Travel Itinerary Skill
Intent
Build practical travel itineraries with route notes, lodging context, pacing, budget visibility, and export-ready structure.
Do Not Use When
- Do not use for broad destination comparison, live booking, visa/legal advice, or unsafe assumptions about current availability.
- Required context is missing and cannot be reasonably inferred.
- A more specific skill in this repo is a better match.
Validation Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the skill's intended task and platform.
- [ ] Required inputs, assumptions, and uncertainty are explicit.
- [ ] Safety, scope, and source limits are respected.
- [ ] The response follows the requested format or the skill's default output format.
- [ ] The result is practical enough to use without another cleanup pass.
Build Obsidian-formatted trip files from user supplied details. This skill is a reusable template for organizing travel plans into a clean Markdown itinerary.
Primary Triggers
trip or itinerary — Execute immediately. No clarifying questions before producing the first draft.
Other triggers: "plan my trip", "build my itinerary", "travel plan for...", "export this trip", "format my itinerary"
Infer the best trip template before drafting:
city triproad tripactive travelmixed work and leisure
Step-by-Step Workflow
Step 1 — Extract Trip Data
Pull everything available from the conversation. Do not ask clarifying questions if enough info exists to produce a useful draft. Extract:
- Destination(s) and order of travel
- Dates — departure, return, any fixed anchor events
- Anchor events — concerts, races, festivals, sporting events with fixed dates (e.g., Tour de France Grand Départ, Running of the Bulls)
- Accommodation type — hotel, hostel private room, Airbnb, resort, camping, or user specified preference
- Lodging constraints — preferred neighborhoods, price ceiling, transit needs, late check-in needs, luggage storage needs, and location tradeoffs
- Departure airport or origin — if provided
- Transport — flights, trains, ferries, buses
- Border crossings — countries entered, entry method, visa or ETA needs, passport validity, onward ticket needs, and likely checkpoint dates
- Budget target — total or daily
- Known activities or goals per destination
- Trip purpose — adventure, event-based, exploration, endurance event, etc.
- Trip template fit — city trip, road trip, active travel, or mixed work and leisure
If key data is missing (e.g., no dates at all), produce the best possible draft with placeholders and flag gaps at the bottom.
Step 2 — Build the Markdown File
Filename: YYYY-MM-DD_[Destination].md using the departure date. Example: 2026-07-01_Spain-Morocco.md
Use this template structure, omitting any section with no data:
# [Trip Name]
**Dates:** [Departure] — [Return] ([X] days)
**Destinations:** [City 1 → City 2 → City 3]
**Budget Target:** $X,XXX total / ~$XXX/day
**Departure Point:** [Airport / City / Region]
**Purpose:** [One-line description]
**Template:** [City Trip / Road Trip / Active Travel / Mixed Work + Leisure]
---
## Logistics Overview
| Leg | Mode | Route | Date | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Origin] → [City] | Flight | [Route] | [Date] | [Code or TBD] |
| [City] → [City] | Train/Ferry/Bus | [Route] | [Date] | TBD |
---
## Visa And Border Checkpoints
| Date | Countries / Border | Mode | Visa / ETA Check | Documents | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Date] | [Country A → Country B] | [Flight / Train / Ferry / Land] | [Required / Not required / Verify] | [Passport, visa, onward ticket, proof of lodging] | [Apply / Verify / Carry printout] |
**Border Notes:** [Entry rule uncertainty, passport validity concern, Schengen day count, customs issue, or TBD]
---
## Anchor Events
| Event | Location | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Event Name] | [City] | [Dates] | Confirmed / TBD |
---
## Day-by-Day
### Day 1 — [Date] — [City]
**Accommodation:** [Name or TBD] — [Type] — ~$XX/night
**Travel:** [Arrival details or transit]
**Route Notes:** [Station to hotel, airport transfer, parking note, walk time, or local transit note]
**Activities:**
- [Activity 1]
- [Activity 2]
**Meals:** [Notable spots or budget estimate]
**Budget Snapshot:** Lodging $X | Food $X | Transit $X | Activities $X
**Notes:** [Anything logistical — jet lag buffer, early check-in, etc.]
**Contingency:** [Weather fallback, delay backup, lower-energy option, or TBD]
### Day 2 — [Date] — [City]
...
[Repeat for each day. Group consecutive days in the same city if itinerary is fluid.]
---
## Accommodation Summary
| City | Property | Type | Nights | Est. Cost | Location | Transit Convenience | Decision Note | Booked? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [City] | [Name or TBD] | [Type] | X | $XXX | [Central / outer neighborhood / near station] | [High / Medium / Low] | [Location vs price vs transit tradeoff] | Yes / No |
**Lodging Decision Notes:**
- [City]: [Why this lodging area makes sense or what tradeoff still needs review]
---
## Reservation Summary
| Item | Status | Date | Confirmation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Flight / Train / Hotel / Event] | Booked / TBD | [Date] | [Code or TBD] | [Key note] |
---
## Budget Tracker
| Category | Estimated | Actual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | $XXX | — | [Details] |
| Accommodation | $XXX | — | X nights avg $XX/night |
| Ground Transport | $XXX | — | Trains, buses, ferries |
| Food | $XXX | — | ~$XX/day |
| Activities & Entrance Fees | $XXX | — | [Key items] |
| Misc / Buffer | $XXX | — | Visas, SIM, incidentals |
| **TOTAL** | **$X,XXX** | **—** | |
### Daily Budget View
| Day | Lodging | Food | Transit | Activities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | $X | $X | $X | $X | $X |
| Day 2 | $X | $X | $X | $X | $X |
---
## Packing List
Tailor to destination type (urban, trekking, beach, mixed). Always include the travel essentials below, then add trip-specific items.
### Always
- [ ] Passport (valid 6+ months past return)
- [ ] Travel insurance confirmation
- [ ] Downloaded offline maps (Maps.me or Google Maps)
- [ ] Local currency or notify bank
- [ ] International SIM or eSIM (check coverage for each country)
- [ ] Backup card in separate location from wallet
- [ ] Phone charger + universal adapter
- [ ] Portable battery pack
- [ ] AirTag or luggage tracker
### Clothing (carry-on optimized)
- [ ] [X] quick-dry shirts
- [ ] [X] pants/shorts
- [ ] [X] pairs socks/underwear
- [ ] Light layer / packable jacket
- [ ] Comfortable walking shoes
- [ ] [Trip-specific: hiking boots, dress shoes, etc.]
### Health & Safety
- [ ] Prescription medications (extra supply)
- [ ] OTC pain reliever, stomach meds, antihistamine
- [ ] Sunscreen
- [ ] Hand sanitizer
- [ ] [Trip-specific: altitude meds, malaria prophylaxis, etc.]
### Tech
- [ ] Camera or phone kit
- [ ] Extra batteries + charger
- [ ] SD cards
- [ ] Laptop if needed
- [ ] Headphones
### Documents (physical + digital copies)
- [ ] Passport
- [ ] Travel insurance policy + emergency number
- [ ] Accommodation confirmations
- [ ] Flight/transport confirmations
- [ ] Emergency contacts
---
## Packing Summary
- Essential documents ready: [Yes / No / TBD]
- Trip specific gear: [short rollup]
- Weather dependent items: [short rollup]
- Work items if needed: [short rollup]
---
## Key Contacts & Info
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Travel Insurance | [Provider / Policy # / Emergency line] |
| Departure Point | [Airport / City / Region] |
| Emergency Contact | [TBD] |
| Embassy (per country) | [Link or TBD] |
---
## Map And Route Notes
- [Arrival route note]
- [Transfer note between stops]
- [Parking, station, or ferry detail]
- [Walking or local transit shortcut]
---
## Open Items / To-Do
- [ ] [Book flight or transport from origin to first destination]
- [ ] [Book accommodation in X for nights Y