How to Plan a Trip Quickly: 9 Best Places to Find Inspiring Trip Itineraries
- Updated: 11/19/2023
- Janice
Do you ever need to plan a trip quickly? Like many travelers, you may be short on time for planning but long on your desire to explore. One of my favorite ways to cut the work related to trip planning is to borrow an itinerary from elsewhere.
In this article, I share nine unexpected places where you can find captivating and copyable trip itineraries that will help ignite your wanderlust and get you on your way faster to an unforgettable travel experience.
From overlooked travel guidebooks to tour company websites showcasing unique and hand-crafted trip itineraries—I have got you covered. This combination of traditional and nontraditional sources will help you tap into the vast world of travel possibilities, saving you time and providing the inspiration you need for your next best trip.
9 Best Places to Find Trip Itinerary Examples
Here is a list of the nine top places to quickly find a trip itinerary example for your next trip. Get more details and resources for each in the sections below.
Why travel guidebooks are ideal for trip itinerary examples
With such a wealth of online sources, you might wonder if travel guidebooks still hold any value. However, despite the abundance of websites, blogs, and social media accounts, guidebooks continue to serve as an essential tool for travelers worldwide, especially for itinerary ideas.
3 Reasons Why Guidebooks Are Ideal for Trip Planning
Here are three reasons why guidebooks are great resources for trip planning and travel itineraries.
- Guidebooks offer a curated, reliable, and comprehensive source of information.
- Guidebooks provide a complete overview of a destination.
- The best guidebooks offer multiple itinerary suggestions ranging from one day to several weeks that cater to different interests.
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Additionally, guidebooks benefit from being meticulously researched and editorially independent. Experts write the books, and publishing companies update the guides frequently to ensure accuracy. In contrast to much of what you find on the internet, which can be overwhelming and sometimes unreliable, guidebooks offer a dependable wealth of data from a trustworthy source.
To find the best guidebook for you, check out this list sharing the pros and cons of the best travel guidebooks, many of which offer multiple itinerary suggestions in their first chapters.
Why Tour Company Websites Are Perfect for Itinerary Ideas
Oscar Wilde famously said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and I hope Intrepid Travel, whose website I visited to view their 9-day Highlights Of Central Europe trip itinerary, are fans of Mr. Wilde.
Whether or not they are, I am a big fan of Intrepid. I love their small-group, small-impact travel ethos and responsible business approach. I have traveled with them to Borneo, India, and Morocco. From my experiences, I know their trip routes will be excellent and include the best and off-the-beaten-track destination highlights.
Which is why I visited their website to figure out how to plan a trip to Central Europe. As expected, their Central Europe trip itinerary outlined an ideal route for any first visit to the region, giving me a solid idea of how to craft my trip schedule.
Another example of using tour companies for trip planning is when I wanted to travel to Utah with my family. Since Utah has five impressive national parks and I knew I did not have time to visit them all, I needed a quick way to see what was reasonable to fit in within a week’s trip.
So, I searched online for “family tours in Utah” and found the Austin Adventures Bryce Canyon and Zion Family Vacation. Their route showed me how to visit two parks in six days. It also introduced me to an impressive new and family-friendly tour company I did not know about before.
7 More Tour Companies to Check Out for Trip Itinerary Ideas
In addition to Intrepid Travel and Austin Adventures, here are seven more all-around excellent tour companies that are also family-friendly. Visit their websites to see itineraries and even book a trip.
- G Adventures
- Backroads
- Tauck
- REI Adventures
- National Geographic Expeditions
- Sierra Club Outings
- Thomson Family Adventures
For travelers who are fans of self-guided walking holidays, also known as inn-to-inn hiking trips, like I am, find a list of the top nine tour companies for this type of travel in this article. Visit their websites for itinerary ideas or to book a trip.
Search Pinterest for Travel Itinerary Recommendations
Although guidebooks and professional tour companies are great first stops for trip itinerary ideas, my close third resource is Pinterest since it offers a gold mine for trip itinerary ideas and things-to-do lists. Often recognized as a social media company, Pinterest functions more like a powerful image and article search engine. Use it to browse for itinerary recommendations for any destination.
For example, I searched for “Central Europe itinerary” and got excellent results. The first “pin” listed links to this helpful article, which contains three route options for a two-week trip.
Join a Facebook Group or Online Forum for Trip Itineraries & Ideas
One of the best ways to discover unique trip itineraries is by joining online travel communities and forums. These platforms bring together like-minded travelers eager to share their experiences and recommendations and can be a treasure trove of information.
Find the best communities on Facebook. If you do not have a Facebook account, it is worth creating one to participate in these groups. Click the group icon at the top of your Facebook page (see where to find it in the image below) and search within groups for your destination. Request to join the most relevant and active groups.
For example, if you are traveling to Italy, check out Untold Italy’s Italy Travel Planning Facebook Group. Its members share itinerary ideas, lodging recommendations, and suggestions for where to eat, what to do, and even how to avoid petty thefts. Or find groups for destinations throughout the world. I joined this group before a trip to Malta. And I even joined this group before a trip to Door County, Wisconsin in the US.
Other forum platforms like TripAdvisor or Reddit’s r/travel are excellent resources for recommendations and unconventional trip itineraries. Browse the discussions, ask questions, or post inquiries to get ideas from fellow travelers. Like with the Facebook groups, you will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge and travel inspiration found within these communities.
Go to Social Media for More Trip Planning & Itinerary Ideas
Instagram and TikTok are the best social media channels for travelers to showcase their adventures and itineraries. By following travel accounts, photographers, and hashtags related to your desired destination, you can discover hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path things to do that you might not find elsewhere.
For example, before a trip to Malta, I wanted to add a family photo session to our Valletta itinerary. To search for local photographers, I followed hashtags on Instagram like #valletta #vallettaphotographer #maltaphotographer to see whose work I liked. This is how I found our photographer, who I followed, sent a direct message to inquire about a session, and then booked it.
Use these accounts to book a one-off activity like I did or to plan an entire trip. Travel accounts will often share photography, videos, and detailed captions related to their travel. If you have a question, ask in the comments. Or follow the account and direct message the creator. Many influencers, particularly the ones with smaller followings, will respond with helpful information.
Additionally, use your own social media accounts to cast a wide net. Ask friends, family, and colleagues who may have traveled to where you plan to go for advice. If you are a member of local online groups, ask there to get word-of-mouth recommendations from neighbors and friends of friends.
Travel blogs and vlogs for more trip-planning ideas & itineraries
Another resource for trip itinerary ideas is a personal favorite—travel blogs and vlogs. Both platforms offer a personalized take and an in-depth look at travel experiences, usually accompanied by pretty photography or engaging videography and storytelling. Travel bloggers and vloggers often seek out off-the-beaten-path experiences, places to stay, and things to do, sharing about hidden gems.
For example, on my site, I share detailed vacation itineraries for Belize, Switzerland, Vermont, Italy, and more. To find inspiring trip itineraries for other destinations on different sites, search online for “[# of days you have to travel] day trip itinerary for [your destination].” Or, if you do not know the number of days you plan to travel, remove that and search “trip itinerary for [your destination].” Then, scroll through the text and video results, clicking on what catches your eye.
The bloggers and vloggers that rank highest in search results often share itineraries, insider tips, and personal anecdotes that can help you plan your adventure. Look for creators with similar travel styles or interests, with recommendations more likely to align with your preferences.
Local Tourism Websites
When searching for unique trip itineraries, locals often make for the best source of information. They possess insider knowledge and have a deep understanding of their own culture, history, and surroundings. By tapping into local tourism websites—you can discover hidden gems and experiences not typically found in mainstream guidebooks.
Many cities and regions have tourism websites that provide detailed information about attractions and events and offer itineraries. Locals who know the area inside and out often curate these websites, including recommendations beyond the typical tourist trail. By exploring these websites, you can uncover off-the-beaten-path destinations, lesser-known activities, and local experiences that will give your trip a unique flavor.
For example, we visit the small west coast beach town of Saugatuck, Michigan annually in the fall, and their combined Saugatuck/Douglas visitor’s bureau offers a beautiful, well-organized, and informative website full of itinerary ideas, making it an excellent resource for a first-time visitor.
AI for Trip Planning & Itineraries
AI offers an exciting new resource for quickly planning a trip. These evolving tools, which new ones come online nearly monthly, can create a detailed destination-based itinerary for you in seconds. Although the information AI pulls from is a few years old, you can still use it to build a framework for a fantastic trip.
However, plan to use AI tools with other trip-planning resources so you can confirm that suggested attractions and businesses are still operational, uncover date or holiday conflicts, and round out recommendations to ensure your best trip. Discover a list of the top AI trip-planning tools here.
Specialty Travel Websites & Magazines
If you are looking for trip itineraries that cater to specific interests or travel styles, specialty travel websites and magazines offer an easy-to-overlook resource.
These formerly print-only platforms focus on niche topics such as adventure travel, food and wine, cultural immersion, wildlife encounters, or sustainable tourism. By exploring them—you can find itineraries that align with your passions and offer unique experiences beyond mainstream suggestions. To know which ones to look for, check out my list of recommended travel media below.
9 Top Specialty Travel Magazines for Trip Itineraries & Ideas
Here are nine specialty travel websites that feature curated itineraries, expert recommendations, and detailed guides that cater to specific interests.
- Travel and Leisure
- Conde Nast Traveler
- New York Times Travel
- Outside
- National Geographic Travel
- Afar
- Backpacker
- Food & Wine
- Transitions Abroad
Whether you are a foodie looking for culinary adventures, an adrenaline junkie seeking thrilling outdoor activities, or a history buff interested in cultural heritage, these magazine websites will inspire you and help point you in the right direction.
Takeaways
Planning a trip itinerary to a place you have not been to before, especially for a week or more, often feels like grasping in the dark. When you get started, questions pop up like—Do we stay in one place? Or go to several? How many days should we spend in each destination?
The quickest way to answer them is to borrow an itinerary or have AI create one. With the resources recommended in this article, you can quickly find trip itinerary examples that will help guide you for where to go, what to do, and how long to stay in each place. Let them be that cell phone flashlight in the dark showing you how to schedule your all-too-short vacation days and ensure an incredible and memorable next trip.
Related Reading
If you are searching for more travel planning assistance to help you save time and money and to stay organized, check out the related articles below.
- 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
- Google for Travel: Plan Better with These 8 Tools
- Why You Will Love Google Maps for Trip Planning
- Travel Better: How to Best Use Google Flights Explore
- How to Save Time & Money with Google Flights Price Tracker
- 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research
- Rental Car Insurance: When You Need It & When You Don’t
- Pack Faster & Better with This Universal Printable Packing List
- 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
- Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
Love to travel? Sign up for my monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
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