DIY Travel Planning Spreadsheet
This DIY Travel Planning Spreadsheet has made planning trips SO MUCH EASIER! This spreadsheet not only tracks important travel details but also helps with tracking your travel budget!
This post will walk you through the travel spreadsheet, tab by tab!
Tab 1 - Travel Summary
The first tab is the most useful, and also the easiest! All of the data in this tab auto populates when you input information into the subsequent tabs. This tab will show an overall summary of your trip!
Tab 2 - SET UP
The set up tab allows your to easily input key details of your trip. This information will feed into the other tabs, so I recommend filling this tab out first!
To note, when filling out the time zones, enter the time zone you’re currently in and the time. Then, enter the time zone you are going to and the time it is there! Ensure the time difference is accurate. For example, if you are current in EST and heading to MST, enter the current time of day in EST and the corresponding current time of day in MST.
Note: The actual times you enter are not important, just that the difference is correct (i.e. if you are traveling 2 hours behind, ensure the time difference is 2 hours).
Tab 3 - Daily Itinerary
The Daily Itinerary tab offers up to 16 days to plan out for your trip! The dates in the top of each daily section will automatically populate based on the dates you input in the Set Up tab.
Now for my favorite part! Whenever I travel, I like to give a copy of my daily itinerary to my family so they know where I am and what I’m doing! I realized how annoying it was for them to have to calculate the time zone difference.. so I made this sheet do it for me!
When entering the times, only enter in the “Local Time”. The time zones you entered in the Set Up tab will help this sheet to automatically calculate the “Home Time”!
NOTE: When you enter the time, enter the time number, a space and then “AM or “PM. For example, if the local time is 2:00 PM, then enter “2 PM”.
Tab 4 - Budget Tracker
The Budget Tracker tab is probably the most complicated, but don’t be intimidated! I’ll walk through step by step how to fill this out and make this tab work for you!
The top four boxes will auto-populate so you don’t need to worry about those! Start by inputting your expense categories. You can enter up to 13 categories. I pre-populated the first 10 categories but you can overwrite them if you chose!
Next, enter the Payment Methods you will use to pay for your trip! This will help in organizing all expenses. You can enter up to 6 payment method types. Again, I pre-populated the first 3 options but you can overwrite them if you want to.
The middle of the sheet allows you to enter expenses line by line. You can enter the date and input the expense category (which pulls directly from the 13 categories you input!). You can then input the description, you budget for the item and then the actual cost. Finally you can input if it’s been paid and the payment method.
Finally, in the bottom left corner, is the currency converter! The top part of this will auto populate based on the information you input in the Set Up tab. Under the Converter section there are two rows. The first row is meant to convert your “from” currency to your “to” currency. The second row is meant to convert from “to” to “from” (clear as mud right?).
Just remember, only input an amount in the yellow cells! So if you are from the US and traveling to Europe, use the first row to convert US currency into EUR. Use the second row to calculate EUR to US.
Tab 5 - Packing List
The Packing List Tab allows for planning for up to four people and includes three categories. The three categories are Clothing, Toiletries, & Misc./Other. You can input the item, the quantity, if it’s packed, and where it’s packed!
Tab 6 - Check List
The Check List tab is exactly that, a check list! This tab splits your to-do lists into three categories: Week+ before Travel, Day before Travel & Day of Travel. The dates at the tops of the lists will automatically populate based on the dates input in the Set Up tab!
Tab 7 - Research & Reservations
This tab is last but certainly not least! A lot of your travel planning will happen here! The Research and Reservations tab is where you can input destination options, flight options & more! This will help you compare prices and input confirmation / reservation numbers when booking!
Download the DIY Travel Planning Spreadsheet!
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