Which tool to choose

Three free tools do the job, but they suit different profiles.

Want ideas with real links to check right away (festivals, museums, nearby parks)? Choose ChatGPT. Web search is available to everyone, including free users without an account. It can use the device's location to give local results about nearby activities.

Already use Google's Gmail, Photos and Maps and want tailored suggestions? Choose Gemini. It can propose where to eat based on the foods you like and suggest places to visit based on your interests and your past favorite spots. The free plan gives access to Gemini, with limited access to the more advanced Pro model.

Want the highest source reliability so you don't lose half a day in front of a closed museum? Choose Perplexity. It's built around the accuracy of real-time search and it cites every source. The free tier is already useful: unlimited quick searches that combine a fast AI model with web search and answer with cited sources.

For most families the most effective path is this: start with ChatGPT to generate ideas with links, and use Perplexity as a cross-check when you want to be certain of hours and availability.

How to do it

1. Turn on location (the decisive step, often skipped)

Without location the AI gives you generic ideas, not activities you can reach today. In ChatGPT look for Data Controls: location sharing is optional and turned off at the start, and you turn it on or off whenever you want. When you turn it on, the browser or device asks you how to grant access: once only, while you use the site/app, or denying it.

Whether on a browser or in the app, the concept is the same: look for the location setting and grant the permission at least "while I use the app." If you'd rather not share your location, write the name of the city and neighborhood yourself in the prompt: the result is almost identical.

2. Write a complete prompt (not "what do I do with the kids?")

The difference between a useless answer and a ready-to-use one lies in the details you provide: ages, weather, budget, distance, duration. The structure to copy and personalize:

I'm in Bologna with two children aged 4 and 8. Tomorrow (Saturday) rain 
is forecast. I'm looking for an indoor activity, less than 30 minutes by car or 
public transport, for the 3:00-6:00 PM slot, with a maximum budget of 40 euros total. 
Search the web and propose 4 concrete options with: name of the place, address, 
ticket price, Saturday opening hours and the link to the official site. 
Exclude places that require booking more than 24 hours in advance.

3. Check the result

After the answer, check that every proposal has a clickable link to the source. If it's missing, ask for it:

Give me the link to the official site of each proposal.

This is the point where you discard the inventions: if an option has no source, it's a warning sign.

4. Refine with follow-ups

Don't start over from scratch: press the same conversation. Ready-to-paste examples:

Only free options.
Add a kid-friendly place to eat near the second one.
And what if tomorrow it's sunny instead?

A concrete example

Saturday afternoon, rain, two bored kids at home in Turin. I opened free ChatGPT on my phone, granted the location permission and pasted the prompt above adapted to Turin, ages 5 and 9, budget 30 euros.

Answer in a few seconds: four indoor options with address, price range and link. One was an interactive science museum, one a center with play courses, two family workshops. I clicked the links: the science museum was open Saturday afternoon with a family ticket within budget; one workshop, on the other hand, was already full (the AI couldn't know that). I chose the museum, checked the hours on the official site, and at 3:30 PM we were there. From question to decision: less than ten minutes. Without verifying the link I'd have risked showing up at the full workshop.

When it does NOT work (and how to fix it)

If the AI invents a place that doesn't exist

It happens: the AI sometimes generates plausible but fake names. Always demand the link and open it. If it doesn't lead to a real page for the activity, discard it. To reduce the risk from the start, use Perplexity in this phase, because it pairs every answer with real-time web citations you can check immediately.

If it gives you only generic, non-local ideas

It means it doesn't have your location. Go back to step 1 and turn on location, or write the city and neighborhood in the prompt. With location turned on, ChatGPT answers questions like "what are the best bars near me?" using the exact spot where you are.

If you've run out of free advanced searches

On Perplexity this can happen with complex queries: free users have a daily quota of Pro Search (about five a day) for multi-step searches. Once those are used up, switch to free ChatGPT or Gemini for the rest of the day's questions, or wait for the next day's reset.

If the hours turn out to be wrong

The AI reads the web, but sites aren't always up to date. No AI replaces a phone call: for fixed-date events (exhibitions, festivals, shows) call or check the activity's official social channels before getting in the car.

A tip from someone who actually uses it

Create a "family" prompt to keep in your phone's notes with the fixed data: the kids' names and ages, any food allergies, city, maximum travel radius, typical budget. Every weekend you change only the weather and the time and paste it. With Gemini you can go further: it gives personalized advice by analyzing your Gmail and Photos data, if you decide to connect them. It's a feature turned off at the start, so it's up to you to enable it. Decide whether the advantage is worth sharing the data.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay to find activities with AI?

No. All three main options have a free plan that's enough for this purpose. ChatGPT's search is accessible even without an account. Gemini's free plan isn't a timed trial, but a quota tied to your Google account with unlimited basic access to the Flash model.

Can I use AI from my phone while I'm already out and about?

Yes. ChatGPT's search works from the site and the app, on phone and computer. With location turned on on your phone you get suggestions for where you are at that moment, useful when a plan falls through and you have to improvise a plan B on the spot.

Is it better to type the location by hand or turn on location services?

It depends on how much privacy you want to keep. Automatic location is more convenient and precise; if you'd rather not share it, write the city and neighborhood in the prompt and the result is almost identical. Sharing stays optional and turned off at the start, and you turn it on or off whenever you want.

Isn't AI just a replacement for a Google search?

It's the right question, and the answer changes based on what you're looking for. For a single place, Google works just fine. The advantage of AI emerges when you cross several conditions together (different ages, rain, budget, radius, time slot): instead of returning a list of links, it gives you structured answers with references and saves you the ten clicks and comparisons you'd do by hand. It remains a starting tool, not the last word: verifying on the official site is always up to you.