I used AI to find me a cheap holiday

LOOKING for holiday packages can often seriously take the fun out of booking holidays – but AI can help save you time and money.

Trawling website after website to find different holiday offers, to finally discover one you like the look (and price) of can be extremely time-consuming.

So why not just cut out the middle man?

ChatGPT can search thousands of sites, simultaneously and give you an answer in seconds.

So I decided to put the AI assistant to the test and see whether it could do a better job than me scrolling for hours.

The key with ChatGPT is to give clear instructions.

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And the best way to do this is to think about what you want from a holiday.

Personally, I think it works best when you are flexible on when you go and where you will be going.

So I asked the AI bot: “Find me the cheapest package holidays for two adults and two children under 12 years old in Europe in the next 60 days. Flights and hotel must be included.”

Initially, the bot gave me a few suggestions totalling around £1,000 each.

I knew it could do better, so I added: “They need to be under £1,000.”

Not only did the result give me options for different places for under £1,000 for a family of four, I was also given some tips.

For example, I was told that Antalya and Dalaman resorts in Turkey are often well-rated and ideal for families.

I then asked: “Can you add the live URL links.”

This prompt means that ChatGPT linked me straight to the sites where it was finding these deals and precisely how to find them on these sites.

I was immediately impressed by the list as it was full of reputable holiday companies including Love Holidays, Thomas Cook and easyJet holidays.

Going through to the Thomas Cook site, I added the filters suggest – ‘Turkey‘ for destination, left the flights from ‘anywhere’ and the dates ‘anytime’, added two adults and two children under 12, and simply pressed search.

The results were shocking.

Admittedly, there are some flaws with the process – like I was suggested holidays beyond 60 days but it managed to find some within that time frame as little as £112 per person.

For example, I selected the Sincerity Apart Hotel in Marmaris, Turkey.

The holiday would be from September 22 to September 30 and for £112 per person departing from London Luton with Wizz Air, I would get the flights and the room.

While the hotel itself might be basic, it still had a garden, lounge area, children’s playground and outdoor pool.

Plus, the reviews from previous guests were good.

After the added cost of ATOL protection (£10), I could book my seven-night holiday for £448 for the entire family.

The only other hidden cost is luggage – whilst the fee includes a small bag, it doesn’t include a cabin bag or checked bag which you would need to add if wanted, costing an additional £53 or £82 respectively.

When you search, if the cheapest option isn’t your favourite – there will most likely be other options.

For example, with my search, 31 different hotels appeared for under £150 per person.

And other options, like Leda Beach Hotel in the Antalya Region also include bed and breakfast for £118 per person for seven nights between December 4 and 12.

This spot was also only a four-minute walk from the nearest beach, just seven miles from Aquapark and less than a mile from the city of Manavgat.

Don’t want to head to Turkey? Then that’s fine, there are other options.

Using Love Holidays, I added my filters and this time left the destination completely blank.

I then filtered from low to high prices, and up came my options.

Near the top, a seven-day holiday to Costa Dorada, Spain came up for October 4 to 11 flying from London Southend with easyJet for just £99 per person.

If you want to add checked luggage then it will be an additional £36.49 per bag, per journey.

However, included in the price you do get a 15kg underseat bag, per person.

Or how about Portugal?

For seven nights, you could head to Colina da Lapa and Villas in Algarve between December 13 to 20 with Ryanair for £119 per person.

So here is the full run-down on what to ask ChatGPT to get offers like these.

How to use ChatGPT to find you a cheap holiday

Firstly, ask ChatGPT: “Find me affordable package holidays in Europe, in the next 60 days, for two adults and two children aged under 12 years old. They must include flights and accommodation. Please then include the live URL links for the offers found.”

Once the answers have loaded, select the one you are most interested and click on the blue hyperlink.

This should open a new tab.

Once in the tab, make sure to add in the filters ChatGPT has suggested depending on what it suggests for the specific site you have selected.

Then change the ‘sort by’ option to ‘Price: low to high’ and you’re all set to explore your cheap holiday packages.

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