Start with the 'Where' and 'When'
The most common AI mistakes involve basic logistics. AI models can 'hallucinate', inventing details that sound plausible but are incorrect. They might recommend restaurants that are permanently closed, attractions that don't exist, or send you to a museum
on the one day of the week it's shut. Your first step is to confirm the fundamentals. For every hotel, restaurant, and attraction on your list, open a new tab and find its official website. Check the address on a reliable map service. Most importantly, verify the current opening hours and days, as this is a frequent AI blind spot. Research shows that over half of AI itineraries can suggest visiting a place outside its operating hours.
Pressure-Test Your Transit Times
An AI plan might look seamless on paper, but it often fails to account for real-world friction. A common error is underestimating travel time. A route that Google Maps says is a 12-minute walk can easily take 25 minutes through crowded tourist streets. Similarly, an AI might not budget enough time for airport security, immigration, or changing terminals during a layover. Review every transition in your itinerary. For walking routes in busy areas, add at least 50% more time than a mapping service suggests. For public transport, double it to account for potential delays. Ensure your schedule isn't so tightly packed that one delayed train causes a domino effect, forcing you to miss a reservation or connection.
Verify All Logistical Links
Does your itinerary flow logically, or are you backtracking across a city for no reason? AI planners can sometimes create geographically inefficient routes, wasting your time and money. Plot your daily activities on a map to see if the order makes sense. Beyond that, verify the connections themselves. An AI might suggest a flight path with a layover that is impossibly short or on airlines that don't have baggage agreements. For every flight, train, or bus journey, go directly to the operator's website to confirm that the route exists as described and that the connections are feasible.
Fact-Check Prices and Policies
Pricing is another area where AI-generated information can be outdated or simply wrong. The tool might pull a price from an old blog post or a cached webpage, failing to reflect current seasonal rates, demand-driven surges, or recent price hikes. The same applies to crucial policies. An AI might misstate a hotel's cancellation policy or an airline's baggage allowance. For every significant expense—flights, hotels, tours, and car rentals—you must verify the cost on the official booking platform before entering any payment details. Never rely on the prices quoted in a generic AI chat.
Conduct a 'Human Vibe' Check
AI can assemble facts, but it can't truly understand nuance, culture, or 'vibe'. It might recommend a restaurant that looks good on paper but is known for being an overpriced tourist trap. It can't tell you if a neighbourhood feels safe to walk through after dark or if a 'hidden gem' is actually just difficult to get to. After verifying the facts, turn to human sources. Look for recent blog posts, YouTube travel vlogs, or reviews from the last few months. These sources provide the real-world context and subjective experience that AI lacks, ensuring the 'vibe' of the recommendation matches the trip you want to have.
