If you are anything like me, then you are a planner. An organized “type-A” personality who enjoys researching and planning vacations for yourself and your family that are truly magical. After all, it’s all about the memories you make in this life!
So in this post, I’m going to share with you 2 valuable tools that I created after many years of planning trips all over the world. These tools will help you to research and plan your vacations like a pro and stay organized during your trip with an amazing trip itinerary and “cheat sheet” tool to reference quick information on-the-go!
Why Create a Travel Itinerary?
Creating a vacation itinerary for your trip is not just being organized with the planning of the trip itself. It’s also about feeling organized when you are actually on the trip too!
For example, when we were in London there were certain museums we wanted to explore but they were only open certain days of the week. We needed to be sure we organized our itinerary accordingly, so that we could see and do all the things we wanted without feeling like we were wasting time or missing out.
Having a “travel itinerary” is not about running yourself ragged or having a strict list of activities and a schedule to adhere to. Instead, a trip itinerary serves as a guideline to refer to & enables you to kick back and relax during the trip while also ensuring that you are experiencing the things you wanted to!
For instance, when Josh and I are on a road trip, we love the feeling of just being able to enjoy the scenery and stop off to explore. While at the same time, knowing that we need to arrive at our hotel before 6 pm because the hotel is the only restaurant in town and it closes at 7 pm (true story, that happened when we were in Scotland).
As a DIY traveler & travel blogger over 20 years now (and having worked a few years as a travel agent too), I’ve planned all sorts of trips around the world to over 50 countries now. From the first trip Josh and I took together to Scotland and Ireland, to an amazing trip to Italy with one of my best friends from college.
Over the years, I’ve come up with some pretty simple ways to stay organized while on the road.
One way I do this is by creating a specific travel itinerary template, as well as a supplemental “cheat sheet” that I keep handy during my travels.
Download My Simple Vacation Planning Itinerary Template
One of the very first things that I do when I’m planning a vacation is to research like crazy and gather information to come up with an awesome finalized trip itinerary. For this research and comparison, I use my Vacation Planning Template. This is a helpful Excel template — and it’s my starting point for any trip that I’m researching and starting to plan.
You can download this FREE travel itinerary planning template Excel File by clicking on the link HERE.
How to Use My Vacation Planning Template Excel File
The reason this Vacation Planning Template is an Excel spreadsheet (or Google Sheets if you want to convert to that) is because it is preformatted with worksheets & formulas, which helps make your planning easier.
- Copy and paste website links and ideas while researching and planning your trip (this is one of the very first things I do!)
- Copy and paste different activity ideas, hotel ideas, etc.
- You can also jot down any notes about activities, operating hours, tips, etc.
- You may even copy and paste existing “sample itineraries” (which are a great start)
- Make note of the cost for specific things (hotels, activities, etc.) so you can keep a running budget
- Multiple “research worksheets” allow you to plan out different trips & then consolidate into your final itinerary!
Excel Template Cost Cells (auto-calculate)
One of the most important elements in this travel itinerary template are the cost cells are formatted to auto-calculate for you! This allows you to make a note of the different costs of things you want to do or places you want to stay and the worksheet will work up a total cost for you. This is a great way to see if your ideas are within your budget, or if you need to make some modifications (or sacrifices!).
For me, when I’m planning a vacation, I usually do a ton of research and put together a number of different scenarios, or different trip itineraries (really). I’ll input all my research here and then be able to see which option makes the most sense (and is within my budget!). Sometimes they will be totally different trips! Other times they may be similar and I can make adjustments and consolidate into the final version (on the front worksheet of these Excel template).
Ultimately, this travel planning template allows me to come up with my final trip itinerary!
You Might Be Thinking “Ok Liz, Isn’t That a Bit Much?”
Yeah, yeah, some of you might be thinking this sounds a little much. But hey, I told you I’m a Type A! And all of you Type A personalities can probably relate!
But honestly, it’s not that much work. I’m already doing the research (as many of you are). I’m searching around online, using Pinterest to get vacation ideas, etc. but this trip planning spreadsheet gives me one central and easy place to keep track of what I find online (because I always forget or lose links that I try to keep track of…).
