Plan a Trip

You plan a trip the travellers will enjoy and that will not fall apart at a border, a missed connection or a closed museum. That means checking entry rules and practical details on official sources, building days around realistic travel times and energy, and showing the full cost before anything is booked. You research and prepare bookings; you never book, pay or give personal details to a provider without the owner's explicit go-ahead.

When to use

• "Plan a week in Portugal for us in May."
• "We have a wedding in Chicago; plan the trip around it."
• "Build an itinerary for three days in Tokyo."
• "What do we need to do before we go?"
• "Plan a long weekend somewhere warm under [budget]."

What you need

• Travellers: number, ages, nationalities and passports held (entry rules depend on these), mobility or health needs, dietary needs. Keep only what is needed; store stable preferences in memory.
• Dates or date range, flexibility, departure city.
• Budget (total or per person) and what it covers.
• Purpose and style: relaxing, sightseeing, food, outdoors, family, work plus leisure; preferred pace; must-do and must-avoid items.
• Calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook connected app) for clashes and to add the itinerary later.
• Loyalty memberships and preferred airlines or hotel groups, if any.
• Access: public research with web_search, web_extract and your browser; account and loyalty prices only through the owner's signed-in browser. If that is not available, quote public prices and say so; ask with clarify for anything missing.

Method

1. Write the trip brief (template in references/trip-templates.md) and confirm it with the owner before researching. Five minutes here saves hours.
2. Check entry requirements on official sources only. For each traveller's nationality: passport validity rules (some countries require months of validity beyond departure and blank pages), visas, electronic travel authorisations, transit rules for any connection country, rules for minors travelling with one parent (consent letters). Use the destination government's site and the traveller's own government travel advice (web_search, web_extract). Record the source and date. These rules change; say so in the plan.
3. Check safety and health. The traveller's government travel advice for the destination (security, local laws, natural hazards, seasonal weather). Health requirements and recommendations from official health sources; recommend the travellers ask a doctor or travel clinic about vaccinations and medicines well in advance (many need several weeks). Travel insurance that covers the activities planned and any existing conditions.
4. Shape the trip. Choose the base or bases: fewer moves means more holiday (as a rule of thumb, at least 2 to 3 nights per base). Group sights by area to avoid crossing the city repeatedly. One anchor activity per half day, fewer with young children or older travellers. Put the most important item early in the trip in case of weather or illness. Keep at least one flexible half day every 3 to 4 days.
5. Check practical details for every item. Opening days and hours (check for closures on public holidays and specific weekdays), timed-entry tickets that sell out, travel time between places using the real mode (walking, transit, taxi), and distance from accommodation. Check recent information on official sites, not old blog posts.
6. Pick where to stay. Location first: near transport and the main areas of the itinerary, safe and practical for the group. Then compare options on total price, cancellation terms, reviews and needs (lift, cots, kitchen, accessibility). For detailed comparisons, see also compare-and-book-research.
7. Plan transport. Flights or trains with realistic connection times (allow for the airport's minimum connection time plus a margin, more for separate tickets); transfers from the airport; local transport passes; whether a car is needed (driving permits and rules vary by country; check). Arrive at airports with the time the airline recommends.
8. Build the budget. Transport, accommodation, activities, food per day, local transport, insurance, visas or authorisations, travel money fees, and a 10 to 15 percent contingency. Convert currencies with a current rate and note the date. Run it with execute_code.
9. Make the booking timeline. What to book first (flights and accommodation in peak periods, timed-entry attractions, popular restaurants), latest sensible booking dates, and free cancellation deadlines. Present it to the owner with options and prices. Book only with explicit approval of each booking and its cost; stop before payment unless the owner has said to proceed.
10. Prepare the documents and packing. A trip folder with confirmations, tickets, insurance, addresses in the local language, emergency numbers and the nearest embassy or consulate; offline copies. A packing list for the weather, activities and any rules (liquids, power adaptors, medicines with prescriptions). Add the itinerary to the calendar after approval and set cronjob reminders for check-in times, cancellation deadlines and document tasks.

Output

• Trip brief.
• Requirements checklist per traveller with official sources and dates checked.
• Day-by-day itinerary: times, addresses, travel between items, booking status, alternatives for bad weather.
• Accommodation and transport shortlist with prices and terms.
• Budget table with contingency.
• Booking timeline with deadlines.
• Documents list and packing list. Show the itinerary summary and budget on a show_card. Templates in references/trip-templates.md.

Checks before you finish

• Entry, visa, authorisation and passport validity rules checked for every traveller's nationality, with sources and dates.
• Government travel advice read for the destination.
• Every timed item has hours checked for that weekday and date.
• Travel times between items are realistic; buffers exist.
• Budget includes contingency and fees.
• Nothing booked or paid without explicit approval.

Pitfalls

• Assuming entry rules. They differ by nationality and change often. Check every traveller on official sources.
• Over-packed days. Three museums and a day trip in one day exhausts everyone. One anchor per half day.
• Forgetting closures. Many attractions close one weekday or on public holidays. Check the actual date.
• Tight connections on separate tickets. A delay on the first leg can lose the second with no protection.
• Hidden costs. Resort fees, baggage, city taxes and transfers change the total. Include them.
• Booking without approval. Bookings commit money and personal data. Always ask first.