9 Steps on How to Create a Travel Itinerary

Are you wondering how to create a travel itinerary?

One whole big world. Nearly 200 countries. 7,7 billion inhabitants. 7 continents. How would anyone even create the perfect itinerary when there are so many great choices? Not an easy task.

Every traveler has their way of creating a travel itinerary for a long weekend, a summer getaway, or even a lengthy world tour.

Maybe you’ve always dreamed of visiting the highlands in Scotland? Perhaps you want to experience something new and go to Asia? Or you’re scared of flying, so you take a road trip around North America?

But if you’re new at planning trips or need help figuring out where to start, creating an itinerary for yourself can seem overwhelming.

That’s why we’ve created this guide of 9 steps on how to create a travel itinerary – providing helpful tips and ideas on the best ways to ensure every aspect of your travels goes smoothly!

So let’s start putting together that dream itinerary! 😉

P.S. If you’re still not sure how to create the perfect travel itinerary for your next trip, I’m here to help you. If you’re planning a trip to Canada or USA and love outdoor adventures, I can create a unique itinerary for you and your family. You simply have to fill this form.

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How to Create a Travel Itinerary – General Steps

Below is a 6-steps guide on how to make an itinerary for travel. But here is a small summary of how I like to plan our family trips:

✅ What I like to do is first read travel guides and write down cities that would be cool to visit.

✅ Then I do more research on each city through blogs and Facebook communities and put all the useful information in a Google document per country.

That information includes things like activities to do, places to visit, how to get to/from the airport, public transportation, significant numbers (ex: police, doctors, etc.), links to different blogs, and more!

Again, when you’re planning a more extended trip, leave yourself ample time to prepare. You’ll never run out of information to read in the planning phase.

Then once we are at one location, the research is already done, and we just have to choose from the list of things to do. That way, we don’t have to spend too much time looking for information while there, and we don’t have to fill our suitcases with travel guides.

To be honest, I LOVE travel planning. If Nathan didn’t tell me how completely unnecessary it was, I would put together an entire PowerPoint presentation with our different options and give a formal presentation in the living room.

But that’s overkill for now, so let’s see the 6 steps to plan your itinerary.

1. Decide When and How Long You Want to Travel

It’s important to know when you plan on traveling because some countries may have better times of the year to visit. Plus, when traveling in the peak seasons, prices are higher.

Knowing the amount of time you want to travel is really important as it will allow you to decide how long to stay at each place.

2. Set Your Budget

Then, you need to know your budget. And, of course, it depends on the type of traveler your family is.

If you are planning an international trip, the Numbeo website is a good resource to evaluate the cost of living in different countries. It may not help you with the budget, but it is perfect to compare the cost of living in other countries.

With a set budget and the timeline of your trip, you’ll be able to start building a realistic itinerary.

3. Define What You Want to Do and See

Like I said earlier, when slow traveling, it’s hard to see everything there is to see in a country.

Ok, it’s actually impossible to see everything in one country.

So in order to be satisfied with the itinerary, we suggest that you list all the things you want to see or experience in a destination. Then you can create a kind of travel bucket list.

Some examples may sound something like this:

• The kids want to see animals ( not just in a zoo)
• We want to go to a beach and play in the water
• We want to learn about the California Gold Rush.
• We want to do some hiking with the kids.
• I love Italian food and want to take a cooking class.

And so on!

The strategy here is to list all the essential things you and your family want to do during the trip. That way, you can choose one location to stay where you can experience a part of your bucket list.

4. Select Countries and Cities You Want to Visit

Once you know what type of things you want to do and see during your trip (and you’ve thought about when and how long you’ll be traveling), it gets easier to choose which countries to visit and which cities to see.

Also, when traveling with kids, it can be a good idea to find a central home base and explore around.

5. Learn About the Countries You Are Interested in

Read, read, read, and… oh yeah, read! In this here 21st century, there are so many ways to learn about countries.

🚀Travel Guides

Hit the library and rent some travel guides.

At this point, you don’t have to worry if the local library doesn’t have the latest version of a country or city. You only need to know what the country has to offer when to go, and this doesn’t change much from year to year.

You can also go to Barnes & Noble and buy brand new travel books, but it’s expensive, it takes a lot of room, and in the end, you may decide not to go to all the places.

Our favorite travel guides are Le Routard (for European countries – in French only) and Lonely Planet.

If you are planning a Family road trip across Canada, get the Ultimate Canada Road Trip Guide for Families here!

👉 Facebook Travel Communities

Register to travel Facebook groups. You will be able to ask questions and also use the search bar for different topics. It is really useful, especially when you hesitate between places. Views from other families may help.

Sometimes people can be mean or really judgmental on Facebook, but I found that members of travel groups are really helpful and mostly give good advice.

📍Travel Blogs

All you need to do is need go on Google and type what you are looking for (ex: Paris with kids), then you can spend hours and hours reading different blog posts which will help you plan your trip and organize your days.

🪂Government Travel WebSites

Your home country’s official website may have a travel section with tons of useful information regarding safety, health, and entry requirements for each country.

So, for example, Nathan needs to check for U.S. citizens. And for me, I would need to check for Canadian citizens.

Most countries have a resource like this. A quick Google search should help you find it fairly quickly.

6. Pack right

After all the information you’ve gathered and the bookings you made, it’s time for a packing session! When traveling with kids, you’ll want to pack light (as much as you can). Having an excellent carry-on suitcase and packing cubes are a lifesaver. Depending on the age of your kids and the type of travel, you might be better with a Beco kid’s carrier (perfect for adventure trips) or a travel stroller (ideal for any trips).

