An experiment with AI / Chat GPT

[Wapping]

I will run them same exercise as above through Grok. I can share it but am conscious of flooding this thread so will only do so if asked or I think it is exceptionally valuable.

Please do.

I, for one, am interested to see where even basic and free AI can be useful at creating suggestions. I am learning fast the prompts to give AI, as you set out. In a way, it’s a bit like talking to a child or a teacher to a class, telling them how to craft a story or essay or telling them what the teacher wants to see evidenced in the pupils’ homework:

Why This Works:
1. **Clarity of Goal**: It states the purpose (a great motorcycling route) and audience (a passionate rider), setting the tone for a tailored response.
2. **Constraints**: Specifies the six-week duration, three-day max per stop, and daily riding time, giving the AI firm boundaries to work within.
3. **Preferences**: Highlights scenic roads, nice places to visit, and specific accommodation types, guiding the AI toward quality and variety.
4. **Structure**: Requests a week-by-week breakdown with distances and highlights, making the output organized and actionable.
5. **Flexibility**: Mentions regions like Provence or the Alps as examples but doesn’t lock the AI into a rigid list, encouraging a blend of well-known and lesser-known spots.

You could tweak this further based on personal taste—say, adding "include at least three coastal stops" or "avoid big cities except Paris"—but the core idea is to be precise without micromanaging. If you fed this prompt to me, I’d churn out a detailed itinerary with roads like the Route des Crêtes in the Vosges, stays in places like Gordes, and stops at gems like the Gorges du Verdon. Want me to take a stab at it?

Please do take a stab at it.

 

[grantmac]

Brilliant Sneldog. Very interesting to read and try to understand. Its complex but i guess like with anything it takes some getting used to. The way forward but i would also say should be used together with our own ideas

 

[Wapping]

I see that, when you are logged in, ChatGPT can ‘remember’ your previous enquiries, so you can go back to them later. This us helpful as yiu can then refine the suggestion at will.

 

[Wapping]

Brilliant Sneldog. Very interesting to read and try to understand. Its complex but i guess like with anything it takes some getting used to. The way forward but i would also say should be used together with our own ideas

I think it’s complex on one level but simple on another.

In a way, it is very similar to UKGSer when bods ask what is to them a ‘simple’ question or request: “Me and my six mates we want a route to the Alps and stuff to see and do on the way and biker friendly hotels”. The answer to which might well be pretty complex and / or usually require a lot of additional information, which sometimes has to be dragged out of them. The additional information request, usually starts with: “How long have you set aside to go from A to B?”, something they are sometimes very reluctant to divulge.

 

[grantmac]

Agreed. So does that mean your travel advice is now redundant?

 

[Wapping]

Agreed. So does that mean your travel advice is now redundant?

Hopefully.

In fact, why not?

 

[Mr Derek]

Have you tried asking it for a route to Tesco or starbucks? Let's keep things a bit more real world and none of your fancy frenchie nonsense, thankyouverymuch.

Does the reply also start with "That sounds like an amazing trip"?

 

[wessie]

I'd be careful using Grok. You will end up spiralling into an ever decreasing circle as it insists you only turn right.

 

[Tinytim]

You're not doing a lot of work today Mister @Sneldog are you



All this AI for a pleb like me, pah. I'd rather interact with and ask a real friend or a sarcy twat for info. And when it gets to the stage where I can't tell the difference between Sneldog/Wapping/Arsey/and the many other helpful people here and AI, then I will pack the T'Interweb in altogether. I'm halfway there with questioning/ disbelieving photos and videos. The internet is a sewer.

 

[Mzokk]

I've had a bit of a poke at this following on from this thread.

Thread 'Using AI (Chat-GPT) to create routes'

Jan 16, 2025

The very good MyRoute forum has a post on AI’s ability to create routes in MyRoute.

Yes, it’s in foreign, but that’s the language the maker of the video speaks. The subtitles are OK.

Is this the answer to “My and my three mates, we want twisty routes…..”?

It is interesting to see how the questions and requests the fellow asked Chat-GPT match exactly those asked in UKGSer’s Travel subsection. It was also amusing that Chat-GPT told the fellow to recheck the weather in April. Obviously, unlike UKGSer, the AI does not know what the weather will be like several months in...

