Is there anything better than taking a road trip with your dog? Hitting the open road is always an adventure, but when you have a panting, furry bestie in your backseat who’s up for anything, there’s really nothing better. But the planning stage of a road trip can be a little tricky. There are SO many details to work out. Our suggestion? Use AI to plan your road trip.
You’ve probably played around with ChatGPT and other AI tools, but if you haven’t tried using AI to plan a trip yet, you’re in for a treat. One of the best ways to use AI, in our opinion, is to research and plan a trip. AI shines when you need to process a ton of small (but significant!) details like mileage between towns, best routes to take, and local park rules regarding dogs. Let ChatGPT sweat the small stuff so you can focus on making the big, fun decisions like which swimming hole to take your dog to first or where you’ll stop for ice cream.
Read on to learn our tried and true method for using AI to plan a pet-friendly vacation. We’ll take you through important things to consider at each step and suggest good ChatGPT prompts to help you get the best possible plan in place.
1. Decide How Long Your Road Trip Will Be
First thing’s first: how long can you be away? Knowing how many days (or weeks!) you have to work with will help you narrow down where you can actually go. If you’re lucky enough to have unlimited vacation days or a similarly flexible setup, you can simply look at your calendar and decide.
If you’re limited by your work schedule, you can use AI to help you maximize vacation days and find the longest stretch of time for your trip.
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "For the year of [Year of Your Trip] when can I take the longest possible vacation while only using 5 vacation days and 2 sick days? Please take federal holidays into account. Provide a suggestion for every season."
Tailor It: Adjust the number of vacation or sick days to fit your situation. If you have an event to go to (like an out of state wedding), ask AI to include that date in your trip.
2. Decide How Many Hours Per Day You Want To Drive
Before you settle on a destination, it helps to know how much distance you can travel in a day. How many hours can you comfortably drive with a dog?
For most people, this will be 4-6 hours per day. This is a relaxed pace that allows time for plenty of stops, photo ops, meals, and sightseeing. You can bump the pace up or down if you have a far destination you need to get to, if you prefer a faster pace, if you’re also traveling with small children, and your dog’s level of comfort in the car and experience with road trips.
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "We are taking a [#] day road trip in the [Season] with [#] adults, [#] children, and [#] dog/s. Our dog is a [Breed or Mix], [#] years old, and is [New / Experienced] at road trips. We want to go at a [leisurely / brisk] pace. How many hours a day should we plan to drive?”
3. Decide On Your Destination
Now it’s time to settle on the best road trip destination! Generally, there are 2 types of road trips. 1) You have a place to be and you want to make a road trip out of it. 2) You have a region you want to see with no concrete destination in mind.
If you already know where you need to end up, hold that thought and move on to the next step.
If you aren’t sure yet, use AI to help you decide.
1. Calculate Your Maximum Distance
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "I’m taking a [#] day round trip with my dog this [season], starting in [Your City]. I plan to drive an average of [#] hours per day. How many miles can I go before I have to turn around and head back to [Your city]? I can only be gone [#] days."
2. Ask For Destination Ideas
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please give me a list of 10 ideas for road trip destinations that are around [Your Maximum Distance #] miles away from [your city]. I am interested in [swimming holes, great food, off leash dog parks, beaches, good views, art museums, etc]. I am traveling with my dog. I will be driving there and back to [your city] so please consider destinations that are good for road trips."
Look through your list of 10 ideas. Which one sparks the most excitement? If you are having trouble deciding, you can again turn to AI to help.
3. Get Help Deciding If You Need It
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "Of these 10 ideas, can you help me pick one destination? If I go a different way there and back, which destination will let me see the most [majestic views, fun dog-friendly breweries, local culture, dog parks, whatever you’re interested in]."
4. Plan Your Rest Stops
Plotting your destination is a big decision, but all of the little stops along the way are what will make your road trip special. This is the meat of your planning. It can be tedious to do this on your own, but AI makes it a breeze.
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Prompt for ChatGPT: "I am planning a [#] day round trip road trip from [Your City] to [Destination] this [Season] with my dog. I plan to drive an average of [#] hours per day and do not want to drive more than [#] per day. I want to turn around from [Destination] half way through the trip and would like to take a different route back if possible.
Can you suggest dog-friendly accommodations for every night of my trip and suggest a few stops for each day? My budget is [$] per night. We are interested in [dog parks, popular local food, scenic drives, state parks, beautiful views, quirky tourist attractions, photo opps, etc.] Please include the mileage and number of hours it will take to get to each destination. My budget for the entire trip is [$]."
5. Sniffing Out Additional Details
At this stage, your dog-friendly road trip is really starting to come together. If you’re like us, however, you may want to hammer out a few more details before you hit the road. You can use AI to ask for more options when it comes to accommodations, dining, and rest stops just to make sure you’re covered. Here are some additional prompts.
Accommodations
- Prompt for ChatGPT: "What are some pet-friendly accommodations near [Location/Area] that allow large dogs?"
Dining with Your Dog
- Prompt for ChatGPT: "Can you find restaurants that are dog-friendly in [City/Location] with outdoor seating?"
Health and Safety on the Go
- Prompt for ChatGPT: "Provide a list of emergency veterinary clinics along my travel route from [Starting Point] to [Ending Point]."
Keeping Rover Entertained
- Prompt for ChatGPT: "Suggest a playlist or audiobooks that are calming for dogs for a road trip."
Staying Social
- Prompt for ChatGPT: "Find dog parks or dog meet-up groups in [Destination] where my pet can socialize."
5. Verify Everything
AI tools are amazing for planning, but remember that hotel rules shift, restaurant hours change, and AI may have outdated information. As you go through AI’s suggestions, do a quick google search to verify that those dog-friendly destinations you’re excited about are not going to disappoint you when you get there.
If you’re a phone person, you can ask AI to help here too.
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Prompt for ChatGPT: “Provide the phone number for every hotel, restaurant, and visitor center that you’re recommended so I can call and verify their dog rules please.”
6. Create A Custom Map
While ChatGPT can’t add all of these destinations to a Google Map for you (yet!) we 100% recommend that you create a map for yourself with your entire plan. We also suggest you paste in AI’s description of each place so you can remember why you want to go there.
If you’re not sure how to do this, simply ask your bestie, ChatGPT
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Prompt for ChatGPT: “How do I save this information and add all of these destinations to Google Maps?”
Let’s Go!!!
With these AI tools and prompts, planning a dog-friendly road trip becomes not just easier, but part of the fun. You're equipped to create a journey that's enjoyable for you and your furry companion, ensuring safety, comfort, and plenty of wagging tails along the way.
Remember, the best trips are those where both you and your pet can relax, explore, and bond. So, pack your bags (and plenty of treats), set your AI-powered plans in motion, and hit the road for an unforgettable adventure. Here's to smooth travels and happy trails, powered by the latest in AI!