PlanTrips product guide
Prepare a share-ready itinerary your group can use
A public itinerary works best as a concise handoff: it lets travellers see the order of a day, the links they need and the decisions that still need attention. This guide covers how to prepare that handoff in PlanTrips. It is not travel, safety, visa or booking advice.
1. Decide what this version is for
Before sharing, give the trip a title and destination that make sense outside your private planning chat. Then decide whether the link is for choosing options, coordinating a confirmed plan or simply keeping travellers oriented during the trip. A recipient should be able to tell which of those jobs the itinerary does without guessing from an old message.
Keep brainstorming, personal reminders and unresolved conversations in the owner's workspace until they are ready for the group. The shared itinerary is read-only; it should communicate the version you want people to review, not act as an open editing surface.
2. Give every day an anchor and a status
Start each day with the element that constrains it: arrival, accommodation check-in, a ticketed activity, a meeting point or the journey home. Put later items in an order that a traveller can inspect quickly. If an item depends on a decision, an opening time or a reservation, say that directly in its note instead of presenting it as settled.
Add a time when it helps sequence the day, not just to make the plan look precise. A note such as “confirm train platform on the day” or “optional after lunch” is more useful than an invented time. PlanTrips keeps the details you enter; it does not verify availability, opening hours, transport changes or reservations.
3. Put the right link beside the right item
Attach a map, official venue page, booking page or booking reference to the item it supports. Use a label that explains what will open. This avoids forcing a traveller to search through a general list of URLs while they are moving between stops, and lets the group distinguish a location from an official source or a reservation detail.
Open important links again before sending the handoff. A link can change, expire or lead to third-party content that PlanTrips does not control. Do not place account passwords, payment details or other sensitive information in a public itinerary link.
4. Review the audience, not only the schedule
Anyone with a public share link can open it, so review the title, summary, day items, notes and names as if they could be forwarded beyond the original group. Remove personal contact details, private conversations, identification details and instructions intended for only one traveller. Share only the level of detail the audience needs to navigate the trip.
A PlanTrips share link is a communication aid. It does not make a booking, take payment or replace each traveller's checks with airlines, accommodation providers, venues or authorities.
5. Keep one version of the handoff
When the plan changes, update the owner's itinerary and ask the group to use the same share link rather than circulating screenshots or duplicate drafts. Keep time-sensitive changes explicit in the relevant day item, and remind travellers to recheck the official source when a provider controls the final detail.
This gives the group one readable reference while preserving the difference between a plan, a confirmed booking and a personal note.
Final handoff checklist
- The trip title and destination tell recipients what this version covers without relying on a separate message thread.
- Each day has an anchor and a sensible order, while optional or unconfirmed items are clearly labelled as such.
- Every important link is attached to the relevant item and labelled by its purpose, such as map, official venue page or booking reference.
- Names, personal contact details, private conversations and notes for a smaller audience have been removed before sharing.
- The group knows that the itinerary is a planning reference and must still confirm travel, venue and booking details with the relevant provider.