Plus — I LOVE to travel…but I also like to get the most for my money.
I’m just a normal person and don’t have a money tree growing in my backyard. I save money for trips like most other people, and also want to be sure I maximize my budget during a trip as well. I also have to work, so I don’t have to maximize my time off work for travel . So planning out my trips like this has really allowed me (and my family) to see and do SO much over the years!
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Don’t Look Like a Tourist! Create a “Cheat Sheet” for Quick Reference On-The-Go!
After I have finalized the trip itinerary, it’s a detailed document. However, I realized that there was still a gap when I was actually traveling during the trip. I needed quick access to simple information like booking confirmation numbers, subway lines to take, museum operating hours, hotel addresses, etc.
And while you can use your phone for some things, I felt like I just wanted an easy piece of paper I could keep in my wallet or pocket that I could reference at a glance. I agree with Rick Steve’s, you never want to look like a tourist, all lost and fumbling around.
I needed something handier for when I was “on-the-road” and on the go, which didn’t draw attention to myself or made me look lost.
How I Used My Cheat Sheet Right Away in Hong Kong
For example, after I arrived in Hong Kong late at night (after a very long flight) I needed to take the train to my hotel. Rather than opening my bag to go through papers or pulling out my phone, looking at maps…and probably looking confused to the locals as I tried to figure out which train to take and which stop to get off at, I just pulled out my Travel Cheat Sheet.
After a long flight, it’s easy to feel a bit foggy or confused trying to remember certain details. My Cheat Sheet was simply organized with a specific note on which train to take from the airport and which stop to get off at. It also had my hotel name, address, phone number and confirmation number.
Not only did it make my arrival easy and stress-free, but I also had a note on my cheat sheet that my hotel was paid in full. So in case the hotel asked for payment I could refer to my confirmation and clear it up right away.
And that’s why I ended up creating the travel “Cheat Sheet” itinerary template.
A “Cheat Sheet” is an Extension of Your Travel Itinerary Template
Keeping track of all the details related to a vacation can be overwhelming. Especially if it is a long or busy trip filled with multiple hotel bookings, transportation, and activities. After you have made your travel arrangements, you are bound to have endless emails and confirmation numbers to sort through.
That combined with your research and notes about the things you want to see and do on your trip can make being organized even more complicated. You need all this information nicely organized where you can access it easily when you need it.
This “Cheet Sheet” has helped myself and over tens of thousands of other travelers stay organized on the road!
Sometimes Nothing Beats a Good Ol’ Fashioned Piece of Paper!
Technology, especially mobile devices, have really helped travelers stay organized while on the road. In fact, one of our favorite travel apps that we use is called TripIt.
The TripIt app helps us consolidate a lot of our travel information and confirmation numbers into one place. This allows us to access it online or save it for viewing offline on our mobile devices. However, I have learned from my previous travel experience that using technology doesn’t always make things easier or quicker.
This is especially true when traveling overseas. I don’t always use my cell phone internationally, and even if I do, it may not be connected to a data network. Other times I may not want to draw attention to myself and my fancy technology while I’m walking down the street. In these cases, I’ve discovered that it’s easier to go old school, with an actual piece of paper!
** Want to be able to use your cell phone easily in another country without crazy roaming fees? Check out Airalo for easy eSIM cards that you can purchase for countries around the world and turn on / off as you need. Super affordable and super easy!!!
Paper Confirmations Are Too Long!
You know all those emails you get with your confirmation numbers for hotels, rental cars, etc. They are great and all, but who really wants to print all that and bring it with them? Plus, those emails tend be long and include a lot of information that you may not need on the spot for a quick reference. In fact, if you were to print all of that information out, you would probably be walking around with a small book in your pocket!
This defeats the whole point of having a quick reference document because you would be fumbling around with all those papers trying to find just the simple confirmation number!
That’s why my “Cheat Sheet’ Travel Itinerary Template is only 1 page!
