Putting together a travel itinerary is like putting together a puzzle.
The difference is that, instead of parts, there are activities that need to be fitted in the best way possible.
This comparison used to make me uneasy, because I'm not the best person at solving puzzles. In fact, when I got my first one, I had to try it several times, and it only had four pieces!
Fortunately, with practice and help from my mother, I discovered that there are some tricks to solving the game more efficiently: starting at the edges, joining parts with similar colors, etc.
And the same goes for scripts.! At first, it seems complicated or even impossible to put one together. After a few tries, however, you learn tricks that make this part of travel planning simple and even fun.
In this post, I will teach you how to create a travel itinerary, with all the tips I've learned over the years.
This post is also available in another format
If you prefer visual content, I also created a Slideshare presentation with all the tips. The slides have less detail, so if you want to know more about any topic, just read the text here on the blog.
How to create a travel itinerary
Start with the search
It's difficult to put together a puzzle without the pieces. Likewise, it's difficult to put together a travel itinerary without knowing what you want to do.
I like to search in the following places:
TripAdvisor
It's a collaborative website, where travelers from all over the world write opinions about tours, restaurants and other attractions. If you don't know anything about the destination, you can see the most visited places and find out which are the best companies to take each tour.
I read all the reviews about Elephant Nature Park, in Thailand, before scheduling my visit. With several reports talking about the ethics of the place, I felt safe choosing this park.
Travel Blogs
Okay, this choice is a little biased... The truth is that I love reading other people's opinions and how they felt in a certain place. I also find it interesting that, by allowing detailed and personal texts, blogs are able to provide specific information such as “I stayed for three hours and it wasn't enough” or “Too far and it wasn't worth the trip”.
I also love it when the blog is dedicated to just one destination and is written by a Brazilian living there. It's like having the view of a tourist and a local at the same time.
Travel Guides
It seems a little outdated, but the most popular guides tend to be updated every year with fresh information. Written by experienced travelers, many of the tips in these books match those of locals.
It's a great resource for those who are visiting a place for the first time as they indicate the main tourist attractions, which some bloggers may consider “too beaten up”.
Ask acquaintances
If you have family or friends who love to travel, there is a good chance that someone you know has already visited that city. Ask for suggestions and ask about the attractions you wanted to visit when you looked at TripAdvisor or blogs.
I also like to take the opportunity to find out what they wouldn't do again, in case I need to cut something from the script.
Facebook Groups and Forums
Don't know anyone who has already been to your destination? No problem, there are huge online communities full of information. Facebook groups such as “Brazilians in Thailand”, “Brazilians in Los Angeles” or even more comprehensive ones like “Backpackers” can be good starting points. Before asking a question, use the search tool to see if it hasn't already been answered.
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I already know what I want to do… now what?
Now you need to decide when to do each program, actually put together a travel itinerary!
There is no single way to choose which activities to do each day, this will depend on your style, budget and available time.
Some tips that can help in general:
- Take tours that are in the same region on the same day, so as not to waste time or spend on transport.
- Popular attractions are busier on weekends, so try to visit them on other dates.
- Some cultural centers, such as museums, have free entry on a certain day. It's a good idea for those who want to save money, but this also tends to be one of the busiest days.
- Don't plan extensive tours for the day of arrival. You will be tired and wanting to rest. If you want to go out, choose a light activity that is close to the hotel.
How much time to leave for each tour?
Depends. Visiting a Disney park, for example, is an all-day trip. Shopping at an outlet It can only take a morning, and getting to know the Orlando Eye is a program that takes just over an hour.
On sites like TripAdvisor or blogs, it is normal for travelers to specify how long the tour lasted. Use this information as a basis and, if it's a place you really want to visit, set aside a little more time.
How many tours to take in one day?
Again, depends.
Consider the duration of each tour and see how many can be done in a single day. Don't forget to include travel time from one attraction to another in this calculation! To find out this information, use Google Maps and select whether you will follow the route on foot, by bicycle, public transport or car.
Personally, I like to leave my script with some free spaces. Sometimes a tour lasts longer than expected, or I want to go back to the hotel and rest for a while.
You might also like: Using Google Maps when traveling to create itineraries and not get lost
What you need to know about each place
- opening hours: Don't be like me, I went to Griffith Park on the only day it's not open. Check the opening days and hours of each location, and place it on your itinerary according to this information. Watch out for local holidays!!
