You don't need a trust fund to travel well. These prompts squeeze maximum experience from minimum budget — and some of the best trips happen when you're forced to be creative. Tested on ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to see which model saves you the most money without sacrificing the good stuff.
| What you're trying to do | הכי טוב ל |
|---|---|
| Create a realistic trip budget | ChatGPT |
| Find affordable local food | Gemini |
| Find free attractions and activities | Claude |
| Maximize hostel and budget stays | ChatGPT |
| Save money on local transportation | Gemini |
| Find travel deals and discounts | ChatGPT |
פרומפטים
Create a realistic trip budget
I want to travel to [destination] for [duration] on a budget of [total amount]. Traveling from: [home city] Travel style: [backpacker / budget-conscious / moderate with savings] Non-negotiables: [things you won't compromise on] Willing to sacrifice: [areas where you'll cut costs] Accommodation preference: [hostel / budget hotel / Airbnb / mix] Build my budget plan: 1. A realistic daily budget breakdown (accommodation, food, transport, activities) 2. Where to splurge vs. where to save in this destination 3. Hidden costs tourists forget (visa, transit cards, tips, SIM cards) 4. A comparison: hostels vs. budget hotels vs. Airbnb for my dates 5. Free activities that are genuinely worth doing 6. A "budget buffer" plan — what to cut first if I overspend early
הכי טוב ל: CHATGPT
ChatGPT provides the most accurate cost estimates for specific destinations and creates detailed budget spreadsheets. It catches hidden fees and taxes that other models overlook.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Ask for prices in LOCAL currency, not your home currency. Exchange rates fluctuate, and local prices give you a better sense of relative cost once you're on the ground.
Find affordable local food
I need to eat well on a tight budget in [destination]. Daily food budget: [amount per day] Meals per day: [2 / 3 / snacking throughout] Dietary needs: [restrictions or preferences] Cooking access: [hostel kitchen / no kitchen / Airbnb with kitchen] Food priorities: [authentic local / filling / healthy / variety] Create my budget food plan: 1. Where locals eat cheaply (specific areas, markets, stalls) 2. The cheapest filling meals in this destination and where to find them 3. Grocery stores and what to buy for self-catering meals 4. A 3-day meal plan within my daily budget 5. Which meals to splurge on and which to save on 6. Food apps and ordering tricks locals use for deals
הכי טוב ל: GEMINI
Gemini has strong knowledge of local food prices and market locations. It provides specific dish names with realistic price ranges and understands which neighborhoods have the best value.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Eat your big meal at lunch, not dinner. In most countries, lunch menus and set meals are 30-50% cheaper than dinner for the same quality. AI can plan your splurge meals around this pattern.
Find free attractions and activities
I want to experience [destination] spending as little as possible on activities. Days available: [number] Interests: [what I enjoy doing] Physical ability: [walking comfort level] Traveling with: [solo / couple / family / group] Build my free itinerary: 1. The best free attractions ranked by actual enjoyment (not just 'free') 2. Free museum days, gallery openings, or cultural events 3. Free walking tours and how to find the best ones 4. Parks, viewpoints, and neighborhoods worth exploring on foot 5. Free local events or festivals during my visit dates 6. Activities that feel premium but are free (sunset spots, architecture walks, etc.)
הכי טוב ל: CLAUDE
Claude curates free activities with genuine quality assessment rather than just listing everything that's free. It recommends experiences that feel premium and tells you which 'free' attractions aren't worth the time.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Search for 'free walking tours' specifically. They work on a tip-what-you-want model and are often led by passionate locals who give better tours than paid tourist agencies.
Maximize hostel and budget stays
I'm staying in hostels/budget accommodation in [destination]. Budget per night: [amount] Duration: [number of nights] Preferences: [private room / dorm ok / female-only dorm / social hostel] Must-haves: [wifi, locker, kitchen, air conditioning, etc.] Social level: [want to meet people / just need a bed] Optimize my accommodation: 1. The 5 best-reviewed budget options in my price range and neighborhood 2. Hostel booking strategies (when to book, which platform has best prices) 3. What to look for and avoid in budget accommodation reviews 4. Packing essentials for hostel life (things you'll wish you had) 5. How to use loyalty programs and last-minute deals 6. Alternatives to traditional hostels (couchsurfing, work-exchange, house-sitting)
הכי טוב ל: CHATGPT
ChatGPT has the broadest knowledge of specific booking platforms, pricing patterns, and loyalty programs. It provides tactical booking advice that can save 20-40% on accommodation costs.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Book directly through the hostel website after finding it on aggregator sites. Many hostels offer 5-10% discounts for direct bookings and include perks like free breakfast or locker access.
