easy travel itinerary

• Trip Planner

Trip Planner | Travel Itinerary Planner | Plan a Trip

Are you looking for an itinerary planner to plan your next trip? We know creating a customized travel itinerary manually is an overwhelming task. You have to put a lot of time into selecting destinations, booking hotels, flights, and comparing prices. On top of that calculating budgets & booking hotels and flights is another challenge that makes itinerary planning tough.

But what if all of this is done within a few minutes for you? Yes with TripHobo trip planner you can do this smartly. We have observed that many travelers end up spending more time in researching information than enjoying the actual trip. Not only first-time travelers but also experienced travelers struggle in creating perfect travel plans.

Even though it is a tedious task to create a customized itinerary, everyone agrees on the importance of itinerary for an enjoyable holiday. So Triphobo came up with this easy to use automatic itinerary planner.

How Trip Planner Works / Steps to Plan a Trip

Do you want to create your travel itinerary quickly & easily? Are you ready to use this tool now? TripHobo's trip planner plays a major role to ease the itinerary creation process and helps you overcome the pain in the trip planning .  Follow these 4 simple steps to plan a trip & let us know your experience.

1) Choose Your Destination & Dates when you want to travel

Visual algorithmic trip planner lets you choose destinations you want to travel to. You have the freedom to choose the real dates from the calendar. After selecting travel dates, planner runs algorithms to optimize a trip. It starts suggesting activities, sightseeing spots, tours and transport options with the details. For every attraction, it suggests open/close timings, time to spend, and nearby restaurants.

You can drag & drop activities and complete your itinerary within a matter of minutes. You can book yourself a nice vacation once you are sure of all the details, making you plan your trip very easily.

2) Refer to User Created Itineraries

If you have a lot of travel ideas but confused about where to start? Don't worry. Thousands of other people have visited the same destination before and created itineraries with us. Choose from a pool of more than 1 million user-generated itineraries around the globe. You can view other travelers’ itineraries for any location and duration to inspire yourself and then customize them to suit your own preferences.

3) Book Hotels and Flights

TripHobo always tries to offer the best from the travel industry to our valued planners. It has formed alliances with Expedia , Skyscanner, Zomato and Booking.com. Its ratings and reviews come courtesy of TripAdvisor whereas Google (as well as other partners) powers its location data.

TripHobo aims to cater to travelers at every stage of the travel planning process. It provides one platform to create personalized itineraries and hassle-free bookings .

4) Get Ready with a Perfect Itinerary

Once you’ve created your customized itinerary, you can print it. Save your plan for future reference or share it with your friends. When you’re ready, you can finalize and have a perfect travel itinerary ready.

Why Is TripHobo a Smart Trip planner?

There are few things included in the Triphobo planner algorithm & app which builds itinerary within minutes.

• A free virtual map-based trip planner with a smart algorithm
• International trip planner with about 1,50,000 popular destinations
• The largest repository of user-generated itineraries
• Hassle-free booking options for hotels, tours & flights
• Provides local transit options like metro, rail, bus, and car
• Calculates an estimated budget
• Provides options to save, print and share itinerary
• Strategic Partnerships with leading travel companies

TripHobo: Around the Web

• Trip of Your Own
• Traveling made easier with TripHobo
• Making The Southeast Asian Travel Connection
• Ex-HCL employee’s led ‘TripHobo’ is on a mission to become a global brand – a goto place for travel planning!
• Interview: Praveen Kumar, Founder & CEO of TripHobo
• TripHobo inks partnership with Zomato
• How a trip planning startup can succeed
• Karthik Ramachandram Co-Founder COO, TripHobo - Phocuswright Conference

Here's what travelers have to say about our travel planner

• Excellent 238

Great and genuinely wonderful website that makes a proper vacation plan simple, like it should. All reviews are 5 stars. The only suggestion I have to enhance this fantastic website is to include a mobile application. Even paying for a version without ads wouldn't bother me.

Every traveller should use this!

So much easier & more helpful than a travel agency, given lots of fantastic ideas, and was extremely helpful for planning the trip. Would strongly advise my family and friends to use this!

Great tool for trip planning. Impportantly it's free and automatically tailors travel plans to your preferences and is completely customisable. The integration with skyscanner and booking.com, and other OTA like priceline and expedia makes it very easy to plan the whole trip along with the bookings in one place.

Plan Your Perfect Trip!

Planapple helps you create , organize , access and share all your vacation plans, what's planapple (watch this short video & see).

How Planapple Simplifies Travel Planning

Organize ideas.

Collect your vacation ideas in an online trip notebook, and keep everything organized in one place.

That's where Planapple comes in. A web travel binder of sorts, Planapple helps you collect your ideas, possibilities, and plans — and saves them all in one place, organized and manageable.

Planapple even creates a custom map tailored to your plans, so you can actually see which hotel is closest to your daily destinations!

Plan Together

Discuss and decide your ideal itinerary with your tripmates.

Planapple eliminates the communication challenges and email negotiations, making group planning far simpler.

And, as your burgeoning itinerary comes together, it's all captured in your Planapple binder for you and your tripmates to see, so no one misses out on one juicy detail.

Carry Your Plans

Carry your plans on your mobile device —  or access them anywhere.

Planapple's mobile app puts your plans right in your pocket. Access your entire trip: itinerary, bookmarks, addresses, phone numbers, emails, even discussions with your co-travelers. (And Planapple can download it all to your phone before you go, avoiding scary international data charges.)

And, if you're a paper person, you can print your plans just as easily and take them anywhere you go. We get it.

Share With Friends

Create recommendations to share on Pinterest and Facebook.

Planapple makes it easy to share what you did, where you went, and what you liked (or didn't!). Offer up your entire itinerary or just a few highlights — either way your friends will marvel at your travel-planning prowess. After all, what good is finding something wonderful if you can't scream it from the tippy top of the World Wide Web?

For family vacations, holidays abroad, or group trips of any sort… from a weekend getaway to an adventure across countries and continents… it's easy to plan your perfect trip with Planapple.

Ready to get going?

What is planapple.

Plan, Ready, Go®

How to Plan a Travel Itinerary: The Complete Guide

You’ve chosen your destination, booked your transportation, and maybe even your accommodations. Now…you just have to figure out what in the world you’re going to do while you’re there.

In this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into how to plan a travel itinerary , the nitty-gritty of how to put together your schedule of sites, museums, and activities.

Key takeaways

• Prioritize and list your “must-do” sites and activities.
• Do thorough research on your destination
• Organize your wish list into “must-do,” “want-to-do,” and “nice-to-do” categories.
• Compile all the practical details for each activity, such as operating hours, fees, and booking requirements.
• Build your itinerary by scheduling must-do activities first and filling in with want-to-dos and nice-to-dos.

This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  See disclaimer.  

I’m a very detail-oriented kind of person (you know, the kind of person who makes lists for EVERYTHING), so this method of itinerary planning may not be of interest to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of traveler.

If you’re not as hyper-organized as I am, you can easily modify this method for how you like to travel. It’s logical itinerary planning at its best.

I won’t be going over in this post how I research and plan for dining options since that’s a more complicated topic for me and my husband (as a celiac and a vegetarian) than the average traveler.

That’s probably a topic for a separate post. So, let’s get planning.

Getting started on your itinerary planning

“I’m heading to Rome/New York City/Paris/Mexico City for X number of days. What should I do and see while I’m there?”

I see similar questions all over Facebook literally every day, and I understand why. It can be overwhelming to plan a travel itinerary.

Let’s say you’re planning to spend five days in New York . How do you decide what to do for those five days? Where do you even start your search for the best ideas for sites to visit?

Side note: for simplicity’s sake, throughout this post, I’m going to use the word “site” to refer to anything (not eating) that you will want to make time for on your trip. These could be monuments, national parks, palaces, museums, activities, guided tours, etc.

There’s no real wrong way to plan your itinerary…just kidding. You have to do it my way.

No, seriously.

Okay…let’s get started.

When I’m planning a travel itinerary, I go through five phases of the process before I arrive at my final draft.

• Preliminary brainstorming
• Destination research
• Fleshing out my wish list
• Site/activity research
• Building my itinerary

I know this seems like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want to know you’ve considered all your options before you go on your trip.

You’ll thank me later.

Read More → Travel Planning Resources

Planning an itinerary starts with brainstorming your wish list

So, you’ve booked your trip, but your itinerary is completely blank. Your destination is your oyster, but where and how do you start?

Your first step is to do some preliminary brainstorming. If you’re heading to a top tourist destination, you probably already have some idea of the specific sites you want to visit (e.g., the Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, etc.).

If you’re going someplace completely unfamiliar to you, your brainstorming phase may be quite short but it can also be less specific if that helps (e.g., important historical sites, whatever the most important art museum is, popular beach, etc.).

To help yourself with your brainstorming, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the famous/popular sites my destination is most known for?
• What are the top, must-do sites or activities I already know I want to do on this trip?
• Why are my spouse’s/travel partner’s must-do sites or activities for this trip? If children are traveling with you, why not include them in the brainstorming? They’ll love feeling like they’ve been a part of planning the trip.
• What are the kinds of activities we most enjoy while traveling in general?

Great! Write all of this down. Don’t worry. Nothing’s set in stone yet.

And the sky’s the limit. We’re not yet worrying about the costs involved or how much time we have.

Write it all down. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

[cue Jeopardy! theme music]

Okay, keep this list handy; it’s time to do some basic research on your destination.

TIP: Keep track of all of your important travel details with a digital travel planner like this . Prefer paper planners? Grab your printable travel itinerary planner pages here.

Research your destination

This is where I start to go crazy with research. I’ll take in anything and everything I can about my destination. The more good information I have, the better equipped I am to make good decisions about my itinerary.

And don’t assume you already know enough about where you’re headed.

Before I started researching Paris, I had never heard of Sacré-Coeur (which is one of the great free things to do in Paris , by the way) or Les Invalides.

We ended up visiting both on our trip.

Here are the questions I keep in mind as I do this research:

• What is my destination known for? Is it art, the natural landscape, history, architecture, etc.?
• What season will it be at my destination? Are there any popular seasonal activities I’d like to try while I’m there?
• Are there any special holiday events or festivals taking place there that I’d be interested in attending?
• What is the weather typically like there that time of the year and month? In other words, will I be comfortable spending long periods outdoors, or will I want to spend more time indoors?
• What are the public transportation options at my destination? Is there a good metro/public transportation system or will I have to rely on taxis, ride-sharing, or walking to get around?
• Where are my accommodations in relation to the major site on my list?
• Does my destination offer any kind of city or museum pass?

Side note: If you haven’t yet booked your accommodations, now is a good time to take a look at a map. Do a large number of must-do sites on your wish list cluster in a certain area? If so, you might want to consider booking accommodations nearby to simplify your transportation needs. This isn’t always a good idea but consider it.

Read More → Is it Worth it to Use Booking.com?

Read More → Booking.com or Direct with Hotel: Which is Better?

Where do I find this information? Here are a few suggestions:

• Do some simple Google searches and look around the different results for up-to-date information about your destination.
• Head over to Pinterest to discover what travel bloggers ( ahem ) have to say.
• Buy some good travel guidebooks and start reading.
• Watch YouTube videos about your destination.
• Armed with this pile of new information, you’re going to go back to your list.

Flesh out your wish list

As you researched your destination, you likely noticed certain sightseeing ideas or recommendations coming up over and over again.

• If they’re already on your brainstorm list, great! Leave them there.
• If you’ve never heard of or considered them, but they now sound interesting, add them to your list.
• If there’s something you’ve changed your mind about, go ahead and take it off your list if you really want to, otherwise, leave it on the list. You can always remove it later.

It’s okay at this point if your list has far more ideas on it than you can possibly fit into your trip. We’ll work on narrowing it down later.

After doing my research, I discovered a lot more ideas for things to do in Paris and sites to visit than were on my first brainstorming list. But…what if you’re finding the opposite to be the case?

What if you’ve booked yourself a round-trip plane ticket to your destination, but you’re finding only enough you’re interested in doing to fill a much shorter time than you’re planning to be there?

You have a couple of options:

• If you haven’t booked your accommodations yet, or you can still change/cancel your reservation, consider adding a destination to your trip. For example, if you’re flying into and out of Zurich, Switzerland, but are finding more that interests you perhaps in Lucerne (or beyond), consider spending at least a portion of your trip outside Zurich.
• If you have booked your accommodations and your reservation cannot be changed, consider adding day trips to your itinerary. For example, if you’re staying in Florence, Italy, you could take the train to Pisa or Lucca for the day.

By now you should have a good sense of what your itinerary could look like; it’s starting to take shape.

Specific site or activity research

Okay, so you have this beautiful, and probably fairly lengthy list of things you’d like to see and do on your trip.

Now you get to do research on each of these items individually. Yay! Seriously…I love this part.

To start, you’re going to break down your wish list into four sections. If your list is pretty long, you can re-write it into these four sections, but if it’s on the shorter side, it’s okay to do this mentally.

Must-do sites.

These are the places people traverse the globe to see…the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pyramids of Giza, Great Wall of China. You get it.

These are the non-negotiable ones. They go in the itinerary no matter what.

Want-to-do sites.

These are the second-tier sites for your trip, the things you want to make room for, but won’t necessarily dissolve into tears if you can’t manage it.

Examples from my travels would include the Rodin Museum (Paris), Trevi Fountain (Rome), or walking the entire High Line in New York City.

Nice-to-do sites.

These are the minor sites and activities that will become the filler in your itinerary. On my itineraries, these are things like “sit on the Spanish Steps” or “buy cheese from a fromagerie.”

I don’t care if we do this or not.

These are the sites that are first on the chopping block once we start to build the actual itinerary. Or you may have cut them already once you did your destination research.

Now that you have your sites grouped, the next thing to do is your research. For at least each of your must-do and want-to-do sites you need to know the following:

• What days of the week is it open and what are the operating hours?
• What is the entrance fee (if any)?
• What is the best day of the week to visit?
• Do you need to book tickets or make a reservation ahead of time? If so, how far in advance can you book/should you book?
• Where is it and how do I get there? I especially want to know how far it is from my accommodations and how far it is from other major sites on my list.

Side note: The My Maps feature in Google Maps is an invaluable part of this phase of the itinerary planning process for me. You can pin locations, organize and color code sites to visit, and even add personal notes.

Narrowing it down

Okay, now you have even more information about your destination. Here’s where you start making some changes to your list.

At this stage, I may move sites from one section of my wish list to another. Something might move up on the list, for example, if I discover that it’s very near one of my must-do’s, or if it’s free to visit.

This is how we ended up going to Les Invalides; it wasn’t anywhere near the top of our list, but it’s right across the street from the Rodin Museum (which was something I wanted to do) AND it’s covered by the Paris Museum Pass. It was super easy to just pop in for a bit after the Rodin Museum, but we probably wouldn’t have made a separate trip.

Something might move down the list (or come off the list entirely) if I learn it’s very out of the way or more of a financial investment than my particular budget for this trip can support.

Should I purchase a city or museum pass?

Let’s revisit the city/museum pass question from the destination research phase.

If your destination offers one (or a few), take the time to consider if it’s worth it for you to purchase for your trip. We used the Museum Pass on our trip to Paris (and highly recommend it), but decided against buying the Firenze Card for our trip to Florence, Italy .

Here are some criteria I use to judge whether a city or museum pass is worth it for us to purchase for a particular trip:

• What sites are covered? Will you have to book entrance to many of your must-do/want-to-do sites separately or are most covered by the pass?
• Does the pass offer you unlimited entry to covered sites or can you use it one time only?
• Will you save money if you buy the pass? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker if it doesn’t. The convenience of not having to book entrance reservations to sites ahead of time can outweigh some financial disincentives.
• Does the pass cover any public transportation you’re planning to use or just site entrance fees?
• For how many days is the pass valid versus how many days you will be at your destination? For example, we chose not to buy the Firenze Card on our trip to Florence, because it’s only good for 72 hours, and we were spending 8 nights there. Purchasing two cards each would have cost us far more than paying for our chosen sites individually.

How do I decide what to cut from my itinerary?

This part of the process is highly personal. Only you can really decide if a particular site or activity is “worth it” to you.

The decision to buy or not to buy a city or museum pass may affect how you narrow down your list. If you have to purchase entrance tickets to all of your sites individually, you may end up having to spend more money to see everything (or cut sites to stay within your budget).

Or if you do decide to purchase a pass but a site on your list is not covered, you may find yourself considering leaving it off your list.

On the other hand, if you have a pass you may see more sites overall because you’ve already paid for admission.

…If that makes sense.

At this stage of the itinerary planning process, if there’s anything on my list that makes us say “meh” it goes on the “I don’t care” list.

Build the trip itinerary

Okay. You’ve done your research, you’ve decided whether you’re buying that city pass and you’ve refined your site wish list.

You’re ready to build your itinerary! I’m going to use our recent trip to Paris to demonstrate how I put it all together.

The non-negotiables get top priority.

For each full day on your trip, choose one or two of your must-do’s or want-to-do’s: one first thing in the morning and one for later that day.

Your must-do’s (your non-negotiables) go on the schedule first and as early in your trip as you possibly can.

If you arrived in Paris on April 14, 2019, and decided to put off seeing Notre-Dame until later in the week, you were probably pretty disappointed on April 15 as the world watched the devastating fire that closed it down.

Don’t. Put. It. Off.

For our trip to Paris, we each had one non-negotiable: the Louvre and the Palais Garnier. We did them both on our first full day there.

Then add any other must-dos that require advanced booking or warrant a full day on your itinerary or both. So, I needed to choose days for Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.

My research told me that I should plan a full day at Versailles and that it is quite busy on the weekends and on Tuesdays (when the Louvre is closed).

I also learned that the Eiffel Tower is open every day until late, that I should plan to spend about three hours there, and that I needed to book tickets for the summit as far ahead as possible.

Add in your want-to-do’s.

With the must-dos scheduled, I’m ready to schedule the want-to-do’s. I added Musee d’Orsay and Musee Rodin, then Musee de l’Orangerie, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, etc.

Nice-to-do’s fill in any remaining gaps.

I then fill in the rest of the itinerary with the nice-to-do’s, leaving our last full day intentionally blank.

When staying in one place for four days or more, we try to keep our last full day completely open. This is so we can return to any place we want to see again, or so that we can add more of the items from our “nice to do” list depending on what we’re in the mood for. It helps us create a good balance between sightseeing and relaxation .

If you’re taking a trip that includes multiple stops, you can just repeat this process for each place you’ll be staying.

Keep in mind as you’re planning a trip itinerary that if you’re bouncing from city to city every other day, you’ll be spending a lot of time traveling from one destination to the next.

I do feel like I need to say, that even though you now have a meticulously planned itinerary it doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous. We often find that we spend far less time at some sites than we think we need to allow for, giving us time to do even more on our trip than we hoped.

Or sometimes we just don’t feel like doing something on our schedule…and that’s okay too.

Now you have the tools to build the perfect itinerary for your next trip. Enjoy!

More articles to help you plan your travel itinerary

• 5 easy steps to planning a trip
• Travel planning resources you need
• The best travel guides (online resources and books)

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Darcy Vierow is a busy professional and travel planning expert with years of experience maximizing travel with limited time and on a less-than-average salary. Her tips have been published by Forbes, MSN.com, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Aol, Newsbreak and GOBankingRates. Read more about Darcy Vierow .

10 Comments

Absolutely love this perspective on travel! It beautifully captures the essence of what it means to explore the world. Travel isn’t just about ticking off destinations; it’s about slowing down, immersing yourself in new cultures, savoring moments, and absorbing the rich tapestry of life that the world has to offer. 🌍✈️🌏

My sister wants to travel for her honeymoon, so she’s interested in starting to plan it this month. I liked what you explained about choosing a destination and the places you’d like to visit, so I’ll share this with my sister right away. I appreciate your insight on considering what you want to see and visit and booking accommodation near those places.

You are so much more organized than we are – we usually book places the day of or the day before and figure out what we are doing day by day. We like to leave things pretty wide open to see what happens and what we find. This is such a great guide though for planning a vacation!

Thanks for your comment! Yeah, I actually have a hard time just going with the flow…it’s something I’m working on.

This is so perfect! I enjoy the entire planning process, so this definitely speaks to me. I particularly enjoy researching locally owned restaurants and off the beaten path places. Thanks so sharing such a great way to plan

Thank you for your kind comment!

This post resonates a lot with me as like you, I too plan extensively before I travel. I believe planning well helps us make the most of our time and also gives more peace of mind. Excellent tips!

Thank you! And I definitely agree with you about how helpful good travel planning is for traveling well.

It is so helpful to find a guide on how to organize and plan a trip! For a lot of people (me included) this is the most traumatic experience about traveling as you want everything to go perfect and smoothly. I plan trips all the time and this guide was literally how I do my planning! Thank you so much for sharing and I hope it helps a lot of travelers out there too!

Thanks so much for reading and for your kind comment. I really do hope a lot of travelers find this guide helpful.

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Travel Tips

How to plan the perfect travel itinerary: 15 easy steps.

They say the key to a good trip is in the planning.

And y’know what?

They’re right!

Yes after many years spent traversing the globe, I can certainly attest to the fact that planning your trip is not only key to having the best time while you’re away, but also ensuring the process of getting there is stress-free too.

After all, who wants planning a travel adventure to be stressful?!

Instead, trip planning should be a major part of the travel enjoyment and, if you’re an organiser like me, there’s almost nothing you’re likely to enjoy more!

But even for the non-organisers among us … and I know you’re out there!… you really can learn to love planning.

Because the more you do it, the easier it gets and the better you get at it too.

Plus you also come to work out what essential parts of a trip need to be organised ahead of time and what don’t.

After all, a good travel planning strategy is as much about knowing what needs to be prepped in advance as what doesn’t!

Too much planning can ruin a trip and too little planning can ruin it as well.

So here to help you strike the balance, is my complete guide to planning a travel itinerary in 15 easy steps…

Just enter your details below and I'll email it you - simple!

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#1 Consider When You Want to Travel

So first up on this article about how to plan the perfect travel itinerary is to consider when you want to travel.

This might seem like a strange place to start, but honestly, knowing roughly what months of the year you want to go adventuring for is going to make a big difference as to where you go adventuring.

Yes you might have your heart set on a particular region or country, but honestly, if it’s rainy season or winter or hurricane season or humidity madness in that / those places during the time of year you plan to travel, then forget it!

Not only will you not then see this region or country at its best, but if you’ve wanted to go for a long time, you might be bitterly disappointed too!

And it goes without saying that some types of travel adventures just aren’t possible at certain times of the year too.

Often these travel adventures are the flagship things to do in a particular country or region, so if you can’t enjoy them at the time of year you’re going to be there… well then what’s the point?!

Classic examples of this type of situation include road tripping the top end of Australia during the wet season (when many roads and national parks are closed), hiking in Asia’s Himalayas or South America’s Andes when many mountain trails are inaccessible, or heading to the Greek Islands in winter (when it’s too cold for swimming, sailing and sunbathing and many transfer boats don’t run!)

There’s a million more variables here too of course, but you get my point!

As a heat lover and sun worshipper, I can certainly claim climate is the number one factor I consider when planning the perfect trip and I reckon it should be top of your considerations too!

So first decide on when exactly you’re going travelling first and then start narrowing down the destination list from there…

#2 Research Climates and Weather!

And this brings us nicely onto the second point here, because once you know when you’re off, you can start deciding where you’re off too.

Even some simple Google research can help here, at least in terms of broad regions.

Otherwise take a look at the overview list below for some starting ideas…

• Jan – Mar: Head to Southeast Asia, India, New Zealand, Non-Tropical Parts of Australia, Central America, West Africa, South Africa, Ethiopia
• April – May: Great for North Africa, Middle East, Caucasus, Turkey, Central Asia, Russia, Japan & Korea, Namibia & Botswana
• June – Aug: Ideal for Tropical Australia, Europe, North America, Peru & Bolivia, East Africa
• Sept – Oct: Enjoy Autumn in Canada, Southern Mediterranean, East Africa, China, Namibia & Botswana
• Nov – Dec: Consider New Zealand, Southern Africa, Non-Tropical Parts of Australia, Chile and Argentina, India

This is far from being an exhaustive list, but may give you a handy starting point to do further research.

Within these sweeping regional areas, there are of course micro-climates and geographical particulars to take into account too, as well as any cultural festivals and religious periods that can drastically alter a travel experience, a notable example of which is Ramadan.

It’s also worth bearing in mind what you want to enjoy in area – if there are specific activities you are going to certain countries for, such as hiking, diving, safari or festival-experiencing, then it certainly does make sense to research the best time for these particular pursuits to ensure you get the best travel experience possible.

#3 Think About The Length of Your Trip

So once you’ve decided when and where you plan to travel, it’s now time to really hone down exactly how long you have for your trip and therefore whether you’re likely to be enjoying just one area in a county, a whole or nation or perhaps even a broader geographical region.

Absolutely key to planning the perfect travel itinerary  is making sure you don’t overcommit yourself, and by that I mean don’t plan to cover too many places or too large an area!

Honestly, in doing this, you’re likely to overstretch yourself (trust me, I’ve been there) and actually not enjoy your trip nearly as much as if you’d planned a sensible itinerary inline with the length of trip you have!

In general, my rule of thumb looks like this:

• A weekend trip: Pick 1 city and enjoy it!
• 1 Week Trip: Base yourself in one destination and explore it well – possibility to include day trips to nearby areas.
• 2 Week Trip: As above, or select 2 different destinations within the same country and explore them both for 1 week each or, plan a backpack-style trip (moving every couple of days) in a small country. I try never to visit more than 1 country I if have just 2 weeks – the time you lose from travelling between them is too great.
• 1 Month Trip: Possibility to explore several destinations within one large country i.e. the northern highlands as well as the islands of Thailand, or the Andes as well as Amazon in Peru. Alternatively, explore 2 small neighbouring countries such as Armenia and Georgia. I wouldn’t advise trying to pack in more than 2 countries in a month.
• 2-3 Month Trip: This is when you can really start exploring several countries within one region i.e. Southeast Asia, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Central America. Just ensure you choose countries which are close together, as this saves travel time and also means you can get away with packing similar types of clothes and travel items.
• 3 Months+ Trip: With a longer trip up your sleeve, you can start exploring wider regions and enjoying bigger trips, such as road tripping parts of the US, backpacking South Africa or travelling from Cape Town to Cairo. In general, I wouldn’t start considering covering multiple regions in one trip until I had a 6 month+ travel window up my sleeve.

#4 Factor in Country, Region-Size, Journey Times and Accessibility

Needless to say, the above length of trip guidelines will vary wildly depending on the size of the country or region, as well as the amount of things / places etc you want to explore there.

Always remember that there will be more to see / do / visit than you plan on initially in any part of the world, so do consider this when thinking realistically about how much you can fit into the length of time you have.

Also remember that the physical act of travelling can be exhausting.

This is another reason to bear in mind your journey times when you are planning a travel itinerary and remember that, if your destination is far away from your home country, that 2 days of your itinerary might have to be given over to just getting there and back.

You will also need to possibly allow time for jetlag if you’re travelling across time zones.

And finally, if you’re planning to hit up a couple or more destinations within one country, then you need to think about the journey times for these too.

Firstly, how can these journeys be made? Secondly how long do they take? And thirdly, how frequent and reliable is the transport?

More off the beaten track or inaccessible countries will take longer to get around, which certainly needs to be factored-in to your travel itinerary.

More on this in section #10 of this article.

#5 Settle on a Destination

So now that you’ve thought about what time of year you’re travelling, the length of your trip, and the climate, journey times, accessibility and size of several destinations, it’s time to decide once and for all on your destination of choice.

Just remember, this will not be your only trip and no matter where you pick, you’ll have a great time if your attitude is right… so just go for it!

Any second or third choice options can always be saved in the bag for your next travel adventure!

#6 Research Visa and Medical Requirements

With your destination now selected, it’s time to begin researching the visa and entry requirements of that country or countries.

This will be specific to the passport you hold, so remember to check with the right foreign office website for the most up-to-date and correct information.

If you need to apply for visas, it can take a while, which is why it’s best to start this process early.

The same goes for any medical requirements.

If you need any vaccinations to enter a region or country, then planning this in advance (so you can book any medical appointments and get any prescriptions you need) is best done at least a month or 2 before your departure date.

#7 Book a Flight / Boat etc

And a few months before your trip, it’s also start time to planning how you’re going to get to your chosen destination.

If you’re trying to take the green option (and your selected arrival point isn’t too far away) then trains or boats maybe an option for you.

As always, I use Trainline to book coach and rail travel throughout the UK and Europe and highly suggest you check it out for the best prices if you’re travelling in this region.

Otherwise FerryHopper is a great sight for searching, price-comparing and booking ferry travel in Europe too.

Alternatively, if you’re heading further afield, it’s likely you’ll be catching a flight to your chosen destination.

My go-to website for finding the best deals on plane tickets is Skyscanner who cover both domestic and international airlines, including budget air companies.

Finally, if you’re planning a combination trip, perhaps a flight with ferry or train ride, then check out Kiwi.com. Their multi-modal travel planners are a really great resource when you’re looking to combine a range of transport methods:

#8 Insurance

Alternatively, if you’re a long-term traveller, digital nomad or frequent remote worker seeking travel health cover, check out Safetywing’s Nomad Insurance policies.

#9 Look at Specific Destinations

Then, once you’ve chosen your destination and done all the big admin for your trip, it’s time to get to the fun stuff, the real planning!

We’ve already touched on this when we spoke about the length of your trip, but at this point, it’s worth doing a bit more research.

In particular, it pays to know the various destinations or hotspots you want to visit in your country or region of choice – the big ticket numbers if you will.

At this point, making sure you have enough time to do them all, or whittling down the list if you don’t, is crucial in beginning to build the perfect practical travel itinerary, as you start piecing together exactly where you are going to go.

Once you have those destinations mapped out, then consider making a rough route and plan for how you will travel between them i.e. north to south or east to west – this will stop you having to double back on yourself and will save you time and money when you’re away.

Remember to be logical here and create an itinerary that works not only in terms of travel direction and geography, but also suits your trip’s feel.

For most people this involves flying into a major city and spending a couple days there, then picking a 2-5 other destinations in the country they want to see /explore / visit, before winding down care of a relaxing night or 2, possibly at the beach!

#10 Plan Where You’re Going to Stay

And once you’ve got those key destinations mapped out, you’ll start be able to look at where you are going to stay – a key part of planning any top travel itinerary.

With a vague route outlined too, you should know where you’re going to be on each night of your trip (or at least for the first couple of weeks if you’re heading off on a long adventure), as well as how many nights in each place you are looking to be there.

This should allow you to start researching and possibly booking some accommodation based on your budget and travel style.

For budget travellers, I always recommend Hostelworld for finding the best hostels around the world.

For couples or groups, VRBO is my go-to site when it comes to finding great rental accommodation such as apartments, quirkier or unique stays, or great glamping options.

And finally, when it comes to traditional stays, it’s hard to go past Agoda who offer a huge range of guesthouses, bed & breakfast, hotels and apartments around the world.

Just remember, you certainly don’t have to book every night of your itinerary in advance, but I think having somewhere to stay for at least the first 4 nights is a great idea, so you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere when you arrive.

#11 Discover How to Travel Around

Once you’ve got your rough travel itinerary plan in place and some accommodation lined, it’s then time to research how you can get between destinations in your chosen country(ies) – either on day trips or, if you’re moving around, to base yourself in different areas too.

Again, we talked about this in section #4 of this post, but this is the time to go into more detail – perhaps even booking or reserving those day trips or car / train / bus / internal flight connections that will get you between the spots you want to visit.

As discussed before, I use Trainline for booking coach and train tickets in the UK and Europe, and I use the excellent 12Go website for booking buses and train across Southeast Asia.

Thrifty Car Hire are my go-to for car rental, pretty much the world over and Skyscanner are the best for flights no matter where in world you’re heading.

#12 Outline Possible Activities

And it’s not just day trips you might want to research, but also any other activities you plan to enjoy as part of your travel itinerary at this stage too.

If there are must-do activities, then creating the perfect travel itinerary, definitely involves locking them in early.

These sort of activities might include things like scuba dive trips, hikes with guides or attractions that require tickets to be bought in advance to avoid the queues.

If there are any absolute bucket lists activities on your itinerary too – such as The Louvre in Paris , Angkor Wat in Cambodia or Machu Picchu in Peru – y’know the sort of activity that underpins a large reason you’re going to that country, then locking in these ahead of your trip is definitely a good idea as well.

GetYourGuide is my go-to site when booking day trips, guided attraction tours, as well as skip-the-line tickets to many of the world’s top sights.

#13 Pack Accordingly

And now that you know where you’re going, when you’re going and what you’re going to be doing there, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to pack.

I generally advise starting to do this a couple of weeks before your trip, so that if you do need to buy anything extra, you’ve got the time to do this without stressing!

Check out my top 25 travel essentials for more info about what you should wear when travelling in different parts of the world.

#14 Learn Common Cultural Norms and Safety Tips

The next step when it comes to planning a travel itinerary can also be done in the final few weeks before your trip, and that is learning some of the common cultural norms and particular safety tips when it comes to your chosen destination(s).

This is particularly pertinent if you’re jetting off to a nation far away from your own, where life might be very different.

Be a little forewarned about what to expect in the areas you plan to travel is a crucial part in getting ready for your travels and I often find reading blog posts from people who have already visited there, gives a great personal perspective on what you can expect.

#15 Get Money Access  & Entertainment Organised

And last but not least on this list of my top tips about how to plan a great travel itinerary, it’s get your money and entertainment organised!

By this I mean, you need to learn what currency the country(ies) you’re heading to use(s) and whether you can use debit and credit cards there, or need to carry a lot of cash.

In either instance, it makes sense to take some cash with you – either some currency that is used in that country or alternatively, Euros or USDs that can easily be exchanged on the ground there.

If you can use debit and credit cards in the region of your intended travels, then it’s also worth researching some bank cards that won’t charge you for overseas transactions and setting about getting one or two!

The easy way to spend abroad with real exchange rates, no markups and no sneaky transaction fees, a Wise card works just like a debit card abroad… and it links easily with Google and Apple pay! Grab yours here .

When it comes to entertainment, make sure you have Spotify Premium lined up for your music listening, as well as Amazon Audible for your eBooks and any Netflix or Amazon Prime series / films downloaded.

This is also crucial for your travels and those journeys / nights when you just want to chill.

And Finally…. Enjoy!

Yes the most important part of your trip is that you just relax and enjoy and, to be honest, don’t plan too much!

Here’s some other great tips to ensure you plan your travel itinerary in the perfect way…

• Leave some stuff to the last minute – planning everything ahead of time will ruin the sense of adventure and fun
• Be flexible – just as you should leave some planning to the last minute, you should also remain flexible, so that if any of the plans you have made have to be changed at any point, you’re able to do this and still enjoy!
• Relax – it’s a holiday after all, so getting stressed during the planning process or at any point on your travels kinda defeats the object!
• Read blogs – I mentioned this already, but reading blogs to help research your trip is one of the best tips I can give.
• Schedule free time – Do not, I repeat do not, over schedule your trip itinerary. If you try to fit too much in, you won’t enjoy it as much. Trust me!
• Think about value – And finally, please remember value over budget when it comes to planning the perfect trip. Honestly, bearing in mind the memories you’ll make, rather than the money you’ll spend (within reason), is crucial to having the best trip!

PIN IT TO PINTEREST!

So there you have it, my guide on how to plan the perfect travel itinerary in 15 easy steps.

Do you have any more questions about planning a trip or tips to help a fellow traveller out?

If so, then please drop them into the comments box below…

Creator of Big World Small Pockets, Stephanie Parker is a travel addict! Originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands, Stephanie adventures the world collecting tips, advice and stories, to share with a smile

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34 free travel itinerary templates (word, excel & pdf).

Free travel itinerary templates:  Your itinerary refers to your journey’s more detailed plan. Usually, highlights some places to be visited and the travel plan. By having itinerary templates, you will benefit from having the travel arrangement in one location for easier referencing and retrieval. 

Your travel plan is usually placed in the front of the folder full of your tickets, brochures, and confirmation receipts – this is also a good source to get information on the road. 

Although the information includes the travel plan for yourself or other people might contain different items, the basic structure was usually still retained. You can use your best itinerary templates.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Using an Itinerary Template

Traveling is an adventure! But planning for it can sometimes be stressful. That’s where a  travel itinerary template  can be your best friend.

• All-In-One Location:  Say Goodbye to Chaos!

Do you have flight details in your email, hotel bookings on an app, and excursion times on a sticky note? Stop the madness! An itinerary template puts all these details in one simple place. Just open it up, and you’ll know what’s happening next.

• Easy to Use:  No Tech Skills Needed!

You don’t have to be a computer genius to use an itinerary template. Most of it comes with clear fields for you to fill in. Just type your flight time here your hotel name there, and you’re done! It’s like filling out a fun quiz.

• Be Organized:  Know What Comes After What

The best part about being organized is knowing what’s next. You see your trip like a story when you put your plans in an itinerary template. First, this happens, then that. You can enjoy the trip more when you know what’s coming up.

• Shareable:  Keep Everyone in the Loop

Traveling with family or friends? Send them the itinerary template! That way, everyone knows the plan. If someone asks, “What time is dinner?” tell them to check the itinerary!

• Free:  More Money for Fun Stuff!

The best things in life are free. Well, most travel itinerary templates are free, too! That means you can save cash for fun stuff like snacks, souvenirs, or an extra special adventure!

• Time-Saving:  Quick Changes Made Easy

Plans change. Maybe it rains, and you can’t go to the beach. With an itinerary template, it’s super easy to swap things around. Just a few clicks, and you have a new plan!

• Keeps You On Track:  No More Missing Out

Need to catch a flight or need to remember a dinner reservation? With an itinerary, you’ll get reminders. It’s like having a helpful friend who says, “Hey, time to go!”

• Peace of Mind:  Worry Less, Enjoy More!

When you’re organized, you feel calmer. That means you can enjoy your trip more and less worrying about it.

Are you ready to try an  itinerary template ? Trust us, it will make your next trip so much easier! ????

Essential Elements in a Travel Itinerary

So you’re convinced that a travel itinerary template is a good idea. Great! But what should you include in it? Don’t fret; here’s a list of the  key things to put in your travel plan .

• Title and Dates: What’s the Trip For?

Start with a striking title that sums up your trip. Are you going on a “Summer Adventure in Hawaii” or a “Weekend Getaway in Paris”? Include the dates so you always know the timeframe.

• Names: Who’s Going?

If you’re traveling with other people, write down everyone’s name. It’s an easy way for everyone to know they’re looking at the right plan.

• Departure and Arrival: Take-Off and Landing

Include details about when and where you’re starting and ending your journey. Include times, places, and how you’re getting there. Plane? Train? Automobile?

• Transport Info: All Aboard!

Note any flight numbers, train cars, or other key details. It’s also smart to list any reservations and helpful phone numbers in case of delays.

• Lodging: Home Away From Home

Where are you staying? Include the name, address, and check-in/check-out times for each place you sleep.

• Activities: The Fun Stuff!

What’s a trip without cool stuff to do? List all the tours, visits, or shows you plan to attend. Add times and places so you remember.

• Meetings: Can’t-Miss Appointments

Are you mixing a little business with pleasure? Include any meetings or important appointments you have. Who, what, where, and when—it all goes here.

• Meals: Yummy in My Tummy

Planning to eat at that must-try café? Put it in the itinerary.

• Free Time: Do What You Want

It’s your trip, after all! Include some blocks of free time for spontaneous fun.

• Emergency Contacts: Just in Case

Include some emergency contacts, like local hospitals or a trusted friend back home.

• Checklist: Remember!

Add a small list at the end for any last-minute things you need to do or bring. Passport? Snacks? It goes here.

That’s your  travel itinerary essentials  covered! With everything in your template, you’re ready for an awesome, stress-free trip! ????

Tips for Crafting a Useful Travel Itinerary

It isn’t just about jotting down names and places. Here are some tips.

Be Realistic: Time Matters!

Always consider how much time each activity will take. Keep your day manageable. You want time to enjoy the places you visit!

Group Activities by Location: Smart Mapping

Put things that are close to each other on the same day. This way, you spend less time moving and more time doing.

Always Have a Plan B: Be Flexible

Sometimes, things go differently than planned. Maybe it rains, or a place is closed. Have a backup plan, so you’re never stuck with nothing to do.

Check Opening Hours: No Unwanted Surprises

Imagine showing up at a museum you’re excited to visit, only to find it’s closed on Tuesdays. Check opening times in advance to avoid this.

Share It: Keep Everyone in the Loop

If you’re traveling with others, ensure everyone has a copy of the itinerary. You could even make a shared online version.

Local Customs and Laws: When in Rome.

Check for any local customs, rules, or laws you should know about, like dress codes at religious sites.

Remember Time Zones: Sync Up!

If you’re crossing time zones, adjust all your times so you’re always on local time.

Add Some Breathing Room: Take It Easy

Don’t schedule something every minute of every day. You’ll need some downtime to relax and soak it all in.

Include All Confirmation Numbers: Quick Access

For flights, hotels, and activities that require booking, include all confirmation numbers for quick and easy access.

Double-Check All Details: Be Sure, Be Safe

Before you finalize your itinerary, double-check all times, dates, and reservations.

Print and Digital: Best of Both Worlds

Have both a printed copy and a digital copy available. Technology can fail, and you might only sometimes have Wi-Fi.

Keep it Handy: Easy Access.

Put your itinerary somewhere easy to get to. Save it on your phone or put it in a pocket in your bag.

Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 01

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 13

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 15

Travel Itinerary Template Word

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 09

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 10

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 11

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 12

Easy to Use

One of the best things about using a Word template is its simplicity. You don’t have to be a computer wizard to figure it out!

Customizable

Word lets you change fonts and colors and even add pictures. Make your template  truly your own .

You can open a Word document on almost any device. It’s super  easy to share  with family or travel buddies, too.

Pre-made Templates

Word offers a variety of  ready-to-use templates . Just plug in your details, and you’re good to go!

Checklist Features

You can add  checkboxes  next to each activity or place. It feels so good to check them off as you go!

Safe and Secure

You can easily  lock the document  to keep your travel plans private.

Great for Printing

Word documents  print beautifully . It is a great option if you like having a paper copy of your plans.

How to Use It

• Open Word and choose a blank document or a pre-made template.
• Fill in your travel details like flights, hotels, and fun stuff to do.
• Add any  extra notes  or  checklists .
• Save it, print it, or share it via email.

Tips for Using Word Templates

• Spell-check : Always run a spell-check to avoid any errors.
• Save Often : Keep up your hard work. Save your doc often!
• Backup : Email a copy to yourself or save it in the cloud.

Using a Word template for your travel itinerary is a smart way to keep all your plans in one place. Give it a try for your next trip!

Free Travel Itinerary Templates Excel

Do you like spreadsheets?  Excel templates  offer even more ways to stay organized. You can sort your plans, filter them, and find what you need fast!

If you’ve been using regular Word documents or even pen and paper for your travel plans, it’s time to  upgrade to Excel ! Here’s why and how:

Easy to Edit: Change On-the-Go

Excel allows you to add or remove items quickly. If your plans change, delete a row or add a new one!

Sort and Filter: Find What You Need

Say you want to see all your flight details at once. Excel lets you sort and filter to find what you’re looking for in a snap.

Color Codes: Make It Pretty and Practical

Blue for sightseeing and red for meals. It makes it easier to understand your day at a glance.

Formulas: Count the Hours

You can use simple Excel formulas to add how much time each day’s activities will take.

Shareable: Easy to Send

Excel files are easily shared by email or cloud services like Google Drive. You can also password-protect it if it has sensitive data.

Collaborative: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Everyone can add their activities or notes in the same Excel sheet if you’re traveling with others. It’s a team itinerary!

Tabs for Days: One File, Many Uses

You can use different tabs for different parts of your trip. One tab for flights, another for hotels, and so on.

Links and Notes: Extra Info

You can add links to websites or notes with additional information in Excel.

Offline Access: Always Available

Once downloaded, Excel files are available even without internet access, making them reliable and handy.

Templates Galore: Start with a Bang

It is lots of pre-made Excel itinerary templates available online. It can give you a head start and create planning even quicker.

Itinerary Templates Excel

Itinerary Templates Free

travel itinerary template

Vacation itinerary template

Disney Itinerary Templates

Free business travel itinerary template excel

Weekly Itinerary Template

Birthday Itinerary Template

Daily itinerary planner

Program Itinerary Template

Meeting Itinerary Template

Travel Itinerary Template PDF

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 16

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 17

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 18

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 19

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 20

Itinerary Template – Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Business Tour – Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Business Travel Diary- Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Stable and Consistent

One of the biggest perks of using a PDF is that it looks the  same  on every device. No surprises!

Easy to Share

PDF files are  super easy to send  in an email or message. They can be opened on almost any gadget.

No Accidental Changes

Once you save it, it stays that way. You can’t accidentally mess up your plans!

Universal Acceptance

Almost all businesses can open and read PDFs. Most people can easily check your plans if you need to show them.

Password Protection

PDFs can be  locked  with a password. Your plans stay  safe and private .

Fantastic for Printing

If you like paper copies, PDFs print out  just how they look on screen .

• Make your plans in any software that can be saved as a PDF.
• Double-check all your details and  spelling .
• Save or ‘print’ your plans as a PDF file.
• Share or print your  snazzy  new PDF itinerary!

Tips for Using PDF Templates

• Read-Only : Remember, most PDFs can’t be easily changed. Make sure all your info is correct before you save it.
• Compatibility : Always ensure the people you share the PDF with can open it.
• Document Size : PDFs with lots of pictures can get big. Keep an eye on the file size if you need to email it.

A PDF travel itinerary template is  rock-solid  for keeping your travel plans organized and easily accessible. It’s a popular option, especially if you want a file that stays how you made it.

Common Mistakes in Using Travel Itinerary Templates

Skipping the Details : One of the most common errors is  filling in all the blanks . It can lead to confusion during your trip.

Ignoring Time Zones : Many must remember to account for time zone changes. It can mess up your plans.

Overstuffing the Itinerary : It’s tempting to pack your day full of activities. But this leaves  no room for rest or unexpected events .

Forgetting to Share : If you’re traveling with others,  forgetting to share  the itinerary can make things hard for everyone.

Not Checking Operation Hours : Imagine going to a museum only to find it’s closed. Always  check the working hours  of places you want to visit.

Skipping Backup Plans : Weather changes. Plans fall through. Having  no Plan B  can ruin your day.

Bad Formatting : If your itinerary is hard to read, it’s almost useless. Make sure you use  clear and easy-to-read formats .

Not Updating : Sometimes plans change.  Only updating your template  can make sure you get all the things.

Ignoring Local Customs and Laws : Failing to account for local customs or laws can be embarrassing and sometimes problematic. Always do your  basic homework .

Not Double-Checking : A small mistake in flight numbers or hotel booking IDs can be a big hassle. Always  double-check your details .

Avoiding these common mistakes can make your itinerary a powerful tool for a smooth and enjoyable trip!

Traveling is more fun when you’re organized. Using a  travel itinerary template  can help a lot! So why wait? Download a free template today!

Additional Resources

Want to know more? Click the links below for free templates and helpful travel apps.

• Free Itinerary Templates
• Best Travel Apps

Happy traveling! ????

What Is a Travel Itinerary Template?

A travel itinerary template is like a  map for your trip . It shows where you need to go, what you’ll do, and when you’ll do it.

Where Can I Find Free Travel Itinerary Templates?

You can find free templates online, in apps, Excel, or Word. Some travel websites also offer them for  free .

Should My Template Be Detailed or Broad?

That depends on you! Some folks like a  minute-by-minute plan , while others want just the  big events  listed. Choose what works for you.

Can I Use the Same Template for Different Trips?

Yes, you can! Just  change the details  to fit your new trip.

What Should I Include in My Template?

Include key info like  flights, hotels, and activities . Remember  small but important details  like transport from the airport to the hotel.

Do I Need to Print My Itinerary?

Only sometimes. You could keep it on your phone. But a printed copy is good, just in case your phone  runs out of juice .

How Many Copies Should I Make?

It’s a good idea to have  more than one copy . Leave one with a friend or family member back home, keep one with you, and maybe have a  digital copy .

Can I Add Last-Minute Changes?

Yes, you can. Just  update all your copies  so you’re not working off old info.

What Do I Do If My Plans Change Mid-Trip?

No problem! Just  update your template . You can do it with a printed copy or update the digital one on your device.

Is It OK to Leave Free Time in My Plan?

Absolutely! It’s your trip, after all. Free time lets you  explore  or  rest  as you feel like it.

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The 19 Best Travel Planning Apps for Every Type of Traveler

December 1, 2021 15 min read

Planning your next travel adventure can be both exciting and stressful. While searching for amazing destinations and attractions to visit is always fun, keeping track of all of the information relating to your trip isn’t the easiest task. 

If you’ve been using Google docs and sheets or simply storing travel inspiration, confirmations, bookings, and reservations in your email, there’s a better way: using a travel planning app! 

You can discover an array of travel itinerary apps on the market, such as Wanderlog , a free and easy-to-use travel itinerary planner. But deciding which is best for your needs can be challenging. To help, we’ve put together this list of the 19 best travel planner apps on the market. 

To create this guide, we started by searching for the top trip planners online and in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We then tested these apps and looked at user reviews to create this ultimate list of the best travel planning apps. This extensive list includes a range of apps, from road trip planning apps to itinerary planning apps. No matter what type of traveler you are, we have you covered. 

If you’re looking for a way to simplify travel planning and organization, keep reading! 

Best Overall Travel Planner App: Wanderlog 

We truly believe that Wanderlog is the best overall travel itinerary planning app on the market. Wanderlog allows you to plan detailed day-by-day itineraries, import all of your trip information, and search activity suggestions. It’s also perfect for group travelers and those traveling via a range of transport methods, from flying to taking a road trip. 

You can use Wanderlog in-browser, or download the app for iOS and Android. Wanderlog is 100% free to use, and this free version offers access to almost all of the apps’ features. There is an upgrade option, Wanderlog Pro, that offers added benefits with a one-week free trial.

Wanderlog Features

Activity Suggestions and Access to Pre-Created Trips 

You can search third-party websites and add things to do to your itinerary from online guides, like Tripadvisor or Google Trips. Wanderlog also offers activity suggestions, and you can view trips created by other users for inspiration. 

Storage and Organization of Travel Information 

When using Wanderlog, you can manually add travel information or automatically import reservations, bookings, and other email confirmations by syncing with Gmail. This travel information includes flight info, bus or train reservations,  accommodation details, rental car confirmations, and more. You can also add expenses for places and items on your itinerary, and manage your total budget.

Itinerary Creation 

As you upload travel information and add activities you want to undertake on your trip, a day-by-day itinerary will be created. This itinerary is incredibly easy to edit, and you can add notes to each stop. 

If you don’t need a day-by-day itinerary and want more flexibility in your plans, you can simply create lists, for example, a list of things to do or restaurants to try. 

Access to Maps 

When you add stops to your itinerary or lists, they’ll be displayed on a map. The map feature makes it easy to see where all the attractions you wish to visit are located, allowing you to plan the most efficient itinerary. 

Road Trip Planning

Wanderlog now offers the ability to plan road trips! You can add start and end destinations, plus unlimited stops along the way, and your road trip route will be shown on interactive maps. 

It’s super easy to rearrange these plans, and you can even use our “Road Trip Optimizer” to generate the most efficient route. The total time and distance of your road trip journey will be displayed too.  

Group Collaboration 

Wanderlog makes collaborating with others in your travel group a breeze! You can easily collaborate with others traveling with you by simply adding their email to your trip. Alternatively, you can just share a link to the itinerary. Having done this, all members of your group can collaborate on the plans in real-time. 

Wanderlog Pro Added Features

• Offline access to itineraries and maps
• Exporting of maps to Google Maps
• Auto scanning of travel confirmations in Gmail
• Road trip route optimization  

Who Is Wanderlog For? 

Wanderlog is the best app to plan travel for every type of traveler. From solo travelers to groups, and from the highly organized traveler to those that simply need one place to store information and activity suggestions. Wanderlog also has a highly user-friendly interface, and best of all, it’s free to use! 

Who Is Wanderlog Not For? 

Wanderlog is great for all travelers! Whether you want to organize your travel details, search for an array of activities to enjoy on your trip, or collaborate with fellow travelers, the Wanderlog travel planning app won’t disappoint. 

Does Wanderlog sound like the travel itinerary planner for you? Download the app today ! 

Best Road Trip Planning App: Roadtrippers

If you’re looking for road trip planner apps, Roadtrippers is one of the best options out there! This app is created exclusively for those traveling via car. It not only maps out the best routes for you to follow but also offers suggestions of things to do along the way. 

Roadtrippers can be used online and via their iPhone and Android app. Roadtrippers offers a free Basic version and a paid-for version called RoadTrippers Plus, which costs $29.99 per year.  

Roadtrippers Features

Custom Route Maps

Roadtrippers calculate the best route for you. Simply enter your road trip start and end destination, plus stops along the way if applicable. You can choose the fastest route or ask Roadtrippers to suggest additional stops along the way. 

Activity and Attraction Suggestions 

As just mentioned, Roadtrippers offers suggestions on things to do along your road trip route. These suggestions include activities to try and attractions to visit, as well as dining and accommodation suggestions. 

Gas Cost Estimations 

Once you have a route mapped, Roadtrippers provides an estimation of the total gas cost. This feature is great for those operating on a budget. 

Navigation 

Roadtrippers also help guide you once you set out on the trip with in-app navigation. This feature allows you to stay within the app instead of switching to another navigation app, like Google Maps. 

Roadtrippers Plus Added Features 

• Offline maps
• Collaboration features, allowing multiple travelers to add to the road trip itinerary 
• Live traffic updates 
• Special promotions from Roadtrippers’ travel panthers, such as discounts on hotels 
• Dark mode 
• No in-app ads 

Who Is Roadtrippers For? 

As the name suggests, Roadtrippers is ideal for people planning road trips. The app is helpful for all types of road trip travelers, from those looking for a quick route from A to B to those wanting to visit an array of attractions along a multi-city route. 

Who Is RoadTrippers Not For? 

This app isn’t optimal for those planning different types of travel experiences. For example, if you’ll fly to one city and then want recommendations for tourist attractions, this isn’t the right app for you. You also miss out on features without a paid account, so if you want to benefit from all of a travel apps’ features for free, you may not be interested in RoadTrippers. 

Want to learn more about Roadtrippers? Read our in-depth Roadtrippers review ! 

Best Travel Planning App for Trip Information Organization: TripIt

TripIt is one of the relatively well-known itinerary planning apps that stores all your trip details, like transport and accommodation information, in one place. TripIt can be used via web browser or an app for iOS or Android. 

TripIt has both a free version of the app, with limited features, and a paid-for version called TripIt Pro. You can also purchase TripIt for Teams which is targeted at business travelers.

TripIt Pro: $49 per year with a 30-day free trial

TripIt Teams: Starts at $29 a month for one to ten users 

TripIt Features

TripIt allows you to upload your travel information to one place. Things you can upload include flight details, hotel bookings, and activity reservations. You can manually upload information or email it to TripIt. 

TripIt Pro Added Features 

• Transport fare trackers
• Check-in reminders
• Flight updates
• Seat upgrade information 
• Airport security wait time updates 
• Loyalty/rewards program points tracker 
• Baggage claim location notification 
• Interactive maps
• Ability to share plans with others 
• Features to add documents to your itinerary, such as photos or PDFs 

Who Is TripIt For? 

This is a great app for those that only want to store and organize all the information they already have relating to a trip in one place, and have access to this information on their phone. It’s also very easy to use. 

Those that also want notifications related to their trip all in one place will appreciate the features offered by TripIt Pro. 

Who Is TripIt Not For? 

TripIt is quite a basic itinerary planner. In addition, TripIt doesn’t offer suggestions on things to do in the city you’re visiting. These drawbacks mean that TripIt is best for those that only want to store all of their travel information in one place.

If you’re looking for an app that offers travel suggestions, such as activities to try or landmarks to visit, this isn’t the app for you. Travelers looking for a free travel itinerary app will probably not be interested in TripIt either (you should instead try Wanderlog that’s 100% free to use!) 

Unsure if TripIt is right for you? Read our detailed TripIt review to learn more about the app.

Best Travel Planning App for Documenting Your Trip: Polarsteps

Polarsteps allows you to document your entire trip, along with creating itineraries. This travel app can be used in-browser or via an app and is one of the best free travel planner apps, as you can access all features at no cost. You can pay for a printed travel book with pictures and notes relating to your trip. These books start at approximately $40 for a 24-page book.

Polarsteps Features

Trip Itinerary Creation 

You can create a trip itinerary and add as many stops as you like. These stops include different cities, countries, and landmarks/places of interest. A map showing each stop will also be generated. 

Addition of Images, Videos, and Notes 

For every stop added, you can also upload pictures, videos, and a description of the place. This feature is ideal for those looking to document their adventure and makes Polarsteps somewhat of a digital travel scrapbook. 

Access to Pre-Created Trips

You can follow other users (as you would on social media networks) and access their pre-created trips. This is the one discovery feature on the app to help you find additional places to visit. 

Sharing Features 

It’s easy to share trips with other people, like friends and family. You can add followers to your trip, which allows them to see everything you’re doing. Multiple people, however, can not edit and add to a trip from different accounts. 

Who Is Polarsteps For? 

Polarsteps is recommended for those that want to document their entire trip with images, notes, and the like. It’s also perfect for those taking long, multi-city trips, although can be used by those taking shorter trips too. 

Who Is Polarsteps Not For? 

This app isn’t recommended for those looking to create an itinerary that simply keeps all of their travel information in one place. If you don’t want to document your trip via images, notes, and videos, Polarsteps probably won’t be worth using. 

The app also isn’t great for those looking for activity suggestions, you can access the trips of others for ideas, but the Polarsteps will not offer streamlined activity suggestions itself. 

Read our detailed Polarsteps review to discover more about this app. 

Best Alternative to Print Travel Guides: Lonely Planet Guides

Lonely Planet is an extremely well-known travel guide brand. Recently, they launched an app, Lonely Planet Guides, that is quickly becoming one of the  best travel planner apps. Lonely Planet Guides offers attractions and landmark suggestions for over 1,000 cities. You can also access videos, curated collections, and phrasebooks. 

Lonely Planet Guides is accessible via an app for iOS and Android. There is a free version, but it’s very basic, so paying for a subscription is necessary in most cases. Lonely Planet Guides pricing is as follows: 

• One Month: $4.99
• Six Months: $21.99 (or $3.67 a month)
• One Year: $39.99 (or $3.33 a month) 

Lonely Planet Guides Features

Information on Places of Interest 

You have access to information on landmarks and attractions for the majority of cities on the app. This feature is great for discovery and allows you to find the best things to see and do in the city you’re visiting.

If you don’t have a paid subscription, you can only access info on four places of interest per month. 

Custom Maps and Bucket Lists 

If you discover places of interest that you want to visit, you can add them to a map and/or bucket list. Once in the city, you can open your map to easily see where all the attractions you want to visit are located. 

Without a paid plan, you can only add four locations to your map each month. 

Curated Collections

Access to pre-created collections of things to do is available. These are often categorized, for example, the best markets or restaurants to visit. 

Ability to Purchase Tours and Other Tickets 

If you discover an attraction you want to visit or a tour you want to try, you can purchase tickets via a third party directly in the app. 

Paid Subscription Added Features 

• Access to phrasebooks for 19 languages 
• 360-degree immersive experiences 

Who Is Lonely Planet Guides For? 

The Lonely Planet Guides app is ideal for those looking for a digital alternative to traditional print travel guidebooks. It’s also a good choice for those going on a multi-city trip as you have access to information for thousands of cities across the globe, all from your phone. 

Who Is Lonely Planet Guides Not For? 

Lonely Planet Guides isn’t recommended for travelers that are looking for free travel planner apps. It’s also not the best option for those looking to create complete itineraries that include transport and accommodation information as well as places they plan to visit. 

Get all the details on this travel planner app by reading our Lonely Planet Guides review . 

Best Travel Planning App for Those That Want to Explore Like a Local: ViaHero

ViaHero is a travel planning app with a difference. Instead of planning your itinerary yourself, locals to the area (called “Heroes”) will create an itinerary and personalized guidebook for you. Understandably, this comes at a cost. You’ll be charged $40 per day of itinerary planning, with the maximum paid for a guidebook usually being $125. 

Destinations covered include cities in North America, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. 

ViaHero Features

Custom Guidebook Creation  

After highlighting the types of activities and attractions you’re interested in, your “Hero” will create an itinerary and guidebook. 

A Personalized Map

You’ll also get access to a custom map that features each location mentioned in your guidebook. 

Booking of Activities and Other Travel Arrangements 

If things on your itinerary need booking (and booking doesn’t require prepayment) your local “hero” will make these arrangements for you. 

Ability to Communicate with Your “Hero”  

You can get in touch with your local “hero” at any point before and during your trip. This feature allows you to request changes to your itinerary and ask questions if needed as you explore the city.  

Who Is ViaHero For? 

ViaHero is one of the best travel planner apps for those that have limited time to plan their own trip, plus a decent budget for someone else to do so for them. It’s also a great choice for those that like to explore off the beaten track and get recommendations from locals instead of visiting tourist hotspots. 

Who Is ViaHero Not For? 

Due to the cost, ViaHero isn’t a good option for those traveling on a budget. It also may not be a great choice for those that are visiting a city for the first time and want to see the most popular landmarks and attractions. 

Being a newer service, only “heroes” from a limited number of cities are available at this time. If you’re visiting an area without a local “hero,” you won’t be able to use the service. 

Best Travel Planning App for Those That Love Reviews: Tripadvisor 

Tripadvisor is another of the itinerary planning apps that’s well-known to the majority of travelers. Along with a browser version, Tripadvisor has a convenient app that can help with everything from booking accommodation to discovering places to visit. 

Tripadvisor is free to use and has information for almost every city across the globe. Tripadvisor will offer an overview of the city you search for, along with hotel, restaurant, and activity recommendations. Best of all, all suggestions include reviews from travelers who have visited. 

Tripadvisor Features 

Things to Do  

Tripadvisor suggests a range of places to visit and activities to try in the destination you’re visiting. Along with searching the “Things to Do” section, you can search for specific landmarks and attractions to get more information on them. Whichever way you search, you’ll also have access to reviews from travelers who have visited the landmark or attraction or tried the activity.  

Restaurants 

You can also access restaurant suggestions for the destinations you’re heading to. Again, reviews from those who have dined at each establishment are available. You can also select categories, such as types of cuisine, to narrow down your search. Many restaurants offer the option to reserve via Tripadvisor too. 

Hotels 

Looking for a place to stay? Tripadvisor has you covered! Simply input the dates you need accommodation for, number of guests, and other filters like budget, if applicable, to view hotel results. You can then go straight to the hotel website from Tripadvisor or view deals from hotel booking sites like Hotels.com. 

Itinerary Maps and Lists

When you find activities you want to try, landmarks you intend to visit, and restaurants you wish to dine at, you can add them to a map and list. By adding these things to a map, you can easily see where everything you want to do is located, and develop day-by-day plans. Unfortunately, you can’t create an actual day-to-day itinerary via Tripadvisor. 

Who Is Tripadvisor For? 

This app is great for learning more about attractions, landmarks, restaurants, and accommodation via reviews. If you like to hear opinions from real travelers before committing to plans, you’ll appreciate Tripadvisor. It also has amazing discovery features, making Tripadvisor ideal for travelers that are looking for suggestions on things to do in the locations they’re visiting. 

Who Is Tripadvisor Not For? 

Tripadvisor isn’t ideal for planning day-to-day itineraries. While you can create maps and lists of all the places you want to go, these can’t be separated into individual days. That can be frustrating for travelers, especially if going on a multi-day or week trip. 

Using Tripadvisor to access reviews and combining this research with a full travel itinerary planner, like Wanderlog , is recommended.  

Other Itinerary Planning Apps to Consider 

While we rank the above five as the best travel planner apps on the market, the following eight apps are worth checking out too!

GEOVEA allows you to plan trips, store details like flight and accommodation info, and search for activity suggestions. This travel planning software also has budgeting features. You can estimate the cost of the activities included in the itinerary to see the overall cost of your trip. 

While you can use the company’s website on your phone, there isn’t an app. The standard version of the software is free but comes with limitations. To have full access to the app, you must purchase a subscription which starts at $29.99/year.  

Hipherd is one of the best free travel planner apps for those looking for a place to store travel inspiration. It allows you to save a range of travel content that you find across the web, such as travel articles, videos, and other information on destinations you want to visit.  

As with Pinterest, you can create “boards” to organize content by destination or other categories. You can view the collections of other users too. You can also create maps that show all the attractions you want to visit. Best of all, Hipherd costs nothing to use. 

Inspirock is a free travel itinerary planning  software that creates day-to-day itineraries for you based on data you input. Once a list of suggested places to visit has been generated, you can edit the itinerary to remove and add activities. You can also access accommodation suggestions, car and flight deals, and booking links. 

Learn more about this travel planner by taking a look at our Inspirock review ! 

Jubel is one of the great itinerary planning apps for those that are looking to discover new destinations. You start by answering a questionnaire to highlight travel likes, dislikes, and other preferences. A customized itinerary for a surprise destination is then created for you. This service does come at a cost, with Jubel users needing a trip budget of at least $1,500 for a solo-traveler trip or $1,100/per traveler for multi-person trips. 

Pilot 

Pilot is one of the free travel planner apps that’s perfect for travelers wanting to create itineraries as a group. You can add travel information, like flight bookings, to your online account, along with adding the activities you’ll do each day to an itinerary. It’s also easy to collaborate on one trip itinerary as a group. As mentioned, Pilot is free to use, but there is not a mobile app, so you must use the software in-browser. 

Portico 

Portico is another recommended app for planning itineraries, organizing travel information, and searching for activity suggestions. Travel confirmation emails (transport bookings, accommodation reservations, etc.) can be added manually or simply email them to Portico to add to your account. You can also search for travel inspiration in-app and add places you want to visit to itineraries and lists. Portico is free and can be used in-browser or via an iOS app. 

Tripscout 

Tripscout is one of the best travel planner apps for trip inspiration and high-quality travel content. You can search an array of content in-app to learn about new destinations and attractions. If you discover things you’d like to do and places you’d like to go, you can add them to lists, itineraries, and maps to begin planning your next adventure! Tripscout is also always free to use. 

Tripsy 

Tripsy is another organization-focused itinerary planning app. This app stores travel information, such as flight confirmations and other transport info, restaurant reservations, and the like.  You can also get notifications, for example relating to your flight status, and can easily share your itinerary with friends and family. 

You can integrate your plans with third-party maps and calendars and can email confirmations as well as adding them manually. Tripsy has a free and paid-for Pro version that offers additional benefits, including unlimited itineraries. 

The Best Travel Apps for Flights and Hotels

Need transport or accommodation deals? These four travel planner apps are here to help! 

Snaptravel 

Snaptravel offers amazing deals on flights and hotels. Simply enter your travel dates and destination(s), and a selection of customized offers will be served to you. Customers benefit from rate and fare reductions of 30-50%, and Snaptravel is free to use. 

Discover more about saving on hotels and flights with this app by reading our Snaptravel review . 

Scott’s Cheap Flights 

Scott’s Cheap Flights provides users with incredible flight deals out of their local airport. You’ll receive deal emails each day with fare reductions of up 90% off applied. Scott’s Cheap Flights offers a free version and paid-for options, which allow you to receive business and first-class deals and add multiple departure airports. 

Read our Scott’s Cheap Flights review to learn more about this company! 

Dollar Flight Club 

Dollar Flight Club is another company offering steep discounts on flights. Enter your departure airport at sign-up and you’ll be emailed daily with great deals to an array of destinations. There is a free version, but this only offers access to 20% of deals. For the best results, upgrade to Premium ($69/year) or Premium Plus ($99/year.) Users can expect to save 60-90% on flights, however, you don’t have the option to get deals for specific destinations.  

Want to find out more? Read our Dollar Flight Club review . 

RometoRio 

Rome to Rio offers an array of transport options that work with your trip and are bookable through the app. This free app can show you flights, car rentals, buses, and trains that will allow you to get from point to point on your itinerary. While Rome2Rio isn’t a deal-based app, you can also benefit from cheaper transport rates when using the app. You can also find accommodation and activity suggestions via Rome2Rio, but cannot create itineraries.

Not sure which of these travel planner apps to choose? Give Wanderlog a try ! It costs nothing to do so, and we guarantee that you’ll love it.

The 8 Best Travel Budgeting Tools of 2023

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• Planning Travel

How to Make an Itinerary for a Trip

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 Fact Checked

• Planning Your Itinerary
• Formatting Your Itinerary
• Using an Online Template

What is a travel itinerary?

• Travel Itinerary Template

This article was co-authored by Allyson Edwards and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA . Allyson Edwards graduated from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations. Afterwards, she went on to facilitate International partnerships with agencies in over twenty countries, and has consulted for companies in industries across education, fintech, and retail. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 268,173 times.

A travel itinerary outlines all elements of a trip, from hotel stops to destinations. It can be indispensable, whether you’re planning a weekend vacation or an extended road trip. A good itinerary gives a trip structure, and maximizes the amount you’ll be able to see and do. An itinerary is simple to develop and we're here to walk you through each and every step so you can plan an entire trip in an efficient and organized manner!

Making a Travel Itinerary

• Research your destination, including information on weather, local events, and activities.
• Make a list of everything you want to do and see on your trip, from highest to lowest priority.
• Create a calendar that includes travel dates and accommodation check-in times.
• Book activities that require advanced reservations and note them under the appropriate date.
• Moving down your list of activities, fit them into your itinerary schedule.
• Double-check opening times, dates, and other logistical information for each activity.

Planning Out Your Itinerary

• If you’re not sure where you want to go yet, create a trip inspiration board with all the places you’d like to go.
• Create a physical vision board , pin destinations on Pinterest, or save inspiring TikToks from travel influencers.

• Do you want a trip with days spent at four-star restaurants and nights spent in five-star hotels? Or are you more interested in finding local favorites and rustic B&Bs?
• Your vacation can be as expensive (or inexpensive) as you want. It ultimately comes down to what you can afford.

• Look into transportation for traveling to your destination and for getting around while you’re there.
• Find accommodation that fits your budget, like a hostel, AirBnB, or hotel, and make sure it’s near your top attractions.
• Research local events, holidays, and observances in the places you're traveling to. You may be able to witness or experience a cultural event that other travelers don't get to experience.
• If you’re traveling with a group of friends or another person, get feedback and ideas for your destinations from the group.

• Obtain local maps for the areas you will be exploring. It is also helpful to get schedules for bus and train services and numbers for local taxis.
• Make sure that the maps are up-to-date. Cities and other areas change often. A road that existed 10 years ago may no longer exist today.
• Use Google MyMaps to pin each attraction or eatery onto a map. On your trip, you can easily see routes between points of interest and what’s around you at any time.

• Build in an extra day for rest or spontaneous adventures. Plus, if plans go amiss for any reason, having this extra day will give you some wiggle room. [6] X Research source

• Keep a printed copy or type the details of your itinerary into a word processing document.
• If you will be using airport transportation to get to your hotel, also include information about fees and hours of operation.

Formatting Your Itinerary in a Text File

• Using a text document to make your travel itinerary makes it easy to organize your information quickly.
• You can easily arrange information from your confirmation emails or online travel blogs on the page by copying and pasting it.

• General Information : Includes “at-a-glance” information, like transportation, accommodation, contact info, emergency phone numbers, travel websites, physical mailing addresses, etc.
• Dates & Times : Includes the different dates and times related to your trip, such as arrival and departure times, connections, travel routes, reservation information, etc.
• Notes : Includes any additional information related to your trip, like miscellaneous travel arrangements and important tips.

• Monday, July 8th
• Tuesday, July 9th
• Wednesday, July 10th
• Thursday, July 11th

• 4 AM: Leave home and take the Silver Line from Courthouse Station to Logan Airport.
• 6:13 AM: IcelandAir flight #FI680 departs. The confirmation code is LXRMTQ. Flight seat number is 6F.
• 8:45 PM: Arrive at London Heathrow airport and take Bluestreet private car service to the Hoxton, Holborn hotel. Car service reservation is #402FB5.
• Ask for assistant manager (Nancy) for help with excess luggage.

• Print out a copy for each person joining you on the trip.

Creating Your Itinerary with a Digital Template

• Complete each section of the template with the indicated information, such as activities, travel arrangements, or daily schedules.
• Add visuals to personalize your itinerary and make it cute! Upload photos from your device or choose stock photos. Include effects, filters, and stickers as desired.
• Personalize the font, effects, color, and layout of your titles and text boxes.
• When you’re happy with your final itinerary, download it in PDF, JPG, or PNG format. Print copies of the downloaded document and/or share it digitally.

• Save the template or template link for later so that you can make similar itineraries when planning your next trip !

• Basic information : Dates, times, and locations for the trip.
• Travel arrangements : Car services, reservation numbers, flight/bus/train/ferry numbers, rest areas, etc.
• Accommodation arrangements : Reservation/confirmation numbers for hotels, motels, hostels, campsites, resorts, etc.
• Meal arrangements : Vouchers, restaurant reservations, recommended cafés and bars, hotel breakfast hours, etc.
• Excursion/Activity arrangements : Tour companies and operators, reservation numbers, contact information, hours of operation, pick-up and drop/off locations, etc.
• Destination contact information : Landline, toll-free, and mobile phone numbers, email addresses, websites, physical addresses, etc.
• Personal emergency contact information : Your emergency contact’s name, relationship, physical address, phone number and email address. The address and number of your country’s closest embassy or consulate.
• Notes : Any additional notes related to the trip that don’t fit in one of the other categories.

5-Day Travel Itinerary Template

Community Q&A

• Even if you will only be gone for a weekend, it’s a good idea to make sure that everything at home is in order and accounted for. If you have pets or plants or will need your mail checked for an extended amount of time, ensure that a friend or family member will be there to do so. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• Keep a hard copy of your travel itinerary in a multi-pocket folder or 3-ring binder. As convenient as an app can be, batteries can die. It never hurts to keep a physical backup handy. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Stay flexible when making your itinerary. Ultimately, your itinerary is a guide to keep you on track while visiting. If you miss a reservation, it isn’t the end of the world, and it may give you a chance to explore some spontaneous options recommended by locals! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/blog/weekend-warrior-how-plan-weekend-trip
• ↑ http://www.seat61.com/spreadsheet.htm
• ↑ https://www.easemytrip.com/blog/tips-to-plan-an-international-trip
• ↑ https://www.fjordsandbeaches.com/plan-a-trip-to-norway/
• ↑ https://www.expedia.com/lp/b/vacations/planning
• ↑ https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-plan-a-trip
• ↑ https://allaboutplanners.com.au/how-i-use-microsoft-word-to-plan-my-travel-itinerary-my-template-planning-process/
• ↑ https://twoweektraveller.com/how-to-write-a-2-week-travel-itinerary-2/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/5O9ISzhJ9E4?t=76
• ↑ https://malaintransit.com/the-8-essential-things-to-include-in-your-travel-itinerary/

About This Article

If you want to create a travel itinerary, first gather your flight numbers, hotel and car rental details, and any restaurant reservations you’ve made. Once you have the broad outlines of your comings and goings, make a list of everything you want to see and do. You can then figure out how and when to fit everything into your vacation days. Try to map your stops sequentially so you don’t waste time doubling back or driving around in circles. Just remember to build in a couple of free days to explore a little-known local treasure or put your tired feet up! For tips on how to organize your itinerary and why to keep it on paper as well as in the cloud, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Organise your trips the easy way with Travaa!

Travel itinerary planner

No more struggling with Word docs, spreadsheets and Google Maps to plan a trip.

With the Travaa planning website you have one simple tool, to organise your travel.

Create a new trip or start with a ready made itinerary . Add activities and accomodation. Drag-and-drop these around your daily schedule.

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It all starts with the travel itinerary

As independent travellers or guides, we generally like to have a plan or list of things to see and do. When this travel plan starts to have timings and details, we call it a travel itinerary.

When travelling, having a good travel itinerary is a real stress and time saver. You have a guide for what to do and where to go.

Be present and enjoy the moments in your new surroundings. There is no need to keep figuring out what to do, or where to go next - that's all been sorted. Have no regrets later on, you know that your have covered all (or most) of the must do places. You haven't missed anything.

Having a planned itinerary is the road map to having an efficient route - no energy and time wasted back tracking or circling around.

Which of the following describes you?

I'm looking for a tool to create and store / share travel itineraries.

I have been doing research. I have places to be and restaurants in mind. I need to get these organized. I might like plan the trip along with the other members of the party. I think using a text editor, spreadsheets and/or Google Maps is an overkill and messy. Hmmnn, what about tallying costs and more?

There is a much easier way.

Use this Travaa itinerary planner website . A tool to automatically retrieve location details (photos, addresses, etc.), pin markers to a map and drag-and-drop activity cards around your day-by-day timeline.

Work with a large map (which expands to full-screen too!) to visually organize your trip. Having the main costs in place, all can all get a feel of the budget for this trip.

Enjoy growing your trip plan to hundreds of places; quickly and still be on top of all the places and activities.

I'm looking for travel itineraries

Clone a travel plan that someone else has already painstakingly prepared, updated and shared. You can find a variety of these under Itinerararies .

Change it fit your plans and go.

Feel free to share your own plan back on the Itineraries section for others to use after you get back!

Product Details

Planner website.

• Online travel itinerary planner (works best on desktop browsers)
• Start from a blank canvas; or use an itinerary from the marketplace; or import your itinerary from TripIt
• Drag in the world's best places to visit or add your own places to visit and things to do via activity "cards"; drag-and-drop cards around your timeline
• Any card is fully editable; enter off the beaten path places; pin your own spots on the map
• Photos and detailed information provided for known places
• Large resizable map display provides plenty of landscape, aerial and street views around places of interest
• Print out a professional looking PDF (or paper copies) of your plan
• Publish your travel plan online with just 2-clicks
• Share your trip with other party members, plan along on the same view, live in real time!

Mobile viewer app

• View your itineraries offline
• Much better than a printout or PDF
• Download your itineraries by "pulling down"
• Uses phone GPS to show your real time location on your trip map
• Tap location marker on map to bring up Google/Apple Maps Directions to that location
• Open activity websites and phone places directly from the app
• Be where you plan to be and never be lost again!

Itineraries Collection

• Ready-made travel itinerary templates
• Hand created by other users, experts or guides
• Copy and make it your own.
• Skip planning altogether; just make bookings and go!
• Details see Itinerararies

Price Plans

Sign ups start with the Free plan. All features are unlocked. As you create more activities or add more trips, switch to a higher plan at any time.

Share and plan trips with friends and family on any plan. Limits for a trip are tied to the plan of the person who created the trip.

How to Make a Travel Itinerary: Create the Best One for Your Trip

There is something to be said for aimlessly roaming the streets of an energetic city popping into quaint cafes and talking to the locals, not knowing what you will find.

Though when there’s a limited amount of time, I also don’t want to leave seeing something perfect for the bucket list totally by chance. What if I missed the Skyline Trail hike along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia ? Or the stunning Piaynemo view in Raja Ampat ?

I always create a travel itinerary.

In order to make sure I don’t miss any amazing bucket list experiences while exploring a new destination, I always create a loose itinerary that leaves room for unexpected opportunity, like exploring the alleyways along the backstreets of Tokyo .

When I make my travel itinerary strict, it causes me anxiety, but it also can waste precious time when you don’t have a plan. I never want to be spending hours in my hotel room trying to figure out what to do for the day, when I can actually be out there doing it!

Here’s how I organize an itinerary:

How to Store your Travel Itinerary

In the beginning of my travel career, I spent a couple months creating a London itinerary , not wanting to miss a thing. I purchased an expensive map and spent hours putting little numbered stickies on all the places to be visited. These numbers coordinated with an Excel spreadsheet that listed the attractions by name along with other essential information.

It was foolproof-so I thought.

On day one, while walking to Abbey Road , the map fell out of my purse and was gone. Countless hours of planning were down the drain in a matter of minutes. Since then I have never bought a paper map, (especially since almost every airport and hotel has a free one you can pick up when you arrive).

Instead, I create and store all my itineraries with the Evernote app . The app can keep maps, photos and links to important websites that can be accessed on any of my devices. You can also set up an offline notebook in order to see your notes without Internet access, but keep in mind that you will need Wi-Fi to access any links.

You could also use the Notes app on Apple products (though it does not have as many bells & whistles as Evernote) or Microsoft OneNote , which is Evernote’s main competitor.

Do Your Research

If you want to get the most out of your experience, you need to know what you want to do and what will make the ultimate travel venture for you. Are you fascinated by a town’s history, culture or food? Do you want your trip to just be about crazy adventures and a city’s vibrant nightlife? Answering these questions means that you need to do some research for the area you are visiting.

Prior to traveling anywhere I do an online search of “unique things to do in XYZ”, “traditional foods of XYZ” and “best restaurant in XYZ”. I then scroll through dozens of the result sites quickly, making a list in Evernote of all the things that even slightly interest me. It is important to get past the first few pages of the Google results to find more personal stories and blogs, instead of large generic sites that can give you only a touristy perspective.

If the city or country’s Tourism Board website does not come up within the search results, I always check their site for recommendations. I may also see if Netflix has any documentaries on the destination that can be rented, plus browse a few travel guides at the bookstore.

Another good idea is to search a tour website, like Get Your Guide for what sorts of experiences they offer in your travel destination.

After there is a rough list, more elaborate research is done on each attraction and restaurant to determine what will be kept on the itinerary versus what will be deleted. Keep in mind that you can’t see and do it all, so put an asterisk by the items that are absolute must-dos.

Divide a City into Sections

Many large cities will be split up in districts, like Paris with its arrondissements or the London boroughs. Look at an online map and determine the sections of a city you are traveling to. Create a header in Evernote for each district; if a town doesn’t have sections, it can be zoned into four quadrants (NE, NW, SE, SW). If your travels will be through several small villages, your headers can just be the name of the village.

Start taking the items from your master list and placing them in the sections that they are located in. This will make planning your day easier when you know what area you will be headed to and all the things you can do there.

Tip: You can create a Google Map with pins in all the locations you want to visit for the day, then add it to your Evernote file.

Create a Calendar

Make a calendar for each day of your vacation. You can either do this in a simple list format or create a table. Take a look at your “things to do” list, there are bound to be certain attractions/events that have to be done on specific days due to limited open hours or reservation availability, so put those on the calendar first under the appropriate day and time.

If there are free hours on that specific date, then add anything that is in that same district to it, starting with the important items that have an asterisk next to them. Don’t put specific times on these other entries just squeeze as many as you can in before or after you scheduled event. This way you will have plenty of options on what to in the district that you will be in without having to be strict about the time.

Leave Room for Opportunity & Be Realistic

Even when I am in a location trying to make a tick off the bucket list I create loose itineraries, ones that leave room for unexpected opportunities, because a bucket list is just as much about the journey as it is the checkmark.

There are always times while exploring a city that something incredible sidetracks you, and if you are scheduled with events back to back you may have to miss out. Of course you’re going to want to see and do everything on your trip, but also be realistic.

Don’t expect to land in Europe, after twelve hours of travel and hit the ground running jam-packing your itinerary from sun up to down. Leave room for meals, sleep, jetlag and rest. Plus expect a few hiccups along the way; flights can be delayed, restaurants can lose reservations and an attraction may pale in comparison in person to the photographs on the Internet.

In the Bahamas our tour guide forgot to pick us up at the hotel, it rained for 24 hours straight and the buggy we rented got a flat tire in the first half hour. Yes, it changed our itinerary a bit, but instead of the original plan we met a lovely Bahamian couple that graciously drove us to the local fish fry where we ate cracked conch and drank bottles of Kalik beer.

Sometimes the unexpected is the most memorable part of the journey.

Don’t Forget the Extras

Add your flight numbers, hotel addresses, maps, etc. to your itinerary file for easy access. All my itineraries include this information, plus the currency exchange rate (so I know how much 1 US dollar is worth in the country). It is much easier to look at one file then have to scroll through dozens of emails or check different apps to find what I am looking for.

Note: This should not be a substitute for keeping all that information stored in emails or printed copies of confirmations just in case.

This and a lot more traveling tips can be found in my book Bucket List Adventures .

Happy Traveling!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, I earn a commission that helps to keep this blog running—at no extra cost to you. For more information read my full disclosure .

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29 thoughts on “How to Make a Travel Itinerary: Create the Best One for Your Trip”

How do you decide how long you will stay somewhere? We are looking to book our first trip to Europ and hope to visit Paris and London. Thinking 5 full days at each but don’t know how to determine that.

Typically, I will research everything I want to do before actually deciding on how long I will stay in a location. After I’ve compiled that list, I seperate the chosen adventures into the cities district and then I will put them all on a mock calendar to determine how much I can see and do on each day. This can determine how many days I need to be in a city, but it also depends on how much time I have to travel too. I think that an amazing overview of almost any city can be seen in 3-4 days. I did both Paris and London in 4. I didn’t get to see it all, but I also didn’t feel like I missed out on any of the monumental things. Five days will get you a lot of exploring in both those cities!

Wow! That kind of itinerary planning takes dedication. I do basic research when I go some place but I wish I can be as organized as you are :) I’ll give Evernote a try. Thanks for mentioning it.

I like my research!

Great article! This is also how I create our travel itineraries with the addition of doing a search for unique souvenirs to bring back home. It takes a lot of time and effort but it also gets you even more excited for the trip knowing what you’ll be seeing! Totally agree on having a loose itinerary – I over planned the first time we went to Europe and even made an itinerary of what paintings to see in museums :0 P.S. Absolutely love Evernote – I feel like my whole life is there :D

I totally over planned my first trip too! I love that you add what souvenirs to look for, that’s something I have never done, but may need to add.

Great article, very useful who love to travel.

Very nice article and photos you I love it thank you for sharing. Good luck

Great tips here–especially on how to use Evernote more effectively for planning! I usually just make a very unorganized list…no more!

I agree that whenever you are on travel always make an allowance to your itinerary. You don’t know along the road you might meet other travelers too that will be going to an interesting place.

I thought I had itinerary planning down, but after reading this, I’m realizing I’m still in the minor leagues! Love the tip about Netflix documentaries and leaving room in the itinerary for opportunity. I used to plan things so rigidly that it at times was very stressful. I’ve since tried to be more flexible and it has made all the difference. Thank you for sharing your trip planning strategies!

I used to be the same and plan very strict itineraries. And you are right—it’s way too stressful!

I wish I had that dedication to planning! Would love to do it step by step though. Gonna try the evernote app first!

Well thank you for those useful tips.

Thank you! It is an honor to be included on this list with this amazing group of customer service and experience experts and organizations. I promise to keep writing! Thank you again

Great blog and thanks for sharing nice facts.

Grateful information. So thank you for sharing.

This is a perfect article to read especially for a first-time traveler. Very informative, thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks for the practical advice. A well prepared itinerary saves lot of time gets you most out of the journey.

Nice tips on how to store your travel itinerary!

I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the Bahamas despite the hiccups. I’m from The Bahamas and I love living here

It was a great visit and I hope to return!

Wow. Thanks for the info. A useful article for anyone who wants to travel a lot!

Can you recommend train or bus links for travel in Europe? Specifically Italy, Greece. You have inspired by bucket list!

Thank you for highlighting your valuable words through this article

Thanks for the clearly laid out explanations, makes lots of sense. I do like allowing a bit of down time or for the unexpected too.

I found this review quite informative and helpful, I enjoyed it

Thank you for the information it helps a lot due to i love to travel on my down days, However it would be nice to have some kind of transportation included like a bus or some to make sure we get where we need to be.

This festivals looks an amazing at the first glance, a lot of countries’ respresentative. It should be on the bucket list of the travellers who want to experience cultures and traditions. I will try my best to be a part of this too.

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Invite friends and family to create a group trip

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2. Head to the Expedia homepage, click on Trips in the top right corner (on desktop) or in the bottom menu bar (in the app), and then select "Create a trip".

How do I create a trip plan?

Once you've signed into your account and created your trip, you can save accommodations and activities to your trip. Soon you will also be able to save your preferred flights in our Trip Planner.

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Saving items in a travel planner online helps you stay organized by keeping all your favorite stays and activities saved in one place. Instead of switching between multiple browser tabs, just open our Trip Planner.

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Head to the Expedia homepage and click on Trips in the top right (on desktop) or in the bottom menu bar (in the app). Select the trip that you want to view and look for "Saved items" to see all the items you've selected for that trip that haven't been booked yet.

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Friends and family invited to collaborate on a trip with you will be able to view, save, and book items in your trip planner itinerary. All they need to do to start collaborating is accept the trip invite sent to their email.

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20 one-week europe trip itinerary ideas.

Wondering where to spend one week in Europe? These 20 ideas for your Europe trip will help you decide how to maximize your time.

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How to Choose the Best One Week Itinerary for a Europe Trip: 20 Europe Itinerary Ideas

If you’re like most people and getting time off work or kids out of school is challenging, you may only be able to manage one week of vacation. Europe is a great destination to go for one week, simply because of the cultural diversity in such a small geographic area.

The small size, proximity, and ease of transportation between many of the countries in Europe make it a good choice for a culturally rich one week holiday. If you’ve only got one week in Europe, and really want to maximize your time, but you’re wondering where to go in Europe, here are 20 perfect one-week Europe travel itineraries.

No time to read this now? Pin it for later!

• Before You go to Europe

Europe is an amazing destination, especially if you pick any of these awesome itineraries, but before leaving there are a few things you should consider when planning your Europe trip:

• KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Before you go to Europe, be sure you follow my 50 travel tips for Europe. You can find those here. 

And the winter months are generally cold in most European countries, especially in the north.That doesn’t mean you should avoid those times, it just depends on your tolerance for crowds and your preference in weather.

• WHAT TO PACK FOR EUROPE: What you pack for Europe will highly depend on what time of year you go and where you decide to go. This  packing guide for Europe will ensure you have the essentials.
• GETTING AROUND: Getting around Europe can be a little daunting, but if you do some research before you go, you’ll be just fine. Transportation in every country in Europe is a little different. I’ve linked many of my articles with helpful advice below like   How to Survive Train Travel in Italy   and   Driving in Scotland . Some itineraries will require you to go by train, car, plane or boat. Travel around Europe doesn’t have to be scary if you learn what to do ahead of time.

If you’re renting a car, there are two companies we prefer to use: Rental Cars and Expedia Cars. We have had no issues with them and have been able to find the best prices available.

What to do in Europe for One Week: 20 European Vacation Ideas for Your Europe Trip

These are my best one week vacations in Europe. Taking a multi city European vacation can be a great way to experience several different cultures on one continent. I know that one week in Europe isn’t a lot of time, so I’ve picked cities that are either close in proximity or a quick and cheap flight between each other.

I’ve also tried to choose each Europe travel itinerary with a mix of classic sites and unique destinations. There are so many cool places to visit in Europe that are still undiscovered. Hopefully, some of these locations will be new to you and you’ll be able to discover a new European favorite!

Here's a Short Cut

1 | Amalfi Coast + Rome

2 | paris + london, 3 | ireland + iceland, 4 | heidelberg, germany + strasbourg, france, 5 | colmar, france + basel, switzerland, 6 | interlaken + lucerne, switzerland, 7 | lake como, italy + zermatt, switzerland, 8 | paris + normandy, 9 | iceland and the scottish highlands, 10 | venice and lake como, 11 | the ionian islands, greece, 12 | ireland + northern ireland, 13 | edinburgh + scottish highlands, 14 | colmar + strasbourg, 15 | loire valley + paris, 16 | london + cotswolds, 17 | cinque terre + florence, 18 | prague + vienna, 19 | budapest + bratislava, 20 | lucca + sardinia, 21 | lisbon + algarve, 22 | vienna + hallstatt + salzburg , 23 | croatia + montenegro, 24 | budapest + bratislava + vienna, practical tips for booking your trip.

This is one of my very favorite European vacation destinations. There are hundreds of choices for stunning history and scenery when you visit Italy, but this Amalfi Coast and Rome itinerary gives you the best of both worlds. Rome is one of the top places to visit in Europe and offers history around every corner…literally, while on the Amalfi Coast you will be overwhelmed by breathtaking ocean views.

Spend several days in Rome, then head south to the Amalfi Coast via Naples and spend a few more relaxing on the beach and driving the coast. It’s one of the best European beach vacations you can take! Amalfi is also one of the most popular Europe vacation spots during the month of August, so you may want to take that into consideration when planning your trip.

Check out these other 5 amazing itineraries for Italy.  Italy is one of the best countries to visit in Europe due to its size and variety of landscapes, cultures, and attractions.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Rome

GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Getting from Rome to Amalfi is easy. Take the train from Rome to Naples, from there take the bus to Sorrento. There are many tour buses that travel along the coast, or you can rent a car and do the driving yourself.

WHERE TO STAY Rome | Amalfi RESOURCES How to Spend One Day in Rome Family Guide to Rome How to Spend 2 Days in Naples How to Survive Train Travel in Italy The Best Places to Visit in Italy How to Spend 10 Days in Italy Tips for Renting a Car in Europe i Heart Italy

If you’re looking for a European vacation with a lot of history and class, this is it! I can’t even count the number of times that I have done the Paris/London combo. I’ve done it with kids, as a couple, as a girls’ trip, and as a field trip. No joke! And every time I go, it’s like completely different cities. You can follow completely different options for London and Paris itineraries and have an amazing time no matter what you choose. In my opinion, these are two of the best cities to visit in Europe as they offer a huge amount of culture, food, and entertainment bang for your buck!

When I plan our family trip to Europe each year, I make sure to always include both Paris and London. These are two of my favorite places in all of Europe. They are popular for good reason. Both Paris and London are so vast and diverse that you can have a new experience each time you visit. The best part about visiting these two cities is that they are very easy to travel between with the help of the Eurostar. It’s a quick journey from the heart of one city to the next that requires no airports, no flying, and no hassle. Note: You will need a   passport or visa   to travel between England and France and you will need to go through customs before boarding the Eurostar.

I’ve created an easy-to-use day-by-day itinerary for Paris and London so that you can show up and enjoy your trip. 

GETTING THERE: Fly into London or Paris GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Take the Eurostar

WHERE TO STAY Paris | London

RESOURCES Paris Walking Guide Paris with Kids Foods You Must Try in Paris Paris Neighborhood Guide How to Use the Paris Bike System London Travel Guide Perfect London Itinerary London with Kids Christmas in London Paddington’s Guide to London How to Use the Paris Bike System

If you’re looking for a European vacation with wild nature and rural beauty, this option is a winner. While both of these spectacular islands really deserve their own week (or weeks really), a trip combining the two is possible, thanks to affordable flights between Iceland and Ireland. A good route would be Reykjavik and the Golden Circle, combined with the west of Ireland including Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, and the Cliffs of Moher. These countries are some of the best places to go in Europe if you love majestic natural beauty.

GETTING THERE:  Fly into Iceland as its one of the cheapest ways to get to Europe. GETTING BETWEN COUNTRIES:  From Iceland , take a quick flight to Ireland. Dublin , Belfast , Cork, or Shannon Airports are usually where you’ll find the best deals.

WHERE TO STAY Ireland | Iceland

RESOURCES Iceland on a Budget Bucket List Things to do in Iceland Iconic Things to do in Dublin Day Trips from Dublin What to do in Killarney Perfect Ireland Itinerary Ireland with Kids Ireland Packing List

This one-week European itinerary includes two of my favorite cities in Europe! Heidelberg, Germany, known for its ancient castle and walkable downtown is a perfect companion to Strasbourg, France only an hour and a half away, in the Alsace region of France, known for its impressive cathedral and half-timber houses. These towns are particularly spectacular during the Christmas season and some of the best places to spend Christmas in Europe. This will be the best Europe itinerary for those looking to spend time in provincial looking towns!

GETTING THERE:  Fly into Frankfurt, Germany GETTING BETWEEN COUNTRIES:  Drive for 1.5 hours or take the train for 1.5 hours.

WHERE TO STAY Heidelberg | Strasbourg

RESOURCES Best European Christmas Markets European Christmas Market Treats What to do in Strasbourg What to do in Heidelberg, Germany What to do in Strasbourg, France

If you want to spend your Europen vacation wandering charming streets and feeling like you’re in a fairytale, this is it. Basel, Switzerland holds a special place in my heart and is often an overlooked town. Only a quick 45-minute train ride from the popular and iconic Colmar, France, Basel offers a unique culture that only a town on the border of three countries can. Basel is especially fun during Herbstmesse, the local Autumn Fair when the city literally turns into a fair! Combine these two beautiful cities for a one-of-a-kind holiday.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Basel or Zurich GETTING BETWEEN CITIES:  Drive 45 minutes or Train 30 minutes

WHERE TO STAY Colmar |  Basel

RESOURCES What to do in Basel Guide to Colmar, France

No European vacation list would be complete without including the unimaginable beauty of the Swiss Alps. Switzerland is a wonderland of natural beauty for the outdoor enthusiast or even anyone who has a remote interest in pretty scenery! It’s one of the best countries in Europe for those who love outdoor activity and natural beauty. It’s just jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

For such a small country, there is so much to see and with two of Switzerland most breathtaking areas just a few hours from each other, it’s worth visiting both of them. These areas offer pristine lakes, ancient gorges, colossal mountains, and a vast array of cultural activities.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Zurich, Switzerland GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Train to Lucerne, Train to Interlaken

WHERE TO STAY Interlaken | Lucerne

RESOURCES Switzerland Itinerary Swiss Food Guide Switzerland Packing List 24 Hours in Zurich What to do in Interlaken What to do in Lucerne

If you’d like your Europe trip to have a good mix of beach and mountain time, this is the perfect combination. Lake Como is probably one of my top favorite places on the planet. It is totally magical and peaceful, and I’ve written about it multiple times and helped friends and family plan trips there. Don’t skip Lake Como on your next trip to Italy. One of my favorite parts of Lake Como is its proximity to the Swiss border. You can actually hike over the borer and into Switzerland! But if you’d rather not hike, hop in the car and take a trip to Zermatt, Switzerland, home of the famous towering mountain, Matterhorn.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Milan, Italy GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Drive 3 hours to Zermatt or take a 4 hour Train ride from Milan

WHERE TO STAY Lake Como | Zermatt

RESOURCES Guide to Lake Como Boating Lake Como Guide to Zermatt Best Places to Visit in Italy How to Spend 10 Days in Italy i Heart Italy

This is a European vacation full of charm, but also a healthy dose of history and reality. A Paris-Normandy itinerary of Europe combines all the glamor and romance of the city of light with the charm, history, and beauty of Northern France. Spend several days in Paris, taking several day trips, including the impressive floating Mont Saint Michel. This area is one of the best places to visit in Europe for history lovers.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Paris GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Drive 3 hours

WHERE TO STAY Paris | Normandy

RESOURCES Paris Itinerary Paris Walking Guide Paris with Kids Foods You Must Try in Paris Paris Neighbgorhood Guide Guide to Normandy Guide to Visiting Mont Saint Michel France with Kids

Two naturally and culturally beautiful countries are just a short and cheap flight apart and a great combination for a one-week European itinerary, although both countries could take weeks to explore on their own.  Spend a few days in Iceland, then take a cheap hopper flight and explore the mystical highlands of Scotland.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Reykjavik GETTING BETWEEN COUNTRIES: Fly into Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, or Aberdeen

WHERE TO STAY Iceland | Scotland

RESOURCES Iceland on a Budget Scotland Itinerary What to do in Inverness What to do on the Isle of Skye Scotland Packing List

Some of my favorite Italian destinations, Venice and Lake Como, both built on water, are ideal locations for aquatic enthusiasts. Taking a ride on a gondola in Venice is one of the best things to do in Europe! Take the Vaporetto (water bus) in Venice, then take a short drive or train ride to Lake Como and enjoy boating and relaxing on the beach in one of the adorable villages lining the lake.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Venice or Milan GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: 3.5 hours by car or 10 hours by train

WHERE TO STAY Venice | Lake Como

RESOURCES Guide to Lake Como Boating Lake Como Surviving Train Travel in Italy Guide to Venice Best Places to Visit in Italy How to Spend 10 Days in Italy i Heart Italy

If you’re interested in cheap Europe trips, the gorgeous Ionian islands of Greece are one of the best-kept secrets in Europe. Naturally and culturally diverse, affordable, and downright beautiful, Kefalonia and Corfu make great choices for one week in Europe.

Explore ancient ruins, relax on pristine beaches with locals, and dine, affordably, like a Greek god. If you’re travelling Europe on a budget, this is a great option and Greece is one of the best places to visit in Europe in summer if you’re looking for gorgeous beaches at affordable prices.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Kefalonia from London on Ryanair GETTING BETWEEN ISLANDS: Take a ferry between the Ionian Islands from Greek Ferries

WHERE TO STAY Kefalonia | Corfu

RESOURCES Guide to Kefalonia Greece The Ionian Islands The Best Beaches on Corfu What to Wear in Greece Guide to Athens

Two countries on one island? Yep! Take a visit to Ireland AND Northern Ireland. Two countries that are very similar, but also very different. Explore the entire island with this perfect itinerary.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Dublin or any airport in Ireland GETTING BETWEEN COUNTRIES: Rent a Car. Driving in Ireland can be tricky and slow, but worth the views and the adventure.

WHERE TO STAY Ireland | Northern Ireland

RESOURCES The Best Places to Visit in Ireland Perfect Ireland Itinerary Ireland with Kids What to do in Killarney Scotland and Ireland Itinerary Ireland Packing List

Scotland is one country that should really be given an entire week. You could definitely say that about any destination, but for a relatively small country, but it has so much to offer that you could spend years here and not see it all.

For one week in Scotland, I recommend visiting Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands, including the Isle of Skye. Read here for an entire Scotland Itinerary, here for Edinburgh , here for Inverness and the Highlands , and here for the Isle of Skye.

GETTING THERE:  Flying into Edinburgh is usually the cheapest option. GETTING BETWEN AREAS:  It’s best to rent a car or hire a driver or tour company. Be sure to read my guide to driving in Scotland.  

WHERE TO STAY Ediburgh | Inverness | Isle of Skye

RESOURCES Perfect Scotland Itinerary What to do in Edinburgh What to do in Inverness What to do on the Isle of Skye Scotland Packing List

What could be more charming than a week spent in these “poor provincial towns.” Ok, so they’re definitely not poor or provincial, but you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into Belle’s hometown from Beauty and the Beast .

The ancient half-timber homes built along scenic rivers provide a feast for the eyes, while the patisseries, boulangeries, shops, and restaurants provide a feast for the tongue. Split your time between these two idyllic towns and enjoy a peaceful trip back in time.

If you visit Colmar or Strasbourg during Christmas, these towns will be even more magical! Strasbourg is known as “The Capital of Christmas” and both towns have incredible Christmas markets and decorations!

GETTING THERE:  Fly into Zurich GETTING BETWEEN COUNTRIES:  30 minutes by train or 1 hour by car

WHERE TO STAY Colmar | Strasbourg

RESOURCES 24 Hours in Zurich Guide to Colmar Guide to Strasbourg The Most Magical European Christmas Markets Must-Have European Christmas Market Treats 

Divide your time between the ancient and modern city of light and the historic Loire Valley , home to magnificent palaces, stunning gardens, and green pastures. This one-week itinerary is the perfect balance between city and country life and will provide you with a mix of excitement, peace, and romance. It can be hard to squeeze everything you want into one week European itineraries, but this is a must!

Be sure to map out the castles and palaces you want to see along the way. Our favorite is Chenonceau ! Don’t miss it!

GETTING THERE: Fly into Paris GETTING AROUND:  Rent a car and drive two hours to the Loire Valley

WHERE TO STAY Loire Valley | Paris

RESOURCES Walking Guide to Paris Paris with Kids Day Trips from Paris Foods You Must Try in Paris Guide to the Loire Valley 15 Affordable Castles You Can Stay In

This London and Cotswolds Itinerary provides the best of both British worlds, encompassing both the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s oldest and largest cities and the peace and tranquility of the quaint cottage speckled Cotswolds.

As much as I love London (it’s my favorite city), I do get tired of the crowds and the constant noise. It is so refreshing to get into the countryside and have a change of scenery during your time in London. The Cotswolds are a fairytale-like dream trip. Be sure to grab cream tea every chance you get!

GETTING THERE: Fly into one of three London Airports GETTING AROUND: Rent a car and explore the whole Cotswolds area

WHERE TO STAY London | Cotswolds

RESOURCES London Travel Guide Complete Guide to London Perfect London Itinerary London with Kids Paddington’s Guide to London Christmas in London Guide to the Cotswolds

I call this itinerary the best of Northern Italy. Italy is huge and has so much to offer geographically and culturally, but one of my favorite parts of Italy is the train system. The trains in Italy allow for easy access to most major sites, but it can be slightly confusing, so be sure to read this guide to train travel in Italy before you go. Getting between Florence and Cinque Terre is simple with the right knowledge.

The great thing about this itinerary is that you will get to see a big city full of culture, history, and art, and also spend time swimming at the beach and on a boat soaking up rays in in the Liguerian Sea. Read here for Florence, here for Cinque Terre, here for Trains in Italy.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Florence GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: Two hours by train

WHERE TO STAY Cinque Terre | Florence

RESOURCES Guide to Cinque Terre Guide to Florence How to Survive Train Travel in Italy Best Places to Visit in Italy How to Spend 10 Days in Italy

I think Prague and Vienna might be some of the most underrated cities in Europe, and they are worth dedicating an entire week to. Stunning architecture, delicious cuisine, and cultural activities abound in these cities that are just a few hours apart.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Vienna or Prague GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: 3-hour drive or 4-hour train ride

WHERE TO STAY Prague | Vienna

RESOURCES One Day in Prague What to do in Vienna

If you’re looking for cheap European vacations, the farther east you go, the cheaper it generally gets. These are two cities that had never really been on my bucket list, and to be honest, I had never even heard of Bratislava, which is in Slovakia by the way! Both cities are charming and culturally rich. They are especially festive and beautiful around Christmas time.

Bratislava is on the way between Budapest and Vienna (you can even cycle between Budapest and Vienna ) and Budapest and Prague, so if you’re thinking of doing a combination of any of those cities, it’s a great stop.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Budapest GETTING BETWEEN CITIES: 2 hours by car, 2.5 hours by train

WHERE TO STAY Budapest | Bratislava

RESOURCES What to do in Budapest European Christmas Markets What to do in Bratislava

These incredible destinations in Italy are not well known, but that is part of the appeal. I would say they are a good option for a cheaper and less crowded alternative to the  Florence and Cinque Terre itinerary.

Lucca is a walled city in Tuscany offering stunning architecture and culture with great family fun activities such as riding bikes along the top of the medieval wall around the city. Sardinia is a heavenly island, just a ferry ride away full of breathtaking beaches, delicious food, and friendly locals. Known as one of the five blue zones in the world- places in the world where people live longer and healthier than anywhere else on earth-Sardinia will make you feel younger and more alive just by visiting.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Rome or Florence GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS: Take a Ferry from Civitavecchia to Olbia

WHERE TO STAY Lucca | Sardinia

RESOURCES One Day in Rome What to do in Lucca Sardinia Best Places to Visit in Italy How to Spend 10 Days in Italy What to Wear in Italy

Portugal is a beautiful country full of diverse landscapes, amazing beaches, and cultural city centers. Lisbon is a stunning city and the Algarve region in the south of Portugal offers sunny beaches with world-famous surfing. There are some really cheap flights to Lisbon from the US right now and you can either drive, train, bus, or fly to the Algarve easily. As a southern European country, Portugal is a great choice for a winter destination. We were there last January and could still get in the water. There are many towns to choose from in the Algarve and they are all equally unique and beautiful. 

GETTING THERE: Fly into Lisbon GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS: Take a plane, car, or bus to the Algarve.

The Perfect Portugal Itinerary

This one week in Europe spent in Austria is a dream. Combining the culture of Vienna and Salzburg with the picturesque feel of Hallstatt, it’s sure to satisfy any traveler. In my opinion, this is a great winter destination if you don’t mind the cold. Vienna and Salzburg have several amazing Christmas markets and Hallstatt is simply a dream to see in the snow! 

GETTING THERE: Fly into Vienna GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS: Take a train to Salzburg (2.5 hours). A great way to see Hallstatt is to take a day trip from Salzburg.

Hallstatt Day Trip

European Christmas Markets

Christmas Market Treats

If you’re into coastal towns, walled cities, and breathtaking scenery, this combination is for you. The Dalmation Coast is absolutely stunning. The bordering country of Montenegro is really the hidden gem of Europe, offering the same draw as Croatia, but with far fewer tourists. I recommend going during shoulder season (April-May or September-October) to be able to enjoy warmer weather with fewer crowds. 

GETTING THERE: Fly into Dubrovnik, Croatia  GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS:  Take a Day Trip to Montenegro

Two of the most underrated cities in Europe if you ask me, Budapest and Bratislava are both cities that offer an amazing array of culture and also incredible food. If you’re up for the cold weather, these cities all have incredible Christmas markets and stunning decorations around the holidays. These cities are also all connected by rail so you can easily navigate between them. 

GETTING THERE: Fly into Vienna or Budapest GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS: Take the train between each city. Bratislava would be a good day trip from Vienna.

25 | Berlin + Prague

If you love history and architecture, then these two cities will captivate you! Split your time between the two, rent a car and take a road trip between them to enjoy some beautiful scenery. 

GETTING THERE: Fly into either Berlin or Prague, whichever airport is cheaper.  GETTING BETWEEN DESTINATIONS: Rent a car and take a road trip between Berlin and Prague.

Whichever Europe Itinerary you choose, you’re guaranteed to love it. You can definitely see so much of Europe in a week and you really can’t go wrong with any of these choices. Just remember to relax and enjoy and also remember that this probably won’t be the last Europe trip of your lifetime.

Not the Trip You Need?

Not exactly the trip you’re looking for? Don’t worry, I also offer custom trip planning by request for many destinations! Learn more here.

Book Your Flight s and Car Find a budget airlines by using  Skyscanner . This is my favorite way to search for flights because they crawl websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know you’re getting the best deal. Learn more tips for finding the best flight deals here. For cars, I like to use Rental Cars because they have good filters and its easy to search for multiple companies.

Book Your Accommodation My preferred way to stay around the world is VRBO . I find it usually gives you a unique local experience in any destination. If you want to stay in a hotel, use  Booking , as it consistently gives the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them both all the time.

Always Get Travel Insurance Travel insurance protects you and your family against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s peace of mind in case anything goes wrong. I never travel without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for the last few years and love how easy it is to use. I have also used Allianz . Compare rates to see which is best for the coverage you need.

Looking for ways to save money on travel? Check out my  resource page  for the companies I use for traveling! I share everything I use to save me time and money.

Wanderlust Crew

9 thoughts on “ 20 one-week europe trip itinerary ideas ”.

Hi there, My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary next March and would love to go somewhere in Europe for a week. I have only been to Italy (over 20 years ago) and he’s never been. I’m a bit overwhelmed by even trying to figure out where to go. Can you help? Thanks! Hannah

Hi Hannah. I can definitely help! I’ve got several Italy Itinerary ideas for Italy here: https://wanderlustcrew.com/10-days-in-italy/ I also do custom trip planning, specifically for Italy, if you’re interested in that, you can find more info here: https://wanderlustcrew.com/custom-travel-planning/ Italy will be so much fun! One of my favorite places on earth! xo Vanessa

Very helpful! Thank you. We are planning a one year stay & this helped with our itinerary tremendously.

Oh that sounds amazing! You’ll see so much!

Great ideas! We hope we’ll be able to travel to Europe again soon!

Thanks so much! Me too! Going as soon as it’s safe!!

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Very good these tips I was even thinking about taking a vacation for a few days, thank you

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11 Free Travel Itinerary Templates for Your Next Trip in Google Docs, Excel, & Word

Content Partnership Specialist

April 8, 2024

There are a lot of things that go into planning a trip.

From scheduling flights, booking hotels and car rentals, planning activities, and ensuring all of them fit within your timeline and budget too!

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or simply someone looking to create an organized travel schedule for your upcoming trip, then you should consider using an itinerary template. 

Itinerary templates help you organize your activities, manage your time , calculate your expenses, give you a breakdown of all your important travel information before a trip, and help you make the most out of your business trip or vacation. 

Head over to the sections below to find out what makes a good itinerary template, and discover 11 free templates you can use to help you plan your next trip! 🏝️

What is an Itinerary Template?

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An itinerary is a document that outlines all of the details of your trip, from your flight and hotel reservations to your planned activities and budget, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

That said, trip planners should turn to itinerary templates to give you ready-to-use and organized fill-in-the-blank pages that you can use for every type of trip. 

Itinerary templates can help business and leisure travelers:

• Save time, plan more effectively, and provide an organized format for all the important details of their trip
• Have a digital planner to keep track of all the details they need to consider when planning their travel, such as dates and locations, transportation and accommodations, and activities
• Get quick access to all of the necessary details in one place
• Help manage last-minute changes more effectively

Think of these free itinerary templates as your personal travel agent assistant. They’re there to assist you with planning the most important parts of your trip, so you spend more time enjoying the moment than worrying about what’s next and how you’re getting there.

Moreover, creating a detailed travel itinerary is beneficial if you’re visiting a new city or country you’ve never been to before. 

So what should a travel itinerary look like? Let’s take a look!

There are several types of itinerary templates for different occasions. The most commonly used and sought templates are for business trips, vacations, event planning, and global and domestic travels.

And while there are many types of itinerary templates out there, the best ones offer the following basic elements: 

• Have clear and concise language
• Organized and easy-to-read format
• Customizable and easy to edit
• Easily accessible and sharable 

And if you need to shift your plans around due to unexpected changes, a solid travel itinerary template should offer the flexibility to let you make changes without compromising the flow of your trip. It also shouldn’t require you to start your travel itinerary from scratch.

Ultimately, these templates should help you create a personalized travel itinerary, save time, and stay organized to help you become a better planner.

Speaking of which—here are 11 hand-picked travel itinerary templates that can help you with that! Each one offers a unique format and features. Check them one by one to see which templates suit your needs the best.

11 Travel Itinerary Templates for Your Next Trip

Traveling for work? 

This Business Travel Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you get all your important travel details and work schedules, all in one place. 

Easily notate your travel dates, hotel information, flight number, and other important information in an organized and easy-to-follow format in ClickUp Docs . If you have multiple travel plans or want to keep your past and future travel itinerary docs in one place, then simply add nested pages under one Doc to keep everything neatly organized and accessible.

And because ClickUp Docs allow you to have full control of sharing permissions and privacy, you can keep your pages private to protect your personal information or securely share them with selected people via a link.

Best of all, ClickUp is available on the mobile app , so you can take your itinerary template wherever you go and access it any time of the day.

Use this free travel itinerary template to streamline your business travel planning process and establish a consistent standard itinerary that you can use again and again.

Planning a road trip or exploring a new city?

Whatever type of vacation you’re planning for, this Vacation Planning Travel Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you create a visual roadmap of your planned activities.

With this free travel itinerary template, you’ll be able to plan your destinations, use ClickUp Custom Fields to add important details such as hotel addresses, type of activity, hours of operation, travel time, accommodations, reservations, and so on to ensure you’re on the right track to hit all the spots you have planned to visit on your trip!

Additionally, this template allows you to visualize your road trip itinerary in Map view, as shown above, and other views in ClickUp, such as List, Embed Board, and Doc view. Each custom view offers a unique look at your travel itinerary to help you visualize and organize your plans in the best way that works for you. 

Use these vacation planning templates to give you the structure and organization you need to plan your next trip and have a stress-free getaway!

Streamline your travel planning with ClickUp’s Trip Planner Template ! Say goodbye to the chaos of scattered details and hello to a centralized hub for all your trip essentials. From flights to accommodations, activities to budgets, this template has you covered. Save time by organizing everything in one place and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

With customizable features like custom statuses, fields, and views, you can tailor the template to suit your specific needs. Collaborate effortlessly with friends and family to create the ultimate travel experience. Whether you’re jetting off for a quick getaway or planning a work trip, this template provides the tools you need for a successful trip.

Set your budget, research destinations, create itineraries, and finalize details all within ClickUp’s intuitive platform. Track progress, assign tasks, and monitor productivity with ease. From start to finish, ClickUp’s Trip Planner Template empowers you to plan your dream trip efficiently and effectively.

Whether you’re born with natural event planning skills or perhaps someone who’s looking to get better at it, this Event Planning Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you plan your next events with ease!

This event planning itinerary template includes three highly visual ClickUp Views that can be customized for any need, from organizing and scheduling event dates on a List and Board to drag-and-drop planning on a Calendar.

Each view provides pre-built Custom Fields, which allow you and your team to add important details, such as progress percentage bars, payment status, due dates, budget status, and more. You can also create Custom Task Statuses to help identify the stage each task is, keeping everyone in the loop on where each task stands at all times. 

You can download the app on your mobile device to access your tasks regardless of your event’s location, and use this itinerary template to help you become a pro at planning events and start managing all of your business operations, teams, and event planning —all in one place. 

Sometimes, it’s best to take things day by day, especially when your workload and to-do lists are getting out of hand. 

Seize the day and stay productive (and motivated) by turning to the 24 Hours Itinerary Template in ClickUp to guide you when creating your daily schedule!

This free itinerary template includes pre-built Custom Fields and Custom Task Statuses to help you easily plan and visualize your daily tasks. And because those features are fully customizable, you can edit and add whatever fields and statuses work best for your workflow.

Use this template to assist you with daily planning , so you easily view all of your to-dos, stay focused on what’s on your plate each day, and make the most of every day!

Meetings are a great way to sync with people in real time.

However, without a proper agenda, you might forget to discuss important matters, lose control of the meeting flow, and veer off track, leaving the attendees with more questions than answers or thinking, “this could’ve been an email.” 😅

Don’t let that happen to you! 

