Traveling is stressful stuff, especially if you’re traveling with a family! Since airports are becoming progressively more tech-savvy with their smartphone ticket scanners and fancy (albeit invasive) security measures, it doesn’t make sense anymore to come armed with a folder full of paper tickets and itineraries. Here’s how technology can can make your travel planning easier.
TripIt for travel planning
TripIt is a travel planning website, and it does a fantastic job of bringing vacation planning into the 21st century. Here’s how it works.
Input your travel plans
You can start to plan each trip by inputting your travel plans by hand, but I’ve found that the best — and easiest — way to plan your travel is with an e-mail.
E-mail your itinerary
Easier than inputting your travel plans, simply forward your flight itinerary to a tailored TripIt e-mail address that the site provides for you.
Your “Trip Page”
TripIt uses your itinerary information to put together a basic outline of the trip, populating a “Trip Page” with detailed flight information and the length of time the trip will last. By picking out the destinations in your intinerary, TripIt figures out which cities you’ll be visiting (including layovers) and automatically attaches maps of each place to the itinerary, compliments of Google Maps.
Update with hotel arrangements
Once you make hotel arrangements, simply forward that information to the personalized TripIt e-mail you are given, and your accommodations will be immediately updated into your travel plans, including detailed maps of each hotel with check-in and check-out times.
Add your travel activities
TripIt also allows you to attach other documents like restaurant reservations, activities, notes and driving directions. And just like that, within 15 minutes, you’ll have a handy little travel itinerary filled with flight info, hotel information and reservation numbers.
TripIt Pro
TripIt also has a Pro version that allows you to track frequent travel points, get flight status updates and gives you complimentary membership to the Hertz #1 Gold Club and entrance to a host of airport business lounges.
TripIt is smartphone-friendly
TripIt’s simple interface makes it an extremely helpful travel addition, and makes it even more essential because you can view and edit all of your information on a mobile device. By downloading a quick phone app, all of your travel information is stored on your phone or iPad and can be pulled up in a jiffy at the airport, hotel or car rental station — it makes TripIt a real life-saver when it comes to organizing multiple passengers, flights and reservation numbers. So instead of spending time stressing about organizing your travel plans, you can actually enjoy your travels without having to worry about the logistics.
More on TripIt
TripIt secret sauce revealed
A fun video that demonstrates the magic of what TripIt and TripIt Pro can do to help reduce the chaos and increase the peace in your travels.
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