Ok. I am taking on a new challenge. JonJohnsen recommends a spreadsheet to help me organize my trip to Rome. I at first said NO WAY. But, I am thinking that it might help me to be less overwhelmed.
I am going to have my daughter set it up for me. I am thinking of categories: day, night, good places for lunch, good places for a glass of wine. gorgeous views,transportation, places that need tickets, tours, walks, ??!@?
This is an expanded strand - it began with my last strand named Rome Decisions - what is your favorite venue.
I love all of the ideas,now i THINK that it might be useful to organize them.

What do you all think????????
Any other ideas for categories?

If there things you want to do that MUST be done on a certain day, such as something you make a reservation for, that may be a category or something to keep in mind.

I have to admit I always organize my trips on spreedsheets. I have one workbook with several sheets in it, the first having my plane and my rental car confirmation numbers and phone numbers for those. The second sheet is the one where I have all my apartment and/or hotels, costs, discounts, contact numbers, confirmation numbers, and addresses with directions. The third sheet is usually restaurant suggestions with addresses, phone numbers for reservations, directions, specialities and most important to me, neighborhoods. The last is the one with both confirmed tours, e.g. Scavi Tours, and suggestions for things to see. Again I put hours, days opened, discounts, addresses, and directions along with what struck my fancy about a particular place. These are only suggestions except for the few prearranged things and then I put down confirmation numbers and times for those. The spreadsheets allows me to leave almost all my tour books home. And since I am a librarian and tend to overresearch everything we are talking sometimes 25 books! Everything is in one place and I usually leave my restaurant suggestion sheets in the apartments with my comments for others to use. Compulsive, YES, but it works for me.
BJinNM

You're talking to someone who took great pride in maxing out the "T" and "J" categories on the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator (my wife uses less kind words than the M-B description of "rational and logical").

Add in some color coding for the places you HAVE to see; for those that you'd like to see; and for those that you can use as fillers if time opens up.

Put in full info on opening and closing times; transit time and distance to/from prior locations; notes on mandatory dress (as for Vatican); reservation numbers; points of contact; and then add an x-ref to the attached notes for maps, site descriptions, etc.

If you don't have a three-ring binder of more than 2" filled, you haven't done it correctly and must go back and add more detail

A spread sheet can be a good idea, as long as it doesn't become too much information...

I use an .xls sheet to track bookings (flights, rental or hotel reservations and their contact details, car rental details, tour bookings, concert and opera tickets, etc., etc.).

At the beginning the main focus was on tracking the costs.

But we discovered the same sheet becomes a convenient attachment to an email sent to our sons a few days before we leave, where they have this way full details on when we are and when, and how to contact us if necessary.

For the day-to-day we have notes but leave much to local decision, so these don't make to the list.

quote:

If you don't have a three-ring binder of more than 2" filled, you haven't done it correctly and must go back and add more detail Eek

But then, the BEST thing to do, having done all the planning and knowing what there is to see, is to LEAVE THE DAMN THING AT HOME and have some actual fun!

I'll confess, I developed a speadsheet several years ago when I took my nephew to Rome, so I could sort the sites by date and by location (we were doing a chronological visit).

I'm another one who uses spreadsheets.

I like having a list of things to do and the hours and closing days on one single sheet of paper. It may seem like overplanning, but in fact it allows me to be a little spontaneous.

I also put my packing list on a spreadsheet, and at the end of every trip, I update it with items I wished I had and didn't, and items I didn't use at all, or could have done without.

I keep a spreadsheet too, but limit it to basics: city name, arrival, hotel check-in & out, prices, museum hours, etc. For really keeping track of everything, I found this free tool useful:
Tripit

It has a complete breakdown of your travel plans: hotels, dates, restaurants, etc. You can share online with friends and family, too.

quote:

LEAVE THE DAMN THING AT HOME

Was in a management class once where they broke us into groups based on M-B characteristics and gave us the exercise of teaching a blind person to bowl. Instructions were that the bowler had thrown one ball and knocked down 7 pins and you had 15 words to tell the person how to throw the second ball.

