As a life long technologist, I was rather surprised at myself when I realised I had let the whole AI thing slide by me without exploring it. So I decided to dabble a bit and let it suggest a plan for a trip to Spain next year. I did use it before to suggest an itinerary for the recent France and Belgium trip. Although I didn;t slavishly follow its recommendations, I did find it gave me a good basis to refine.

Anyway, this is what I typed intp ChatGTP:

Imagine you are a couple in your 60s and plan a caravan holiday touring Portugal and Spain. The holiday will start in Plymouth and take the ferry to northern Spain. The holiday should last just around 3 weeks. We like to explore history and aren't really interested in a beach holiday. We would like to visit the Picos de Europa, Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Cordoba and Grenada. We like small quiet campsites and don’t want to stay on large campsites with big swimming pools and evening entertainment.

To which ChatGTP replied (in seconds, I might add..)

Caravan Holiday Itinerary: Touring Portugal and Spain
Overview:
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Starting Point: Plymouth, UK
• Ferry: Plymouth to Santander, Northern Spain
• Focus: Historical exploration, scenic drives, small and quiet campsites
• Destinations: Picos de Europa, Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Cordoba, Granada
________________________________________
Week 1: Northern Spain
Day 1-2: Santander to Picos de Europa
• Drive: Santander to Picos de Europa (approx. 2 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at a small campsite in the Picos de Europa, such as Camping Picos de Europa in Avín, known for its tranquility and natural surroundings.
• Activities: Explore the stunning Picos de Europa National Park. Visit Covadonga, with its lakes and basilica, and take the Fuente Dé cable car for panoramic views of the mountains.
Day 3-4: Picos de Europa to León
• Drive: Picos de Europa to León (approx. 2.5 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping León, a peaceful site near the city.
• Activities: Explore the historical city of León, known for its Gothic Cathedral and the Basilica of San Isidoro. Stroll through the old town and sample local cuisine.
Day 5-6: León to Salamanca
• Drive: León to Salamanca (approx. 2 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping Don Quijote, a small and quiet site by the Tormes River.
• Activities: Discover the university city of Salamanca, famous for its beautiful Plaza Mayor, the University of Salamanca, and the old and new cathedrals.
________________________________________
Week 2: Portugal
Day 7-8: Salamanca to Porto
• Drive: Salamanca to Porto (approx. 3.5 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Orbitur Canidelo, a quiet site near the city.
• Activities: Explore Porto's historic center, including the Ribeira district, the Livraria Lello, and the São Bento Station. Take a tour of the port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Day 9-10: Porto to Lisbon
• Drive: Porto to Lisbon (approx. 3 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping Lisboa, a quieter section of a large campsite, with good access to public transport.
• Activities: Explore Lisbon's historic neighborhoods like Alfama and Bairro Alto. Visit the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, and the MAAT Museum. Consider a day trip to Sintra.
________________________________________
Week 3: Southern Spain
Day 11-12: Lisbon to Seville
• Drive: Lisbon to Seville (approx. 4.5 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping Villsom, a quiet site close to Seville.
• Activities: Explore the historic city of Seville. Visit the Alcázar, Seville Cathedral, and Plaza de España. Stroll through the Barrio Santa Cruz and enjoy traditional tapas.
Day 13-14: Seville to Córdoba
• Drive: Seville to Córdoba (approx. 1.5 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping Albolafia, a small and quiet site near the city.
• Activities: Visit the magnificent Mezquita-Catedral, the Roman bridge, and the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs. Explore the Jewish Quarter and the charming patios of Córdoba.
Day 15-17: Córdoba to Granada
• Drive: Córdoba to Granada (approx. 2.5 hours)
• Campsite: Stay at Camping Reina Isabel, a small and peaceful site close to the city.
• Activities: Explore the Alhambra, Generalife gardens, and the Albaicín district. Visit the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel.
________________________________________
Return Journey
Day 18-20: Granada to Santander
• Drive: Granada to Santander (approx. 8 hours, split over two days)
• Overnight Stops: Consider an overnight stop near Madrid or Burgos to break up the drive.
• Campsites: Stay at small, quiet campsites along the route, such as Camping Riaza near Madrid or Camping Fuentes Blancas near Burgos.
• Activities: If time permits, explore a bit of Madrid or Burgos, particularly the historic Burgos Cathedral.
Day 21: Ferry from Santander to Plymouth
• Drive: Final leg to Santander (approx. 2-3 hours from Burgos).
• Ferry: Board the ferry from Santander to Plymouth.
________________________________________
Tips:
• Caravan Insurance & Breakdown Cover: Ensure you have comprehensive coverage for Spain and Portugal.
• Ferry Booking: Book your ferry well in advance, especially during peak seasons.
• Campsite Reservations: While some campsites are small, it's wise to book ahead, especially near popular cities.
• Local Markets & Cuisine: Explore local markets and try regional specialties. This will enhance your cultural experience without needing to rely on busy tourist restaurants.
Enjoy your cultural and historical adventure through Portugal and Spain!

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As I said, not something to follow without making refinements - which you can ask ChatGTP to do of course, suggesting that it modifies its response in anyway - eg, make sure we don;t use toll roads or motorways, would be a good addition. But I have to say I am genuinely quite impressed and certainly find helpful.. This is just the free version, of course, so it costs nothing to use.

Anyone else make any use of it. If not, why not have a go and see what it does for you. I'd be fascinated to hear your experiences or suggestions.

Crikey. I didn't know this sort of thing existed! I've just put a trip from Oléron to Binic in and the result was amazing. A lovely trip for someone who doesn't know the region. I'll deffo use it again.

There’s some great stuff on GPT. I use it for work occasionally, along with it’s graphic equivalent, dal-I.

This story is a bit of an eye-opener foI the whole AI experience; I used Dal-I to create some graphics for documents I had produced at work. Without getting too technical I wanted a picture of a person holding an iPhone with graphics on the screen. Dal-I produces 4 possible images for you to select - as I looked at the results, 3 out of the 4 pictures showed hands with 5 fingers and a thumb!
Given that we are moving towards using AI in standard engineering designs, I think this illustrates how careful it needs to be controlled and checked.

Having said that, Cabbie’s use of it as a starter for more research is a great use of the technology. I wish I’d thought of that before our summer holidays!

Just be aware that the free version doesn’t know anything more current than 2 years ago,, so don’t let it book the ferry!👍😂
Steve.

thats impressive,
in part of research may like if not mind no sites there's some picturesque stops however Heidi goes all over then Spain and Portugal.
youtube.com/watch?v=th-GXRBboo8&list=PLMd1oEMehbZ3YtmtdjRjajk48dkjLAcwZ