Plan a group trip that fits everyone's budget and dates

Give the dates, the group and a per-person budget and get a day-by-day itinerary, a cost split and a who-pays-what list.

The problem

Planning a trip for a family reunion, a girls' weekend or a week at the beach with another family means juggling different budgets, ages, arrival days and must-dos. One person ends up doing all the planning in a group text that nobody can follow.

Step by step

1. 1Gather the basics: destination (or two or three options), dates, who is going with rough ages, a per-person or per-family budget, and anyone with limits (mobility, kids' nap times, food allergies).
2. 2Open ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude and paste the prompt below with your details. Use first names or "Family A / Family B"; the AI doesn't need anyone's full name.
3. 3Check every price, opening hour and drive time on the official website or Google Maps. AI prices are rough estimates and can be out of date.
4. 4Paste the cost split into Google Sheets and share it with the group so everyone sees the same numbers.
5. 5Send the group one clean summary instead of fifty texts, and ask for a yes/no on each paid activity by a set date.

Copy-paste prompt

Help me plan a group trip. Destination options: [places]. Dates: [dates], with these arrival/departure days: [details]. Group: [number of adults, kids and ages, "Family A/B"]. Budget: $[amount] per [person/family] for lodging, food and activities (travel there is [included/separate]). Must-dos: [list]. Limits: [mobility, naps, allergies, early bedtimes]. Give me: (1) a day-by-day itinerary with a mix of group time and free time, and a rainy-day backup; (2) lodging types that fit the group and budget; (3) a cost table split fairly between families, with shared costs vs. pay-your-own; (4) a booking checklist with what to reserve first. Mark every price as an estimate I need to check.

Tips and watch-outs

• Check prices, hours and drive times on official sites; AI travel details can be out of date.
• Book refundable where you can until everyone has paid their share.
• Don't paste passport numbers, confirmation codes or card numbers into AI tools.

Review AI output before using it. Don’t paste confidential, customer or patient data into tools your company hasn’t approved.