The TJ types used up their words (correctly, of course) telling the person which pins were standing and how to align themselves on the alley.

The FP types (otherwise known as the ones who were doing it wrong ) used up their words to praise the bowler and offer encouragement for the next roll.

The good news is that it is never too late to come over to the dark side of planning.

I am SO impressed. I do a fair amt of research for my trips, mainly because i enjoy it. But I also happen to be vy technologically impaired so have never done actual spread sheets. I usually wind up with a jumble of papers.
JMarie, if you ever get restaurants organized by neighborhoods, i would love it if you would share that info with us (or me). That is something i would find really helpful for my next trip--whenever that will be.

I don't use a spread sheet but I do type up usually 2-3 pages of a Word document in the form of each day and date.
A start date all the way to end date (which both include airflight information for example, airport pickup name and phone etc.).

Each day in between I fill in any reserved info, codes etc. as I make them.

At the end of this document I list places (museums, churches etc) I might want to go to and the opening hours and any entrance fee.
And follow this with a list of any restaurants I might want to go to, including again hours, addresses and phone numbers.

It's easy for me to reference this all during planning stages and to carry it with me so I am never at a loss for somewhere to go or a place to eat.

This is safely in my folder right now, along with some tickets I have printed out, and I am ready to board my plane tomorrow for Rome

quote:

The TJ types used up their words (correctly, of course) telling the person which pins were standing and how to align themselves on the alley.

The FP types (otherwise known as the ones who were doing it wrong There There ) used up their words to praise the bowler and offer encouragement for the next roll.

I figured out what MB means, but what do TJ and FP mean?

And, everyone, have a great time in Rome, regardless of how you prepare for it.

In Myers-Briggs terminology, TJs are Thinking Judgers, and FPs are Feeling Perceivers.

Don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.....at the end of the day, everyone is free to do whatever but I can't believe people really do this before their trips.
I would read something before I leave and only once I get to the place, once i get the vibes, I decide what to do. I talk to the locals, take advice. You risk, in my opinion, of spending all your time reading your spreadsheet instead of really looking around.

I spend at least a whole 5 minutes a day looking at my spreadsheet. I pull it out in the morning, scan it for places that are open that day and ask myself 'where to today'? Perhaps it's because my interests involve museums and churches, so it's important to me to know the opening hours and closing times. Takes much less time than looking up the same info in a guidebook.

Sometimes I'll spend another 2 minutes halfway through the day if I feel like a change of plan.

I always want the opening/closing days of museums in an easy-to-read format so that I can plan non-museum activities for the days the museums are closed. I usually make a calendar-type page, but I'd love to see how others format their plans.

The moral to all these stories might be that you should consider differences in travel styles when selecting trip partners

Those of us who are already linked up don't have many choices, but let the lesson stand for those who still have choices in hand.

For those horrified at the planner's approach, rest assured that fate has a way of getting even.....while I see everything in quantitative terms (time, distance, cost), my wife (who doesn't even own a watch) sees everything in qualitative terms ("soon", "not far", and either "too much" -- when she is paying -- or "not too much" -- when I am paying).

Happy trails to all, no matter how they travel those trails.

The spreadsheet sounds like it could be a great tool for those who don't take the time to do their own research. Any way of getting a copy from any of you that have used one? I tried listing attractions but got lost in all the details, if someone else has done the homework that would certainly help.
Thanks,

quote:

Originally posted by Vicki142:
The spreadsheet sounds like it could be a great tool for those who don't take the time to do their own research.

I think a spreadsheet would be the result of a LOT of research, and would be a convenient way to keep all the most important details in one place...and would be a better than dragging along several guidebooks, or, in my case, pages ripped from guidebooks which tend to get lost, torn or just overlooked.

I guess I'd fall into the category of those who will do a lot of research (keeping notes however they like) and then leaving the notes at home. Problem with that, though, is we like to be spur of the moment ("its not raining today; let's go into Rome for the day") and then forgetting what is open on what day, the tips for getting in without standing in the long lines, etc.
I like the idea of a spreadsheet, not for planning a specific itinerary, but rather for keeping track of what is where, when, etc.--if that makes sense.
If anyone wants to share a template that s/he has found works well, I'd love to try it out.

