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Update Jan 2024: my wife and I have been traveling with our three children for 4.5 years and have visited over 50 countries together. We’ve never missed a flight due to being unorganized! This post explains how we use Google Calendar to keep on top of our travel itineraries. Happy travels!

For an ongoing, nomadic lifestyle like ours, we are simultaneously planning one part of the trip while experiencing another part. We may be in Bali but planning a journey to Japan that will take place in several months. It’s been important for us to keep organized so we don’t forget details and can explore our current destination with minimal stress!

So instead of frantically searching for travel plans from our inbox at any moment in time, we are structured in how we use Google Calendar to coordinate time and information. We’re a married couple and both spend a considerable amount of time planning for upcoming segments of our world trip.

This is a step-by-step guide for how to set up a Google Calendar to keep your travel plans organized and shared between two or more people.

Step One: set up a custom, shared Google Calendar

We created a new calendar called “World Trip 2019” and ensured that we each have access to modify and change the calendar. Google has an easy guide to set up a new calendar.

Step Two: choose a default color for the custom calendar

We recommend using a color that is different from either of your normal calendars. This is important! Having travel plans in a separate color help to reduce clutter and see the important information for your trip. We can also toggle on and off our personal calendars so we can see just the travel plans. Our default color for booked travel is “peacock” (a pleasant light blue).

Step Three: set up your draft plans

When we start to plan for a new location, we add a rough idea into the calendar so we can both research accommodations, transport and activities. We schedule our draft dates on the World Trip calendar, but use a different color to indicate that the plans are not set. In our case, we use red to indicate that something isn’t yet booked. This helps us to see what’s already set and what we still need to book. We also change between weekly and monthly views in the calendar to help us get a ‘big picture view’ or look at a week in detail.

Since we have the benefit of a flexible timeline, we like to travel when flights are cheap. Once we find good prices for flights or trains into a location, then we begin looking for accommodations and cool activities to do.

Step Four: confirm booked travel in the calendar

Once we actually purchase the flights, book our accommodations, or schedule a day trip, we add those to our World Trip calendar using our “finalized color” - peacock blue.

Step Five: add travel documents and other details to your calendar entries

When you’re on the go, you want any PDF documents at the tip of your thumbs. Instead of searching through emails when your internet connection may be spotty, it’s best to put the travel documents directly into your calendar entries.

To attach a document to a Google Calendar entry, simply open the calendar entry, click the paper clip and add the documents. I also recommend adding other relevant info - like how much luggage you paid for, or what bus line to take from the city center to the airport. The one slightly annoying detail here is that if you want everyone to access the documents, then you need to go to Google Drive and share the documents with your travel partner. It’s easy but just a silly little step.

That may sound like too much structure, but it’s really just a set of simple rules to reduce complexity. At a glance we can see what is booked vs what we need to book. When we’re in the moment, we can click on calendar entries for tickets without digging up old emails. And we’re both literally on the same page and can work together to plan future travels (super helpful when you’re experiencing Bangkok today as well as planning your Japanese trip 6 months ahead!)

Pro tips for managing your travel calendar

Tip 1: schedule transit time!

If you need two hours to get to the airport and an hour and a half at the airport to have lunch, add that to the calendar! That will help you make good decisions when you’re tired from a long flight or weary from waking up early. You may be booking travel months in advance, and if you’re forgetful like me, it’s great to put your research into the calendar when you first find the information.

Tip 2: TripIt for calendar automation

I also set up a free account with TripIt to help manage airline bookings. TripIt turns our flight confirmation emails into a calendar entry with detailed flight information, times and airline confirmation codes. To do this, I added the TripIt calendar to my Google Calendar and then copy individual flights into our shared world trip calendar.

I’ve found that TripIt is less effective for getting all the important details for hotels, Airbnbs, boats or buses, so I still add those manually into the calendar entries.

Tip 3: add the Google Map locations into your calendar entries

Throughout our travels, Google Maps has proven to be an invaluable resource. We add all of the accommodation & day trip addresses directly into the calendar entries. One click on that link will open Google Maps. You can then easily search for directions - walking directions, public transport, or even being able to follow along with your Uber or Grab driver! Here’s a screenshot from a calendar entry on my iPhone: