10 Ways I Use ChatGPT for Family Trip Planning & Prompts

I know it might seem strange for a travel writer like me to recommend using AI for trip planning. After all, tools like ChatGPT have shaken up the world of content creation, and yes, that includes my own job. But at the heart of this blog, my goal has always been to help fellow parents plan easier, more joyful trips with their families. And the truth is, ChatGPT can be an incredibly useful tool for families to plan their next adventures. So today, I’m sharing exactly how I use it for my own family trips along with some helpful prompts you can try.

ChatGPT for Family Trip Planning Table of Contents

How to Use ChatGPT
Before the Trip
For Kids
At the Destination
What I Don't Use ChatGPT For

How to Use ChatGPT for Free for Family Trip Planning ?

If you’re new to ChatGPT, here’s the simple version: it’s a smart assistant you can talk to in plain language. You type a question or a prompt — like “Plan a 3-day trip to Boston with kids” — and it responds with helpful suggestions, ideas, and even full itineraries. Think of it like texting a really well-traveled friend who’s also weirdly great at making lists and remembering random museum hours.

To try it out, just go to chat.openai.com and create a free account. You can start using the free version right away — no app download required, although there is one if you prefer mobile. The free version is powerful enough for most travel needs, especially if you’re asking about general planning help, destinations, packing lists, or sample itineraries.

Once you’re logged in, just start typing like you would in a conversation. You don’t need to know fancy tech terms or write perfect grammar. The more specific you are, the better the results — but it’s totally fine to start with “What should I do in Lisbon with a 5-year-old?” and go from there. It’s designed to feel like a conversation, not a search engine.

Using ChatGPT for Planning Before a Family Trip

1) Ask ChatGPT to Generate Custom Itineraries for your Family Trip Planning

One of my favorite ways to use ChatGPT is for building custom itineraries. I just plug in how many days we’ll be in a place, the kids’ ages, and any special interests — and it gives me a full, day-by-day plan. It saves so much time and gives me a solid starting point I can tweak.

Prompt Examples for a Family Trip on ChatGPT:

“Plan a 3-day itinerary from Washington, D.C. for a family with two kids who love swimming and nature walks.”
ChatGPT came back with the perfect weekend plan: Day 1 in Great Falls Park for waterfall views and easy hiking trails, Day 2 heading out to Lake Anna State Park for swimming, sandy beach time, and a family picnic, and Day 3 exploring Huntley Meadows for boardwalk wildlife spotting close to the city. It even built in travel time, meal stops, and kid-friendly rest breaks — so we didn’t have to think about a thing.
“Create a 2-day itinerary for a trip to Hershey, PA with a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old who’s obsessed with roller coasters.”
It gave us the perfect balance: Hersheypark rides by height category, chocolate-themed activities, and a quieter museum visit for when we all needed a break from the crowds.
- Related: I have a blog post the best Theme Parks on the East Coast which also talks about great ones specifically for toddles.
“Give me a 5-day itinerary in Lisbon with a preschooler and a teen who’s really into art.”
ChatGPT included kid-friendly art experiences, stroller-accessible parks, less crowded museum hours, and even cafes with outdoor seating near playgrounds so everyone could enjoy a little something.
- Related: I have a lot of blog posts about Lisbon including 4 day and 2 day itineraries!

2) Comparing Destinations

One of the hardest parts of family travel planning for me is just deciding where to go. When I’m torn between two places, I ask ChatGPT to compare them based on what actually matters to families — like weather during our travel dates, how kid-friendly the activities are, flight length from our home base, and how walkable or stroller-friendly each city is. It’s like having a well-traveled friend help you think through the pros and cons without spending hours Googling. You can also ask it to make you a table comparing 2 or more destinations!