Save money on local transportation
I need to get around [destination] cheaply for [duration]. Areas I'll be visiting: [neighborhoods or attractions] Transport budget: [daily or total amount] Physical comfort: [lots of walking ok / limited mobility] Risk tolerance: [comfortable with local buses / prefer reliable options] Arrival details: [airport/train station I'll arrive at] Optimize my transport spending: 1. The best transit pass or card and whether it's worth it for my length of stay 2. Airport-to-city transfer: cheapest vs. most convenient options 3. When to walk vs. transit vs. taxi (distance thresholds) 4. Ride-sharing apps and local alternatives to know about 5. Scams to watch out for (taxi meters, fake passes, tourist surcharges) 6. A neighborhood base strategy — where to stay to minimize transit costs
הכי טוב ל: GEMINI
Gemini excels at transit system navigation and understands local transport networks. It provides accurate pass comparisons and break-even calculations for transit cards.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Ask AI to calculate whether a multi-day transit pass is worth it for YOUR specific plans. Sometimes a pass sounds great but you'd actually spend less buying individual tickets for your actual route pattern.
Find travel deals and discounts
I want to find the best travel deals for [destination or flexible]. Flexible on: [dates / destination / both] Budget: [total trip budget] Travel window: [months you can travel] Deal types I'm open to: [error fares, last minute, shoulder season, etc.] Home airport: [departure city] Find my best deals: 1. The cheapest time to visit this destination (with specific date ranges) 2. Shoulder season dates that offer 80% of the peak experience at 50% cost 3. Current deal sources and newsletters to monitor 4. Credit card travel hacking strategies for my spending level 5. Package vs. separate booking comparison for my trip 6. A "deal alert" system — what to set up so I catch the next flash sale
הכי טוב ל: CHATGPT
ChatGPT provides the most actionable deal-finding strategies with specific tools, websites, and alert systems. It understands credit card reward optimization and seasonal pricing patterns.
Tested Feb 15, 2026
טיפים מקצועיים
Set flexible date alerts on Google Flights and Skyscanner right now. The best deals are fleeting — sometimes lasting only hours. By the time you see a deal and then 'think about it,' it's gone.
Based on actual testing — not assumptions. See our methodology
Gemini
Strongest for local transport navigation and food pricing accuracy. Understands transit systems and provides realistic break-even calculations for passes and cards.
Results from Gemini 2.0 Flash · Tested Feb 15, 2026ChatGPT
Best for deal-finding tactics, booking platform strategies, and credit card reward optimization. Provides the most detailed cost breakdowns and catches hidden fees.
Results from GPT-4o · Tested Feb 15, 2026Claude
Best at curating genuinely worthwhile free activities and honest budget assessments. Tells you when a 'budget' option isn't worth the compromise and when spending more saves money.
Results from Claude 3.5 Sonnet · Tested Feb 15, 2026Grok
Delivers creative money-saving travel hacks while being direct about the real trade-offs involved. Strong at unconventional budget strategies, but less detailed on points-and-miles optimization than GPT-4o.
Results from Grok 2 · Tested Feb 15, 2026Travel in shoulder season, always. The 2-3 weeks before and after peak season offer 70-90% of the experience at 40-60% of the cost. Ask AI for the exact shoulder season dates for your destination.
Budget for the experience, not just the logistics. Don't spend your entire budget on flights and hotels with nothing left for the actual trip. Tell AI your total budget and let it optimize the split between getting there and being there.
Track spending in real-time, not after the trip. Download a travel expense app before you leave. Knowing you've spent 60% of your food budget by day 3 lets you adjust immediately instead of panicking on day 5.