Take a travel first aid kit with you wherever you go, especially when you’re planning to go on hiking with toddlers. Make sure it is well-stocked, especially with bite/sting cream and band-aid – you never know when unsteady little legs might take a tumble.

I also recommend making a detailed packing list before packing. Wherever we go, whether planning to go RVing with kids, camping, or a family road-tripping, I always start creating a detailed packing list. For me, it makes things a lot easier, making sure that you don’t forget anything.

Here’s another tip for creating a packing list: You must divide it into categories, such as clothing, toiletries, gadgets, travel documents, your kids’ toys, and other miscellaneous items in order to be more organized.

7. Create your itinerary

You are now ready to create a travel itinerary.

You want to make sure to limit traveling time, so have a coherent traveling sequence. Also, if you plan on visiting different cities or towns that are not too far away from each other (an hour or two), it may be a good idea to base yourself at one location and make day trips to other towns.

It will reduce the energy spent on changing hotels and packing and unpacking. It can be a good idea to book the first couple of places early, especially if you start your trip in the high season.

There are many itinerary templates that can be found online. I personally use Google Maps, Excel, and Google Docs.

8. Book What Needs to Be Booked

I am not a big fan of book everything. While I LOVE to plan and know what there is to do and see in one location, I still love the flexibility. And it’s even more important when traveling with kids. You never know how the days are going to go, so it’s nice to stay flexible.

✈️Of course, you’ll want to book your flights as soon as you can.

🚗 Then, if you need a car rental, it’s good to do it in advance to have more choices.

🧳As for lodging, you can book in advance or not. For hotels,Booking.com usually offers cancellation up to 24-48 hours prior to the trip, so if you see a good deal, it can be worth booking (and canceling if the plan changes).

🏞️ If you’re planning on doing a home exchange, you may be able to start planning and booking in advance too. The same goes for campgrounds in national parks. You’ll have to book early on if you’re traveling in the summer.

Read our Home Exchange Reviews here: All You Need to Know to Plan Your First Swap!

🗺️ Viator and Get Your Guide are two great websites for finding fun and unique tours around the world. It can help you make a memorable bucket list trip.

9. Download a few apps to help you plan your trips

🏨 The GoWhee app has unique recommendations for kid-friendly activities, lodging, and restaurants.

🛣️ Roadtrippers will help you plan any road trips. It helps you add stops along the way.

🏕️ AllTrails is our app to look at trails report and see if the trail is kid-friendly. You’ll also find recent information about the status of the trail.

📢 Note: Don’t overbook when you’re road-tripping.

How to Create a Travel Itinerary for a Family World Tour

I did some research, and I found that a world tour costs around 15 000 € per person for a year. Of course, a toddler doesn’t cost as much as an adult, so we can assume it would be around half for a young kid. Even less if they’re under 2 and don’t pay for flights.

Once you know what type of things you want to do and see during your trip (and you’ve thought about when you’ll be traveling), it gets easier to choose which countries to visit and which cities to see.

In our case, we’ve decided to start by eliminating the following:

• Places we’ve already been to (ex: Western Europe, North America)
• Places we don’t feel like going to at the moment due to safety concerns or problems in the region

Then, we kept a list of places we’ve always dreamed of going to (ex: New Zealand, Hawaii, Indonesia). Finally, we looked at the best time to go to each place to make sure it would all fit together.

📢 Things to remember if you plan on traveling for a year or so:

• Check how long you’re allowed to stay as a tourist in each country due to visa requirements. It may change your itinerary.
• If you have time, take advantage of it, and be flexible in the itinerary. Don’t book everything prior to departure. Be informed of places you want to see and what you want to do, but go with the flow. You will meet so many people along the way who can recommend good places to visit and can completely change the rest of your trip.
• Make sure you have the proper vaccines.

FAQS: How To Create a Travel Itinerary

What is a travel itinerary format?

A travel itinerary format is a document that shows outlines and details of an individual’s upcoming trip, including flight information, hotel reservations, car rental information, and planned activities. It is designed to help the traveller keep all travel-related information organized and in one place.

What is itinerary and example?

It is a detailed plan or schedule that outlines the places to be visited and activities to do with the duration of each activity during your tour. It serves as a guidebook or roadmap for travelers, helping travelers manage their trips efficiently.

Why should you make itinerary for your travel?

Creating a travel itinerary is important because it helps you to stay organized and track your schedules during your travels. It allows you to plan, budget your money, and maximize the time spent at each destination. Also, it ensures that you get all the activities and attractions that are important to you.

Final thoughts: How to create an itinerary

Planning a family trip and writing down a great itinerary can be overwhelming. Whether you are using the structure of booking flights and accommodations first or starting with activities, the most important aspect is that your trip is tailored to your individual needs.

Taking the time to make an itinerary, including helpful tips like packing efficient items and bringing flexible timing plans, will help you truly enjoy your vacation. Successfully creating a travel itinerary requires time and thinking, but the result will be well worth it in the long run.

You can reduce stress caused by failed transportation plans or missed check-ins when you have an organized plan ahead of time.

So remember: take the necessary steps to create a detailed yet practical itinerary, and use it to explore and enjoy your destination.

Now that you know How to Create a Travel Itinerary, get out there and start planning your next great adventure!

I hope those tips helped you, and here are a few itineraries we created for you:

• 7 Days in the Canadian Rockies
• 14 Days in Eastern Canada
• 10 Days Road Trip in New Zealand – South Island
• Utah National Parks Road Trip

And if you need help with your itineraries, contact us, and we’ll create one for you.

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