I use mine, as I mentioned before, to keep track of all the info I gather over several months. This last vacation I had pages of restaurant suggestions for each area we were in that I had culled from conversations on SlowTrav , SlowTalk, and Chowhound, as well as guide books (We brought Chow! Venice with us). The "list" as I called it never failed me. We had great restaurants everywhere and I sure couldn't have remembered what I had read over the 10 months I planned the trip. Same for both out of the way and well-known tourists' sights. Directions were very handy to have. I wouldn't leave home without my spreadsheets.
As far as a template is concerned, I think each person has to kinda figure out their own for each category. I had a restaurant page for Venice, one for Florence, one for Rome and one for Umbria. Each started with the neighborhood, then the restaurant name, address, phone, hours, cost, specialities e.g. fish, Umbria traditional, etc. I sorted each by neighborhood, so when we were in Venice, for instance, I could look at San Polo and we could see what was recommended. I wish I had included where I got the recommendation, but next time, I will. We left each one in our apartment when we checked out so the next person could use them. Similar things on the various sights in each area but I included if it was on the Orange Card, or the Roma pass. In Umbria I organized each category by towns. It worked for me, but again you have to figure out your own needs and how much you want to know. BJinNM

quote:

It worked for me, but again you have to figure out your own needs and how much you want to know.
-
BJinNM

I know. I'm just being lazy.

quote:

I know. I'm just being lazy.

Chris Phillips

The great thing about spreadsheets is you can always add columns and rows when you find other stuff you want to keep up with. Just keep saying to yourself "Spreadsheets are my friend, spreadsheets are my friend!!"
BJinNM

Lots of good ideas here! You all seem very organized... I haven't used a spreadsheet but it occurred to me that using Google Docs might be a good idea - that way you can access the document on the road and you can share it easily with fellow travelers (or people at home).

I have been inspired to make one now!

I like to keep all the cool information I have collected as well. But I am not tidy enough to use a spreadsheet!

I write word documents, which I turn into PDF files and them put them into a program called "PagePacker" which turns them into a small book. This has worked very well for me in the past; however, this trip (ten days on the ground) I used my Mac program iCal to plan and uploaded it to a web server we can access from any internet point.

DMae

I MIGHT pencil in a few things in a diary where I would keep a journal as much as I felt like it. I probably would not. I do keep a list of itinerary and pass it around to all those who think they have the responsibility to know where I am.
Otherwise, my eyeballs are looking at the back of my brain right now.

I've only ever used word for planning / crib notes. I use spreadsheets regularly for work and could see that for the really technophile folk, one could set it up for use on a mobile phone or similar.

Thus one could filter for city / type of attraction / even area of city! (

__________________________________

I think it's key to understand how these notes are being used. From what I can gather it's similar (if not identical) to the lists I take. It's split into 2 types
1) Key information - hotels / bookings / transport etc. Stuff that you're committed to
2) Possibilities - Interesting restaurants, possible day trips, quiet places, including opening times (and closing days)

It's important to stress that 2) is NOT an itinery. The information assists having very loose plans, with the list being the back-up or facilitator to making it up on the hoof.

I'll carry the list around and if we're looking to eat, it might give us a choice of ~4 places in the local area. Importantly it doesn't stop us checking somewhere unlisted, if it looks interesting & to our tastes. It does help avoid aimless walking looking for ANY restaurant, but does also assist in getting us out off the beaten track and into suburbs where tourists might not typically venture.

In the wider travelling community, this sort of prep is seen as unusual or geeky. Maybe we're a more probing bunch who want to see beyond the same old, same old. Maybe we're just geeky

regards

Ian

My spreadsheet is a compulation of my research, not a lack of same. An excellent internet based tool to keep track of itineray, list restaurants, museums, etc. is Tripit. Your friends and family can view, too. Part of the program is automated: Just send them an email of your hotel confirmation (major chains) and they set it up for you. Otherwise you can enter everything manually.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alpinista:
For those horrified at the planner's approach, rest assured that fate has a way of getting even.....while I see everything in quantitative terms (time, distance, cost), my wife (who doesn't even own a watch) sees everything in qualitative terms ("soon", "not far", and either "too much" -- when she is paying -- or "not too much" -- when I am paying). .../QUOTE]

I always love your posts. For what that's worth.