• Wapping
• Replies: 3
• Forum: General GPS News & Information

• 

I haven't quite got the Python environment bit sussed out yet to create a GPX file automatically. I've got as far as generating the XML file, which contains the Lat and long of the points generated in the Chat GPT narrative, but haven't got the two tools required to automatically generate the gpx (via KML) working as yet. It's kind of glossed over in the video. I've got as far as as setting up the Python environment on a computer and have batch files that set up the environment when the laptop boots. Haven't quite got to the point that I can use the environment to turn the XML into a KML readable by Basecamp, MRA, and Google maps/Mymaps. That said I had a look at it for a few hours 3 weeks ago.......something to apply the brain cell to on the next wet day.

Unless Mr Sneldog comes up with something first.

​

 

[Engineer]

AI is good for giving easy (but not necessarily accurate) answers dressed up in flowery language to people who are lazy to think for themselsves - every time we use it at work for detailed technical questions it fails hopelessesly at coming up with anything useful - it answers quite frankly are embarrassing. It can quickly right bits of simple Python code for example but not much more.

What is really scary is that people will start to believe in it and treat it as gospel.

 

[Sneldog]

Please do take a stab at it.

Here is a first pass from Grok. It is different in terms of style and substance. Only took a minute @Tinytim

Here’s your revised six-week motorcycling route through France, now starting and ending in Calais instead of Paris, while avoiding Paris and other cities with notable crime or motorcycle theft issues (like Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Grenoble, and Lille, based on general safety data). I’ve kept the no-more-than-three-days-per-stop rule, scenic roads, charming stays, must-visit highlights, and regional restaurant picks intact, tweaking the itinerary to steer clear of high-risk urban areas. Daily rides remain 3-6 hours, blending iconic regions and hidden gems. Let’s hit the road!

---

### Week 1: Calais to Normandy and Brittany
- **Day 1-3: Calais to Giverny (230 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D940 coastal road to Boulogne-sur-Mer, then D901 through quiet countryside, avoiding Rouen’s urban sprawl.
- *Stay*: La Musardière, a cozy inn in Giverny.
- *Highlight*: Monet’s House and Gardens—stroll the lily ponds that inspired his masterpieces.
- *Restaurant*: Le Jardin des Plumes—Norman duck with cider sauce in a relaxed garden setting.
- **Day 4-6: Giverny to Mont Saint-Michel (280 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D675 through Normandy’s orchards, then D975 to the tidal island, bypassing busy Caen.
- *Stay*: Auberge Saint-Pierre, a half-timbered gem on the mount.
- *Highlight*: Mont Saint-Michel at dusk—stunning when crowds fade.
- *Restaurant*: La Ferme Saint-Michel—pré-salé lamb with a creamy gratin, bay views included.

---

### Week 2: Brittany to the Loire Valley
- **Day 7-9: Mont Saint-Michel to Quimper (250 km, ~4.5 hours)**
- *Route*: D784 along the coast past Cancale’s oyster beds, then D768 through Brittany’s wild interior, avoiding Brest.
- *Stay*: Manoir de Kerhuel, a renovated manor near Quimper.
- *Highlight*: Quimper’s old town—cobblestones and a gothic cathedral.
- *Restaurant*: Le Bistrot à la Bretonne—cotriade fish stew or kig ha farz, pure Breton comfort.
- **Day 10-12: Quimper to Amboise (320 km, ~5.5 hours)**
- *Route*: D783 south, then D751 along the Loire’s château-lined banks, steering clear of Tours’ busier zones.
- *Stay*: Le Clos d’Amboise, a 17th-century mansion hotel.
- *Highlight*: Château de Chenonceau—its river-spanning arches are a rider’s dream view.
- *Restaurant*: La Cave—rillons (pork belly) and goat cheese tarts with Loire wine.

---

### Week 3: Loire to Dordogne and Lot
- **Day 13-15: Amboise to Sarlat-la-Canéda (340 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D943 through farmland, then twisty D703 into Dordogne’s valleys, avoiding Limoges.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Plaza Madeleine, chic and medieval in Sarlat.
- *Highlight*: Lascaux Caves (replica)—prehistoric art that’s mind-blowing.
- *Restaurant*: Le Présidial—duck confit and walnut cake, Périgord style.
- **Day 16-18: Sarlat to Rocamadour (100 km, ~3 hours)**
- *Route*: D704 along the Dordogne River, climbing to the cliffside village.
- *Stay*: Le Troubadour, stylish with valley views.
- *Highlight*: Rocamadour’s sanctuaries—climb the steps for a soulful pause.
- *Restaurant*: Le Roc du Berger—roasted quail or cabécou cheese, cliffside dining.

