EPISODE · Aug 26, 2026 · 24 MIN
AI Travel Planning That Actually Saves Time
from Travels With Jim and Rita · host Jim Santos, travel writer and his wife, Rita
Send us Fan MailWeeks of travel planning can come down to one stubborn problem: turning a big dream into a realistic route that fits your time, energy, budget, and check-in times. We’re Jim and Rita Santos, and we’ve built plenty of complicated itineraries the old-fashioned way with spreadsheets, tabs, and too many “wait, what day do we check out?” mistakes. This time, we try something different: we hand AI a tight set of rules and see if it can draft a trip that actually matches our travel style.We walk through a 53-day Europe overland itinerary starting in Madrid and ending in Hamburg, using trains, buses, and ferries with ride times capped at about six and a half hours. AI spits out a full outline in about 87 seconds, then surprises us with extra travel research like top highlights, typical weather, and the big “book early” reminders that can make or break a trip (Anne Frank House, Sagrada Familia, Louvre timed entry, tulip season tickets). We also share where we still tweak the plan, like cutting expensive stays and avoiding too many two-night stops.Then we run a smaller experiment: a senior-friendly 2–3 night getaway within a 5.5-hour drive from Knoxville that avoids heavy crowds. The results are genuinely useful, but we also talk about the fine print: AI can be wrong, schedules change, and personalization can feel both exciting and a little unsettling. If you’re curious about AI travel planning, Europe train travel, or just traveling smarter, hit play, then subscribe, share the show with a travel buddy, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us.Download full-color PDFs of my book at prices below Amazon paperbacks. Visit my store at https://shop.jimsantosbooks.com Subscribe to our Mailing Listhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2292506/supporters/newhttp://jimsantos.nethttps://www.instagram.com/jimsantosbloghttps://www.youtube.com/@[email protected]"Wherever We May Roam: Finding Your Travel Style" - On Amazon
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Send us Fan Mail Weeks of travel planning can come down to one stubborn problem: turning a big dream into a realistic route that fits your time, energy, budget, and check-in times. We’re Jim and Rita Santos, and we’ve built plenty of complicated itineraries the old-fashioned way with spreadsheets, tabs, and too many “wait, what day do we check out?” mistakes. This time, we try something different: we hand AI a tight set of rules and see if it can draft a trip that actually matches our travel ...
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AI Travel Planning That Actually Saves Time
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