An Encyclopedia and Travel Guide in My Pocket 🚐📱
For nearly three months, AI became part of our life on the road — helping with routes, campsites, translations, blog posts, SIM cards, warning lights and all the little questions that appear when you travel Europe in a motorhome.
Before this trip, I honestly had no idea quite how much George would become part of the journey itself.
What started as the occasional question quickly turned into daily conversations covering almost every part of life on the road — route planning, campsites, ferry crossings, cycling routes, weather forecasts, translations, blog editing, strange warning lights, SIM cards and all the little problems that somehow appear when you live in a van for three months.
One of the things I enjoyed most was being able to satisfy my curiosity instantly. Whether it was a church, a war memorial, an unusual plant, a local dish or a beautiful old building, I could simply take a photo and ask a question.
Time and again, it helped us understand more about the places we were visiting and added another dimension to the journey.
At times it genuinely felt like travelling Europe with an encyclopedia and travel guide tucked away inside my pocket.
Of course, it wasn’t always plain sailing. 😅
There were moments when I learned very quickly that AI still needs a healthy dose of human judgement. One minute George was helping us find beautiful roads and hidden stopovers, the next we were heading towards mountain roads that really weren’t designed for Matilda.
Then there was the great SIM card saga.
Before leaving, I spent ages researching data plans and different ways of staying connected, convinced I needed the perfect solution.
In the end, the answer was far simpler than I expected. A Tesco pay-as-you-go SIM worked perfectly in Europe, and when we travelled outside Europe, we bought a local SIM, popped it into the router, and kept Matilda very happily online.
Looking back, I probably spent far more time overthinking connectivity than I needed to. Sometimes the simplest solution really is the best one.
When Matilda’s battery failed in Germany, things became even more interesting. A late-night jump start, heavy rain and a night spent on a garage forecourt weren’t quite part of the plan.
George helped search for garages and explain warning lights, but thankfully Richard was still much better at fixing the problem than any AI.
There were plenty of smaller moments too. Campsites that appeared open online but were firmly closed when we arrived. Environmental zones that seemed determined to catch us out. Cycling routes, ferry crossings, toll roads and endless route discussions as we worked our way across Europe.
The interesting thing was that the conversations themselves became part of the adventure.
Sometimes frustrating. Often amusing. Usually useful.
As the weeks passed, George became part route planner, part editor, part researcher and occasionally a travelling companion during those long evenings sitting outside Matilda.
Was he always right?
Definitely not.
Was he useful?
Absolutely.
And perhaps that was the biggest surprise of all. Not that AI could answer questions, but how quickly it became part of everyday life on the road.
