- Itinerary makers side by side
- Ten itinerary makers to compare
- Which itinerary maker fits your trip
- Your return date decides if your passport is valid
- Travel planner app, AI planner or adviser software?
- Six things every itinerary should hold
- Signs your itinerary is too tight
- My plain advice on an itinerary that helps
- Frequently asked questions
An itinerary maker helps you plan a trip day by day, with places, bookings, maps and times in one plan you can share. Some are travel planner apps, some use AI to suggest a trip, some are made for road trips or group travel and one is built for travel agents. Ten options follow in no particular order.
A good itinerary stops a holiday turning into a series of small panics: where's the hotel booking, what time is the train, and was the museum closed on Mondays?
The ten tools below put all of that in one place. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you like planning with AI, my ChatGPT prompts for planning travel work alongside any of them.
Itinerary makers side by side
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambus | Group travel planner app | Trips planned as a group | Not stated |
| Layla | AI trip planner | An AI itinerary you can book | Not stated |
| Polarsteps | Travel planning and tracking app | Planning, tracking and reliving a trip | Not stated |
| Roadtrippers | Road trip planner | Stops along a driving route | Trial only |
| Stippl | AI travel planner | Packing list and photobook too | Yes |
| Travefy | Itinerary software for travel agents | Travel advisers sending client itineraries | Trial only |
| TripIt | Travel itinerary app | Bookings forwarded into one itinerary | Not stated |
| Tripomatic | Travel planner and itinerary maker | City breaks and sightseeing days | Not stated |
| Tripsy | Travel planner app | Every trip detail in one place | Not stated |
| Wanderlog | Free itinerary and vacation planner | Seeing the itinerary on a map | Yes |
Ten itinerary makers to compare
Lambus
Best for: Friends and families who want stops, expenses, tickets and photos for a trip in one app, planned together as a group.
Layla
Best for: Travellers who want an AI to suggest a trip with hotels and experiences included, then change anything before booking.
Polarsteps
Best for: Backpackers and long-trip travellers who want to plan the route, track it as they go and relive it afterwards.
Roadtrippers
Best for: Drivers planning a road trip who want stops along the way found for them and an itinerary built automatically.
Stippl
Best for: Organised travellers who want an AI planner alongside a packing list, a travel tracker and a photobook after the trip.
Travefy
Best for: Travel agents, agencies and tour operators who want to build and send branded itineraries to their clients.
TripIt
Best for: Frequent flyers who want flight, hotel and car bookings gathered into one itinerary they can check on the move.
Tripomatic
Best for: City-break travellers who want to find what's worth seeing and turn it into a day-by-day itinerary.
Tripsy
Best for: iPhone users who want all their trip details in one place, with a smart import to pull bookings in.
Wanderlog
Best for: Planners who want the itinerary and the map in one view instead of switching between apps, tabs and tools.
Which itinerary maker fits your trip
- Trips planned as a group: Lambus.
- An AI itinerary you can book: Layla or Stippl.
- Long trips you track as you go: Polarsteps.
- Road trips and stops on the way: Roadtrippers.
- Sending itineraries to clients: Travefy.
- City breaks and sightseeing days: Tripomatic.
- Bookings gathered automatically: TripIt or Tripsy.
- The itinerary and the map together: Wanderlog.
Your return date decides if your passport is valid
GOV.UK's travel advice for France explains that it follows Schengen area rules. A passport must have a date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive, and an expiry date at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area.
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The second rule is counted from the day you leave, not the day you arrive, so the last day on your itinerary is the one that matters. A passport that looks fine for a week in Paris can fail the check on a longer trip that ends in Italy or Spain. Put your passport expiry dates into the itinerary, and check the official rules for every country on the route.
Travel planner app, AI planner or adviser software?
A travel planner app collects bookings, maps and notes in one place and works offline once the trip starts.
An AI planner suggests a day-by-day plan from a few questions. It's a fast start, but check opening times and distances before you rely on it.
Adviser software lets travel agents build branded itineraries and send them to clients, with every booking and transfer included.
Six things every itinerary should hold
- Booking references for flights, trains and hotels
- Check-in and check-out times
- Addresses you can show a taxi driver
- Opening days for anything you've planned
- Passport and visa dates for every traveller
- One free afternoon for whatever you discover
Signs your itinerary is too tight
- Every hour is filled. Add a free afternoon.
- Two sights are an hour apart. Check the distance.
- You're relying on one train. Note the next one.
- Nobody else can see the plan. Share it.
Do you make an itinerary maker? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on an itinerary that helps
Plan the fixed points and leave the rest loose. Flights, hotels, tickets and anything that sells out go in with exact times, while everything else gets a short list of options for that area. An itinerary planned to the minute breaks the first time a train runs late, and a loose one still gets you everywhere that matters.
Travelling for work? My business trip packing list covers what to bring.
Frequently asked questions
What is an itinerary maker?
It's a tool that helps you plan a trip day by day, with bookings, places, maps and times in one plan you can share.
Are itinerary makers free?
Several travel planners have a free version, and some offer a trial of extra features. Check the free plan column above.
How long must my passport be valid for France?
GOV.UK says it must be issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expire at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area.
Can I plan a group trip in one app?
Yes. Some travel planners let a group share stops, tickets and photos in the same plan.
Are AI trip planners reliable?
They're a quick start. Check opening times, distances and bookings yourself before you depend on the plan.
Can I use an itinerary offline?
Many travel planner apps keep your plan available offline once it's downloaded, which helps abroad.
