Travel
Plan a trip without 20 browser tabs
6 min read · Updated
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Trip planning gets messy because bookings, ideas, money and packing all live in different places.
- Five cards cover almost every trip: the trip, places, packing, budget and bookings.
- Group places by neighbourhood, check opening days and set a budget per day.
- Make one packing list and reuse it for every trip.
The flight confirmation is in your email. The hotel is in another email. The restaurant tip is a screenshot from three weeks ago. And you have twenty browser tabs open, "just in case".
"My trip is in twenty tabs."
Planning a trip should be half the fun. Not a search through your own phone.
Why does trip planning get so messy?
Because a trip is a lot of small pieces from a lot of places:
- Bookings arrive by email, each in a different format
- Ideas come from friends, articles and social media
- Money gets spent in bits: flights now, hotel later, food on the spot
- Packing happens the night before, from memory
None of it is hard. It's just scattered.
What goes on a trip board?
Five cards cover almost every trip:
- The trip: dates, where you're staying, and a countdown
- Places: what you want to see and eat, with a photo
- Packing: a list you tick off and reuse
- Budget: per day, so you see where it's going
- Bookings: flight times, booking numbers, addresses
Everything in sight. On one board.
Tasks, notes, photos and plans as cards on one calm board. No charge today. Cancel anytime.
Start 7 days freeOr see all templates →How do I plan a trip step by step?
Weeks before
- Put the dates, the bookings and the address on one card.
- Collect places as you find them. One photo, one line why.
- Set a rough budget per day.
The week before
- Sort places by area, so each day stays close together.
- Check opening days. Museums and markets have days off.
- Start the packing list.
The day before
- Tick the packing list. Charger, passport, adapter.
- Screenshot the bookings card, in case you're offline.
How do I keep the places organised?
One card per place is too much. One card for all places, with a short line each, works better:
Add a photo when you have one. Pictures help you remember why you saved it.
How do I make a packing list I can reuse?
Make it once, keep it forever.
- Start from a basic list: documents, chargers, toiletries, clothes
- Add trip-specific things: sunscreen, hiking shoes, adapter
- After the trip, cross out what you didn't use
Next time, half the list is already done.
How do I keep the budget in check?
Set a daily amount. Then you see quickly whether today was a cheap day or a treat day, and you can balance it out.
Can we plan it together?
Yes. Share the board with whoever is coming. Everyone adds places, and nobody has to forward screenshots again. People you invite to a PAPEPPE board don't pay anything.
The full trip board
Here's the board you can start from. Change the city and the dates, and it's your trip.
Your trip-planning checklist
Screenshot this:
- Dates, address and bookings on one card
- Places grouped by neighbourhood
- Opening days checked
- Budget per day
- Packing list ticked, and saved for next time
Tonight, close ten tabs. Put what was in them on one card.
Questions
How do I organise a trip in one place?
Put the dates, bookings, places, budget and packing list together on one board, so you never have to search through emails and screenshots.
How should I plan what to see each day?
Group places by neighbourhood instead of by day, and check opening days. Then each day you pick an area and see what is close.
How do I make a reusable packing list?
Start from a basic list, add trip-specific items, and after the trip cross out what you did not use. Next time half the work is done.
How do I keep a travel budget under control?
Set a daily amount and check it each day, so you can balance a treat day with a cheaper one.
Can I plan a trip together with friends?
Yes. Share the board with everyone who is coming. People you invite to a PAPEPPE board do not pay anything.
Try it on your own board.
No charge today. Cancel anytime.
Start 7 days free