---

### Week 4: Lot to Provence
- **Day 19-21: Rocamadour to Carcassonne (220 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D673 through rugged Lot, then D118 to the fortress city, dodging Toulouse’s urban risks.
- *Stay*: Hôtel de la Cité, within Carcassonne’s medieval walls.
- *Highlight*: La Cité—wander the ramparts of this fairy-tale stronghold.
- *Restaurant*: La Barbacane—Languedoc cassoulet (beans and sausage) in stone-walled coziness.
- **Day 22-24: Carcassonne to Gordes (300 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D6113 east, then D900 through Luberon’s lavender fields, bypassing Marseille’s crime hotspots.
- *Stay*: La Bastide de Gordes, a luxury perch above the village.
- *Highlight*: Sénanque Abbey—lavender-framed beauty worth a photo stop.
- *Restaurant*: Le Mas Tourteron—lamb with thyme and ratatouille, Provençal farmhouse vibes.

---

### Week 5: Provence to the Alps
- **Day 25-27: Gordes to Castellane (180 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D952 to the Gorges du Verdon—hairpin heaven through France’s Grand Canyon.
- *Stay*: Château de Trigance, a medieval castle-turned-hotel.
- *Highlight*: Route des Crêtes—cliff-edge vistas over turquoise waters.
- *Restaurant*: Auberge du Teillon—spelt risotto or rabbit with wild herbs, hearty and simple.
- **Day 28-30: Castellane to Chamonix (350 km, ~6 hours)**
- *Route*: D902 through Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, then N85 to Mont Blanc, avoiding Lyon’s theft-prone streets.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Mont-Blanc, an alpine classic in Chamonix.
- *Highlight*: Aiguille du Midi cable car—peak views that’ll stop your breath.
- *Restaurant*: La Calèche—tartiflette (potatoes, cheese, bacon) in a chalet setting.

---

### Week 6: Alps to Calais
- **Day 31-33: Chamonix to Beaune (300 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D1506 through Jura’s forests, then N83 to Burgundy’s vineyards, skipping Paris entirely.
- *Stay*: Hostellerie Le Cèdre, a refined Beaune retreat.
- *Highlight*: Hospices de Beaune—tiled-roof grandeur and a Pinot sip.
- *Restaurant*: Le Carmin—coq au vin or œufs en meurette, Burgundian soul food.
- **Day 34-35: Beaune to Calais (400 km, ~6 hours)**
- *Route*: D974 through Champagne’s hills, then A26 north, bypassing Reims’ busier zones for a smooth return.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Meurice, a comfy Calais base for your last night.
- *Highlight*: Cap Blanc-Nez—rugged cliffs for a final scenic send-off.
- *Restaurant*: Le Channel—fresh seafood like moules marinières, a northern French classic.

---

### Overview
- **Total Distance**: ~2,870 km, averaging 80-120 km per riding day.
- **Riding Style**: Twisty mountain roads (Verdon, Alps), coastal stretches (Brittany), and countryside lanes (Loire, Provence), all via smaller roads like D-routes to avoid crime-heavy cities.
- **Safety Notes**: Skips Paris (pickpocketing, traffic chaos), Marseille (gang activity), Montpellier (urban theft), Nantes (nightlife crime), Grenoble (petty theft), and Lille (border proximity risks). Focuses on smaller towns and rural areas with lower crime profiles.
- **Vibe**: Cultural icons (Mont Saint-Michel, Carcassonne), natural stunners (Verdon, Alps), and quaint villages (Gordes, Rocamadour), paired with regional eats like Breton stew and Savoyard cheese.

This loop from Calais keeps you on safer, scenic paths, dodging big-city headaches. Want more tweaks—like extra coast or a specific detour? Just holler!

 

[wessie]

It can quickly right bits of simple Python code

does it offer a grammar and spell checking facility?

 

[Wapping]

AI is good for giving easy (but not necessarily accurate) answers dressed up in flowery language to people who are lazy to think for themselsves - every time we use it at work for detailed technical questions it fails hopelessesly at coming up with anything useful - it answers quite frankly are embarrassing. It can quickly right bits of simple Python code for example but not much more.

What is really scary is that people will start to believe in it and treat it as gospel.

That’s as maybe but all we are interested in is AI’s ability to maybe create holidays from scratch, not in a Moon shot.

 

[Tinytim]

Here is a first pass from Grok. It is different in terms of style and substance. Only took a minute @Tinytim

Here’s your revised six-week motorcycling route through France, now starting and ending in Calais instead of Paris, while avoiding Paris and other cities with notable crime or motorcycle theft issues (like Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Grenoble, and Lille, based on general safety data). I’ve kept the no-more-than-three-days-per-stop rule, scenic roads, charming stays, must-visit highlights, and regional restaurant picks intact, tweaking the itinerary to steer clear of high-risk urban areas. Daily rides remain 3-6 hours, blending iconic regions and hidden gems. Let’s hit the road!

---

### Week 1: Calais to Normandy and Brittany
- **Day 1-3: Calais to Giverny (230 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D940 coastal road to Boulogne-sur-Mer, then D901 through quiet countryside, avoiding Rouen’s urban sprawl.
- *Stay*: La Musardière, a cozy inn in Giverny.
- *Highlight*: Monet’s House and Gardens—stroll the lily ponds that inspired his masterpieces.
- *Restaurant*: Le Jardin des Plumes—Norman duck with cider sauce in a relaxed garden setting.
- **Day 4-6: Giverny to Mont Saint-Michel (280 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D675 through Normandy’s orchards, then D975 to the tidal island, bypassing busy Caen.
- *Stay*: Auberge Saint-Pierre, a half-timbered gem on the mount.
- *Highlight*: Mont Saint-Michel at dusk—stunning when crowds fade.
- *Restaurant*: La Ferme Saint-Michel—pré-salé lamb with a creamy gratin, bay views included.

---

### Week 2: Brittany to the Loire Valley
- **Day 7-9: Mont Saint-Michel to Quimper (250 km, ~4.5 hours)**
- *Route*: D784 along the coast past Cancale’s oyster beds, then D768 through Brittany’s wild interior, avoiding Brest.
- *Stay*: Manoir de Kerhuel, a renovated manor near Quimper.
- *Highlight*: Quimper’s old town—cobblestones and a gothic cathedral.
- *Restaurant*: Le Bistrot à la Bretonne—cotriade fish stew or kig ha farz, pure Breton comfort.
- **Day 10-12: Quimper to Amboise (320 km, ~5.5 hours)**
- *Route*: D783 south, then D751 along the Loire’s château-lined banks, steering clear of Tours’ busier zones.
- *Stay*: Le Clos d’Amboise, a 17th-century mansion hotel.
- *Highlight*: Château de Chenonceau—its river-spanning arches are a rider’s dream view.
- *Restaurant*: La Cave—rillons (pork belly) and goat cheese tarts with Loire wine.

---

### Week 3: Loire to Dordogne and Lot
- **Day 13-15: Amboise to Sarlat-la-Canéda (340 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D943 through farmland, then twisty D703 into Dordogne’s valleys, avoiding Limoges.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Plaza Madeleine, chic and medieval in Sarlat.
- *Highlight*: Lascaux Caves (replica)—prehistoric art that’s mind-blowing.
- *Restaurant*: Le Présidial—duck confit and walnut cake, Périgord style.
- **Day 16-18: Sarlat to Rocamadour (100 km, ~3 hours)**
- *Route*: D704 along the Dordogne River, climbing to the cliffside village.
- *Stay*: Le Troubadour, stylish with valley views.
- *Highlight*: Rocamadour’s sanctuaries—climb the steps for a soulful pause.
- *Restaurant*: Le Roc du Berger—roasted quail or cabécou cheese, cliffside dining.

---

### Week 4: Lot to Provence
- **Day 19-21: Rocamadour to Carcassonne (220 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D673 through rugged Lot, then D118 to the fortress city, dodging Toulouse’s urban risks.
- *Stay*: Hôtel de la Cité, within Carcassonne’s medieval walls.
- *Highlight*: La Cité—wander the ramparts of this fairy-tale stronghold.
- *Restaurant*: La Barbacane—Languedoc cassoulet (beans and sausage) in stone-walled coziness.
- **Day 22-24: Carcassonne to Gordes (300 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D6113 east, then D900 through Luberon’s lavender fields, bypassing Marseille’s crime hotspots.
- *Stay*: La Bastide de Gordes, a luxury perch above the village.
- *Highlight*: Sénanque Abbey—lavender-framed beauty worth a photo stop.
- *Restaurant*: Le Mas Tourteron—lamb with thyme and ratatouille, Provençal farmhouse vibes.

