How to use AI for your travel itinerary: Review of Roam Around

Most people haven’t yet embraced using AI for travel itineraries, since the results can be hit and miss. Earlier in 2023, a survey showed that 61% of respondents said they’re open to using conversational AI to plan trips — but only 6% said they actually had. Even ChatGPT’s dedicated travel plugins have a way to go before becoming mainstream.

✨ Let’s take Roam Around for a tour.

Read on, or watch the video ▶️

What is Roam Around?

Billed as “your personal AI travel wizard”, Roam Around uses ChatGPT to build travel itineraries. It only requires two pieces of information from users: the city they intend to visit and the number of days they plan to stay. It recently underwent a facelift to incorporate more visuals and introduce an interactive chatbot, Roamy.

The app is fairly straightforward and doesn’t provide any options for refining or filtering search results. I recommend using it as a reference or starting point for travel planning, which you can then cross-check with other travel guides to finalize your itinerary.

I took RoamAround.io for a test drive while planning a 4-day getaway to Montevideo, a new city I was unfamiliar with. Within minutes, I had a complete and dynamic itinerary that was not only time-segmented but also included visuals and a map view to help me get a spatial understanding of where each recommended spot was located in the city.

The informational widget gave me a quick rundown of Montevideo’s climate, the currency in use, and the primary language spoken, saving me from the last-minute Google scramble we’re all too familiar with.

Pros of Roam Around for creating a travel itinerary

• Quick itinerary creation: One of RoamAround.io‘s strongest points is how simple it makes creating an itinerary. With minimal input, the tool rapidly generates a complete schedule for your trip, saving you hours of manual planning. Recommendations for tours link out to Viator, and hotels to Kayak.
• Clean UX: The user experience is smooth and intuitive, making it accessible even to those who aren’t tech-savvy. This is especially helpful when you’re on the move and need quick access to your plans.
• Visual enhancement: The recently added visuals bring a lively and engaging element to the travel itinerary. It’s easier to visualize your trip and get excited about the places you’ll visit.
• Map feature: If you prefer a spatial understanding of your plans, you can quickly switch to a map view to see the locations of their recommendations. This is an excellent feature for getting a sense of distances and travel times between different points.
• Time-based recommendations: Roam Around thoughtfully segments its suggestions into morning, afternoon, and evening activities, helping you structure and get the most out of your day.
• Informational widget: A handy widget provides basic information about your travel destination, like climate, currency, and language, making it a comprehensive planning tool.
• Bot customization: You can interact with the chatbot, Roamy, to further customize your itinerary based on your interests, like removing all sports-related activities if they’re not your cup of tea.
• Free to use: The tool is free to use, and creating an account (quick and easy) lets you save your itineraries for future reference.

Cons of Roam Around for creating a travel itinerary

• Frustrating date issues: The tool had issues with setting custom dates. Despite multiple attempts, I couldn’t get it to accept my preferred travel dates. While it didn’t make the tool unusable, it was an irritating blocker.
• Inconsistent chatbot: Roamy is not always responsive to itinerary change requests. Additionally, the chatbot interface takes up significant screen space, and there’s no option – at least one that is easy to find – to minimize or hide it.
• Limited accuracy: Despite its usefulness, you’ll still need to cross-reference the information provided. ChatGPT, the engine powering Roamy, has limitations, and some details might require manual verification for accuracy.
• Exclusively suggests paid tours: The tool’s external linking is biased toward paid tours and sightseeing recommendations, exclusively offering options via Viator. While it’s understandable that the platform aims to monetize its service, this approach somewhat limits user choices. Many travelers would prefer the flexibility to book directly through the attractions’ own websites or at least have a mix of options to be more budget-friendly. The exclusive reliance on Viator may not suit everyone’s preferences.

Who is Roam Around best for?

Based on the pros and cons discussed, RoamAround.io is best suited for tech-savvy people who are looking for a quick and efficient way to plan their itineraries. These individuals are likely comfortable with AI technology and will appreciate the tool’s intuitive UX, informative widgets, and customization options.

Moreover, the time-segmented recommendations and map view are great for those who want to optimize their day and explore a new place without spending hours on research.

Review of Roam Around AI travel tool – conclusion

In summary, RoamAround.io shines as an AI-powered tool that makes travel planning effortless. Its intuitive interface, visually pleasing design, and highly customizable itineraries make it a solid choice.

However, the tool does have some drawbacks like faulty date settings, a sometimes unresponsive chatbot, and limitations on cross-referencing data. Moreover, its exclusive linking to paid tours via Viator can be restrictive for those who prefer a variety of booking options.

While it may not be a one-stop solution for all your travel itinerary needs, RoamAround is excellent as a practical, free tool for quick inspiration and initial planning stages.