- Reservations / Advance tickets: Many tourist attractions sell tickets online, sometimes even cheaper than at the box office. If you can, buy in advance, avoid queues and save time and money. I also suggest making reservations for the trendiest restaurants. For international destinations, I recommend purchasing tickets with WePlann. You can pay in installments, in reais and without charging IOF, and the prices are unbeatable for attractions around the world!
- Clothing: Due to culture, there are places that do not accept women wearing shorts, skirts, off-shoulders or even with their hair exposed. Do your research to make sure you're dressed appropriately, and that your outfit fits in with the rest of your schedule for the day.
- Directions: Learn how to get to the location in one or more ways. There may be no public transport to that place on Sunday, or it may only be possible to get there by boat and the journey may take half a day. Find out all this before putting together the itinerary, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Do I need to follow the script exactly?
No! The itinerary is just a guide, a general idea of what you would like to do at that destination.
If it arrives on time and you don't feel like it, you can change it to another day's schedule (as long as the attractions are open), or even explore the surroundings without many plans. One of the coolest parts of traveling is discovering unexpected places!
On some trips, I even plan to have nothing to do, to take time to rest or just invent an activity according to my mood.
I planned it wrong / There wasn't time to do everything!
Repeat with me: Mistakes happen and that's okay.
The truth is that, even creating a super detailed itinerary and researching tuuudo, you will probably make a mistake and fall out of programming.
Don't be frustrated, understand that everyone goes through this when traveling and, if necessary, adjust plans. You will hardly have time to do everything you would like, and this serves as a incentive to plan a second visit to your destination rs.
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Tools for putting together a travel itinerary
There are several programs that can help you plan your daily life. If you like something more written, Word or Google Docs are great options. For those familiar with spreadsheets, there are several online templates for creating scripts in Excel or Google Spreadsheets.
I like to write the trip details in a Google Docs file, but I also use two exceptional apps, created precisely to help with the planning part:
SygicTravel
By far, the best option I found on the internet. You enter your destination, and the magic happens: it delivers you ready scripts, with the best tourism in the city.
If this isn't your thing, you can tell us where you're staying and create your own schedule, day by day. From the first tour, it shows on an interactive map the distance from your hotel to the first attraction, from the first to the second, and so on. In addition to the route, it also tells you how long on average you will spend in each place, and even calculates how many km you will walk before ending your activities.
There is a very detailed post here on the blog with a video showing how to use Sygic Travel. It's a great guide, especially if it's one of the first times you're putting together a script, and it works on the computer plus there's a app free.
Google Trips
With Google Trips you can gather all your trip details in one place: hotel reservations, airline tickets, activities, etc. You can also save favorite places for a next visit and get transport and shopping information within the app.
It's not better than Sygic because it lacks resources when putting together scripts, and I found it difficult to use in the first few attempts. It took me a while to understand app and there is no computer version.
Tip: If you are going to take the itinerary on your cell phone to check during the day, consider purchasing a portable charger.
In short:
- Research what activities you want to do on sites like TripAdvisor, blogs, tourist guides and forums;
- Try to group tours in the same region to do on the same day;
- Pay attention to the opening hours of attractions and restaurants, if possible buy tickets in advance or make reservations;
- Don't stick to the script, it's just a guide. If you don't feel like following it, do another program.
- Use apps like Sygic Travel or Google Trips to plan your daily life.
And there they are, all my tips for putting together a travel itinerary!
Even though it's similar to putting together a puzzle, the end result is much better than the picture on the box. It's the trip of your dreams!
Do you know any other tricks that aren’t in the post? Have questions? Leave a comment! 🙂
Hi Alyssa, when I went to Thailand, I used Rome2Rio a lot…
It's a really cool website that gives you all the options for getting from one place to another, with estimated prices and everything!
It works great as a complement!
=)
I LOVED this site!! I'll update the post and recommend it 🙂
I loved the app but it appears with a different bar for me… Has there been an update?
Hi Renata!
Thanks for the comment, I just saw that the site has really changed. Now you need to go to the “Sygic Maps” section, click on the calendar icon on the left and then “create new trip”. Then it goes back to how it was when I wrote this post. As soon as I have time I'll record a new video showing it, kisses!