Best tools to build your itinerary

I LOVE a good itinerary. There is something so satisfying to me about a good, clean schedule. Maybe it is the event planner in me, but I want to know what is happening at every step of the process. Assuming you have your destination picked out, flights and accommodations booked, you’re ready to build your itinerary. Here are my favorite tools:

Google Sheets

I LOVE Google sheets. I like how you can invite others who are joining you on your trip to access and edit it as well as the “owner.” I like to build out a spreadsheet with the dates along the side and time of day along the top.

I input all of our “hard” items first, like flight and hotel confirmations. I also include prices when I can so I can keep an idea of how much I’ll be spending once I’m there, and any important information (like bringing our passports to dinner since we ate at the Reichstag which is a government building in Berlin).

I also try to leave room for spontaneity or downtime. I love to sleep, so as silly as this sounds, schedule your naps if you need!

If you have any scheduled tours, include that information as well! Our only scheduled tour was a hike in Saxon Switzerland and Bohemia National Park. This tour could not be moved or changed, so this is considered a “hard” item. Everything else is open to being moved or changed.

Next, I like to make separate boxes for additional things to do and restaurants. Without fail, I’ll have us scheduled to eat at a certain restaurant, and then when it comes time to eat there, I’m feeling something different. Keeping a list of restaurants with a quick description is helpful. Same with museums, clubs, bars, etc. Whatever you want to do, make a list of extra things to fill time if you find yourself with some extra time.

I also love that you can access it when you’re offline, which makes it very handy in remote destinations or if you don’t have access to WiFi!

TripIt

I started using TripIt right before my Mexico trip in 2019 and LOVED it. If all you want is a safe place to house your confirmations, this is the app for you. It connects to your e-mail and automatically pulls flight, hotel, excursion confirmations, and restaurant reservations and uploads it to the app.

I love this app just for the basic functionality of it. It’s free, too :)

Microsoft Excel

Similar to Google Sheets in function, but without the ability to have others access and edit it unless you share it. I’ve made an Excel spreadsheet in the past and then uploaded it to Google Sheets and that has worked. Use it in the same way you’d use Google Sheets, but save it somewhere you can access it while traveling.

Google Docs

I like Google Docs if I just want to make a list of things to do and it is mainly a “soft” itinerary. For example, when my boyfriend and I visited Isla Holbox and Tulum, we had exactly one thing scheduled and it was a stargazing kayak tour.

I made a list of all of the restaurants I was interested in, happy hours at our hotel and its sister properties, gift ideas, cenotes, helpful tips for traveling in Mexico, etc.

If you are more of a list person who just wants some options, but not to be “tied” to anything set in stone, this may be the route for you.

I also like that you can create your own spreadsheet within Google Docs so you have the best of both worlds! As you can see, I left a much more empty space on this spreadsheet than I did for the Google Sheet for Europe up above.

The beauty of an itinerary is that you can build it to reflect the exact kind of trip you want! For Europe, we were pressed for time and wanted to see a TON, so you can see that mentality reflected in that spreadsheet compared to this one for Mexico with empty space, restaurant suggestions, and happy hours.

Do you have any tools you use to build your itinerary? If so, drop them below!