As a tech consultant, I’m always looking for new ways to put AI to work. But today, I want to talk about something beyond the usual business applications – how I used Claude, an AI assistant, to plan my family’s Japan adventure. It saved me a load of time.
You might be thinking, “Wait, you used AI for travel planning?” Most of us default to the usual suspects: TripAdvisor, travel blogs, and those massive Google Docs we share with family members.
Instead of jumping between dozens of browser tabs and trying to piece together the perfect itinerary, I simply had a conversation with Claude about what my family and I wanted to experience in Japan.
The magic wasn’t just in getting suggestions – it was in the back-and-forth dialogue that helped refine our plans. When I mentioned we wanted to experience both traditional and modern Japan, Claude didn’t just spit out a generic list of tourist spots. Instead, it helped craft daily itineraries that made sense geographically and culturally. For example, when Claude suggested pairing a morning visit to the serene Meiji Shrine with an afternoon in electric Akihabara, it also explained how these contrasts would give us a deeper understanding of Japan’s cultural evolution.
AI adapted plans on the fly. When I mentioned concerns about travel times between locations or specific dining preferences, Claude would instantly recalculate routes and suggest alternatives. No more spending hours on Google Maps trying to figure out if my ambitious plans were actually feasible.
As someone who works with technology daily, I’ve seen plenty of AI use cases, but this experience reminded me why I love this field. It’s not about replacing human judgment – it’s about enhancing it and speeding it up. Claude didn’t plan my trip for me; it planned it with me, taking my preferences, concerns, and family dynamics into account every step of the way.
Be specific about your interests and constraints. The more context you provide, the more personalized your itinerary becomes. And don’t be afraid to ask for adjustments – that’s where AI really shines, iterating and refining plans until they’re just right.