have been traveling the world and using GuideGeek to tell them where to go next and what to do when they get there. It’s been a couple years now and he’s been documenting their adventures and posting clips for the world to see. (His wife is a real-deal TV producer, so the quality is top notch.)
Motamedi is a professional traveler, so some of his activities might not fall under the umbrella of the typical family summer vacation. But he does have a young daughter, and the basic needs remain. Here’s an excerpt from an article on their one-year anniversary of using AI to travel the world:
Noteworthy adventures suggested by the AI included hanging out with a falconer in the desert outside Dubai, making driftwood art after snorkeling in Curaçao and eating eel soup at the far edge of an island in the Philippines. GuideGeek also assisted with simple daily needs, like finding playgrounds for the couple’s daughter.
“As with any AI, you’re going to feel compelled to double check GuideGeek with Google,” says Motamedi. “But GuideGeek has gotten so accurate that we started just getting recommendations from it and diving in immediately. It has really freed us to be present with the places and people we’re visiting.”
Being present is perhaps the greatest gift GuideGeek can give. Stress can be a drain on a vacation, and if Mom is feeling it, there’s a good chance everyone else is feeling it too. Knowing you can just grab your phone and instantly have a fix or solution or alternative to whatever issue may pop up is priceless. Free and priceless. What a combination.