Prompt Examples for a Family Trip on ChatGPT:

“Should we do a weekend trip to Shenandoah National Park or the Delaware beaches with kids?”
ChatGPT helped weigh the pros and cons of each depending on the season and kids’ energy levels. Shenandoah offered easy access from the D.C. area, scenic Skyline Drive, and family hikes like Stony Man and Dark Hollow Falls. Meanwhile, the Delaware beaches promised boardwalk fun, kid-friendly seafood spots, and calmer ocean waves — ideal for a more relaxed summer getaway.
- Related: I actually have blog posts on Shenandoah Kid-Friendly Hikes and fun things to do in Bethany Beach Delaware.
“What’s the best day trip from D.C. with kids: Baltimore, Harpers Ferry, or Annapolis?”
I asked ChatGPT to help us choose a spontaneous Saturday adventure, and it broke down each option in a way that made planning easy. Baltimore had hands-on fun like the Maryland Science Center and Port Discovery, perfect for younger kids. Harpers Ferry offered scenic hikes, riverside picnics, and a touch of history — better for active families with older kids. Annapolis gave us a relaxed waterfront vibe, ice cream on the docks, and short boat rides that kept everyone happy without overtiring little legs.
- Related: I also have blog posts on Fun Things to do in Annapolis and Baltimore and Harpers Ferry!

3) Plan Family Travel Logistics with ChatGPT

This is one of those behind-the-scenes trip details that can make or break a family vacation — and ChatGPT has saved me more than once. I use it to help figure out if we need a rental car, whether the train is stroller-friendly, what airport transfer options are best with little ones in tow, and even which side of the road people drive on (a surprisingly important detail when you're juggling car seats and jet lag). Instead of spending hours on forums, I just ask and get an easy-to-understand, parent-focused answer.

Prompt Examples for a Family Trip on ChatGPT:

“Is it better to rent a car in _____ or rely on public transport with young kids?”
“What’s the best way to get from _____ Airport to our Airbnb in ______ with a toddler and stroller?”
“Should I take the train or drive from D.C. to New York with kids under 5?”
ChatGPT helped weigh the pros and cons, including travel time, bathroom access, snack breaks, and car seat logistics. It reminded me that trains offer freedom to move around (a big deal with toddlers), but driving gives you more flexibility for stops — especially if you're planning to detour to a kid-friendly spot like the Crayola Experience in Pennsylvania.

4) Create a Budget or Cost Breakdown

I use it to get rough estimates on lodging, meals, transportation, and attractions for different destinations. It’s not perfect down to the penny, but it gives me a solid ballpark to work with so I’m not caught off guard by unexpected costs. It’s also great for comparing two trip ideas or figuring out if something fits within your vacation budget before you get too deep into planning.

Prompt Examples:

“What’s the average cost of a week in Costa Rica for a family of four?”
“How much should we budget for a 3-day trip to New York City with two kids
“Compare the cost of a beach trip to Rehoboth vs. Ocean City for a weekend with kids.”

Related:

How to Use ChatGPT for Kids Travel

5) Use ChatGPT to Make “Fun Sheets” for Your Kids About the Place You’re Visiting

One of my favorite family travel hacks? I use ChatGPT to help me create simple, fun printable pages for my kids before a trip. Think of them like mini activity sheets that make learning about a new country or city feel exciting — not like homework. I just ask for facts, words, and visuals that are age-appropriate, and ChatGPT helps me pull it all together in a few minutes.

Here are some examples of what you could include:

🎨 Local Language Basics:
Ask ChatGPT: “What are 10 Portuguese words kids should learn before a trip to Lisbon?”
You’ll get kid-friendly terms like hello, thank you, bathroom, ice cream, and how to say "dog" with phonetic help too (cao pronounced like cow!)
🗺️ Cultural Fun Facts:
Ask: “What are 5 fun and surprising things about Japanese culture for a 7-year-old?”
It’ll give you bite-sized facts about vending machines, capsule hotels, bento boxes, or how people bow to say hello.
🏰 Destination Highlights in Kid Terms:
Ask: “Describe the Eiffel Tower in a way a 5-year-old would find fun and exciting.”
You'll get responses like “It’s a giant pointy tower that sparkles at night!” — perfect for a coloring page or scavenger hunt idea.
🎒 Printable Travel Journal Prompts:
You can even ask ChatGPT to create journal pages with prompts like “What did I see today?” or “The funniest thing that happened was…”

6) Ask for a Personalized Packing List

Simply ask for a personalized packing list with the following info:

Location
How many days
Dates (for weather considerations)
Ages of Kids
Special Activities (beach, hike etc.)

I used this example and it created a full list and asked if I wanted a printable Word list and a graphic!

7) Use ChatGPT to Teach Your Kids About Where You’re Going

Before we travel, I love helping my kids get excited by learning just a little bit about the place — and ChatGPT makes that super easy. Instead of me scrambling to explain the history of a castle or why a geyser shoots up into the air, I just ask ChatGPT to explain it like I’m talking to a 5- and 8-year-old. It keeps the tone fun, curious, and bite-sized — no long Wikipedia articles needed.

This works great for U.S. national parks, big cities in Europe, or even just helping them understand the local food or animals they might see. Bonus: you can turn the answers into coloring pages, scavenger hunts, or mini travel journals.

Examples:

“Explain the Grand Canyon to a 6- and 9-year-old”
“Tell me 3 fun facts about the Tower of London for kids”
“What makes Yellowstone special? Tell it to a 5-year-old.”

Using ChatGPT for Family Trip Planning At the Location

kid-friendly-restaurants-annandale virginia

8) Use ChatGPT to Teach Your Kids About Where You’re Going

Examples:

“Explain the Grand Canyon to a 6- and 9-year-old”
“Tell me 3 fun facts about the Tower of London for kids”
“What makes Yellowstone special? Tell it to a 5-year-old.”

9) Use ChatGPT to Discover Nearby Attractions (and Even Create Custom Maps)

One of the most helpful ways I use ChatGPT is to quickly find kid-friendly spots near where we’re staying. I’ll ask it something like, “What’s near the Lisbon Zoo that’s fun for kids and has good food?”

You can also ask for walkable routes, half-day itineraries, or park clusters that work with your family’s energy levels. While it won’t give you a literal Google Map, you can copy what ChatGPT suggests and plug it into your map app — or ask it to group things by neighborhood or distance.

Bonus: I sometimes ask ChatGPT to list things “within a 10-minute drive of our Airbnb” or “along the way from Point A to Point B with a bathroom stop and snack spot,” and it actually understands!

Examples of Using ChatGPT:

"List things “within a 10-minute drive of our Airbnb” or “along the way from Point A to Point B with a bathroom stop and snack spot,” and it actually understands!"
“We’re visiting Monticello in Virginia—what else is nearby for families?”
“What are some fun places within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower for kids?”

10) Troubleshoot Last-Minute Issues

Every parent knows that even the most carefully planned family trip can go sideways, rain rolls in, someone gets sick, luggage gets delayed, or the museum you counted on is randomly closed. Instead of spiraling into a Google rabbit hole (or giving up and heading back to the hotel), I use ChatGPT to problem-solve on the fly. It gives me fast, realistic solutions with kids in mind — whether that means indoor play spaces, travel-friendly games, or even how to replace a forgotten toothbrush in another language.

Examples:

“Rainy day activities in Paris for a 6-year-old who loves art.”
“Our luggage is delayed—what should we buy first for two kids?”
“We’re stuck on a long train ride—what are some travel games for an 8- and 5-year-old?”

What I Don’t Use ChatGPT For (and What to Double-Check)

As much as I love using ChatGPT to plan family trips, there are definitely a few things I don’t rely on it for or where I always double-check before locking anything in.

For example, when it comes to booking hotels or vacation rentals, I still prefer using trusted platforms like Booking.com or Expedia. I want to read real reviews from other families, see actual photos, and get a feel for the vibe of a place. ChatGPT can help suggest neighborhoods or tell me what to look for in a family-friendly hotel in, say, Porto or Paris — but I do the final digging myself.

And while ChatGPT is great for building sample itineraries or brainstorming activities, I always double-check the practical details like: