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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

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 01

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 02

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 02

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 03

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 03

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 04

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 05

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 05

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 13

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 13

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 14

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 14

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 15

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 15

Travel Itinerary Template Word

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 06

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 06

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 07

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 07

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 08

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 08

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 09

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 09

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 10

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 10

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 11

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 11

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 12

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 template excel

Itinerary Templates Free

itinerary template free

travel itinerary template

travel itinerary template

Vacation itinerary template

vacation itinerary template

Disney Itinerary Templates

Disney Itinerary Templates

Free business travel itinerary template excel

free business travel itinerary template excel

Weekly Itinerary Template

Weekly Itinerary Template

Birthday Itinerary Template

Birthday Itinerary Template

Daily itinerary planner

daily itinerary planner

Program Itinerary Template

Program Itinerary Template

Meeting Itinerary Template

Meeting Itinerary Template

Travel Itinerary Template PDF

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 16

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 16

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 17

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 17

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 18

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 18

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 19

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 19

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 20

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 20

Itinerary Template - Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Itinerary Template – Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Business Tour - Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Business Tour – Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Business Travel Diary- 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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About the author.

The Travel Quandary

The Ultimate Trip Planner Template – Easy To Use Excel Format!

You’re about to embark on your next adventure – hooray! 

Travel planning comes naturally to some who thrive on the challenge to find the best deal on a tour, stay at the coolest hotel or dine at the hottest new restaurant. These travellers are always at the airport on time, check opening hours of attractions before leaving home and have packing down to a fine art form. On the other end of the scale, there are travellers who prefer to go with the flow, do things spontaneously and are happy to rock up to a new destination and “wing it”.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNTWO), 1.4 billion people travelled internationally in 2018. And apparently, there are over 750 million users of Microsoft Excel worldwide. There’s a high chance that you’ll fall into both of these categories (we don’t know the exact number but it would make for a pretty neat Venn diagram). And if you also classify yourself as an “unprepared” and/or “unorganised” traveller, our trip planner template is designed to help YOU.

Microsoft Excel is not only used by accountants and finance people. Microsoft Excel has become the ultimate planning and analysis tool, recognised and used worldwide which is why we’ve chosen it to create our trip planner template. We hope you find it useful and welcome your feedback and recommendations!

The Ultimate Trip Planner Template - Easy To Use Excel Format! | trip planner template 1

FREE TRIP PLANNER TEMPLATE! MICROSOFT EXCEL & GOOGLE DOCS

Why use a spreadsheet to plan your trip.

  • Identify gaps in your itinerary (closures, public holidays, mandatory reservations)
  • Save money (better budget decisions, better choices on trip)
  • To get you excited! You’re going on a holiday! Hooray!

Download your free trip planner template here

Note: For Google Docs template, download the .zip file and upload the spreadsheet to your Google Drive. Once uploaded, open with Google Sheets.

Using this spreadsheet

The Ultimate Trip Planner Template is built into a spreadsheet which is divided into six sections. We’ve built this trip planner to include 16 days of travel but you can adjust the length of the trip by adding or removing columns in the spreadsheet.

Once you’ve confirmed your travel plans, add them here. This is where you can record all your reservations – flight details, accommodation, car rental, equipment rental, tour reservations etc. Listing them on one tab means you can quickly jump in and find those important details when you need them.

2. Planning

Researching airlines, hotels, Airbnbs, car hire, tour operators and travel insurance policies can be exhausting. You’ll probably go through a phase where you’ll have so many tabs open on your browser, it’ll make you want to pull your hair out! If you also need to compare prices and dates with your travel companions, it can become downright overwhelming.

When you find a potential option you like, add it to the “Planning” tab. When your research is condensed into a neat summary, it will be a simple exercise of reviewing all possible suppliers, key dates and prices and then after a process of elimination, you will be left with the most suitable option.

A budget is by no means set in stone. Our budget tab is designed to help with your travel planning decisions. We feel that it is important to understand the costs of a holiday before making any hasty decisions. And we consider it even more important that you don’t spend beyond your means!

We don’t want to sound like party-poopers but the last thing you want is to get ripped off and/or find yourself stuck abroad without any money. By understanding where you plan to spend the bulk of your hard-earned money on your holiday, you can plan where you’ll allow yourself to splurge and other areas where you may need to tighten the purse strings.

For example, we give ourselves extra budget for food and coffee experiences as this is an aspect we love about travelling. We tend to book budget/basic accommodation on the road depending on the destination and available options, as all we need is a bed, access to a (preferably) hot shower in a secure room.

A good chunk of your budget will already be paid or known in advance before you’ve even left home (i.e. flights, some ground transport, accommodation, tours (if applicable) etc), so this should also help when allocating your budget to food, shopping and extras. There will also be times where you need to be strict and say “no” if your gut feeling and bank account tell you that you cannot afford a certain something. Be conservative but also be kind to yourself – you are treating yourself to a holiday after all and you’ll have to spend money to fully enjoy the experience!

4. Itinerary

We spend a lot of time planning our travel itineraries on a day by day basis and even breaking it down to each hour of each day. Some people call us crazy but when we are short on time and have an extensive list of things to see/do/eat/shop etc, we prefer to be organised.

Laying out our trip day by day also helps us to block out periods of time for travel or to take note of when restaurants and attractions are closed. Of course, plans can and will change. Rain may force you indoors (museums, galleries, shopping) or an unknown public holiday may disrupt your planned travel day.

We recommend using this tab to roughly outline your plans and drop in the activities and places you simply cannot miss. You can move activities to different days if your original plan doesn’t work out. If you want, record your daily expenses at the bottom and you can track how your actual spending goes against your budget.

5. Packing List

For those who begrudge packing, it tends to be the case that you will end up wearing 20% of your packed belongings during 80% of your trip. Or if you’ve left packing until the last minute and thrown items higgledy-piggledy into your suitcase, you’ll arrive at your accommodation to realise you’ve forgotten your favourite undies or packed the wrong shoes.

Packing lists work. Once you’ve considered the weather and climate at your destination, your baggage allowance plus the duration of your trip, you can plan what you need and limit unnecessary purchases on the other side.

We’ve compiled a pretty epic packing list covering practically every type of adventure and possibly everything that you may need. Feel free to adjust accordingly to your requirements.

6. Checklist

This is the final step before you walk out your front door to embark on a brand new adventure. Before you go, use this tab to ensure you’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s. And then you’re off!

Bon voyage!

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Give us your feedback of the Trip Planner Template below!

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CONTINUE PLANNING YOUR TRAVELS

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28 thoughts on “the ultimate trip planner template – easy to use excel format”.

HOLY COW I cannot believe I found EVERYTHING I needed all in one for FREE. I feel like I have ROBBED someone! My partner and I never grew up in households where family vacations were had, so we have no idea what were doing. Thank you kindly to The Travel Quandary. If I can donate, share your page, volunteer, etc. let me know how I can repay <3

SO HELPFUL ! THANK YOU SO MUCH !

How you extend the dates! I am going for a month

This template is so great! Planning a trip to New Zealand and will be traveling around a lot – this is super helpful!

NICE!! MUCHAS GRACIAS VERY COOL!!! Alina

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your files!

Thanks so much for the template. This is a very good start for a traveller like me. Easy to use!

Amazing template! Exactly what I needed. Thank you!

Thank you for the great tool! I was wondering if theres a way to enter an end date as well to the itenerary?

Hi there! I was wrapped to see that the template is created by some Aussies! and local ones as well. I’m from Melbourne! Template is a charm! Just what I’ve been looking for ages! Planning our Europe trip for 2023 that got cancelled in 2020! (We all know why!!) Will let you know how it goes and will definitely check out your website! Thanks,

Hi Rosanna, we’re so glad to hear that you’ve found this template useful! Very jealous that you’re planning an escapade to Europe. No doubt it will be amazing! Safe travels 🙂

Thankyou for your post on THE ULTIMATE TRIP PLANNER TEMPLATE on excel. It is very usefull. I have been using this template to plan my trips for a while now and it has saved me a lot of time. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a travel planner.

Didn’t work. At least, not on my version of excel.

something about “delimited” something or another.

Hi Piotr, We’re sorry to hear this. What version of excel are you using? Are you on a Mac or PC? If you wish, we can email you an Excel copy of the template.

So so sooo helpful! I’m happy to find this great itinerary template! Thank you so much.

Thanks Tahira! We’re so glad that you found it helpful. Enjoy your travels! 🙂

Hi Tahira, we’re thrilled you found this template helpful. Enjoy your travels!

I needed this so much, easy and simply. Thank you for a great spreadsheet.

Thanks Nga! Happy travel planning!

Hi Nga, we’re so glad you loved this spreadsheet. Hope you had an amazing travel adventure!

Thank you , soooo much ! I appreciate you putting this together and sharing it

Hi Priscilla! So glad that you found this planning template useful! We hope you enjoy your trip!

I am so excited to find this. (Thank you, Pinterest!) I will be leaving in a month on an eight day train trip and this is exactly what I needed to get all my ducks in a row. Thank you so much!

HiTeresa! We’re so glad to hear this and so exciting for you. Enjoy your trip!

This is great! Found this as i was looking for a newer travel planner and this is very helpful and user friendly!

We’re so glad to hear this! Happy travel planning!

great tool. never used a planner before and it has most every item to consider… add a route sheet for those who driving to, during and back from their vacations…

Glad you like it and thanks for the feedback. We’ll look into adding a new tab for routes.

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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

Ensure that business trips are effectively planned to save time and lower costs using this template

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.

Streamline your travel planning process using this template

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!

Visualize your trip, budget plan, reservations, and everything in between in one place using the ClickUp Trip Planner Template

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.

ClickUp Event Planning Template allows you to align your team and resources for smooth collaboration to get the job done

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. 

This Template helps you stay focused and organized with a clear daily schedule

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!

Use this template to create an organized agenda for your travel

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! 

Event planners can use this Conference Agenda Template to help everyone stay on the same page when it comes to planning and organizing events.

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 !

ClickUp's Board Meeting Agenda Template serves as an outline to focus on and quickly address the key issues and ensure everyone is on the same page about what needs to be done

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.

Excel Vacation Itinerary Template

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.

Google Docs Travel Itinerary Template

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!

Microsoft Word Business Trip Itinerary Template

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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How to Create the Ultimate Travel Spreadsheet (and Why You Need One)

Meredith Dietz Avatar

My own travel experiences have run the organisation gamut. I’ve worked on the planning and facilitation side of college study abroad programs. I’ve also found myself searching for lunch during Ramadan in Egypt, or in the middle of a six-hour bus ride in the wrong direction in Vietnam — you get the picture. In terms of time, money, and peace of mind, I can assure you: The organised traveller is the happier traveller.

From excruciatingly detailed journals to extremely elaborate to-do lists , I love spreading the gospel of using spreadsheets to hack every corner of your life. Even if you don’t have any upcoming trips, you can save this template now and experiment with planning the dream vacations in the future. So let’s dive into the hows and whys of storing all your important travel information in one nifty spreadsheet.

Why you need an ultimate travel spreadsheet

There’s no shortage of reasons to create a spreadsheet every time you need to travel.

  • Accessibility. If you choose an online option like Google Sheets, you will always have access to your itinerary via your phone.
  • Collaborating and sharing. If you’re going on a trip with a group, you can all view and work in the spreadsheet together.
  • Built-in templates. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel! We’ll list some easy-to-use templates at the bottom.
  • Personalisation. It’s easy to format your itinerary for each individual journey (and to make each one visually appealing). I’m a sucker for colour coding.
  • Adaptability. As plans change, you can edit your spreadsheet on-the-go. Even before you book anything, you can tally up and compare costs of different travel and lodging options row-by-row to make decisions more easily.

Why you don’t need an ultimate travel spreadsheet

By engaging in such detailed planning and doing it all in one place, you’ll sacrifice your self image as a spontaneous wind-child who can’t be tied down to any one destination. Sorry.

How to build the ultimate travel spreadsheet

Now that you’re fully on board, here’s how to get started creating your own all-encompassing travel spreadsheet.

Choose your preferred platform. I’ve made it clear that I’m most accustomed to Google Sheets, but these tips will work with whatever spreadsheet software you like best.

Create tabs. Every journey is different, but the following tabs are safe bets:

  • General overview itinerary: The basics of where you’ll be on what days.
  • Detailed, master itinerary: All the information in one place, links to different tabs, (all the information in one place, can link to different tabs as needed?)
  • Packing list: Don’t find yourself at the airport with plenty of socks, but no passport.
  • Transportation: Flights, trains, car rentals, etc.
  • Lodging: Hotel location and costs, Airbnb contact info, etc.
  • Budget: Use simple formals to add up all your costs across tabs.
  • Day-by-day itineraries: Make sure you don’t miss anything for when you have conferences, site tours, dinner reservations, and so on.
  • The fun stuff: Keep track of links to different restaurants, night life ideas, and all the other miscellaneous fun stuff you don’t want to risk falling out of your brain.

Fill in your info column-by-column. Now that you’ve divvied up the different broad categories of your travel, it’s time to fill in the nitty gritty. For instance, it’s useful to input all your airline ticket information into individual cells so you can easily double-check your terminal location or copy/paste flight numbers while checking in.

Customise as needed. For me, this primarily comes down to colour-coding. In addition to inputting all my travel information, I like to throw in highlighted to-do items, e.g. a designated spot to check off once I’ve actually checked into my flight, checked out of my hotel, and so on.

Online templates to get you started

There’s no need to start building a travel spreadsheet from scratch. Here are some resources to get yours off the ground:

  • Johnny Africa , which includes a fantastic explainer and itinerary template for Google Sheets
  • The Travel Itch , similar to the above and includes Excel-specific tips
  • Travel Mapper, the Google add-on that includes a ready-to-use customisable template

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Top 5 FREE Travel Google Sheets Itinerary Templates To Plan Your Trips

Posted on Last updated: November 11, 2023

A well-organized trip includes lots of things!

Google Sheets is the perfect tool for seasoned travelers, backpackers, digital nomads , and even those who have suddenly planned their road trip. It helps them plan their trip like a pro and make the most out of it.

If scheduling flights, booking hotels, things to carry, where to eat, activities to do at the destination, and similar things sounds overwhelming, then you have come to the right place.

In this article, let us discuss the top 5 Google Sheets Travel Itinerary Templates of 2023. In case you are new to Google Sheets, don’t worry because we will discuss all these templates in detail and learn to use them.

This helpful guide is going to save you money and, at the same time, make sure that you won’t be lost stressing over the accommodations and car rentals.

Before we jump into the list, let us quickly understand what you should expect from an itinerary template and why Google Sheets is perfect for your travel planning.

What is an Itinerary Google Sheets Template?

Simply put, it is a travel planner built using Google Sheets.

An itinerary template is supposed to help you save money, use your travel time efficiently, book flights and accommodations, plan the most awesome things to eat at the destination, and much more.

Such templates are designed for both business trips and personal vacations. They are mostly used by travelers who are planning across-state or international trips.

They act as your personal travel agent that stays on your desktop or mobile phone with a complete outline of the trip.

Here are a few of the benefits of using an itinerary Template:

  • Quick Access to Necessary Details – Often, while you are enjoying your trip, feel the need for the next accommodation or flight booking. Without proper tools and information, it may start stressing you in the middle of the trip. However, with the itinerary template, you can quickly have a look at the next step, including flight, hotel, car rental, and much more.
  • Save Money – Booking hotels and flights in advance saves a lot of money for you. The template helps you outline the actual budget and total money you need for the trip. This way, you can plan the restaurants and car rentals that fit your budget to help you run out of money midway.
  • Prioritize Activities – There may be various places to visit at your destination location. Without a proper daily plan, you may miss the location that was worth visiting during your current visit. The Itinerary template lets users list all those places and prioritize them based on their preferences.
  • Plan Things to Carry – One of the most stressful things while planning a trip is knowing what to take with you. It starts and ends with lots of little and huge things. Itinerary templates help you avoid getting frustrated when you need something and won’t find it in your travel bag.
  • Save Time – Finally, a well-planned trip may spare you some time for other activities that are beyond your knowledge of the destination location. You can enjoy them without any worry and make sure to manage last-minute changes more effectively.

That being said,

Itinerary templates are highly customizable and edited as per the user’s preference. It follows an easy-to-use format that can be read and understood by both beginners and experts at Google Sheets.

Why are Itinerary Templates created using Google Sheets a must-try?

There are numerous benefits of using a Google Sheet for travel planning. It is a powerful online spreadsheet program used by millions of people.

Planning an inter-state or abroad trip includes various things, from scheduling flights to things to bring.

A Google Sheets has the following benefits for travel planning:

  • Accessibility – Google Sheets is a browser-based program. It can be accessed anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection. The program is compatible with all types of devices, including desktop and mobile.
  • Highly Customizable – It is a well-developed program with an intuitive user interface. Anyone can customize the templates built using Google Sheets without any prior experience. Users can quickly add and edit the information along with the adjustments in the formatting.
  • Budget-friendly – Hiring a travel agent to manage your trip may cost you several hundreds of dollars. On the other hand, a travel planner app asks you for a few bucks out of your trip budget. But if you choose Google Sheets for travel planning, it is totally free.
  • Collaboration – A Google Sheet can be shared with unlimited users, including your family members, friends, and colleagues. This feature is particularly helpful for people who are going on a business trip. Your colleagues can edit the information in real time. Moreover, you can have a quick look at all of the changes using the “Version history” feature of Google Sheets.

These are only a few of the benefits of using Google Sheets to plan and manage both office and personal trips.

Apart from them, note that Google Sheets is a very easy-to-use program that offers extensive customization. It would hardly take an hour to learn the program to edit the information of the Itinerary template.

Top 5 FREE Google Sheets Travel Itinerary Templates of 2024

There are a range of free templates available online to manage your upcoming trip.

But we understand that you can’t try each one of them to find the perfect fit.

So, we have done that heavy lifting for you.

Here are our top picks. Make sure to explore all of them until you find the perfect fit for your needs.

1. Travel Itinerary Template By SoftwareAccountant

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Click Here to Use this Template!

This Travel Itinerary Template is aimed at both office trips and personal vacations.

It is an easy-to-use design. You can download and customize this template for free.

There are three different spreadsheets in this template:

  • Planner – It holds all the details of your flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. At the top of the spreadsheet, you need to enter the trip details. After selecting the start and date for your trip, the spreadsheet automatically calculates your trip duration. You can add flight details, including the Airline, Confirmation Number, Time and Location of Departure, Gate Number, etc. It is divided into several tables, as shown in the above image.
  • Packing List – This spreadsheet helps you list all the things that need to be packed before you leave your home. Make sure to research and add the weather details of your destination location. It will help you plan things like clothes that suit the weather. Also, the spreadsheet uses tables for Documents and Entertainment equipment in case you are going on a road trip with your friends and family. Don’t forget to use the checkbox for each item to mark if it is ready and packed. It contains tables for individual travel members so as to make sure each one of them gets the thing that best suits their daily routine.
  • Activities – It is one of the crucial spreadsheets for the success of your trip. List down the things you will be doing right from the first day. It will help you plan out your visit to the attractions and events happening at the destination location. The spreadsheet is divided into days so that it will be easy for you to assign the appropriate time to each activity. Apart from the places, you can also list down restaurants to make sure you taste the best local food.

This free-to-use template is all you need for your travel planning.

2. Travel Itinerary Spreadsheet by JohnnyAfrica

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

This template is similar to the one discussed above. It uses a master spreadsheet where you can have a quick look at your travel summary.

It contains example information for your reference. Make sure to delete it and start adding your travel details.

There are four spreadsheets in this template:

  • Itinerary Summary – This is the main spreadsheet that holds all the trip details. You can enter transportation, lodging, and activity details along with their costs. The spreadsheet then automatically displays your spending for each day at the far right end of the table. You need to start by selecting the first day of your trip, then list down your transportation details and the activities for that particular day.
  • Flight Details – As from the name itself, this spreadsheet makes sure you book your flight tickets and plan your budget in advance. Once the tickets are confirmed, you can enter the flight number, name, arrival time, duration, and much more. At the end of the spreadsheet, you will find the total amount you are going to spend on your flight tickets.
  • Lodging Details – This spreadsheet is used to list down hotels along with their pricing and booking status. Make sure to add the check-in and check-out dates; the spreadsheet then calculates the days you will spend at that particular hotel.
  • Car Rental Details – Here, you can enter the local transportation details. The car rentals need to be planned properly to save both time and money. You can add the pickup location, pickup date, drop-off date, and car details.

It is a simple-to-use spreadsheet with a beautiful design.

At the end of the Summary spreadsheet, you will find the images of various hotels that the author booked during his travel. You can replace it with your own or delete it completely without any worry.

3. Business Travel Itinerary Template by Template.net

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

This template is pretty basic. It focuses on business trips.

It allows HR or Travel Managers to add the employee’s name and email address along with other contact details and the purpose of the trip.

From the start date to returning flight details, it includes everything.

It includes two main spreadsheets:

  • Business Travel Itinerary – Here, the users need to enter the flight and hotel details along with the list of activities during that particular trip. The entire spreadsheet is divided into several tables with clear headers for quick understanding.
  • Customer Management – This spreadsheet includes a list of customers or clients whom the person needs to visit. Make sure to add their name, address, phone numbers, and emails.

Note that the spreadsheet template uses dropdowns for a few fields, such as “From” and “Destination” of the flight details. To change the dropdown selection , you need to use the “Setup” spreadsheet of the template.

4. Basic Family Travel Itinerary by TheGooDocs

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Are you planning a family trip?

This template is a perfect fit for you. It contains only one spreadsheet, which is pretty straightforward to customize.

It contains three main tables for planning accommodation, transportation, and packing.

You can add the trip details in the table at the top and also include the names of all the travelers.

Also, add the emergency contact details in the table at the bottom.

You can print this template and ask your kids to keep it with them for their safety.

5. Holiday Week Itinerary Template by TheGooDocs

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

This is another basic template on this list by TheGooDocs. It is helpful for family or road trips.

The template uses only one spreadsheet, which is divided into the 7-days, as shown in the above image.

For each day, you can add details such as things to do, destinations to visit, food to eat, etc. Also, at the end of each day, you can enter the approximate amount needed for each of the activities. 

Anyone can use this template without any prior Google Sheets experience.

Note that the template doesn’t include any field for flight and hotel details. The main purpose of this template is to help travelers plan activities and food at the destination location.

That’s all about FREE to use Google Sheets Itinerary Template. For more templates, you can visit marketplaces like Etsy that offer advanced travel planners.

For most family vacations, solo trips, and business travels, the templates discussed above are the best choice.

Feel free to comment below if we are missing any fantastic templates worth adding to this list.

Don’t forget to explore our blog for more Google Sheets tips and tricks.

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The 9 Best Travel Planner Apps of 2024

Proper planning prevents poor purchasing. Get ready for your trip the right way!

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  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
  • Payment Services

Planning the perfect trip can be almost overwhelming enough to take the fun out of what should be an exciting experience. Thankfully, many travel planning apps are available to help you organize your next getaway, right down to the smallest detail.

Best for Predicting Lowest Flight and Hotel Prices: Hopper

The Watch feature sends push notifications about good deals when it's time to commit.

Some fairly large airlines aren't included in Hopper's analysis.

Hopper's proprietary algorithm tries to predict where flight and lodging prices are headed shortly, letting you wait until the right moment to spring into action and book your trip at the lowest price. The app analyzes billions of prices per day and claims to predict what the cheapest one will be with a 95% accuracy rate.

Download For:

Best for Helping You Remember the Essentials: Packing Pro

An impressive group of sample packing lists provides a good starting point if you don't want to make your own.

In-app purchases are inappropriate for an app you purchased.

Packing Pro is well worth the $2.99 if stuffing your suitcases isn't your favorite pre-trip activity. The app creates customizable packing lists considering essential factors like the trip duration, destination, expected weather conditions, food preferences, and more. Packing Pro's robust item catalog ensures that even the most unique dietary or religious restrictions are satisfied.

Best for Car or RV Trips: Roadtrippers

The hidden gems that can be discovered with this app.

GPS coordination isn't as good as it is in apps like Waze.

If dealing with long lines at the airport isn't your idea of fun, then Roadtrippers may be the app for you. Whether you're hitting the highway or off-roading, enter your starting and destination points and let Roadtrippers provide everything you need.

From campsites and outdoor attractions to unique adventures that are off the beaten path, this app is the perfect companion for planning an excursion, no matter if your mode of transportation is a small-sized rental car or a giant RV.

An optional yearly subscription unlocks advanced features, including live traffic monitoring and different map styles.

Best for Finding Bargain Flights: Skiplagged

Frequent travelers can save a significant amount of money.

Airline baggage fee policies can be murky, so read the fine print before booking.

By showing fares to connecting cities that are sometimes cheaper than a direct flight to that city, Skiplagged lets you book flights where you stay at the layover location (your destination) rather than continuing with the connecting flight. When it works, you spend less to reach your desired destination. Skiplagged also lets you book last-minute hotel deals.

Best Overall Trip Planner: Kayak

The Explore feature helps you decide on a destination, suggesting getaways all over the globe based on your maximum budget.

Doesn't always show all available flights on a specific route, potentially causing you to miss out on the best deal.

One of the top all-in-one apps for setting up a trip, Kayak searches hundreds of travel sites instantly to provide multiple deals on a flight, hotel, or rental car in the same location. Kayak also organizes everything in one place and includes up-to-date details on security wait times, along with airport terminal maps.

The app also measures your luggage using your phone's camera, informing you of potential fees and carry-on rules for most airlines.

Best for Avoiding Hidden Fees: Skyscanner

Offers protection to ensure car rental providers don't overcharge for fuel.

In rare instances, flight prices shown in the app are outdated.

Skyscanner should be included in some of the bigger all-in-one planning and booking apps. Offering reliable price alerts, integrated frequent flyer miles, and no additional or hidden fees like you might find elsewhere, Skyscanner usually follows through on its promises and is easy to navigate.

Best Itinerary Planner: Sygic Travel

If you don't want a planned itinerary, Sygic is useful for finding nearby attractions on-the-fly.

Access to Sygic's offline maps requires a paid upgrade to the Premium version.

Sygic Travel lets you plan a detailed itinerary for each day of your trip before you leave home, down to the last detail, like walking distances between attractions.

With over 50 million places included, many with 360-degree videos that make you feel like you're there, the app's smart search filters help you narrow things down to the perfect daily schedule. Collaborative city guides provide an easy-to-use snapshot of the most popular locales around the globe.

Best for Customer Reviews: TripAdvisor

The forums are a great resource for getting specific travel-related questions answered quickly.

Default rankings don't always correlate with customer reviews, so you often need to take a deeper dive to discover the best value.

A stalwart in the travel industry, TripAdvisor isn't unique in providing a one-stop-shop for booking good deals on flights, hotels, and restaurants for your upcoming trip, though it does a dependable job of each. The app sets itself apart with its customer feedback on airlines, lodging, food, and activities. By offering over 500 million opinions from real travelers who've been there and done that, TripAdvisor helps you make informed planning decisions based on others' past experiences.

Best for Organizing Confirmations and Reservations: TripIt

Send information manually, forward confirmation emails, or have the app automatically fetch itineraries from your inbox.

The default notification setting is for an annoying number of alerts.

When you plan a trip, it's not uncommon to receive multiple confirmation emails and itineraries from airlines, hotels, rental car companies, or other sources. Keeping all these details organized can be a hassle.

TripIt solves this problem by taking all your scattered information and organizing it into an easy-to-use main itinerary. This basic functionality is free of charge, while an annual subscription provides the ability to upgrade your seat on upcoming flights and track reward miles, among other perks.

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best travel itinerary spreadsheet

The Ultimate Free Travel Itinerary Template

The Ultimate Free Travel Itinerary Template

Over the years, I’ve used Excel spreadsheets to help organize all trip details. Saving them offline as a PDF has also meant that I can easily keep track of my itinerary and confirmation numbers while on the go. It was important to me that I could access all the necessary information while on the road.

The Ultimate Free Travel Itinerary Template

So I’m sharing with you a free travel itinerary template that makes travel planning easy. This travel itinerary template is for keeping track of the major details. One of the more frequently requested questions was how to plan and keep a trip organized, so this here has been the way I visually do so. Being organized for me has changed the travel experience. Plus, having all of the travel itinerary details with me at all times means less stress.

This travel itinerary template is designed to keep track of the most important parts of an itinerary. It’s not a home for every cafe or sight you want to see. The itinerary is designed to keep track of key components of an itinerary like flights, hotels, transfers, and a daily schedule. 

Below, you’ll find the download for the free travel itinerary template that includes an example itinerary, and some tips for how to use it! 

What’s In the Template

  • Instructions on how to use the itinerary template.
  • The itinerary template for you to use.
  • A sample itinerary template so you can see what a finished itinerary looks like. 

A Guide to Using the Travel Itinerary Template

Thank you for downloading my travel itinerary template! I hope it helps you plan out your trips and keep things organized (plus stress-free).  There are a few key tips to using the itinerary template that will help when using it and while on a trip. 

Why A Travel Itinerary 

The whole reason for having this itinerary is so you can keep your travel plans readily available while on the go. It is also very helpful while planning your trip in order to see what days are there and any holes in the booking sections. Ultimately, this template helps keep an itinerary plan. Important confirmation numbers and transfers are key to a smooth trip. I find that visually, a day by day list keeps it the most simple.

Uses for the Travel Itinerary Template

  • Road Trip Itinerary
  • Vacation Itinerary
  • Business Trip
  • Bachelorette or bachelor’s party

How to Use the Travel Itinerary Template

The Itinerary Planner tab is designed for you to write over my prompts. Where you see the words “insert” is the location for each data field. You can find my Example Itinerary on the final tab to give you an idea of what a finalized itinerary will look like.

Always start with your flight details . Once you know your full dates, add in your departing and return flight information, including confirmation numbers.

Next, figure out your general itinerary and label the number of nights in each destination . List out your days and dates into the sheet so you know how much time to plan for. This will create blocks for each destination to help you stay organized. In each block create placeholders for important details like transportation, accommodations, and necessary reservations that you need to book. If you still need to book certain parts of a destination, you can fill a block with bright red or yellow to remind yourself to come back to it later. Once you make a reservation, add it to the appropriate block with the most important details like reservation name, time, and confirmation number.

Reminder: This template works best when it includes only the most vital planning details. Your goal is to keep it condensed and easily readable.

How to Keep the Travel Itinerary With You

It is printable! One option is to print this sheet or to save it offline as PDF. 

Saving the Travel Itinerary Offline

1. Save it as a PDF.

Go to “File” and select “Save As” Select “File Format” and select “PDF” Save to Desktop

2. Send it to your own email as an attachment. Once received, open the PDF on your phone and take screenshots. Save the screenshots as photos so you can access the itinerary without the internet.

3. Another option is to store the itinerary on Dropbox as an offline file (must have the Dropbox app on your phone). Once it is loaded on the Dropbox app, select the option to store it offline. You can then access it without data or the internet.

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The Ultimate Free Travel Itinerary Template

PS — Are You Booking a Trip Soon? Use My Booking Checklist!

These are the sites I use most to book my own trips. Using the links below is a great way to support Bon Traveler’s travel journalism at no extra cost to you . If you need help organizing your itinerary, get my free travel itinerary template here .

1. Book Your Flights

Use Skyscanner to find the best flights. It searches 100s of airlines and websites across the globe to ensure you’re not missing out on any route options or deals.

2. Book Your Accommodations

Use Booking.com for hotels and guest houses. They have the biggest inventory and consistently offer the best rates.

3. Book Your Tours & Experiences

Use Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours and experiences. They are my favorite tour search engines. I always check both as their inventory varies depending on the destination.

4. Book Your Car

Use Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com to find the best car rental deals. I recommend comparing rental agency reviews on Google to ensure you are booking with the best company in that destination, as the reviews are often more accurate than the car rental search engines.

5. Don’t Forget Airport Lounge Access

Get a Priority Pass membership to gain access to 1,400+ VIP lounges and airport experiences worldwide. The Priority Pass app is the first thing I check when I have a layover. I’ve been a member for over a decade, and having a comfortable place to relax before and between flights makes air travel so much more enjoyable.

6. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

I never leave the country without travel insurance. It provides comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong (ie. illness, injury, theft, and cancelations, etc.). I use it frequently for my travels to stay protected.

My favorite companies that offer the best coverage and rates are:

  • World Nomads (best for all-around)
  • Safety Wing (best for frequent travelers)

Xx, Jessica

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best travel itinerary spreadsheet

4 Free Google Sheets Itinerary Templates To Plan Your Trip

  • Last updated April 25, 2023

Traveling can be stressful, especially when you don’t have a laid-out plan on how to spend your time at your destination. You’d be stressing over your accommodation, things to bring, where to eat, and other similar details. If you’re on a business-related trip, how to manage your projects  at your target location is another thing to consider.

Putting all of these factors into one Google Sheets itinerary template allows you to use your time more efficiently and is less taxing on your mind. So follow along as we explore four types of the best itinerary templates you can use to plan your trip way ahead.

Table of Contents

4  Itinerary Templates on Google Sheets for Better Planning

1. business trip itinerary template.

business trip itinerary template

Get the template here: Business Trip Itinerary Template  

When going out on business trips, you want to keep your travels as organized as possible. This lets you reach your destinations within the correct schedule, which respects the time of both you and the people you’re going to meet.

Setting up an itinerary starting from your departure flight to your lodging details are some ways you can arrive quickly and safely at your business trip location. By detailing your flight schedule, which hotel room you’re going to stay in, and your business agenda , you can make your business trip a success.

You can do this easily with a business trip itinerary template that lets you record your flight information to and fro, your to-do list (e.g., the conferences and meetings you need to attend there), and your accommodation.

2. Basic Google Sheets Travel Itinerary Template

basic google sheets itinerary template

Get the template here:  Basic Google Sheets Itinerary Template  

You can also use itinerary templates for just about any planned journeys you’re going to do in the future. If your travel is not entirely business-related, you might want to look for a general-purpose Google Sheets trip planner template that still lets you record the important details.

Our basic itinerary template features four sections dedicated to your flight details, hotel reservations, your task list , and important notes. Of course, it lets you organize your to-do list by date, time, and location too.

3. Packing List Itinerary Template

packing list itinerary template

Get the template here:  Packing List Itinerary Template  

One of the most crucial details that you shouldn’t forget for your journeys is your packing list unless you’re ready to buy your supplies abroad. Well, you can actually make one by listing all the things you think you’ll need on a piece of paper. But, putting them in an itinerary template spreadsheet does have its advantages.

For one, it’s easily accessible on your computer as long as you’re connected to the internet. This makes it easy for you to keep a check on the things you bring to your destination and notice if anything goes missing.

Using our packing list itinerary template, you can detail the usual weather and temperature there to decide what you should and should not put in your luggage. If you’re visiting multiple locations in your destination country or state, you can also categorize the essentials to bring.

4. Day by Day Travel Itinerary

day by day travel itinerary

Get the template here: Day by Day Itinerary Template  

One of the best practices that you’d want to apply in making your itinerary is detailing your activities per day. This allows for efficient time allocation and ensures that you finish the things that you need and want to do within your travel schedule.

It would be helpful to list the time and location of your to-dos ahead of time, plus the places where you can fill your belly. But this aside, you also want to detail how much time you’re giving yourself in a particular location as well as the essentials that you’d need to bring with you.

Why Use an Itinerary Template?

While itinerary templates serve little purpose on occasional daily trips around your town, things are different when you go on cross-state and international travels. Using our templates to plan ahead of time lets you maximize the following benefits:

  • Allocating your time:  Your itinerary would usually include how long you’d spend on a particular place, together with surplus time to avoid schedule conflicts. This makes your trips more flexible and manageable.
  • Prioritizing the places you need to visit:  Business trips for team building and general vacations come with numerous places to visit. By listing all of them in a trip planning spreadsheet template, you can rearrange them according to their importance or to your preferences.
  • Better budgeting: Since you are anticipating every place you’ll go to, you can plan your finances more clearly and effectively. Itineraries also let you note all the things you need to bring, as well as the food and lodging, which helps you budget.
  • Knowing what to bring and do:  You would be anticipating everything about your destination — the weather forecasts, customs, and similar factors. Itinerary templates usually have dedicated fields for these notes.
  • Ease of travel: By setting up your planned trip, you have the opportunity to optimize your route. This allows you to arrange an easier and more comfortable journey, whether you want to visit the places near your main destination or travel in a loop.

What Should a Good Google Sheets Itinerary Template Have?

The standards actually vary depending on the institution you belong to (for business trips) and your preferences (for personal vacations). But here are some categories and fields that you’d like to look for in a travel spreadsheet template:

  • Flight and transportation details:  This is the most important field as it tells your time and date of departure and arrival, your airline and airport, and other relevant information.
  • Scheduled activities:  This is the essence of an itinerary — you want to plan out your activities over the duration of your journey. On top of that, it should also contain fields for location, time, date, and landmarks for better navigation of the locale.
  • Accommodation details:  While you can arbitrarily choose a hotel for your stay, there’s the risk of not getting good lodgings. Therefore, you want to book a room way ahead of your trip and record your lodging details.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. does google have a planner app.

Google has no dedicated application for your vacation plans and business trips. Although it did launch a mobile software for this purpose back in 2016, known as Google Travel (or Trips), the application has been officially shut down in August 2019. The great thing, though, is that most of its features have been integrated into the Google Maps app.

2. Does Google Have an Itinerary Template?

Indeed, Google does have two itinerary templates you can use for your plans under Google Sheets. One is a general travel planner, while the other lets you decide on the best destinations you can visit. But of course, if you find these two unsuitable for your taste, you can always create one yourself or download any of our free templates above.

Wrapping it Up

Readying your flight details, hotel lodgings, agenda, and luggage essentials in one Google Sheets itinerary template makes for stress-free and time-efficient international trips, whether it’s for business or personal enrichment.

Make sure to read our other blogs  for more tips on how to use Google Sheets in your daily life.

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The best trip planner apps to make your travels easier

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Booking a trip can be an exciting yet daunting task. As if booking airfare, hotel, and transportation weren't enough, you also need to consider food, sights, and attractions. As a travel lover myself, I often dread planning and preparing for a trip. Not only do I never have the time, but I often get oversaturated by the vast amount of information found online and the fear of getting scammed. 

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Over the years, I've found the best websites and apps to help smooth out the planning process. These apps help me keep track of all my reservations, send me booking reminders, and guarantee I always find the best prices -- because there is nothing worse than falling for tourist traps or overpriced offerings. 

Whether you are a spontaneous or a nitty-gritty planner traveler, ZDNET has tested and reviewed the best trip planner apps on the market. Our top pick for the best trip planner site and app is Booking.com due to its easy-to-use user interface, extensive booking capabilities, and pricing. However, since not every trip or traveler is the same, we've included several options to help you plan and stay organized during your travels. 

Keep reading to learn more about ZDNET's expert-tested and reviewed trip planner apps. 

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The best trip planner apps of 2023

Booking.com, best overall trip planner.

  • Multiple bookings
  • Great deals
  • Can earn points from bookings and reservations
  • Easy to use
  • No group planning
  • Can't organize bookings per trip

Booking.com features:   Platform: App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

When planning my trips, I always make a stop at the Booking.com app, especially when reserving hotels. I find their user interface visually appealing and easy to use, and that it provides just the right amount of information I need when scrolling through hotel suggestions. Personally, I enjoy that I can add my top picks to my favorites with a quick tap of a heart, glance through reviews, look at cancellation policies, and even find out how far away hotels are from key spots. Through Booking.com, you can also book flights, car rentals, taxis, and city attractions, making it a great all-in-one place to plan and book upcoming weekend getaways or longer vacations. While I have personally never used the car rentals, taxis, or city attractions components of the app, I enjoy knowing that if I ever needed to, I can quickly hop on my phone and glance at the latest offerings. 

My favorite feature when using Booking.com to plan trips is the offers and promotions it displays for users. In the app, when you click your profile, you can see your "Genius" loyalty program status as well as discover the best deals around the world for your specific chosen dates. My only critique of Booking.com is that it does not enable group trip planning or let you organize your bookings per trip. This means if you are planning a trip with a friend, only one person can book and have access to reservations. 

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Best trip planner for organization

  • Synced with e-mail inbox
  • Organizes reservations no matter where you book
  • Works offline
  • Can't make any bookings
  • Need to pay for advanced features
  • UI could use an upgrade

TripIt features:   Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility: iOS and Android | Pricing: Free or $49 per year | Booking: No | Group planning: Yes

In terms of planning a trip, creating an itinerary, and keeping all your information in one place, TripIt is one of the best travel apps to keep yourself organized. When you first create an account, TripIt will sync with your inbox and automatically add all of your upcoming flights and reservations to your account. You can then modify each trip to include as little or as much information as you'd like. As someone who likes to be spontaneous when traveling, I usually only add the essentials: flight information, hotel reservations, and important documents. However, if you like to plan your trips down by the hour, you can also include activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, and more in your trip plan to share with fellow travelers.

As your trip approaches, TripIt will also send you packing reminders, give you COVID-19 travel guidance, and show transportation options. While you can get most of the essential features within the free version of the app (this is the one I use), you can also pay $49 a year to get advanced features such as check-in reminders, real-time flight alerts, point tracking, and even notifications for drops in airfare prices. 

Keep in mind that while TripIt gives you transportation options and finds places near your hotel, you cannot book or make any reservations directly from the app. The app is solely used to organize and keep track of all of your travel plans in one place, no matter where you book them. 

Best AI trip planner

  • Personalized travel itinerary
  • Hotel booking
  • Can modify recommendations
  • Group planning enabled
  • Only available as a website
  • No flight or restaurant booking

Guide features:   Platform: Website  Compatibility: all major browsers |  Pricing:  Free | Booking: Yes, but hotels only | Group Planning: Yes  Generative AI is everyone's favorite buzzword this year, and slowly but surely, it has been making its way across all industries -- including the travel industry. Guide is an innovative AI travel planning tool that creates personalized travel itineraries based on your preferences. (Full disclosure, it's also owned by ZDNET's sister company. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) All you need to do is select your destination, the dates, whether you are traveling alone or in a group, your budget, and the types of activities you are looking for, and Guide will do the planning. 

After generating a trip itinerary for you based on your prompt, Guide then lets you modify and customize the itinerary to your liking. I recently used Guide to plan a six-day trip to Austin, Texas, and this was the feature I enjoyed the most, since I had specific restaurants and activities I wanted to incorporate into my trip, but I also needed some additional recommendations. While you can't book flights or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia on the platform. 

Guide will also give you an overall budget for your trip, a packing list, and a comprehensive list of things to know about your destination -- which may be helpful for some more than others. While my trip to Austin was a solo trip, Guide has a feature where you can invite other fellow travelers to collaborate in planning your trip through Guide's chatbot, GuideBot. This chatbot also works sort of like ChatGPT, where you can ask GuideBot questions about your trip, your destination, or recommendations. Keep in mind you can not ask GuideBot to directly modify your trip for you, and instead need to manually do it yourself -- believe me, I tried. 

Tripadvisor

Best trip planner app for reviews.

  • Countless reviews
  • Used by travelers worldwide
  • Variety of information
  • Booking capabilities
  • Great for local spots
  • Booking is not its strongest feature and you may not always find the best deals
  • Doesn't vet reviews

Tripadvisor  features: Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

Reading customer reviews is one of the most important steps when planning a trip. While you shouldn't base all of your decisions on reviews, you should consider past customer experiences to get a feel for the brand and company you are about to trust, or the experience you are going to pay for.  When it comes to travel reviews, Tripadvisor is the best trip planner app to rely on. Since the platform has so many reviews for restaurants, activities, accommodations, and locations all over the world, it is always easy and convenient to log onto the app or website to help you make an educated decision. (However, remember that not all Tripadvisor reviews are legit, since the platform does not independently verify customer postings.) Beyond reviews, TripAdvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more while also providing detailed insights into their offerings -- including cancellation policies, ratings, and features. 

Tripadvisor's "Travelers' Choice" best-of list is also a popular part of its platform, allowing visitors to see top-rated destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do around the world. With Tripadvisor, you can plan a trip yourself from scratch, hire a trip designer, or get a custom itinerary built by AI. 

Best trip planner app for transportation

  • Great multi-mode travel comparison
  • convenient and seamless transportation booking
  • Multiple currency and language availability
  • Flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest
  • Limited offers depending on the country or city of travel
  • Not the most reliable customer service

Omio features:  Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes, transportation only |  Group planning:  No

I first discovered Omio when a friend recommended it to me while I was studying abroad in Spain, and ever since I downloaded it, it has become my go-to app for booking the best deals and fares on transportation within Europe. The concept behind Omio is simple: You plug in your departure and arrival location, including the number of people you are traveling with, and add whether you are looking for a one-way or round-trip journey. Omio will then show you the best deals by train, bus, or plane to and from your desired destination, including how much time each option will take you and the number of stops. 

The German-based travel booking site is great at aggregating travel information from multiple sites, allowing you to view all of your transportation options in one place. This is incredibly beneficial when planning trips within Europe since there are several ways you can cross each border and often various languages and regulations to keep in mind. Omio is set in English but has multiple additional languages available, as well as currency options. During my time abroad, I solely used Omio to book all of my transportation, including planning a 17-day trip across seven different European countries. Overall, using Omio was not only convenient and seamless but also helped me save hundreds of dollars by helping me maximize my travel time by switching between flights, trains, and buses. 

However, since returning from Europe, I have not used Omio as much as I thought I would -- maybe because I have a car and take most of my trips by plane. And Omio's flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest compared to Booking.com or Skyscanner's, which heavily focus on flight deals. I have also found they have some limitations depending on the country or city you are traveling in. Be mindful of the deals and tickets you buy through Omio since some tickets are non-refundable, and some customers complain their customer service is not the best -- although I have yet to have any issues with them. 

What is the best trip planner app?

Booking.com gets our vote for the best trip planner app due to its wide selection of accommodations, its points and promotions offerings, and its easy-to-use user interface. Not only does Booking.com help you find the best deals throughout your trip, but it will also help you stay organized throughout your trip by keeping all of your reservations in one place. To determine which trip planner app or combination of trip planners is best for you, check out this comparison chart below. 

Which is the right trip planner app for you?

The best trip planner app ultimately depends on your travel and planning style. If you like booking and planning everything in one place while also earning points and getting great deals, then Booking.com is your top app. However, if you are looking for a place to keep all of your accommodations, reservations, and activity details organized, then TripIt is a better app for you. Check out the following chart to help you find the best trip planner app or a combination of apps for you to plan your next adventure. 

How did we choose these trip planner apps?

To find the best trip planner apps, we drew upon real-life experiences and tested their performance and capabilities during our latest trips. Ultimately, we weighted the following factors when choosing which trip planners to include on our list: 

  • Features: Each app can vary significantly with the features it offers, whether it is solely to book flights and hotels, help you plan your next trip using AI, or help you find the best deals and booking information, each app on this list can help you address several common inconveniences that present themselves while planning that next adventure.  
  • Compatibility: An app is of little use if it does not work with your devices, so we look to see what compatibility each trip-planning app offers and which platforms you can access it from. Personally, I enjoy apps that combine an app and website component since this quickly helps me switch between my wide computer screen and my tiny yet portable iPhone screen. 
  • Customer reviews: We study real customer reviews and ratings to evaluate customer satisfaction and service. This is incredibly important since most times when you travel, you visit an unknown city or country, and you should be mindful of past experiences others have had. 
  • Cost : Most trip planner apps are free, but you may have to upgrade to receive special access to exclusive features or deals. If your app is already free, it means you only have to pay a small amount (often unnoticeable) when you book your accommodations. 

What is a trip planner app?

A trip planner app is an app that provides organizational features for your upcoming trip. It is often free and incorporates trip planning tools, whether you are traveling by ground, water or air.   

How does a trip planner app work?

A trip planner app can incorporate special features, like an itinerary, calendar, reservation and booking hub, and map assistance. Depending on the app you choose, there is even trip-sharing with friends and family to simplify the entire trip planning process.  

How much does a trip planner app cost?

Most trip planner apps are free, but some may offer in-app purchases to upgrade or enhance your experience. Within this list, only Tripit costs money, but only for their advanced features version, which costs $49 a year. However, you can get access to most if not all, trip-planning features, through their free version. 

Are there alternative trip planner apps worth considering?

As I mentioned earlier, trip planning heavily depends on your personal style of travel and preferences. However, whether you like to plan your trips down by the minute or prefer to just have the basics, there are several apps that can optimize your planning. Here are a few apps worth considering that almost made it onto our list: 

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The Ultimate Travel And Vacation Itinerary Planning Spreadsheet

Johnny

30 Comments

  • Last Updated On: May 12, 2023

In addition to my comprehensive spreadsheet on tracking your credit cards to help fuel your travels, this next spreadsheet is the ultimate resource to keep tabs on your travel itinerary. Planning travel can be complicated and unorganized especially with many people. After achieving financial independence at 34 , I needed a spreadsheet to plan out the countless trips I was planning to do in early retirement. Even more complicated is tracking costs among multiple people and who owes who what which I cover in my expense splitting spreadsheet .

NOTE: THIS POST/SPREADSHEET IS BEST VIEWED ON A DESKTOP AND NOT ON A MOBILE PHONE!

This post is part of my comprehensive guide to travel hacking where I go into detail about how I fly for free, book the cheapest flights, and how to be an overall better traveler!

  • Also, check out my travel itinerary planning spreadsheet which is perfect for organizing and planning your trip!
  • To go along with my travel itinerary planner, make sure to also check out my travel expenses spreadsheet to help keep your travel finance and budget in check.
  • As well as my Restaurant List Tracker spreadsheet for keeping track of all the restaurants you have been to in your hometown or abroad.
  • Also be sure to check my budgeting, net worth, and FIRE spreadsheet to keep track of your budgets while traveling. It’s what I’ve used to track my net worth and ultimately how I retired early at 34 with $1m

I reached Financial Independence in 2020 which was quite the milestone for me. In the last year, I’ve traveled the world for a year and my net worth actually increased . This spreadsheet helped me plan my travels around the world!

Why use a spreadsheet to plan travel?

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I’ll admit, there are countless Apps and services nowadays to track travel. TripIt, Google Trips, Tripify etc. all help simplify the complicated task off planning travel. Nevertheless, there is still nothing in my opinion that substitutes for a nice, professional spreadsheet that puts it all together. For as much traveling as I do , this really helps me save time!

If I am traveling solo, Google Inbox is probably enough for me as I am pretty aware of what I have planned. However, as soon as you add another person to the trip, especially someone that is lazy and useless when it comes to helping out, a spreadsheet makes everything easier. With this travel planner, you can see exactly what is happening on what days, and the costs associated with it.

The spreadsheet is made in Google Sheets so a link is all you’ll need to share it with friends. Google Sheets also allows multiple people to make edits (if that is something you want!)

  • For a list of all my credit card and travel hack related posts, click here.

Travel Itinerary Planning spreadsheet

I’ll admit, there are countless Apps and services nowadays to track travel. TripIt, Google Trips, Tripify etc. all help simplify the complicated task off planning travel. Nevertheless, there is still nothing in my opinion that substitutes for an easy to use spreadsheet that lays everything you need out in one screen.

Also, this spreadsheet is the exact itinerary and also what I used to help plan my friends amazing South Africa and Mauritius honeymoon!  If you’re keen for a similar trip to South Africa, please read that post, or plan your own trip with my perfect South Africa itinerary ! As it is done on Google Docs, they could access it at any point, anywhere. A perfect way for groups of travelers to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Perhaps I am old school and feel more comfortable using Excel, but I find the control and ease of use to be greater with a simple spreadsheet.

Without further ado, here is the spreadsheet. There are multiple columns associated with the spreadsheet and it’s likely I will continue to make updates to this spreadsheet as time goes on

Using The Travel Itinerary Planning spreadsheet

The spreadsheet is very easy to use. It might seem a little daunting at first if you’re not used to dealing with spreadsheets, but I assure you it is easy to use. I structured the sheet in a way so it’s very clear to see what the day to day plan is, as well as the costs associated with everything.

Itinerary Summary Sheet

The meat of this spreadsheet is done in the Itinerary Summary. I like to see my itinerary in one page, one table, and one snapshot. Therefore, planning out the entirety of the itinerary will be done in this sheet.

Each day is one row and if you need to increase the number of days in your itinerary, just copy an existing row with content, to a new row.

For the most part, it is pretty self explanatory. You can follow the columns from left to right and fill in as you go. You can also leave any unused columns blank, or insert new rows depending on your own needs.

Destinations

The destinations section is where you will be located. There are two columns here,  From  and  To.  If you’re going from one destination to another destination on that day, from is where I start, and to is where I end up. If I am staying put in a place for a few days, I put the same for both.

Transportation

This section is the type of transportation used to get from point a to point b. Largely, this will be either flying, or by some sort of motorized transport (rental car, bus, train, etc.). Make sure to record the cost for transportation as this all gets aggregated later.

Same as above but for accommodations including hotels, guesthouses, Airbnbs, etc.

Activities/Itinerary

This is the most variable section of the sheet. I could definitely add a few more columns here but for the most part, this is just to summarize what the plan is each day. This can include tours, activities, meals, where to dine, etc.

The rest of the sheets

spreadsheet travel excel itinerary vacation planning

The rest of the sheets are optional really. They are meant to store the detailed information for all the things you’ve booked already. This includes flights, hotels, car rentals, etc. This is especially useful if you are traveling for months at a time and want to keep track of how you are getting around everywhere.

In the end, I made this spreadsheet with my own tastes and flair. It won’t be the perfect spreadsheet for everyone but I think it is the best place to start and you can customize it however you like. Please leave any questions, or requests for additional features in the comments below!

Continue Reading:

  • The Ultimate Travel Expenses And Budgeting Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Restaurant Tracker List Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Job Application Tracker Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Net Worth, Budgeting, And FIRE Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Expense Splitting Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Spreadsheet To Track Credit Card Churning
  • The Ultimate Stock And Investments Portfolio Tracking Spreadsheet
  • The Ultimate Spreadsheet For Options Trading And Tracking
  • Welcome to my Blog!
  • The Perfect Mortgage Spreadsheet With Amortization Schedule and Profit Calculator
  • How Much Money Do Travel Bloggers Make? My Yearly Earnings Report
  • How Much Money Did I Make Blogging In 2021?
  • The Ultimate Guide For Starting A Travel Blog
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Life saver. Amazing Spreadsheet and well thought out. thanks for sharing.

Glad you liked it!

This is amazing and incredibly helpful, thank you so, so much!!!

It’s so hard to find the google sheets web link…. Can someone share it or can it be linked to in several pages on this page?

I cannot find the link to download it too. Do you have any ideas where can I find it?

Hi William, what message do you get when you click the button? It’s the blue botton that says Download Travel and Itinerary Planner Spreadsheet

I seem to be having the same issue others have had, when I click on the link, it is dead and redirects me to the home page. I tried right clicking and copying the address over as one reader suggested. I am on Chrome on my laptop. Any other suggestions or ways for me to get the link?

Hey! I am trying to download the spreadsheet but there is not any actual link to download it!

This is so helpful! So much detail going on but definitely organized. Thank you for sharing this,

Always a pleasure to read your content, seems you really do have a talent for creating great content!

Spreadsheet are really useful for planning travel roadmap and budgeting, great tips

Can’t wait to start using the spreadsheet!

spreadsheet looks awesome but i too seem to have troubles downloading it

Hey! I am trying to download the spreadsheet but there is any actual link to download it! I click on the spreadsheet word but it just redirects me back to the home page.

Where is the actual link to the google sheet? I see a lot of ads everywhere but can’t seem to find the link…

I can’t find it either…the link it said to use just directs to the Google home page.

Hm are you guys using desktop or mobile? I think just click on it again and it should work.

Just saw this…desktop and in Chrome. The link redirects to another URL with an invalid security certificate then points back to google.com if you “continue to the site”. However, if I right-click > Copy link address > then paste it into the browser, it opens the document.

Perfect! Thanks Johny, the spreadsheet has everything what I was looking for. Great piece of work!!! 🙂

No problem, glad you’re making use of it!

Awesome template, just what I was looking for to clean my own up a bit! Thank you.

Thanks Portia! Glad it’s of help

Thanks for this template! Very helpful!

Hi Johnny! This spreadsheet of yours could eliminate of our bad habit of travelling to place then just walk in to whatever that we need to do. We never got used of setting an itinerary nor booking a hotel in advance because we like the thrill of taking whatever the situation gives us but its not exciting when all the hotels in the area are fully booked. Thank you for this!

Glad it helped you out! I prefer to travel freely and go where the wind takes me as well, but often times I am time strapped and only have x amount of days, which is where the spreadsheet and planning come in handy!

This is so helpful! So much detail going on but definitely organized. Thank you for sharing this, Johnny!

No Problem Karen. Glad it could be of use!

omg! great work is done in this post. Interesting idea to manage spreadsheet while traveling.

Thank you! Enjoy the spreadsheet 🙂

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

8 Websites to Find Free Itinerary Planner Templates for Your Next Trip

One of the most challenging parts of planning a trip can be the itinerary. To make this easier, here are eight websites with free planning templates.

If you’ve ever tried to plan out an itinerary, you know that a template makes things much easier than just trying to throw something together yourself. Unfortunately, trying to find a template can be quite a difficult process if you don’t know where to look.

Thankfully, there are good options for you to use. Here are eight of the very best places that you can find free itinerary planner templates for your next trip.

First up on this list, we have Canva. Canva is an online graphic design platform that lets you create a huge range of designs, including itinerary planners.

Canva includes over 750 different itinerary planner templates that you can look through at your own leisure. The designs here are pretty diverse and feature just about any event, holiday, or structure that you could want.

What really makes Canva shine, however, is how it lets you interact with these templates. You can simply choose a planner and print it out, if you so wish, but Canva lets you do more than that.

With Canva, you can customize and design your itinerary any way that you want. This includes adjusting the text, the locations, the images, and more. You could also upload your own pictures if you want to include a photo of yourself or your destination, for example.

Next up, we have the itinerary templates available from Jotform. Jotform is a PDF editor, which means that it should be no surprise that it’s a remarkably powerful tool to use in conjunction with its free itinerary planner templates.

The range with Jotform’s itinerary templates is noticeably less than some of the other options available on this list. There are only 21 templates available to choose from, and though there is a very solid variety available here, this may be a little limiting.

Jotform’s greatest strength, however, is in how you can edit the templates. Unlike Canva, Jotform’s editing is less artistic and more functional. There are plenty of options to easily add in new lines, boxes, page breaks, and signature boxes.

If you’re looking to pass around a relatively no-nonsense itinerary to a couple of people, this can be a good way to do so.

3. Adobe Express

If you’re looking for an impressive range of different free travel itinerary templates that also features some reasonably powerful editing tools, then Adobe Express is a fantastic place to look.

Adobe Express features well over 100 different itinerary templates, though some of them are only available to premium users. The range here is quite good, though some of the templates can be pretty basic and seem to focus more on aesthetic than on functionality.

If you've ever looked for free travel journal apps to create a beautiful trip diary , however, then this might be what you're looking for. With so many options, you’re bound to find something that appeals to what it is that you’re looking for.

The main reason to use Adobe Express, however, is that the editing options that you have are quite powerful. There’s a comprehensive layering system, as well as a huge variety of design assets, fonts, and layout tools. You can even animate your travel itinerary if you’re not planning to print it.

4. Microsoft Office

Next up, we have the itinerary templates available for Microsoft Office. These templates are a little more limited than some of the other options on this list, but if you’re already familiar with the Microsoft Office suite and don’t want to sign up for and learn a new system, then they might just surprise you.

There are only nine itinerary templates available from Microsoft, with roughly half of them being available for Microsoft Office and Microsoft Excel, respectively.

The templates themselves are very solid, however. They’re certainly not the most elaborate nor fancy, but they’ll do the job well. If you’re just looking for something that will get the job done and work with the Microsoft Office suite out of the box, then this is a great place to get some templates.

If you’re looking for some templates that strike a good balance between design and functionality, then the free travel itinerary templates provided by Visme might just be exactly what you’re looking for.

Visme has over 30 different itinerary templates available for you to look through, mostly focusing on different destinations and travel lengths. These itineraries are all entirely customizable thanks to Visme’s in-depth design tools as well. A perfect compliment to these smart travel planning apps for easier trip itineraries .

These templates all look great without sacrificing usability. They’re also highly adjustable, with options for colors, graphics, photos, media, and text all being customizable.

6. EDIT.org

For something that is a little bit more pared back and is easier to learn, EDIT.org has a wide range of different templates available for use.

These templates are all customizable, though the options here are a little less complicated, and therefore overwhelming. If you’re looking for templates that look great and that you can edit without having to worry too much about learning something new, then EDIT.org is a great option for just that.

7. Template.net

Next up, we have Template.net. As you might imagine, Template.net is a website focusing on different template designs, including free travel itinerary templates.

There are over 60 different travel itineraries available with Template.net, though not all of them are available for free. The range is, however, diverse, so you’re likely to find something that you can use.

You can download your templates directly for a variety of file formats such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Google Docs, Apple Numbers, and more. You can also edit your itineraries directly.

8. On Planners

Last, but not least, we have On Planners. If you’re looking for a variety of free travel itineraries that you can download and fill out yourself, then Onplanners.com might just be what you’re looking for.

On Planners provides a handful of different travel itineraries for you to look through. The range here isn’t huge, but the options are solid and easy to download.

It's worth bearing in mind that only some of the templates are editable. But, if you’re looking for something that you can quickly print and fill out by hand, then this is a great place to find what you’re looking for.

Finding Free Travel Itinerary Templates Can Be Easy

As you can see, finding free travel itinerary templates doesn’t have to be a difficult thing. Regardless of if you’re looking for something that you can quickly download or print and fill out yourself, or are hoping to find something that looks nice, there’s something out there for you.

Plotting out the itinerary doesn't have to be difficult, either, with plenty of planning apps to help you out.

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Itinerary Template for a Trip: Free Downloadable Examples & More Resources

  • Updated: 04/04/2024

If you are looking for a free, easy, and detailed itinerary template for a trip that you can download and conveniently add your own travel details—then you are in the right place. 

Find the sample trip itinerary template I created and tweaked over years of travel to include the most relevant information in one easy-to-scan document and in four different file formats. 

Additionally, I share alternative template ideas  that include my top picks for itinerary-building apps  and other online places where you can find more free or affordable trip itinerary designs  and layouts. So, go to the file format that works best for you, scan my quick tips for editing, and get your trip details organized in a downloadable, easy-to-edit, and very sharable document. 

Table Of Contents

Itinerary template for a trip in 4 file formats.

Find my travel itinerary template in the four different file formats below. Choose the one you like to work in best. Then find more recommendations here .

  • Microsoft Word trip itinerary template
  • Microsoft Excel trip itinerary template
  • Google Sheets trip itinerary template
  • Canva trip itinerary template

About This Template: 7 Main Components

There are seven main components to this template. I have included each because it contains the information I reference most while traveling, organized in a way that helps me figure out when my trip schedule is overloaded or lacks the right amount of buffer time between activities or transit.

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The 7 trip itinerary template components include:

  • Header. For a destination image and title. Replace this image with your own.
  • High-level trip summary: An at-a-glance summary of essential trip information—the number of travelers, dates of travel, flights (or other transit), and location(s) of the trip.
  • Travel day column. Know which day of your trip an activity is happening. 
  • Day of the week column. Know the day of the week and date to ensure lodging, tour, and transfers are booked correctly.
  • Activities column. A place to capture details for all activities and lodging. Hyperlink text to websites for additional information.
  • Location(s) column. In this space, recap the destinations for each day, link to lodging websites, and include important notes such as included meals or overnight flights.
  • Lodging contact info sheet. A second tab or sheet for additional lodging information is included in all template files except for Microsoft Word 

Since the detail on this template prints small, consider saving it to a PDF file , allowing you to zoom in as needed and easily share it with others.

Additionally, reference your itinerary offline when you save a PDF version of this itinerary to your phone to an app like iBooks (Apple users) or Google Play Books (Android users). Having an offline itinerary comes in handy in travel situations when you have limited or zero cellular or wi-fi connection. 

Microsoft Word Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Microsoft Word. 

6 Editing Tips (Word Template)

As Microsoft Word is the most universally used software program, it is the trip itinerary template file I share first. Here are six essential editing tips when using the Microsoft Word version of this template.

Header area editing (Word template)

  • To change out the image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, added a text overlay, and saved it using the dimensions 2000x458px.
  • However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page. If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one and type your preferred itinerary title. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

Main itinerary body editing (Word template)

I created this itinerary using a table in Microsoft Word, hiding vertical gridlines to achieve a cleaner look. 

  • To edit text , select and delete existing text. Then, type text as you normally would in Word documents.
  • To add a table row , select a row by dragging your mouse to highlight it, then right-click and choose Insert to add a row above or below. Repeat the process to delete a row . Find one additional blank row at the bottom of the template.
  • To add or change hyperlinks , select the word(s) you would like to link (or unlink) to a website, right-click, select Hyperlink, and from the sub-menu, select Edit or Remove Hyperlink.
  • To add back vertical gridlines , select the entire table, right-click, and select Borders and Shading to adjust the design with the gridline configuration you like best.

Microsoft Excel Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Microsoft Excel. 

9 Editing Tips (Excel Template)

As Microsoft Excel is more specialized software, I share nine file-specific tips, knowing that the traveler who prefers to download this file type is likely already familiar and comfortable editing in Excel.

Header area editing (Excel template)

To change out the header image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, saving it using the dimensions 2000x458px. Once uploaded, I added the semi-transparency in Excel.

However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page . If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

  • Though—if you upload a new image and want to keep the semi-transparency , double-click on your picture to get to the Picture Format menu. Find the Transparency icon in the header menu and adjust it to your preference. 
  • To change the header text , click on the text in the Text Box and edit all elements.

Main itinerary body editing (Excel template)

  • To insert bullet points , copy these from an existing cell in the document. I created and copied the bullet points from a Word document and pasted them into Excel. 
  • All cells are set to wrap text and are oriented to align left and at the top of the cell. If this changes or the format structure is lost, right-click on any cell and select Format Cells to reset the cell structure to your preference. 
  • To start a new line of text in a cell when using a Mac, press the Option+Return buttons on your keyboard. Using a PC, press the Alt+Enter buttons or get more tips from Microsoft Help .
  • To insert hyperlinks , select the cell you would like to hyperlink, and from the main menu, select Insert. From that submenu, choose Link. Microsoft Excel—from what I can tell (please correct me in the comments if you know how to bypass this)—does not allow users to link individual text within a cell. Google Sheets does, and it is one of the reasons I prefer using that format type. 

Lodging contact tab editing (Excel template)

Note a second tab in this Excel template for lodging details—set to print landscape (horizontally). Edit all elements in the same way as the main itinerary.

Google Sheets Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Google Sheets. This image links to a read-only document. 

To copy it, click File from the main menu and select Copy . Doing this will create a copy of the document on your Google Drive. You will want to be logged into Google when you do this.

7 Editing Tips (Google Sheets Template)

Google Sheets is my preferred file type to create, edit, and share new trip itineraries. I find its slimmed-down menu is easier to use than Excel. Plus, I appreciate the ability to highlight and hyperlink specific text using Sheets vs. having to link an entire cell (in Excel).

Additionally, I find this file type easier to share as not everyone uses Microsoft documents. And I find it convenient since I already use Google Drive to manage my business documents and keep my travel information organized . Here are seven things to know when editing this template.

Header area editing (Google Sheets template)

To change out the header image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, added a text overlay, and saved it using the dime nsions 2000x458px.

However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page . If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one and type your preferred itinerary title. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

Main itinerary body editing (Google Sheets template)

  • All cells are set to wrap text and are oriented to align left and at the top of the cell. If this changes or the format structure is lost, select a cell and choose Format from the main menu.  From the drop-down menu, select Wrapping or Alignment to adjust to your preference. 
  • To start a new line of text within Google Sheets when using a Mac, press the Command (or Control or Option)+Return buttons on your keyboard. Using a PC, press the Alt (or Control) +Enter buttons. 
  • To insert hyperlinks , select the specific text you would like to hyperlink, and from the iconographic menu, just below the main menu, select the three vertical dots at the far right for more editing items. Select the Link icon to insert and link to your preferred URL. Or choose Insert from the main menu, then select Link. 

Lodging contact tab editing (Google Sheets template)

Note a second tab in this Google Sheets template for lodging details—set to print landscape (horizontally). Edit all elements in the same way as the main itinerary.

Canva Template

Click on the image below to access and edit a free version of this trip itinerary template in Canva. 

Although Canva is an excellent and intuitive design software usable by non-professionals, it requires prior knowledge and experience to use it comfortably. I do not recommend downloading and editing this file type unless you are already comfortable creating and editing in Canva.

If you are, have fun! You have full editing capability to change any element of this two-page trip itinerary template, which includes a second page for lodging contact information. 

Tips for duplicating the template: Click the above image, then click the “Create with Canva” button in the upper right-hand corner. When you do this, it should take you to your Canva account and let you copy, and then edit a duplicate version of the template.

2 Recommended Online Itinerary Builders

If you prefer using an app or an online itinerary builder to create your itineraries, TripIt and Wanderlog are the top two options. I have used TripIt before and found it handy—though short on the functionality I prefer. Despite easy integration with travel booking uploads, the program was less flexible than I would have liked, still requiring some manual uploading and editing. 

I have not used Wanderlog, though I have repeatedly seen it recommended highly by frequent travelers and travel professionals. To see which is right for you, scan through this Reddit thread of users comparing notes on each.

4 More Places to Find Travel Itinerary Templates

In addition to the free templates I share, are four more places to find free or affordable trip itinerary templates.

  • Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets free templates

Find multiple travel itinerary templates on Jotform .  Edit them using its web-based a PDF editor. Then, download your edited form after you create an account. You get five complimentary form downloads with a free membership . 

Find multiple trip itinerary templates on Canva .  There are several free options. To edit and download them, create a free account on Canva if you do not already have one. Some templates are restricted to paid Pro Canva users only.

Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets

Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets offer free templates. These software programs offer several free travel itinerary templates. To access these complimentary templates, choose File, then select Create New from Template or New from template gallery from the main menus. Search for templates related to trips or travel to find one that fits your needs.

Several shops on Etsy sell downloadable trip itinerary templates for a low price, often $5 or under. Some designs are beautiful. Several come packaged with multiple detailed pages that could be perfect for your needs or be superfluous. Search digital download options here to see what fits your preferences best.

Related Reading

If you are searching for more travel planning assistance to help you save time and money, stay organized, and achieve better results, check out the related articles below.

  • How to Plan a Trip Quickly: 9 Best Places to Find Inspiring Trip Itineraries
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Additional Trip Planning Resources

To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below. 

Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here . 

Google Hotels . Use its “ Where to stay ” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.

Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.

Viator , Get Your Guide , & Airbnb Experiences . Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.

Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps . Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list. 

AllTrails . Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.

Guide Along . 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour .

Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here . My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com . 

Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks , and my free customizable travel itinerary template , downloadable in four file formats.

Janice Moskoff in front of doorway in Valletta, Malta. (Credit: Danielle Cassar)

About the author:  Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog,  Gather and Go Travel . Check out  her bio , learn how she became  a blogger , and discover how to  work with her . Sign up for her monthly  Discovery Newsletter  to get her latest travel recommendations and  how-to’s .

Love to travel? Sign up for m y monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator .

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.

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Hi Nicole, thanks for messaging about this. Happy to troubleshoot. I am sorry you having issues. Since you would like to use this template I’ll take an educated guess that you are familiar with Canva and already have an account? When you click the “Create with Canva” link in the upper right hand corner it should take you to your account and let you edit a version of this template. I’ll check in with you via email as well to see if this is happening. If not, I’ll email you a direct link and dig in to adjust settings. Or feel free to email me directly at (janice at gatherandgotravel dot com.). Thank you!

Hi! I was hoping to use your Canva template but it linked to a preview that wouldn’t open the template. I also couldn’t find it by searching.. Is it available anywhere?

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Welcome to Gather and Go Travel , a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me , read our story , and how to work with me .

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Meet Breanna @thegoldenhouradventurer! Welcome back to this Friday series introducing fellow travelers on @gatherandgotravel. 📍About Breanna Breanna is a former wedding photographer turned travel & outdoor blogger. When she’s not traveling, hiking, or practicing photography, Breanna is creating guides on her blog, The Golden Hour Adventurer, and studying to become a travel advisor. She hopes to work one-on-one with clients to research and organize their vacations with budgets in mind, including custom itineraries and destination tips. 📝Q: Who inspired your love of travel? My husband, Brian, of 14 years really encourages me outside my comfort zone. We travel often for his job and I’ve learned to embrace change and uncertainty. I created my blog after we lost our one and only pregnancy. I wanted to pay tribute to our child, our love for the outdoors, and be zealous while I actively wait to grow our family. 📝Q: What destination would you like to go to next and why? I have so many! But, the destination I feel is most realistic in the near future is a hiking trip to Alaska’s national parks. I would love to experience the wildlife there! Whales, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and moose are high on my must-see list. Of course, can’t forget about the countless glaciers and fjords! 📝Q: What are your three favorite foods discovered while traveling? I tried ube for the first time in Hawaii and I just love it in desserts and drinks! I also eat every version of poutine possible when in Canada; hard to go wrong with fries, cheese, and gravy. And I fell in love with espresso and fresh eggs in New Zealand; something that sounds so simple, but it is incredibly strong and rich—absolutely delicious! Follow Breanna’s adventures @thegoldenhouradventurer. Check today’s stories for more info! Are you a travel pro (e.g., blogger, creator, planner, etc.) and would like to be featured? Comment “learn more” and I will message you with info. #travelQ&A #Q&A #interview #traveler #travel #travellover #travelblog #travelblogger #outdoorblogger #outdoorwomen #travelplanner #traveladdict

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Travel Itinerary Template

Easily create a concise summary of your travel plans using our free Travel Itinerary Template for Excel or Word. List your flight, transportation, lodging, meeting times and other activities so that you can get the information quickly while you're on the go. It includes a place to add hyperlinks, so you can link to maps or your flight's check-in page. Save the spreadsheet onto your mobile device (using OneDrive or whatever you prefer) so that you can access it easily. You may also want to print a paper copy just in case.

Travel Itinerary Template

Other Versions

License : Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

Authors: Jon Wittwer , Jim Wittwer, and Laura Cutler

Description

This travel itinerary template allows you to keep the many different and important trip details in one place. Details like confirmation numbers, flight times, meeting times and locations, car rental and hotel locations, and more. It is organized in a way that flows nicely with the actual trip: leaving on a flight, renting a car once you arrive, checking in at your hotel, attending meetings and events and then flying back home. It's an effective solution when planning a trip for yourself, your boss or fellow employee.

Create a Vacation Itinerary

We tried to design this to make it easy to customize. For example, if you are going on a vacation instead of a business trip, you could change the "MEETINGS" section to "ACTIVITIES" and then list some of the possible activities you could do while on your trip.

Instead of "Topic" and "Room" as labels you could add "Cost" and "Hours" to note how much an activity would cost and what hours the museum, store, or attraction is open.

Example Vacation Itinerary

Travel Tips and Resources

  • Check the Weather!! at wunderground.com - This is a pretty cool travel planner by Weather Underground that will show you the weather during your trip. Use whatever weather app you prefer, but remember to check the weather.
  • Tips for Traveling Abroad at travel.state.gov - This is an important checklist to use if you are traveling out of the country.
  • Check with Big Brother at tsa.gov - Flying? Check TSA's rules and remember to leave the key-ring pocket knife that you got for Christmas at home.

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Travel Planner Spreadsheet: How to Stay Organized with this Google Sheets Itinerary Template

Travel planner spreadsheet

I don’t know about you, but after a year of quarantining and diligently following all of the rules, I am so ready for an epic adventure. As the vaccine rolls out and cases begin to decrease I’m starting to feel the first dash of hope which spurred me to open up my Google Sheets travel planner spreadsheet.

I started dreaming about traveling again. Not even to far off destinations, but to local spots for more than a quick day trip. I figured now was the perfect time to introduce to you how I plan my trips using my Google Sheets itinerary template.

I started using this type of travel planning when I quit my job and got to plan a multi-month, multi-destination adventure. It was a fairly overwhelming process, but the way I stayed organized and on budget was by using Google Sheets.

I created spreadsheet upon spreadsheet to track all of my confirmation numbers, bucket list activities, and trip necessities in one place. I also learned which ones made sense, what information was necessary, and which ones I could delete. Leaving only the best and most useful travel itinerary template to share with you!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a tiny bit of income if you decide to make a purchase or booking. For more, check out my disclosure . 

Why Do I Use Google Sheets instead of Excel?

I love using Google Sheets for just about everything in my life. I have my budget there, keep track of my blogging stats, and my client work.

Here are a few reasons why I prefer using Google Sheets for my trip planner:

  • Google Sheets is more Mobile . I have the Google Sheets app on my phone and the spreadsheets are editable offline. This means that if I end up without WiFi or data, which happens all of the time on the road, I can still access any important information or make updates.
  • I can easily share it with my friends and family . They will be able to see as I make changes to it in real time, compared to having to email them a new Excel document each time. In terms of my safety when I travel solo , if they ever need to get a hold of me, they will have all of the necessary and up to date information.
  • I am an Apple person through and through and simply PREFER Google Sheets over Excel .

Now, Google Sheets and Excel are basically the same thing, so if you are an Excel person you can take the travel planner templates I share here and apply the idea to Excel .

When to Use a Travel Itinerary Templates?

I suggest using a trip planner template anytime you’re planning a trip with a lot of moving parts. Is it necessary for a weekend getaway? No, probably not.

But if you’re planning anything more than a week and you want to ensure you stay on budget and get to see, do, and eat what you want then using a spreadsheet to track everything is incredibly helpful.

I also find them really helpful for planning road trips, so I created (and included for you) a road trip template .

While I primarily use them for planning my vacation itinerary you could also use them to help you plan a business travel itinerary as that begins to resume.

How to Use a Travel Itinerary Template in Google Sheets ?

I’m going to walk you through my tried and tested method for using Google Sheets as your travel planner. My travel spreadsheet template has 11 individual spreadsheets . You can definitely make these yourself, but if you want them already done for you, you can purchase the templates here .

Quick tip : Add links whenever possible. If you find a cool tour you want to do, save the link to the spreadsheet so you can easily find it when it comes time to book

I’ll show you a screenshot of each of them and a short video, but here’s the overview. 

Travel Planner Spreadsheet Template

Travel expense spreadsheet, travel budget spreadsheet.

  • Travel Itinerary

Travel Itinerary Daily View

Travel itinerary calendar view.

  • Flight Planner
  • Accommodation Planner
  • Bucket List Planner

Pre-Travel Shopping List

Packing list, road trip planner.

This is the master spreadsheet , if you will. This is where you’ll put any travel related purchases leading up to and during your trip. You can change or add the categories to reflect what works best for your situation.

Let’s say you’re planning a Hawaii getaway ! Leading up to the trip, you decide you want to buy a new swimsuit. You’ll add that to this spreadsheet and put it under MISC or add a column for clothing. As you book your accommodation for the trip, you’ll add that here as well. Then as you are exploring the gorgeous Hawaiian islands, you’ll track your expenses for food, activities, gifts, etc. 

Then at the end of the month, you’ll know exactly what you spent on your trip , both before the actual trip and during. 

This is broken out by months, then at the very bottom, you’ll have a yearly total for travel expenses . 

I hope to have some numbers in there this year!

Travel expenses spreadsheet

This spreadsheet is your travel budget planner . It’s broken out into locations, because many trips include more than one destination! You’ll enter the number of days you’ll be in each location, then as you move through the spreadsheet add in the cost for only days worth of food, accommodation etc. The total will calculate at the top !

The travel budget spreadsheet is intended to provide you with an approximate cost of your trip . Once you have this information you can adjust as needed. If the trip is too far out of your budget, don’t give up! 

Can you find cheaper accommodations ? Can you DIY some of you bucket list activities? Can you cook food instead of eating out?

One of my biggest travel tips to stay on budget is to prioritize the activities and experiences that you know will fill you up and bring you joy. Forget the rest.

See where that leaves your budget.

Travel budget planner spreadsheet

Travel Itinerary Spreadsheet

The Travel Itinerary Spreadsheet provides a birds eye view of your entire trip itinerary. Once you make a decision on where you’re staying, your method of transportation, and activities, input that information here. Include the confirmation number, the costs, and any other information that you find valuable for your trip.

Travel itinerary spreadsheet

The Travel Itinerary Daily View is where you’ll get into the details of your trip . Use this sheet to plan out each day of your trip so you ensure you get to do, see, and eat all of the things.

Another one of my top travel tips is to only schedule ONE activity per day . This allows time for a little bit of spontaneity on the road, while still ensuring you do what you went there to do. 

As you research your destination, you’ll likely come across places to eat that you don’t want to forget, so add those here as well.

Add any bonus activities that would make sense on that day if time allows!

Travel daily itinerary spreadsheet

This calendar view provides a way to see how your trip fits into the rest of your year . Does it fall on a holiday? Do you have trips planned each month? 

The year and dates are intentionally left blank for you to input so no matter what year you’re planning your travels, you can have the correct dates.

To be honest, I use this sheet the least, but I know some people really like seeing a calendar view.

Travel itinerary calendar view spreadsheet

Flight Planner Spreadsheet

As you research your flights, use this sheet to track the entire cost of the flight . This will include a checked bag (maybe), food on board etc. Those cheap flights are super tempting, but since you have to pay for everything else, it really adds up. So use this sheet to be sure you know how much that $35 flight will actually cost you.

Flight planner spreadsheet

Accommodation Planner Spreadsheet

Accommodation can be overwhelming to book. There are so many options, which should you choose? First, check out my guide to booking hostels . If you’re not a fan of hostels don’t worry, the tips in there are applicable across all accommodation types.

Then as you research, add the information, including additional amenities (some hotels charge for WiFi) to provide the total cost. 

This will help you ensure that you get the biggest bang for your buck out of where you lay your head. 

There are multiple destination options in this sheet, as you might be moving about the country!

accommodation planner spreadsheet

Bucket List Planner Spreadsheet

The Bucket List Planner is where the fun stuff lives! Start with your destination and determine your can’t miss, bucket list activities!

