From writing film scripts to creating business plans, ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm and is already being utilised in several different industries. The AI-powered chatbot which is designed to answer questions and respond like a human has been the talk of the town for months now.
With it's ability to perform a seemingly limitless amount of tasks, we decided to see how well it could plan and budget a short trip to Manchester. The goal was simple, we asked ChatGPT to plan a weekend getaway to Manchester with a modest budget of £300 for one person travelling from elsewhere in the UK - in this case we went with Leigh, my hometown.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Within a few seconds ChatGPT was able to plan us a getaway that would cost us roughly £248 leaving us with £52 to play with.
It included a host of free things to do - including museums and galleries - along with suggestions of places to eat and drink.
First thing first was accommodation. With cost saving in mind, the chatbot recommended we stay in hostels or Airbnbs in the city like the Hatter's Hostel on Newton Street. However, this is a mistake on the robot's part as the as the hostel currently isn't taking bookings.
It did offer some alternatives like The Merchants Hotel and The Rembrandt Guesthouse.
ChatGPT's other mistake came via it's transport recommendation to reach Manchester. Contrary to popular belief, ChatGPT is not a search engine, but it does pull information from a number of sources such as books, articles and scientific journals.
Unfortunately, it did not know that you are unable to take a train directly from Leigh to Manchester due to the town not having a train station. You might argue that a more specific prompt telling the chatbot this could have been made, however, the Leigh Guided Busway is a very well documented feature of the town as well as it's lack of railway service so it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect ChatGPT to be aware of this.
We also asked the ChatGPT to give us a list and timetable of what we should do over the weekend with as many free activities as possible to save some bucks. For the first day of our trip it recommended we visit places like Northern Quarter, Manchester Museum and popular eateries like Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza and Mackie Mayor.
For Saturday, ChatGPT scheduled us a day of free activities such as a trip to the Manchester Cathedral and Castlefield to explore the Roman ruins. For the evening, it recommended visiting the historic Gay Village to experience the best the nightlife had to offer and predicted that we would spend around £20-£30 on drinks.
The final day was much of the same. On Sunday ChatGPT told us to head to the Manchester Art Gallery as our first free activity of the day.
For food it recommended heading to the iconic Curry Mile where we can expect to pay around £10-£15 for a meal. The final activity was another free one with a visit to the People's History Museum, before making our way back home to Leigh.
ChatGPT full response is below.
"Sure, I can help you plan your trip! Here's an itinerary based on your preferences, including directions on how to reach Manchester from Leigh and estimated costs:
Friday:
- Take a train from Leigh to Manchester. You can check the train schedule and prices on the National Rail website. The average cost for a round trip ticket is around £6-£8, depending on the time of day and whether you book in advance or not.
- Check into your accommodation. For budget-friendly options, I recommend looking for hostels or Airbnbs in the Northern Quarter or the Gay Village. Expect to spend around £60-£80 per night for a budget hotel or hostel. If you choose to go for an Airbnb, you may be able to find an entire apartment for around £50-£60 per night.
- Head to the Manchester Museum which has free admission. Here, you can learn about natural history, archaeology and more.
- In the evening, head to the Northern Quarter for dinner at Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza or Mackie Mayor food hall where you can find a range of affordable options. Expect to spend around £10-£15 for a meal.
- For drinks, head to the Albert Square Chop House or The Pilcrow Pub, both of which offer affordable drinks. Expect to spend around £20 on drinks.
Saturday:
- Start your day with breakfast at one of the many cafes in the Northern Quarter. Expect to spend around £5-£10 for breakfast.
- After breakfast, take a walk to Manchester Cathedral and take a look inside. This is a free activity.
- For lunch, head to the Arndale Centre where you can find a range of affordable options. Expect to spend around £10-£15 for a meal.
- After lunch, take a walk to Castlefield where you can find the Roman ruins and the Museum of Science and Industry. Both of these are free to visit.
- In the evening, head to the Gay Village for drinks and nightlife. Drinks are generally affordable, and you'll find a wide range of bars and clubs to choose from. Expect to spend around £20-£30 on drinks and entrance fees.
Sunday:
- Start your day at the Manchester Art Gallery, which has free admission. Here, you can see a wide range of art from different periods and styles.
- For lunch, head to the Curry Mile in Rusholme where you can find affordable and delicious Indian and Pakistani food. Expect to spend around £10-£15 for a meal.
- After lunch, head to the People's History Museum which offers free admission. Here, you can learn about the history of democracy and social justice movements in Britain.
- In the evening, head back to Leigh via train.
Overall estimated costs:
- Accommodation (2 nights): £120
- Train tickets (round trip): £8
- Food and drinks: £100-£120
- Free activities: £0
"As for accommodation, some budget-friendly options in the Northern Quarter include Hatters Hostel or The Merchants Hotel. In the Gay Village, you could check out The New Union Hotel or The Rembrandt Guesthouse.
"I hope you find this helpful and have a great trip to Manchester!"
READ NEXT:
- Woman left with sickening injuries after deranged neighbour attacked her with electric drill speaks of her horror ordeal
- The sick text messages which brought down GMP officer who used cadet scheme as his 'grooming playground'
- Police issue doorbell footage of third suspect in connection with Thomas Campbell fatal attack
- Millions to receive £301 DWP payment today - everything you need to know
- Avanti West Coast issue statement over FA Cup final amid concerns from Manchester football fans