---

### Week 5: Provence to the Alps
- **Day 25-27: Gordes to Castellane (180 km, ~4 hours)**
- *Route*: D952 to the Gorges du Verdon—hairpin heaven through France’s Grand Canyon.
- *Stay*: Château de Trigance, a medieval castle-turned-hotel.
- *Highlight*: Route des Crêtes—cliff-edge vistas over turquoise waters.
- *Restaurant*: Auberge du Teillon—spelt risotto or rabbit with wild herbs, hearty and simple.
- **Day 28-30: Castellane to Chamonix (350 km, ~6 hours)**
- *Route*: D902 through Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, then N85 to Mont Blanc, avoiding Lyon’s theft-prone streets.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Mont-Blanc, an alpine classic in Chamonix.
- *Highlight*: Aiguille du Midi cable car—peak views that’ll stop your breath.
- *Restaurant*: La Calèche—tartiflette (potatoes, cheese, bacon) in a chalet setting.

---

### Week 6: Alps to Calais
- **Day 31-33: Chamonix to Beaune (300 km, ~5 hours)**
- *Route*: D1506 through Jura’s forests, then N83 to Burgundy’s vineyards, skipping Paris entirely.
- *Stay*: Hostellerie Le Cèdre, a refined Beaune retreat.
- *Highlight*: Hospices de Beaune—tiled-roof grandeur and a Pinot sip.
- *Restaurant*: Le Carmin—coq au vin or œufs en meurette, Burgundian soul food.
- **Day 34-35: Beaune to Calais (400 km, ~6 hours)**
- *Route*: D974 through Champagne’s hills, then A26 north, bypassing Reims’ busier zones for a smooth return.
- *Stay*: Hôtel Meurice, a comfy Calais base for your last night.
- *Highlight*: Cap Blanc-Nez—rugged cliffs for a final scenic send-off.
- *Restaurant*: Le Channel—fresh seafood like moules marinières, a northern French classic.

---

### Overview
- **Total Distance**: ~2,870 km, averaging 80-120 km per riding day.
- **Riding Style**: Twisty mountain roads (Verdon, Alps), coastal stretches (Brittany), and countryside lanes (Loire, Provence), all via smaller roads like D-routes to avoid crime-heavy cities.
- **Safety Notes**: Skips Paris (pickpocketing, traffic chaos), Marseille (gang activity), Montpellier (urban theft), Nantes (nightlife crime), Grenoble (petty theft), and Lille (border proximity risks). Focuses on smaller towns and rural areas with lower crime profiles.
- **Vibe**: Cultural icons (Mont Saint-Michel, Carcassonne), natural stunners (Verdon, Alps), and quaint villages (Gordes, Rocamadour), paired with regional eats like Breton stew and Savoyard cheese.

This loop from Calais keeps you on safer, scenic paths, dodging big-city headaches. Want more tweaks—like extra coast or a specific detour? Just holler!

Very good but

@Oldrat , his post yesterday and ensuing responses for example, was far far better and human than the above sterile bollocks, albeit detailed and accurate bollox nevertheless.
Just sayin'

 

[Sneldog]

Very good but

@Oldrat , his post yesterday and ensuing responses for example, was far far better and human than the above sterile bollocks, albeit detailed and accurate bollox nevertheless.
Just sayin'

I think it is excellent for giving you a starting point that only takes 2 minutes to do. If it was me, I would take the Grok suggestion, put it into Basecamp and then research my usual places (Michelin moto map, Michelin food guide, the UKGser forum, bestbikingroads.com etc) to tweak it and add in my own ideas.

I am definitely going to take my Vosges trip itinerary for June and run it through Grok to see if it can improve on my work to date. Places to see along the way etc.

 

[rossman999]

We use it (ChatGPT) extensively at work as it takes the donkey work out of repetative tasks but like many have said its probably only 80% accurate but its getting better all the time.

The problem is with so much content on the web being AI generated how does one know whats real and whats rubbish, if enough people keep repeating the lie AI will think this is true ie Russia not invading Ukraine and will start to push this as the truth autogenerating content to back up its understanding.

Its scary times we live in just now.

 

[Wapping]

If we can limit this thread to ONLY AI’s ability or otherwise to assist with creating a possible holiday, that would be super.

Thanks.

Richard

 

[Sneldog]

I just put the first two days of my Vosges trip through Grok and the results look excellent.

 

[grantmac]

I think thats the whole point. My comment above on redundant Wapping travel encyclopedia was tongue in cheek....
Its like with anything internet, use it to your advantage ...or not..and then use the info to formulate more of what you want using your own nouse..
I always remember a great sketch, cant remember where it was now, of someone putting in Stamford Bridge as an address into their cars navigation to get to watch a footie game, only to have it send said driver to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire.
Use with a bit of common sense....