Well, a spreadsheet is one thing. At least, some kind of document with an organization into categories. But for the truly information obsessed, you also need to key every item with a numerical system, and plot every one of them on a map .

I have the city of rome mapped on 9 11 x 17 sheets. Approximately 14 categories comprise I don't know how many hundreds of entries: Views, Fountains in several categories, Madonelle, Landmarks, Art treasures, Shopping Venues in several categories, Restaurants in many categories, Gelateria, etc. etc.

The booklets arranged by category comprise about 450 pages. I had them perfect bound at Staples.

Now, most guidebooks have maps with grids (A1, A2 etc) and the items in them are keyed to the maps. But with my system, when you're walking around and come across something, or you're in an area you want to explore, you look at my maps and see if there's a number. If so, you look it up in the relevant booklet. Handy.

Some day I'll have a mobile browser like an iPhone or something, and transfer all this stuff to one big Google Map. Similar to http://lovebunnies.luckypro.bi...omanholidaymap.html, or the Slow Travel Maps. That'd be way cool.

[url fixed]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,

Love it!!! That's what I call organized! BJinNM

I'm not anal when it comes to organization, calendars or whatever.

But I've been starting to use a master itinerary, which contains all the info. on a day-to-day basis for my trip.

I collect stuff out of websites, including forum posts, emails, portions from frommers.com, etc.

I even copy and past the train timetables so that if I miss one train, I know when the next ones are.

Last time, I put together an inventory of all the stuff I packed, especially electronics, so that I remember to pack it again for my return or if I'm moving between cities.

And I do this all in TextEdit or Mail on the Mac. Excel and Word are overkill and they are slower.

Plus I even put in screenshots of maps, so it's all in one document. I don't think Excel handles embedded PNG files too well.

I'm certainly not this organized or structured when it comes to planning, but I do also plan an itinerary in the form of an email to my hotmail address. It is day by day and includes all the flight information, links to where I'm staying for the week or each day, car rental pickup info etc. Then once I've got all the essentials in I start to add links to the things that I want to see, places I'd like to go, market days etc. for each day/location.

I also make all my reservations using my hotmail and create a folder for that specific holiday and put it all in there. I do print everything off and keep it in a file folder with dividers for each week/location etc. that goes in my carry-on. If I lose that folder I can find all the same info in my hotmail (and hopefully someplace to print it if necessary!!).

I also scan copies of the important passport pages and save them in the same folder (not sure if this is terribly secure, but at least I'll have it if I need it.)

Some great ideas though, just not sure I'd be able to stay that organized. And worst of all....I'd find too many things that I'd just HAVE to see!

Linda.

BuckyE - we now have a shrine to you in our home! That is just so far above and beyone anything we have done that we are totally flabbergasted. Good job!!! My measly spreadsheets refuse to open now out of shame.

quote:

Originally posted by profpeabody:
My measly spreadsheets refuse to open now out of shame.

Mine too!

Well, there are two ways to think of this stuff. One is to categorize by information "type." That's what Loie does when she makes folders of trip materials: car rental printouts, air itineraries, etc. and packs them in her carryon. In this case, what you want is to put your fingertips on a certain kind or category of information. a spreadsheet or database is perfect for that.

All I've done is add a second method of categorizing: geographical. Hence the maps. But much the same thing is done in guide books and could be done in spreadsheets. Guidebooks are usually organized by neighborhoods or geographical areas. It wouldn't be difficult to add a second level of category, and print out (or spreadsheet) all the information about Category 1 in Area 1, then Category 2 in Area 1, etc. Of course, defining your "areas" would depend on how geographically precise you need to be. Is it necessary to list restaurants within a few blocks of each other? Or can you accept walking ten blocks to find a restaurant? And if you're currently in the northeast corner of your "area," then a restaurant in the southwest corner of an adjacent area might be closer than one in the southwest of your area.