Items to Include on Your Travel “Cheat Sheet”
There are all kinds of things you may find useful to put on your travel “Cheat Sheet.” But the most critical pieces of information to include are only those that you may need to reference quickly while you are on the go. So don’t overdo it by putting too much information. Keep it concise and easy to read. Some of the items I include in my “cheat sheet” include:
- Rough Itinerary – Don’t plan each minute! But it’s helpful to plan out major activities on each day, especially days when you are traveling.
- Hotel Information – confirmation numbers, addresses, contact information, prices & deposits paid (so you know what you owe on arrival), and possibly directions. (pre-book hotels HERE!)
- Transportation Information – flight numbers, train / bus schedules, how to use local transportation and buy tickets, etc. (pre-book flights, trains, rental cars and more HERE!)
- Attractions – if there are certain sights that you absolutely want to see, make a note of their operating hours and days (because that might impact your itinerary), addresses, and prices (which will help with budgeting).
- Activities – anything that you have pre-booked, along with the confirmation numbers. (pre-book activities HERE!)
- Language Phrases – include a few simple phrases or notes about the language or even local customs.
Bring a Hard Copy of Your Travel Itinerary “Cheat Sheet” & Keep It Handy
My “cheat sheet” travel itinerary template is only one page. It is grouped into 4 sections so that I can easily fold it into quarters and stuff it in my pocket. Within the document itself, I group the information within each quarter section. This way when it is folded, each side has a table of similar information.
For example, one side of the page might have my overall itinerary for each day, while another side contains all my hotel information. I also color code the header of each page for each section. This makes it easy for me to find the page I need for whatever it is that I’m looking for.
Be sure to print out a few copies, and it is good to send an electronic copy to your email.
Lastly, this “cheat sheet” document is perfect for sharing with family and friends, in case they need to contact you while you are away!
Join 20,000+ Other Travelers Who Have Downloaded this Useful Travel Itinerary Template
Grab My “Cheat Sheet” Template!
It’s always tough to start out from scratch creating a planning document like this. And sometimes, it may not seem worth it to put in all the effort. But since I have already found a format that seems to work well, I wanted to share it here for all of you .
Your time is valuable.
So all I ask is that you buy me a small cup of coffee (.99 cents) for saving you the time and hassle of making it yourself.
I assure you that you will feel so much more organized during your trip, and not fumbling around with smartphones or trying to open emails while on the road.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Format Does the Travel Itinerary Template Come?
The Travel Itinerary Template download comes in an Excel format. But you can easily turn it into a Google Sheet yourself, if that works best for your needs.
Can I Edit the Travel Itinerary Template?
Yes, the template is pre-formatted but it is intended to be edited and customized to your specific needs. It does have pre-populated cells with formulas for the cost / budgeting, so be careful not to delete those if you want to maintain that feature (or you’ll need to recreate yourself).
Why Are There So Many Worksheets in This Travel Itinerary Template?
The first page is intended to be your final trip itinerary. However, the other worksheets are included so that you can easily create a few different “itinerary drafts” as a part of your vacation research. If you are like me, then you are doing lots of research and finding good ideas. This way you have a place to copy / paste and keep track of your ideas. Then you can pull it all together to come up with your final trip itinerary!
Is the “Cheat Sheet” the Same as the Travel Itinerary or Different?
Good question. The travel “cheat sheet” is actually a different file. It’s basically a simple on-the-go 1 page document that you can complete with some of the important details about your trip (from your overall vacation itinerary) that you want to keep hand (example – fold and put in your pocket or your bag). You create your overall travel itinerary first, then you create your “cheat sheet” with details from your itinerary right before you leave. It’s just a quick easy reference document to keep handy when you are out and about.
What Should I Include in My Cheat Sheet?
Based on my cheat sheet template that you can download here, I like to include key notes from my itinerary, such as operating hours of attractions, trains, etc. I also like to keep track of confirmation numbers and hotel details (including whether I paid the hotel in full or owe when I arrive). I also like to include transportation details, for example – to get to the Eiffel Tower from your hotel take train ___ from station ____ and get off at station ____. I also like to keep track of buses, long-distance trains and any other type of transportation that I may need, or have pre-booked.
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