Side by side comparison: an afternoon in Utrecht by bus vs. an AI-planned walk

Yesterday morning, a crumpled OV-chipkaart bus route map and an AI-generated walking route on my laptop screen sat side by side on the table at my accommodation. Both started from the same question: "Four hours in the afternoon — what can I do in Utrecht?" One was a route I'd put together myself using the U-OV bus app, and the other was what I got after typing "Utrecht walking route, 4 hours, local spots" into ChatGPT. Stubbornly, I decided to try both. Same day, same city, different methods.

The Bus Route: A City Dictated by Stops

I did the bus route first. I took the number 2 bus from Utrecht Centraal, heading towards Museumkwartier. I always get nervous about whether my OV-chipkaart has enough balance, and this time was no different — I held my breath until I heard the check-in beep.

The city slides past the bus window like a slideshow. Stops are points someone else has decided on, so you get off where the bus stops, not where you want to. I got off at the Museumkwartier stop and walked around the area — just one alley over and you can already see the Oudegracht canal. I bought a kroket at a small shop by the canal. It was so hot it burned the roof of my mouth, but the crispy outside and thick, creamy inside were spot on. It cost just over 2 euros.

I got back on the bus, headed south, and got off at a stop near Wilhelminapark. The park itself was spacious and quiet, but honestly, I only got off there because the app recommended it as a "nearby attraction" — it wasn't my own choice. I sat on a bench checking the next bus time and waited 10 minutes. That's the rhythm of bus travel: ride, get off, explore, wait. If the wait is short, great; if it's long, you just sit on a bench staring at the canal.

The AI Walking Route: A City Decided by Your Feet

After lunch, I started the walking route the AI had mapped out. The course was roughly circular: starting at the Dom Tower, heading south along the Twijn canal, passing through Lucas Bolwerk park, then back north to finish near the Botanic Gardens. It said the total distance was about 6 kilometres, though my legs insist it was longer.

The advantage of the AI route was clear from the start. Since you're not tied to bus stops, if an alley looks interesting, you just walk in. On a narrow street below the Dom Tower, I spotted a café with a handwritten appeltaart sign in the window and went inside. It wasn't on the AI-recommended route, but since I was on foot, it caught my eye. I paid a little over 3 euros for a slice of apple pie, and the cinnamon flavour was strong.

On the other hand, the weaknesses showed up quickly too. The street it told me to take to Lucas Bolwerk park was actually under construction, so I had to detour. The AI doesn't know current road conditions. Another thing — the place the AI recommended as a "local street food area" was just an ordinary residential alley. I wandered around for five minutes trying to find street food, but there was nothing, so I laughed and turned back.

Side by Side

• The bus route makes getting around easy. Your legs don't hurt, and if the weather turns bad, you can ride it out inside the bus. But the alleys between stops aren't yours to discover.
• The walking route is full of discoveries. Unexpected cafés, graffiti on walls, little bridges over the canal. But some of the information the AI provided definitely didn't match reality on the ground, and I had to judge that entirely for myself in the moment.
• The cost difference was practically zero. The bus route has OV-chipkaart fares, and the walking route costs 0 euros — but you end up buying everything that catches your eye along the way, so you spend about the same in the end.

When I got back, I asked myself which was better, but instead of an answer, the first thought that came to mind was to try mixing the two next time. Take the bus for the long stretches, get off in interesting areas, and walk around using the AI route as a guide. If I'm a little less stubborn, that's probably the best approach. Whether I can actually be less stubborn is another matter entirely.