Have you ever been planning a trip, read a blog post that mentions an epic activity, and you think, I want to do that. But then you don’t save the link to the tour ? Well, add the booking link to this sheet along with other important information (cost, tour operator etc). Then when you’re ready to book, you have the link and all of the information you need!

bucket list planner spreadsheet

Sometimes, you need some gear before a trip. This could be anything from a new swimsuit for your beach vacation to luggage to vaccinations! Keep track of those costs here and factor it in to the overall budget of your trip.

I am a big fan of NOT spending too much in this phase of the travel planning. Try to use what you have , borrow what you can, and only buy something when absolutely necessary.

I’m sure a friend or family member has a piece of carry on luggage you can use and no you don’t need a brand new wardrobe for your trip.

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

This is a sample packing list , yes, but it also covers just about everything you’ll need for your trip. I know there are 5 shoes mentioned, please don’t bring 5 pairs of shoes ! It’s just an example of footwear you might need depending on your planned activities. If you’re not hiking, please don’t bring hiking shoes!

But always, no matter the weather, always pack a swimsuit . You just never know when you might encounter a hot spring, hot tub, or lake for a dip!

packing list spreadsheet

Last but not least, you’ll find a road trip planner ! This road trip itinerary planner gives you space to note your starting location, your ultimate destination, the number of miles you’ll drive, cost of gas and things you’d like to see along the way!

There is also a section at the top for your rental car information if you need to rent one for your road trip.

In the first column, you can put the day of the week, the actual date or leave it numbered as is.

At the bottom of the spreadsheet, it will total up the number of miles driven and the total cost of gas for the trip.

Road trip itinerary template

I know that planning a trip, no matter the length, can be really fun, but also a bit overwhelming. Especially when you’re trying to stay on budget! These travel planner spreadsheets will help you plan the trip of your dreams (which we all need right about now) while staying on budget and leaving the overwhelm behind.

If you’d like to purchase these templates, they’re available here !

Like this post? Pin for later!

Stay on Budget with Google Sheets Travel Itinerary Planner

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10 Best Travel TRIP PLANNER APPs To Have in 2024

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In a fast-paced world where the stress of work and school is overwhelming, we all need a break to de-stress our minds. Traveling is one good way to take your mind off of stressful things – a breather. And a scheduled vacation gives you something to look forward to.

Whether it’s a local trip alone, a family holiday, or a getaway with your best friends, it just excites you to wish the day would come faster. 

10 Best Trip Planner Apps in 2024

The freeform app.

  • TripIt: Travel Planner

Hopper – Flight & Hotel Deals

  • Sygic Travel Maps Trip Planner

Roadtrippers: Trip Planner

Tripadvisor, travelspend: track travel expense & trip budget, tripcase – travel organizer app, travel planning apps for your next trip.

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

The Freeform app is an endless whiteboard that lets users add information from a variety of websites, photos, videos and files.

Because the boards are kept in iCloud, they can be accessed from any device anytime inspiration hits. While you and your travel companions plan your dream trip, the specifics can be shared with several individuals working together on the same whiteboard, making them an ongoing work in progress.

The Freeform app is free to iPhone users on iOS 16.2, iPad users on 16.2, and Mac users on Ventura MacOS Venture 13.1. 

Download the brand-new app here .

Read our full post: Apple Launches New Travel App Freeform – What to Know

Wanderlog Trip Planner App

wanderlog - best travel planning app

Wanderlog is your all-in-one destination for planning future trips, sharing travel guides, and blogging past trips.

Its trip planning features are incredibly flexible: you can research destinations and activities, organize reservations by connecting your email, and map out a day itinerary with start/end times. You can also add notes and links all throughout.

Everything is stored offline so you can access your itinerary when traveling abroad. For road trips, it calculates the time and distance between places and exports them to Google Maps (and there are no limits to the number of stops you have on a trip!).

Plus, there’s a fun social component: collaborate with friends on itineraries, write your own travel guide, and blog about past trips. Wanderlog is available on the web and on your smartphone, so you can seamlessly plan while at home and on-the-go.

iOS  /  Android

TripIt: Trip Planner App

TripIt - Travel Planning App

If you need any help organizing the dozens of itineraries, TripIt is the app for you. Users simply need to forward your flight, hotel, restaurant, and car rental confirmation emails to [email protected] and the app will create a free master doc for each of your trips. The best thing about this app is that you can get access to your itinerary anywhere, even without an internet connection. 

In addition, the Pro version will find you alternative routes for canceled flights and send out notifications for delayed flights, cancellations, and more from the airlines. 

iOS / Android

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Rome2rio is a versatile travel planning app that simplifies the process of finding and booking travel options. It’s a handy tool for travelers seeking to explore various transportation choices between destinations. Rome2rio offers users a comprehensive view of travel options, including flights, trains, buses, ferries, and even driving directions.

Key features of Rome2rio include:

  • Route Information: The app provides detailed information on different routes, including estimated travel times, costs, and the number of transfers required.
  • Booking Integration: Users can book flights, train tickets, and other transportation options directly through the app, streamlining the booking process.
  • Map Integration: Rome2rio integrates with maps, allowing users to visualize their travel routes and explore nearby attractions.
  • Multi-Modal Travel: It offers options for combining various modes of transportation, making it easy to plan complex journeys.
  • Accurate Pricing: The app provides real-time pricing information, helping users make informed decisions based on their budget.
  • Offline Access: Rome2rio offers offline access to previously searched routes, which can be handy when traveling without a data connection.

best travel websites

Hopper is an amazing trip planner app to have on your phone. The app predicts airfares up to 1 year in advance, with 95% accuracy. It analyzes over billions of flight prices and hotels within the day – telling you whether to book your trip now or wait for just a little longer.

Here’s how it works: Key in your destination and a color-coded calendar will display the cheapest and most expensive date to fly. The app will then recommend you to either book the flight now or sit it out and wait for airfare to get cheaper. Also, you can filter predictions to custom-fit your trip – remove long layovers, extra fees, restrictions, and more. 

And if you worry about missing out the cheap flight bookings, don’t be! Hopper will send you a notification when fares have dropped to its lowest point.

SYGIC Travel Maps Trip Planner

Sygic Travel Maps , the new version of Sygic Trip Planner, is the first travel app to display all of the attractions and places a traveler needs to see and visit on a single map.

Sync your trips with the Sygic Travel app and find hidden gems in all cities you visit. The app boast a large database that allows you to find the best hotels, tourist attractions, museums, restaurants, bars, and stores wherever you go.

This mobile app also let you download offline maps and guides, which come in helpful when traveling to remote locations with poor or non-existing Wi-Fi.

It also has a dedicated section to worldwide places of interest for travel business. Get location information for individual cities, countries, continents, or the entire planet.

The app is available in 18 languages.

iOS / Android iOS

Roadtrippers - Travel Planning Mobile App

Planning on a cross-country road trip ? Roadtrippers is the app for you! Not everyone is fond of waiting long hours at the airport while sitting through your red-eye flight. Hit the road with your friends instead.

Roadtrippers provides everything you need to know on your road trip. Just enter your starting point, destination, and let the app do its work for you! From camping sites to rest stops, outdoor activities, exciting adventures along the way that you didn’t know existed. This app is the perfect buddy for your road trip regardless of your mode of transportation – a sedan, a rental car, or a huge family RV.

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Most of us dream of going to places! But planning an amazing trip to places we have not been to is pretty hard as you don’t know where to stay, what to do, places to eat, and adventures to try. We mostly rely on recommendations, most of which are not even right, that we find online. 

TripAdvisor has over millions of travel recommendations on hotels, top dining spots, must-do experiences, and treasured gems to over 8 million destinations at your perusal. It is an all-in-one app that lets you book tables at restaurants and compares low prices on hotels and flights.

You can also follow friends and travel experts for advice that match your interests, watch videos, and read articles. In return, you can share your experiences, reviews, and helpful guides for other users too!

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Setting up a budget for your trip is easy, however, sticking to it is hard. TravelSpend will help you with that. It starts with entering your budget and expenses over multiple days so you don’t go overboard. The app helps you in sticking to your budget effectively.

Being in another country is not a problem at all: enter your expenses in any currency and the app will automatically convert it to your home currency.

Track your travel expenses whether going on a solo around-the-world trip or backpacking holiday with your best friends. The app allows you to share your trip with your friends and track your expenses together. Pay debts, split bills, and check your balances – all in the app!

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

TripCase, a comprehensive travel organizer app, has emerged as a popular choice among travelers seeking a streamlined and efficient way to manage their journey details.

Here’s a breakdown of its key features and functionalities:

Centralized Itinerary Management : TripCase allows users to consolidate all their travel details, including flights, hotels, and car rentals, into a single, easily accessible itinerary.

Real-time Flight Alerts : The app keeps travelers informed with up-to-the-minute notifications on flight statuses, including delays, cancellations, and gate changes.

Itinerary Sharing : TripCase offers a sharing option that enables users to send their travel plans to friends, family, or colleagues.

Travel Directions and Maps : To aid navigation in unfamiliar locations, the app provides directions and maps.

Nearby Recommendations : TripCase offers recommendations for restaurants, attractions, and other services close to the traveler’s location.

Document Storage : For added convenience, the app allows users to store essential travel documents digitally, ensuring that important information like passport details, visas, and insurance policies are readily available.

Customizable Notifications : Users can customize their notification preferences, choosing what types of alerts they receive and how they are notified, tailoring the app to suit individual needs and preferences.

iOS / Android 

Hi, great List. I couldn’t travel without my Apps! I have one App you could check out =) Its called ” ATM Fee Saver” and it gives a list with all ATMs and their fees and limit. I found it super helpful and it really helped me to save some money. Best regards, Charlotte

Thank you for your suggestions! Those apps are very useful and various

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Home > Tips > Free Trip Planning Spreadsheet for Excel: Perfect Trip Planner Template

Free Trip Planning Spreadsheet for Excel: Perfect Trip Planner Template

By Dymphe / January 10, 2023

Having a trip planning spreadsheet is very convenient if you're planning a trip. I made the perfect trip planner template that you can use for planning your travels!

Planning a trip in advance is always a good idea. But how do you plan everything? You may have some emails with hotel reservations. Or you may have noted down some great things to do at your destination. It can be very difficult to organize everything.

Your trip can be much more relaxed if you have everything under control.

What you need is one place, a trip planner template, where you collect all the information you have! You want to be able to see everything you need to know for your trip in one place.

If you want that too, then my trip planning spreadsheet will help you out for sure! The spreadsheet is great to plan your activities and organize your trip!

You can also use this travel planning template to decide how your trip is going to look like. Write down all your options, then use this spreadsheet to compare them and choose the best one!

Table of Contents

Why Use a Trip Planning Spreadsheet in Excel for Planning Your Trip

An Excel trip planning spreadsheet can be very helpful for everyone who is planning a trip! It makes your travels much easier.

It is very easy to use and it allows you to collect a variety of data in one place. This ease is why many businesses use it, but you can use it for personal things as well!

What's great is that you likely already have Excel on your computer! That's because it's part of Microsoft Office. This makes it easy to use this trip planner template immediately after downloading it.

But even if you don't have Excel on your computer, you can still make use of this travel planning spreadsheet! For example, you can use it in Google Sheets.

Santorini

When Do You Need a Trip Planner Template

Depending on the type of trip you are doing, planning can be harder or easier. For example, if you are doing a weekend trip to a nearby city, planning is much easier. Although if you are going on a trip from the US to Europe for example, it is much more difficult!

But whether it is difficult or easy to plan your trip, this trip planner template is always very convenient to use.

A trip planning spreadsheet can help every trip and make it much more relaxed!

A Free Trip Planning Spreadsheet for Excel

If you scroll down you can immediately download the trip planner template and use the travel planning spreadsheet.

But first I want to explain what it includes. There are several sections that are useful for specific parts of your trip.

It is very easy to work with the Excel spreadsheet for planning your trip.

You can fill in all the details of your trip in a very easy way. Keep in mind that you can edit all white cells in the spreadsheet. The grey cells are what I made and you should not edit those ones.

1. Itinerary: The First Part of the Trip Planner Template

The first part of this trip planner template contains the itinerary of your trip.

This is the most important part of your trip planning.

Here you can write down exactly what activities you plan on doing during your trip. You can specify the activities for each time of the day.

Doing this allows you to see if you can do all the activities that you want to do. Furthermore, you can see if there is time left for extra activities!

In the spreadsheet, you can fill in the start date of your trip. Furthermore, you can specify the number of days your trip will last. Then, it generates the days for you and you can fill in the itinerary!

Make sure to plan enough time in case something takes more time than you expect!

What's great is that you can also try out different itineraries for your trip. Then you can decide which itinerary you like most, and keep that one in the spreadsheet!

2. Transportation

The next part of the trip planning spreadsheet is all about the way you get to your destination.

Do you know those emails you get when you book a flight that I was talking about before? You put all that information here. You fill in the date and time of your flight and enter some more details.

Or if you travel by bus, you can enter all the information about your journey by bus!

Furthermore, you can use this place of the spreadsheet for travels you make during your trip.

For example, when you go island hopping in Greece. You can enter here all the details of the ferries between the different islands.

Also, this is the place where you fill in the details on your airport transfer.

This allows you to have one place where you can access all the information! That's exactly why you need this travel planning spreadsheet.

You can also use this section to try out different travel options.

For example, you can compare different flights and see which combination is the cheapest. Or you can see which flights give you most time at your destination!

Train station

3. Accommodation

The "Accommodation" part of the travel planning sheet is about where you stay during your trip.

You want to fill in all the information about the hotels or apartments you stay at here.

It is great to have a place where you can store all the necessary information about your accommodation.

Also, you can use this section of the spreadsheet for planning a trip.

Sometimes, when comparing hotels, you lose track of all the options you have! You can use this spreadsheet to plan where you can stay.

You can write down all the different options you have, including the cost of the option.

