Where Would AI Go on Holiday?

We asked five AI models where to travel. Heidelberg and Rome won.

Heidelberg is the destination AI would pick in Germany (94.4 out of 100), and Rome tops Europe (94.4). That’s the result of a MEININGER Hotels analysis in which ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity AI scored Germany’s 100 busiest cities and Europe’s 100 busiest regions from 0 to 100 — plus each destination’s biggest annual event.

Picture it: the courtyard of Heidelberg Castle, a photo stop on the Old Bridge, then a slow wander through the Altstadt. According to five of the world’s most-used large language models, that’s what the ideal city break looks like right now. MEININGER Hotels asked each model to rank the destinations with the highest number of annual overnight stays (source: Regionalstatistik and Eurostat, 2024), then averaged the scores. The AI models also nominated and rated the one event travelers shouldn’t miss in each city.

Which German cities would AI choose for a city break?

The south of Germany dominates the top five. Behind Heidelberg, Dresden takes second place with an average of 92.6 points — the Saxon capital earns its “Florence on the Elbe” nickname thanks to the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Semperoper. Freiburg im Breisgau matches it on 92.6. There, ChatGPT and co. point travelers straight to the Freiburg Minster and the climb up its 116-metre tower to the viewing platform at 70 metres. Munich (91.8) and Bamberg (91.2) round out the top five, putting two Bavarian cities in the leading group.

The German cities AI would most like to travel to — top 10

See the full ranking of all 100 German cities →

Which cities would AI skip?

Some well-visited places fare far less well. Neumünster comes last with an average of just 27.8 points. The models read the Schleswig-Holstein town as a transport hub and industrial centre rather than a holiday destination. Ludwigshafen am Rhein is barely ahead on 28 points, followed by Gera on 28.2 — where, despite genuinely pretty corners, the models flag empty city-centre retail units and the pull of nearby cultural heavyweights like Weimar, Erfurt and Jena. Solingen (29) and Leverkusen (29.4) complete the bottom five. Leverkusen has popular green space in the Japanese Garden and Schlosspark Morsbroich, but industrial and commercial districts define the wider picture.

Which European destination did AI rank first?

Rome takes the European crown with 94.4 points, edging out Paris on 93.2. Rome wins on ancient ruins and food; Paris on its landmarks — the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame. Barcelona is third with 93 points, where the models single out the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló. Florence (92.4) and Mallorca (91.6) complete the top five. The pattern is clear: when it comes to holidays, these AI models lean south.

The European cities AI would most like to travel to — top 10

See the full ranking of all 100 European destinations →

At the other end of the European table sits Koszalin in Poland. With an average of 51.4 points, the city near the Baltic coast finishes last: close to the sea, the models note, but with a centre shaped by functional post-war architecture. Burgas in Bulgaria is similarly low at 51.8. Ireland’s South-West region around Cork and Kerry manages only 53.2, with the models citing changeable weather and a Ring of Kerry that clogs up on narrow coastal roads in summer. France’s Hauts-de-Seine, covering the Paris suburbs, follows on 54.2. And Rimini on the Italian Adriatic — one of Europe’s best-known party destinations — lands near the bottom too, on 55.6.

“AI models have become a fixed part of how people plan travel. City breaks in European capitals, unusual sights to seek out, a local festival worth timing a trip around — AI is increasingly the first place travelers go for inspiration. That means booking decisions are shaped more and more by what ChatGPT and co. recommend. For cities and regions, showing up in those answers is becoming a real economic factor, and a way to reach new guests.

At the same time, a top spot in our ranking doesn’t mean every AI user will automatically be pointed to those cities and sights. The recommendations differ noticeably between systems, and personal preferences always feed into individual queries. On city trips especially, it’s not only the sights and activities that count — the location of the accommodation and what you get for the price matter just as much. With central locations, flexible room categories and a concept that pairs hotel comfort with shared spaces like guest kitchens and lounge areas, MEININGER Hotels works for a lot of different kinds of city traveler.”

— Malin Widmarc-Nilsson, VP Commerce, MEININGER Hotels

Which events in Germany does AI say you shouldn’t miss?

The Bayreuth Festival takes first place with 95.2 points — well ahead of Oktoberfest, which draws around six million visitors a year but places only ninth with the AI models (88 points). Second is the Landshut Wedding on 94.4: held every four years and recognised as intangible cultural heritage in Germany, it makes Landshut one to pencil in for 2027. Leipzig’s Wave-Gotik-Treffen scores 92.4 and, the models say, isn’t just for the goth scene. Kiel Week performs strongly on 91.8. And if you want a party, ChatGPT and co. point to Cologne Carnival, fifth on 89.4.

The events in Germany that travellers shouldn’t miss, according to AI — top 10

See the full ranking of all 100 German events →

And Europe’s best event, according to AI? The Carnival of Venice.

Italy takes the top spot again: the Carnevale di Venezia leads Europe’s events with 95.4 points. Las Fallas, Valencia’s spring festival, is right behind on 95. The Fête des Lumières in Lyon (91.4), Budapest’s Sziget Festival (91) and Seville’s Feria de Abril (90.4) complete the European top five.

The events in Europe that travellers shouldn’t miss, according to AI — top 10

See the full ranking of all 100 European events →

Methodology

To find out where artificial intelligence would go on holiday, MEININGER Hotels put the question to five AI systems: ChatGPT, Claude AI, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity AI. The basis for the analysis was the 100 German cities and the 100 European regions with the highest number of annual overnight stays (source: Regionalstatistik, Eurostat, 2024). Each model scored these destinations from 0 to 100, and an average was calculated per destination. The models also nominated the most notable annual event in each place, which was then scored on the same 0–100 scale.

The prompts used were:

• “Rank the following cities on a scale of 0 to 100 according to where you would most like to go on holiday. Don’t use only increments of five and ten. Please include every city.”
• “Please name the most popular annual event for each of the following cities — the one a traveler has to see. Please include every city.”
• “Rank the following events on a scale of 0 to 100 according to which you think are best, where 0 is worst and 100 is best. Don’t use only increments of five and ten. Please include every event.”