Whether you’re hosting a face-to-face or virtual meeting, having a prepared agenda beforehand keeps your meetings productive and helps make the most of your attendee’s time— the free Agenda Template by ClickUp can help you prep for your next meeting.

This template provides you with sections for your meeting details, participants, and so much more. And because this template is available ClickUp Docs, you can easily format the page to support any type of meeting , embed links to add more details to your agenda, and easily share it with your team before the meeting so they can come prepared with insights or questions. 

Use this itinerary template to help you plan and keep your next meetings productive! 

Planning a conference and need a conference agenda template ?

This Conference Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you create, visualize, and manage your events all in one centralized place.

This template offers pre-built views, such as Box, Calendar, and List view, and Custom Fields and Custom Task Statuses to allow you to create your ideal itinerary for your event. Moreover, you can add custom tags to your tasks to add another layer of organization to your itinerary and add new Custom Fields to keep your tasks as detailed as possible as you plan your live or virtual conference events .

And if you need help getting started, no problem. It comes with a Getting Started Guide to help you get familiarized with the template and serve as a guide to help you plan your next event !

A meeting agenda is a must, especially for board meetings. 

The Board Meeting Agenda Template in ClickUp offers pre-built Custom Fields to help board members and leadership create a high-level and organized meeting agenda, and run productive meetings. You may also add single or multiple assignees to each task and subtask to clearly note who’s responsible for completing the task or presenting the topics and check them off the list as each task or topic has been discussed to easily track and note what is yet to be completed.

Use this itinerary template to help you create an organized meeting agenda , keep everyone in the loop ahead of the meeting, and promote open discussion among all participants, which can lead to stronger decisions and better outcomes.

If you’re an Excel user, then this template is for you.

Microsoft Excel offers a handy Vacation Itinerary template that you can use to organize all of your trip details. Whether you want to start a road trip itinerary with friends or a personalized itinerary of your full trip, this trip itinerary template includes entries for flight information, lodging, emergency contacts, activities, and so on. 

Once you’ve filled out the template with the details of your trip, simply save it on your computer or print it to take a physical copy of your itinerary with you or leave a copy for your friends and family while you’re away on your vacation.

If you like keeping things simple when planning your trips, then this travel itinerary template will work for what you need.

This template allows you to add and edit your travel details, such as destinations, transportation, lodging, and what you need to pack for your trip, in organized tables in Google Docs (where you can also connect to Google Sheets). 

This is one of the many customizable templates that’s free to download. Save it on your computer or print a copy to take with you!

Keep your business trips as stress-free as possible by creating a detailed flight itinerary, meeting schedule, and more all on one page. Use Microsoft Word’s Business Trip Itinerary template to keep track of important dates, departure and arrival times, destination addresses, phone numbers, travel time, and other notes about each item on your itinerary. 

Start Planning Your Next Trip with Travel Itinerary Templates

When it comes to planning trips, having an itinerary is key.

But we get it. Making a detailed itinerary can be quite time-consuming. That’s why using an itinerary template can be such a great tool! Stay organized and use the templates we provided above as a starting point for creating your own customized itinerary for your upcoming trips and events.

And if you’re a fan of customizations, then you’ll click well with ClickUp. 

It offers a fully customizable platform with hundreds of features and templates to give you the power to create a personalized experience, connect all your notes and work together, and build a workflow and itineraries that work for you.

Get access to ClickUp’s customizable templates for free today, and start getting excited about planning your next event! 

Bon voyage! 👋

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Easy Itinerary Downloads for YOU

Thank you for your interest in amazing travel experiences! You now have access to our downloadable / printable itineraries. – This page is forever under construction as we add to it, so check back often!

As we continue to build our library of easy, printable itineraries, check back for more. Below you’ll find download links for National Park itineraries, Hawaii itineraries per island or multi island trips, Mexico and Peru trips and more!

We will continue to build this list through our travels, so stay tuned. If there isn’t a printable itinerary linked yet, please visit the article with travel planning details. THIS PAGE IS FOREVER IN PROGRESS.

National Park Itineraries

Please feel free to download or print our itineraries to make your trips even easier. I always print our travel plans because I like to make notes or be able to change things, but you do you!

• Glacier National Park – 5 Days – DOWNLOAD
• Yellowstone National Park – 5 Days
• Everglades National Park – 4 Days
• New York City National Park Sites – 3 Days
• Mt Rainier National Park – 4 Days
• Olympic National Park – 4 Days
• Acadia National Park – 4 Days
• Yosemite National Park – 5 Days
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks – 5 Days
• Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks – 3 Days
• Grand Canyon National Park and Page AZ – 4 Days
• Zion National Park – 4 Days
• South Florida National Parks – 7 Days
• Utah National Parks Road Trip – 10 Days
• California National Parks Road Trip – 12 Days
• Washington National Parks Road Trip – 10 Days

Hawaii Itineraries

I love our Hawaii itineraries, and I know you will too! If you haven’t been to Hawaii before or are returning for a different type of visit or to a new island, enjoy our travel plans, because we’ve done the footwork and swam in the spots!

• Big Island of Hawaii – 6 Days
• Maui Itinerary – 5 Days
• Oahu Itinerary – 5 Days
• Kauai Itinerary – 6 Days
• Island Hopping in Hawaii – Flexible Schedule

Mainland USA Road Trip Itineraries

I love writing about our road trips, and we’ve done a thousand of them it would seem. From coast to coast we have plans for countless adventures in the USA that include cities, rural destinations, parks and more. Get my book The Road Trip Survival Guide here!

• West Coast National Parks – The Mountains
• West Coast Road Trip – Lighthouses and National Parks
• Awesome Arizona Road Trip
• Maine Summer Road Trip
• Florida Gulf Coast Road Trip
• North Florida Road Trip
• Virginia and Washington DC Road Trip
• Columbia Gorge Road Trip
• California Coast Road Trip
• Washington – Oregon Road Trip
• Wisconsin Road Trip
• Cross Country Road Trip Routes

Puerto Rico Itineraries

One of the reasons I love visiting Puerto Rico is because it’s so very different from the mainland USA. Puerto Rico is easy to visit as an American or Canadian, with US citizens not needing a passport. The island uses the US Dollar and the primary languages are Spanish and English. It’s beautiful, historic and fun!

• Exploring San Juan – 4 Days
• Eastern Puerto Rico Itinerary – 4 Days
• History, Beaches and the Jungle of Puerto Rico – 6 Days

Mexico Itineraries

Our downloadable Mexico itineraries are great for families, couples or exploring on your own. We have had great experiences and always felt very safe. As with any international travel, you need to stay up to date on travel advisories and follow your gut when leaving the main tourist areas.

• Baja California Sur – 8 Days
• Baja California Norte – 6 Days
• Baja 1000… for tourists – 8 Days
• Quintana Roo – 6 Days
• Yucatan Loop Itinerary – 8 Days

Peru Itineraries

When it comes to international travel, Peru is a wonderful country to explore if you’re not big into worldwide trips. Peru is not far or difficult to get to from the USA and there is a wonderful tourism infrastructure. With 80 of the 126 microclimates in the world, there’s a Peru experience that’s right for everyone. And Peru is absolutely beautiful. Check out our Peruvian Amazon group trips!

• Ultimate Two Weeks in Peru – 15 Days
• The Peruvian Andes – 8 Days
• Lima and the Coast – 6 Days
• Peruvian Amazon – 6 Days

Europe Itineraries

There are so many ways to trek around Europe and see extremely different countries. There’s no wrong way or amount of time to have an amazing experience. As we continue to take trips to different parts of Europe we’ll continue to expand on our downloadable European itineraries.

• Italy by Train – 8 Days
• Paris for First Timers – 5 Days
• France by Train: Paris to Monaco – 8 Days
• Croatia on the Water: Sailing Itinerary – 7 Days
• Croatia Road Trip Itinerary – 7 Days
• London and Southern England – 9 Days
• Two Weeks in the UK – 15 Days
• Ireland Itinerary – 10 Days
• Amsterdam Ad-On – 3 Days

We will continue to build this list through our travels, so stay tuned. If there isn’t a printable itinerary linked yet, please visit the article with travel planning details.

An Amazing 4-Day Maui Itinerary

Follow this 4-day Maui itinerary to maximize your time enjoying the very best this “Valley Isle” has to offer.

With its lush rainforests, breathtaking waterfalls, and miles of pristine beaches, Maui offers endless opportunities for adventure and relaxation. 

After an unforgettable trip to Maui, we’ve created this island itinerary to help others experience the best of this Hawaiian paradise.

Maui Itinerary 

Maui has so much to offer. Use our 4-day itinerary to ensure you make the most of your treasured time on this Hawaiian gem known as the “Valley Isle.”

Day 1: Road to Hana and Twin Falls Hike

After a peaceful night of rest and a great  breakfast in Maui , we started our day on a scenic drive.  

Road to Hana, a 64-mile stretch of highway that offers stunning views of waterfalls, rainforests, and the ocean. We stopped at various points along the way to explore, take photos, or enjoy a picnic. 

I wanted to capture everything I saw. Fortunately, we rented a car with an open sunroof to take photos from the side of the road.

One of the first stops on the Road to Hana is Twin Falls, a popular spot for hiking and swimming. 

The trails range from easy to moderate in difficulty. We chose a short trail that led to a waterfall.  

The hike is about 1.5 miles round trip and takes about an hour to complete. You can also visit the farm stand at the entrance to buy fresh fruits, smoothies, or coconut candy.

After your hike, continue driving on the Road to Hana and enjoy the rest of the sights. 

Some of the highlights include the Garden of Eden Arboretum, the Ke’anae Peninsula, the Wai’anapanapa State Park, and the Hana Lava Tube. You can also visit the Hana Cultural Center and Museum to learn more about the history and culture of the area.

For lunch, we stopped at a roadside food truck that served taro chips and other local specialties for lunch. 

You can spend the night in Hana at one of the hotels, cottages, or bed and breakfasts available.

For dinner, you can try some of the restaurants in Hana, such as Hana Ranch Restaurant or Poke Bob’s.

Alternatively, you can drive back to your accommodation in another part of the island, but be prepared for a long and winding drive in the dark.

Day 2: Pineapple Farm Tour and Shopping

After seeing the island yesterday, we were super excited to tour the Maui Gold pineapple farm . We started the day with breakfast at the Maui Seaside Hotel and then hopped in the car for what we hoped would be less than a 15-minute drive to Haliimaile. It took us about 20 minutes because we couldn’t find it on the first try.  

The Maui Pineapple Farm is a 90-minute guided tour of a working pineapple plantation. We learned how pineapples are grown, harvested, and processed, and we tasted some of the sweetest and juiciest pineapples in the world. 

Check availability for the Maui Pineapple Tour .

We spent some time in the fields cutting our pineapples and tasting the sweet goodness. It felt like hard work in the sun, but the reward was delicious.

After being in the field, we toured the factory where pineapples were packed and shipped. In the end, we received a case (2-pack) of pineapples for free to take home. I am glad that we enjoyed a couple of them as a snack on the beach a few days later. The remaining pineapples didn’t taste as fresh by the time we returned home and ate them.  

After the tour, we decided not to visit the 60-acre estate that showcases a variety of tropical fruits, flowers, and crops. From what I heard, you can plan for more adventures, enjoy a zipline adventure, or browse the gift shop and market for souvenirs and local products.

For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant in Paia.

In the afternoon, we decided to do some shopping. Some of the best places to shop in the area include Lahaina Cannery Mall and Whalers Village.

Due to recent fires in Maui, I recommend The Shops at Wailea and Paia Town. You can find everything from clothing, jewelry, art, and crafts to Hawaiian souvenirs, snacks, and coffee.

Since it was the closest, we went shopping in Paia and darted in and out of several cute boutiques, Then we stopped at Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice for refreshments.

For dinner, you can choose from a variety of cuisines and restaurants in Maui, such as Mama’s Fish House or Monkeypod Kitchen to try some of the local delicacies, such as poke, spam musubi, or loco moco.

Day 3: Haleakala National Park and Upcountry Maui

We woke up early and drove for an hour to the summit of Haleakala, a dormant volcano that forms most of the land in Maui.

If you can rise with the birds, make a reservation in advance to enter the park between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., as this is the most popular time to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain.

You will also need to dress warmly, as the temperature quite chilly at the summit.

Once we reached it, we parked and walked tot the Haleakala Visitor Center to view the exhibits.

Don’t miss the Pu’u’ula’ula Overlook, the highest point in the park at over 10,000 feet above sea level. From there, we enjoyed the breathtaking views of the crater, the clouds, and the horizon.

The park has a variety of trails, landscapes, and wildlife. You can hike to the crater floor, where you can see cinder cones, lava tubes, and native birds. Or you can hike to Hosmer Grove, where you can see a forest of exotic and invasive trees.

You can also drive to see the Ohe’o Gulch, also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, a series of waterfalls and pools that flow into the ocean.

It’s a good thing that we packed snacks before the trip to the park. It kept our appetite at bay before finding a local cafe.

Next was a visit to the Kula Botanical Garden, where you can see a collection of tropical plants, flowers, and sculptures.

On our drive back to the hotel, we explored Upcountry Maui, a rural and scenic area that is home to farms, ranches, and wineries.

If you prefer to kick back and enjoy a relaxing trip to Upcountry Maui , I recommend a private tour.

Check availability for the Maui Upcountry Farm Tour .

We visited the Surfing Goat Dairy to see how goat cheese is made and tasted some of their award-winning products.

The weather was nice and we enjoyed the scenery and tour experiences.

Day 4: Beach Day

Since yesterday was packed with activities, we spent our last day relaxing at the beach, took long strolls, and watched the world go by.

Maui has many beautiful beaches in Maui to enjoy sun, sand, and surf.

We visited Baldwin Beach Park for its proximity to our hotel and low-key traffic.

The recreation facilities are nice. There is a soccer field, a softball backstop, a cricket pitch, public restrooms, and an outdoor shower.

The picnic area has 3 tables and 3 BBQ grills.

Parking was also easy. There is a larger parking lot that holds 100 cars and there is also an unmarked sand lot.

To the east end of the park, we found a couple of food trucks for bites and drinks.

On a beautiful sunny day, the views can’t be beat!

Full Day Tours

Private tour of upcontry maui.

For those with limited time to explore Maui, this small-group full-day tour efficiently packs in farmer’s fields, distilleries, a glass-blowing studio, and art gallery.

Visit the Maui Farm Distillery, where you can take a full-day tour and sample some of the wines made from pineapple, grape, and other fruits.

This family-run farm, has baby goats and a surfboard jungle gym. Adults can sample organic vodka, rum, and liqueurs at MauiWine and Hali’imaile Distilling Company.

Check availability for the Hali’imaile Distillery and Local Craft Experience .

This tour offers a comprehensive taste of Maui’s diverse agriculture and artisan crafts.

Visitors can enjoy the seasonal strawberry patches, pumpkin fields, and sunflower fields bursting with color. Or watch artists shape hot molten glass into beautiful works of art at a local gallery.

We love this tour because it is ideal for travelers seeking an efficient way to experience the island’s unique sights and flavors in just one day.

Needless to say, it is a wonderful way to spend the day in the eastern part of the island.

Private Tour of Maui

This is an incredible group tour that take the hassle out of driving. All you have to do is give your pickup point and away you go!

the Valley Isle Tour seems best suited for travelers who want an efficient overview of Maui’s top sights in a single day.

The full-day small group tour is limited to 14 people and hits up major highlights like the Iao Valley State Park, the rugged coastline of the Road to Hana, and more.

Those with limited mobility may find the stops at Iao Valley and Olowalu Reef challenging however.

Check availability for the Private Tour of Maui, the Valley Isle .

The tour includes hotel pickup/drop-off, lunch, and time for swimming and snorkeling. It would appeal to first-time visitors looking for an easy way to see the island as well as return visitors who want to revisit Maui’s most famous spots without planning all the logistics themselves.

Overall, this efficient driving tour appears ideal for travelers seeking an comprehensive overview of Maui’s spectacular scenery and major attractions in the convenience of a guided small group excursion.

Itinerary Summary

Day 1: Hike at Twin Falls | Roadside fruit stand | Drive the Road to Hana

Day 2: Maui Gold Pineapple Farm Tour | Shopping

Day 3: Haleakala National Park (summit of Haleakala and Pu’u’ula’ula Overlook) | Upcountry Maui (Kula Botanical Garden and Surfing Goat Dairy)

Day 4: Baldwin Beach Park

Final Thoughts on the 4-day Maui Itinerary

The Hawaiian island of Maui is a paradise for nature lovers. If you enjoy active excursions, scenic vistas, and exploring lively towns, I cannot recommend Maui highly enough.

This island offers endless opportunities for adventure, relaxation, and awe-inspiring natural beauty. From sun-soaked beaches to dramatic clifftop lookouts, the landscapes left me in awe.

And despite its small size, the island is packed with fascinating history and culture to discover.

Don’t make my mistake of underestimating Maui. The wealth of activities makes it an unforgettable tropical destination.

I hope this itinerary helps you plan your trip to Maui. Have a wonderful time!