When you wrote everything down, you can compare and choose the hotel you want to stay in for your trip! After that, you can have a look at the next part of the trip planner template!

The costs section is one of the most important sections of the spreadsheet.

You can write down what costs you expect for each day of your trip. You can specify what type of cost it is.

The spreadsheet gives you a summary of all the costs for each day, and of the total cost of the trip.

You can also use this section to compare different options to make your trip more affordable.

5. Packing List: The Last Part of the Trip Planning Spreadsheet

The packing list is one of the most convenient parts of this trip planning spreadsheet.

You can write down which items you need for your holiday trip. You can specify both the type of item and the quantity.

Furthermore, you can write down whether you still need to buy the item before you go on your trip!

But the most important column in this section is the "packed" column. Here you can write down if you already packed an item. That way you can make sure you have everything packed that you need during your trip!

Do You Need Excel for This Trip Planner Template?

To work with this trip planning tool you need an application that can edit spreadsheets. Excel is such an application and is very convenient.

But you don't need Excel to work with the trip planner template.

There are other applications that you can use to open these files. You only need to make sure the application you want to use can open .xlsx files.

One of the most popular alternatives to Excel is Google Sheets. This is a free application that you can use to work with my travel planning spreadsheet.

Go to drive.google.com and upload the spreadsheet there. After that, you can open the file with Google Spreadsheets.

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What a Travel Advisor Really Does and Why You Need One

A good travel advisor can be the key to a memorable trip, handling logistics, access, and on-the-ground support. here’s how to find and use the best of the best..

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Illustration of two people, with one holding a tablet and larger images are coming from the tablet, showing a hotel, a helicopter, airplane tickets, and a restaurant

The best advisors have connections that an open doors for travelers: to exclusive hotels, to popular restaurants, and to special VIP experiences.

Illustration by Rose Wong

Planning trips these days can feel like a full-time job: flights to book, an itinerary to perfect, the best restaurants and hotel suites to reserve. Luckily, it literally is a full-time job for many knowledgeable people—and they’ll do all the planning and booking for you.

There are thousands of travel advisors across the world who specialize in virtually every destination and type of trip. And they’re more in demand than ever as people seek authentic, meaningful, and conscientious experiences in a world of overtourism, air travel hassles, and climate concerns.

But what value can travel advisors add in this interconnected age, when you can text almost any person or company around the world in an instant, and endless startups are replacing personal interaction with AI-formulated answers? They can add a lot.

More than just logistics

These days, the phrase “travel advisor” most commonly refers to what used to be called a travel agent—a generalist based in the country you live in, who can arrange an itinerary almost anywhere via the local providers they know around the globe. But it’s also worth broadening the way you think about a trip planner to include destination experts—the in-country providers themselves—who create and run trips only in that region and who often work with travelers directly. No matter which kind of travel planner you work with, there are benefits to be had—and they’re not limited to booking flights and hotels. They can usher you into a VIP world of exclusive reservations, singular experiences, and special amenities.

“The best ones know the destination incredibly well and have connections to be able to pull strings to make things happen that you might think are impossible,” says travel journalist and industry expert Wendy Perrin, who maintains a “Wow List” of the best-reviewed planners and matches travelers to the ideal people for their needs.

Her site, WendyPerrin.com , is full of detailed reviews from travelers who have used the experts on her list. Take Jeannie Mullen, who’s on the board of directors of a professional theater company in her hometown of Highlands, North Carolina. Perrin connected her with Jan Sortland of Norwegian Adventures , a destination expert who arranged for Mullen to meet his actress sister-in-law for coffee, followed by a backstage tour of Oslo’s National Theatre. Then he packed in storytelling with a reindeer herder and four nights of northern lights viewing.

Advisors can also unlock such perks as hotel credits for free breakfasts and late checkouts. These benefits “can be valued in hundreds of dollars, depending on the accommodations, without [you] having to play the points and rewards game,” says Josh Bush, the CEO of family-owned travel advisor group Avenue Two Travel . Other advisors may have access to cruise credits and cabin upgrades.

Illustration of a person holding a giant yellow umbrella over a family of travelers with luggage, protecting them from rain

A travel advisor can help prepare and protect travelers in cases of bad weather, sickness, and other emergencies.

When things go awry

Advisors can come in handy during your travels, too. They’ll have an extensive support network on the ground to “prevent the pitfalls that can hex a trip,” Perrin says.

Amina Dearmon, who founded the agency Perspectives Travel , recalls a time some of her clients were leaving the Caribbean country of Dominica. Adverse weather canceled their Friday flight home, and they were told at the airport that the next flight would be on Tuesday. Dearmon used her knowledge and contacts to get them on a flight the following morning and arranged a shuttle back to their villa for an extra night. Fancy doing all that yourself at the end of a holiday?

When Afar’s executive editor, Billie Cohen , landed in Beijing with food poisoning, Mei Zhang of Wild China (a destination expert who’d fashioned a two-week trip for Cohen) was there to help. “Mei was on the phone with my driver as soon as I landed . . . and was ready to take me to the doctor if I needed it,” Cohen says. “It was reassuring to have someone looking out for me, and who spoke the language.”

William Kiburz, vice president of Coronet Travel, was able to go a step further when a client had a health emergency while touring Christmas markets in Europe. Kiburz had secured the traveler a comprehensive insurance policy that allowed him to have surgery in a German hospital—and then Kiburz assisted with claims to cover the medical procedure.

Unexpected perks

Enlisting the right professional can also improve your travels in ways you may not have imagined. Come in with an open mind, and they’ll broaden it further. Perrin often makes a case for new possibilities—Panama instead of Costa Rica, say, or Sri Lanka (which “so many people just don’t even think about”).

Bush agrees: “Advisors can redirect clients to an alternative destination by getting to the ‘why’ and identifying another similarly amazing destination with those attributes and interests. And they can point them to a time of year when it’s great to go but minus all the crowds.”

Indeed, in popular spots, advisors can help avoid the scourge of overtourism. For cruises on Egypt’s Nile River, Jim Berkeley, founder and CEO of Destinations & Adventures International , introduces travelers to small, semi-private dahabiya houseboats, which can dock at ports the big ships can’t access, allowing guests to visit less crowded sites off the typical main route.

Advisors can also do a lot of the groundwork to ensure trips are sustainable—an increasing request from travelers—by vetting suppliers and partners. Advisors at Avenue Two Travel, a certified B Corp, take time to research the activities and in-country companies, appraise them in person, and have “frank conversations,” Bush says. They then present travelers with ways to leave a smaller footprint, give back to the community, and engage in philanthropy. “An advisor takes the worry of sustainability off the client by handling it for them,” he adds.

How to find the right advisor

Don’t blindly Google your way to a good advisor. First, consider consortia. The Virtuoso group is a network of some 20,000 travel advisors and more than 1,800 travel companies; each one must be invited to join and must meet certain criteria regarding business model, philosophy, and culture. Signature Travel Network is another; it’s been around since 1956. The Afar Travel Advisory Council, meanwhile, is a small, select group of 14 experts in experiential travel. Kiburz and Bush are both members. SmartFlyer is a travel agency of in-house advisors and more than 250 independent affiliates—Dearmon’s agency, Perspectives Travel, is one of them.

The price of an advisor varies. According to Perrin, the cost is usually applied as a deposit toward the trip or as an additional fee.

But another option is to join a membership-based travel agency such as Indagare. For about $3,000 per year, members receive unlimited customized itinerary planning, a dedicated “trip designer,” and other perks.

A good advisor is well connected, well traveled, and always learning, Bush says. He recommends searching for an advisor based near your home if you’re after an in-person interaction; if you’re not, Perrin suggests a phone or video call at minimum to kick off the planning. “It’s important to find an advisor who you connect with and enjoy working with,” Bush says, noting that successful partnerships can last years or even generations. “The goal is to find one who really gets your travel and communication style.”

A view of stone walls and lakes over Sky Road in Galway County

How to use AI to plan your next vacation and what you should know first

best travel itinerary spreadsheet

Where should I go on vacation this summer ?

The question is simple enough, but the possibilities are endless.

“Feeling adventurous or more like chilling by the beach with a drink in hand?” Layla replies to narrow the list.

Chilling by the beach sounds nice.

“Alright, for that laid-back beach vibe, how about Santorini with its iconic sunsets or Ao Nang for some Thai beach bliss ? Pick your paradise!” she suggested. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Only she is not really a “she.” Layla is an AI travel planner whose website launched this year, among a growing number of artificial intelligence-driven tools for travel. 

Just over 50% of 1,400 people recently surveyed by Matador Network , a travel publisher and creator of AI travel assistant GuideGeek , said they’re open to using AI for their summer travel. A previous Matador Network survey found 64% of 1,200 travelers surveyed had already used or planned to use AI for trip planning .

Here’s what travelers should know about planning trips with AI.

How common is AI today?

Many people associate AI with large language models like ChatGPT, which can both recognize and generate text, but that’s just one type of AI.

“AI is generally everywhere,” said Yoon Kim, an assistant professor in MIT’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory . “For example, when you search for something – let's say you search for something on TripAdvisor, Hotels.com – there is likely an AI-based system that gives you a list of matches based on your query.”

“Because a lot of the (online travel agencies) have now integrated different types of Gen AI into their platforms … people may be using them without their knowledge,” echoed Matt Soderberg, principal, U.S. airlines leader for Deloitte Consulting, which named AI as a major theme in changing travel in its Facing travel's future report released in early April.

Kayak and Expedia offer AI travel tools. Google has used AI for years for search. Those familiar “People Also Ask” questions are powered by AI. Google Flights uses machine learning , a type of AI. AI also powers Google Maps’ Immersive View , which gives users a navigable fly-over view of 13 cities and more than 500 global landmarks that users can zoom in on like in a video game, with weather and crowd forecasts for different times of day. 

Early this year, Google introduced generative AI to multisearch queries made with Google Lens. That allows users to take a photo of something and couple it with text questions like “What kind of flower is this?” or “Who painted this and why?” to get AI-generated answers based on data from across the web and links to additional sources.

How do I plan a trip with AI?

Planning travel with AI is typically free, but travelers may need to create platform-specific accounts to access enhanced features or ask more than a few initial queries.

Google account holders can get generative AI results in text-only search bar searches if they opt in to Search Generative Experience , which is part of Google’s experimental Search Labs . Opting in to SGE allows them to ask things like “Plan me a 2-day solo trip to Grand Teton National Park ” and not only get a suggested itinerary but related photos, reviews and links to other resources. 

For Day 1 at Grand Teton, Google suggested a morning hike at Schwabacher Landing “to see the Grand Tetons reflected in the river,” an afternoon visit to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Elk Refuge , and dinner at a local Italian restaurant with photos of each destination, links to their websites, pins showing locations on Google Maps, suggestions for where to stay, space for follow up questions, and links to related questions like “Is 2 days enough for Grand Teton National Park?” 

Just above the sample itinerary, read a disclaimer: “Generative AI is experimental” and below it: “Trip ideas generated with AI may include inaccurate or misleading information. Confirm info with sources you trust.” 

For the same prompt, both ChatGPT and GuideGeek – which can be messaged on social media like a person – offered more suggestions of things to do, as well as reminders to check on trail closures, but no specific recommendations on where to eat or stay, nor photos nor links to find more information on any of the destinations. Layla and Mindtrip, an AI travel planner that launched publicly this week, also included links to various points of interest, hotel suggestions, and the ability to adjust and book different parts of the itinerary through partnerships with third parties. Mindtrip allows multiple people within the same travel party to collaborate on itineraries.

Make travel easy: We tested ChatGPT itineraries in 5 US tourist spots

Can AI be trustworthy?

Asking one AI travel planner for the top 10 snacks at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, among classics like Dole Whip and Corn Dog Nuggets, it suggested Mickey-shaped beignets. Those would certainly be a top snack if they were sold in the park, like at Disneyland. However Disney World guests have to go to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter for sweet Mickey-shaped pillows of fried dough.

“This phenomena goes under the moniker hallucinations. These generative AI systems are prone to hallucinating plausible-sounding text that’s actually factually incorrect,” MIT’s Kim explained. “This is, I think, going to be sort of an inherent problem with systems that probabilistically generate output over large spaces.”

"If the LLM recommends a restaurant closed down two years ago, you lose all trust immediately," said Mindtrip Founder and CEO Andy Moss. That's why they, and Layla, also rely on human intelligence for recommendations.

Kim noted there are ongoing efforts to mitigate against hallucinations but suggested double-checking AI-generated answers.

“We want to make sure that that information is usable, that it's actionable. It's clear, it's repeatable,” said Will Healy, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton , the largest provider of AI to the federal government. He heads up the company’s recreation work, including Recreaton.gov , the government’s central travel planning site for public lands like national parks. 

What can AI be used for?

Currently, most Recreation.gov visitors use progressive search to discover and book things like campsites, checking off boxes and reading information provided by the land manager. However, 25% of randomly selected users are being offered more personalized AI-powered options as part of a beta test with AI.

“What we're beta testing at the moment are things where you can say, ‘Hey, I've got three kids. This is our first time camping. We want to go some place that's fun. My kids love the water. We want to try hiking, and my youngest son likes fishing, but he's not very good at it,’ ” Healy said.

“If you were talking to somebody who knew everything about every campsite, then what answer would they give you? That's what we think artificial intelligence can do,” he added. “And it's not just the data that's in the system, but it's all of the reviews and blogs and everything's out there in the public domain that you can pull different pieces together, put together into a contextual answer.”

If AI is able to understand a traveler’s intent, Healy said it could also suggest alternative destinations or experiences if something a traveler wants is booked up or otherwise not available. He said it could also help make public lands more accessible to more people.

“If you have some sort of impairment – maybe it's sight, hearing, mobility, cognitive, whatever it is – that confidence level (outdoors) might go down, “Healy said. “We want to provide you the right information, so that you can get outside with as much confidence as possible and have an experience that matches your needs .”

COMMENTS

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