We ❤️ Open Source
A community education resource
How AI helped me budget and plan for international travel
The exact prompt that uncovered flights, hotels, and local details in minutes.
This article is part of the eBook: Everyday AI guide: Practical genAI life hacks from real users, a free download from We Love Open Source.
About two years ago, I needed to apply for a scholarship to attend a conference in Europe, which required submitting a detailed cost breakdown. Having never traveled to Europe before, I had to research information across various sites. While general online searches gave me some insights, I needed more accurate, tailored data.
That’s when I decided to try genAI. Bump! And it delivered. Responses were faster and came with links I could verify. I used both Gemini and ChatGPT for my research. While their results varied slightly, together they helped me:
- Identify airlines
- Compare airline costs
- Find the best hotels near my destination
- Compare hotel prices
- Identify airport transportation options and costs
- Pinpoint the exact location of my destination
- Estimate food costs in and around the area
With these findings, I was able to create a detailed budget for my scholarship and sponsorship applications.
Read more: AI isn’t scary—lack of knowledge is. Here’s how to stay ahead
Refining your prompt with storytelling details
When interacting with AI, I structure my prompts like a story, using keywords that guide the AI to generate relevant suggestions. Here’s a typical prompt:
- Airlines (one way or how many stops)
- Country I’m traveling to
- Location of the event center
- Hotels near the event center
- Route from the hotel to the event center and back
Clear prompts gave Gemini and ChatGPT context for what I was researching. Many of the responses were spot on, and I could dig deeper using the genAI-suggested prompts that aligned with my work. When suggestions didn’t quite fit, I refined them to keep my research on track with a clearer, more guided focus. Using a storytelling approach to frame the background also seemed to spark richer responses.
Sample prompt: “I am traveling to Belgium for a conference. The venue is the Bedford Hotel & Congress Centre, located at Rue du Midi 135, Brussels 1000, Belgium. Please find affordable airlines and hotels nearby.”
The response below was all I needed to complete the application. For brevity, I only included the lodging to give you a sense of the research.
| S/N | Item | Details |
| 1. | Super-budget (hostels & very basic hotels) | Urban City Centre Hostel (private rooms & dorms) — ~6–8 min walk. Close to Midi Station; luggage storage available. trivagoHotelsCombinedTrip.com Safestay Brussels Grand Place (hostel) — ~10–12 min walk from Bedford (300–350 m to Grand Place). Central, clean, reliable. Safestayhotels |
| 2. | Budget hotels (simple, best value near the venue) | Hotel Barry (2★) — ~6–8 min walk (by Anneessens). No-frills, among the cheapest private rooms in the area. trivagoKAYAK easyHotel Brussels City Centre — ~12–15 min walk; compact rooms, modern, usually one of the lowest city-center prices. hotelseasyhotel.comtravelocity |
| 3. | Still affordable, very central | ibis Brussels off Grand Place (3★) — ~12–15 min walk to Bedford (200–300 m from Grand Place). Often good deals, excellent location. all.accor.comBooking.comexpedia ibis Brussels City Centre (3★) — ~15 min walk; near Sainte-Catherine, usually priced below many 4★ options. ibis-hotel-brussels-centre-ste-catherine.brussels-hotels.net |
| 4. | Orientation tip | Bedford is about 0.9–1.2 km from Grand Place (9–12 minutes’ walk), so anything around Grand Place / Bourse / Anneessens / Sainte-Catherine will be close to your venue. Rome2Rio |
| 5. | How to get bargains | Check weeknights and book with free cancellation—rates in Brussels swing a lot around events. Sort by distance to “Grand Place” or “Anneessens” when searching; both are a short stroll to Bedford. |
In items 1-3, I got my search categorized while 4-5 provided extra information making my research easier. I haven’t travelled to Brussels before then, but with this information I could imagine how to navigate the area. Like I mentioned, AI can also suggest a few prompts like the one below.
“If you share your exact dates and rough budget per night (EUR), I can narrow this to the best live deals and pick the cheapest walkable option for you.”
With the exact dates and rough budget per night (EUR) provided, you won’t believe the final result I got.
Read more: AI agents are here—are your skills ready?
Conclusion
AI is becoming part of our everyday reality, and its ability to speed up research is amazing and impressive. Still, it’s important to verify any information it provides. In my case, I double-checked the hotel details and found them accurate at the time.
With the right prompts, genAI can be a powerful guide, pointing you in the right direction and offering timely insights. It gives you accurate information based on the current update. But remember to confirm all the AI results/responses to avoid being misled.
I will leave you to it, at this point, C*heers! Safe travels.
Get the “Everyday AI” eBook
This free guide highlights simple, real-world examples of how people are using AI to save time, spark creativity, and make life easier.
More from We Love Open Source
- What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the three things it does well
- AI isn’t scary—lack of knowledge is. Here’s how to stay ahead
- Discover Goose: Automate your developer setup with this AI agent
- Why AI agents are the future of web navigation
- AI agents are here—are your skills ready?
The opinions expressed on this website are those of each author, not of the author's employer or All Things Open/We Love Open Source.