Having everything keyed to a map obviates those questions. You can search the map as closely or as far afield as you like. So it's handy!

For those with portable sat nav, you should be able to add your own "points of interest", which may appeal to the technophiles amongst us.

regards

Ian

I've added POI favorites to my Garmin.

But the UI is bad and the Navteq maps have a hard time with some Italian addresses, like in Florence.

Plus it's kind of a hassle carry around vs. a map printout or even a map in a guidebook.

What an interesting discussion. Interesting enough that some of the moderators would like to see more -- so we have started a new thread on the Everything About Travel forum, where we hope some of you will post samples of your spreadsheets!

TourMama

Wow. I am very grateful for all of the ideas -
so -
is there a way that we can attach the spreadsheets for sharing? What does the "add attachment" mean below ?
does anyone want to give it a try????

JMarie - check the new thread that TourMama linked to in the message above. BJinNM did attach her spreadsheet as an example in the other thread.

quote:

I write word documents, which I turn into PDF files and them put them into a program called "PagePacker" which turns them into a small book. This has worked very well for me in the past; however, this trip (ten days on the ground) I used my Mac program iCal to plan and uploaded it to a web server we can access from any internet point.

We use a similar tool - PocketMod. We had a thread about it last year. I made one up for the cities we visited in Malaysia and it worked great.

For planning, we typically start out with a printed blank calendar to create an itinerary. There are several free templates for Word that we use. Once we have itinerary set, then I use a word processor (Word, Works or Google on the web) to add notes and organize by day. I think If I worked more with spreadsheets I would use one but I don't.

Other tools I like to use when planning is a web based bookmarking site such as delicious. They have an addon toolbar for Firefox which makes it easy to bookmark and add tags. I've also used Backpackit which is an online web list/organization tool. I also use TripIt but it hasn't added any value so far to my travels. I can see how it would be good for sharing travel information with friends/family.

I also like creating and using Google maps for our trips. It helps for me to become familiar with both the roads and landmarks especially if I'm going to be driving. Simple map of KK Malaysia

OK, hang on. Is this thread transferred in its entirety? Or is the other thread strictly about spreadsheets/software?

If the former, please Close this one! If the latter, whew, I need two bookmarks!

Sorry Bucky - we decided to expand the scope of the original thread and open it up to ST members who might not look at something titled "for trip to Rome". Which is why the new thread was started in the non-country specific Everything About Travel forum, and includes the invitation to post samples.

Judy

quote:

Originally posted by Marta:
JMarie - check the new thread that TourMama linked to in the message above. BJinNM did attach her spreadsheet as an example in the other thread.

Thank you TOURMAMA and MARTA for starting the new thread. Any way you can move the Italy thread over so that it will be all together? I can't wait to get started. It is really funny if you look back at my first reaction to the spreadsheet idea = it was NO WAY, and now look what has come from the simple suggestion from JonJohnson has created some great replies.

Has anyone on this forum actually used TripIt? It sounds like something I'd use.

Nancy

I just started using it for my upcoming southern Italy trip thanks to someone for posting it from this thread...I haven't used the part which allows people online to see it yet though... and I printed it as a pdf to send to the couple we are traveling with...basically I am still learning how to use it...but I like the idea of it...

I always tend to use spreadsheets just to keep information with me - it's great. However, in my upcoming trip to Rome i'm using www.tripit.com! It's fantastic. You should login and try it. Not only can you enter everything about your trip (confirmation #'s, etc.), you can share it with family and friends so they know where you are - extra safety measures!

[Edited to correct URL]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Roz,

Interesting discussion.

Back in the day when I traveled a lot on business, the travel agent compiled an "itinerary" with flight, hotel, car booking information including date, time, place, seats; confirmation, frequent flyer and telephone numbers; etc. It was only a few pages, and it was very handy to have everything in one place. I still do that for myself when I travel.

With regard to spreadsheets, how do you handle printouts when the spreadsheets are large? Or do you all travel with your laptops?

---Marlene