tips for organizing itinerary, tickets, confirmations, etc.

For every trip we take, I put everything into a 3 ring notebook, organized by day/city. I have one larger notebook with EVERYTHING (itinerary for entire trip, every hotel confirmation, restaurant recommendation, pockets that hold tickets, etc.) that I keep in a suitcase or the hotel room. Then each day I carry a very thin 3 ring notebook in my purse, or in my husband's daypack, where I transfer only the pages that I need for that day. That way I'm not dragging around anything I don't need, but have every map, ticket, restaurant list and itinerary needed to get me through the day in a completely stress-free, organized manner.

I put everything in an Excel workbook file. I use the first worksheet as an index, with hyperlinks to other pages. Next sheet has an itinerary, with rows for the days and column for the dates, to, from, night at, etc. Then I use a worksheet for each town, with hyperlinks to a map and to the potential accommodation I have identified, along with rates. Another set of worksheets has one sheet for each day, with the transportation options, with a column for the towns on the way and columns for the various trains (times opposite the towns) or buses that get me there.

Then before I go, I transfer the file to my 3# Toshiba Portege, and I have everthing at my fingertips, always organized, and it's weightless (the info, that is).

Last time I went I ordered the DB CD of European rail schedules and loaded it on my laptop, too. Then if I had to make any changes to my itinerary, the info was right there.

All of that info, along with my stored, labeled, and organized pictures, my journal in Word format, and expense reports in Excel, still only weighed three pounds.

Since I send emails to the hotels requesting reservations, and the hotels send an email back confirming them, I copy the email confirmation files to my computer also.

Whatever you decide to do, try to have a backup plan even if it's just another copy of the confirms with someone else.

One trip I took extra care to get almost everything stored electronically on my PDA to be super organized. Would have been great if it wasn't sitting at home on the piano the whole trip.

I work on a computer every day but I don't want to be bothered by one when I travel. I made a plastic sleeved booklet for my last two trips that I planned for Europe (Romantic Road, Germany and England).

The Size 5x7. I took it to the printr to be spiral bound. I put a label on the bottom of each page for each city. In each sleeve, I put the hotel confirmation, maps of the town, info on points of interest, and an index card that I have printed in large print the name and address of the hotel to show either a cab driver or bus driver to get me to the right place. After I leave that town, I throw away anything I don't want to keep on file. By the end of the trip, the book is nearly empty. I have found this saves me fumbling with a large file at the front desk checking in, etc. Happy travels everyone.

I would never leave my computer at home, but, on my last trip, I was on the bus to the airport when I realized what I had forgotten to bring - my German/English pocket dictionary. I thought, "Well, that's confidence".

I use the kind of folder that has pockets on the insides of the cover and brads for paper in the middle. I make a set of every kind of paperwork I have for the trip (reservation confirmations, parking receipts, airport maps, intineraries, street maps, etc.) and put these in the middle, in the chronological order I will need them. I make a second set of confirmations and receipts to hand in at the check-in desk or parking garage (that way I can keep my copy intact). As I pick up brochures, business cards, etc., along the way, they go in the pockets.

I buy a pocket photo album from Wal-mart (they cost $1.00) and some index cards. On a card I write all the info for one thing, like my flight info, and I put it in the first pocket. I can also put any computer printouts in the pocket with it if need be. I do this for everything I have scheduled (flights, hotels, show tickets, etc.). I put them in chronological order. This is a very low-tech way to organize and it fits easily into a small bag. I can throw away the cards as I don't need them anymore.

WOW... talking about German efficiency all of you on here seem to be at least heads up ;-)...

I open a new "folder" at Yahoo for each trip. I use my internet address when making reservations, buying tix, and corresponding. All is filed into the one folder; I also make printouts of everything and take these with me arranged in the order they will be used. I keep the packet of printouts in a gallon-size plastic storage (ziplok-type) bag or large manilla envelope and throw pages away as they become outdated. I go through all my info after it is all together to make sure I've got my dates correct and have what info I need to find hotels and get to airports. I can always go back to my Yahoo folder to refer to details or make changes via the internet. I don't carry a laptop; I count on finding an internet terminal in the neighborhood of my hotels.

I also use Yahoo mail to organize etickets, confirmations, etc. I only print out the essential ones (e.g., hotel reservations, tickets to museums) and leave the rest for reference. Everything else goes in bright colored plastic folders - 8.5 x 11 sized with the string type fastener that holds them closed. Plastic keeps the contents dry if you happen to be carrying in a backpack that gets wet. I use a different envelope for each major destination. I toss out the stuff I'm done with as I go along - the envelopes get reused to store ticket stubs (if you have any after all those e-tix), brochures, etc. I always use a money belt and make a "mini" itinerary for it with essential info (airline info, hotels, phone #s, etc.).

I really have liked using the "My TripAdvisor" account feature at TripAdvisor.com. They allow you to easily save information from just about anything you read on the site to a specific trip folder you create on your account. You can even save comments on the forums to your trip folders! I love it for trip planning.

I created a blog on Google and password-protected it. I put all the ideas I got on the Internet into it as well as reservation confirmations, etc.

We had paper copies of the important confirmations - hotels, etc. - but it was a handy way to remember ideas we had found while planning. It's not always easy to find Internet access, though.

A Palm Pilot and dedicated e-mail account just for travel. A few necessary papers or guidebooks in a small zipper pouch. Would love to be able to buy Steve's guidebooks as download to a Palm. Surprised that that is not available.