How to create a business travel itinerary [with free template]
Tired of endless admin and scattered travel details? Our free business travel itinerary template saves time by streamlining flight bookings, confirmation tracking, and trip planning in one interactive guide.
How much time did you spend last week hunting down confirmation numbers, double-checking flight details, and fielding so-called quick questions about upcoming trips? If you're like most travel bookers, it was probably way more than it should have been.
Travel itineraries are an essential part of the planning process and set expectations for the traveller and the business. It's an important reference whether it's an employee's first business trip or they're a frequent flyer.
What to include in an itinerary template
An itinerary should be a snapshot of everything the traveller needs to know or might need to look up during their business trip. It's a document used to streamline communication about the trip and should be shared with travellers in advance. There are lots of elements involved, but a streamlined structure can make it simple.
Don't overload it. Stick to the critical and crucial details for the business trip. It's not exhaustive, and it shouldn't be pages and pages. For additional info that can be useful but isn't essential, include links and references. Check out a sample of our free business itinerary template if you're booking a trip right now.
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From airport stress to travel success
Ready for the airport? Start with the flight numbers and confirmation numbers, then include all the information for each flight booking , like duration, layovers, and whether it's a code-sharing route. Include links in the itinerary that make it easy for travellers to see if seats are pre-booked (or not) and what the baggage allowance is.
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Arranging accommodation
The hotel is booked and ready for check-in on the arrival date. What now? List the hotel name and address, putting it front and centre in the itinerary template. For some international locations, travellers might need to report this info at airports or customs.
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When the rubber hits the road
What are the local options for ground transportation? Include directions for travelling around the destination by train, bus, or car rental if appropriate. Transport will look very different if you're in Cape Town vs. London. Is there an express bus from the airport ,or will travellers need to take a transfer? Are there pre-booked tickets for the train, or can you book any time? Include as many instructions on these aspects as you can.
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Appointments and other resources
Does the business travel itinerary include meetings or events? Show the schedules with locations and who will be attending. Bonus points if travel time from the hotel is listed. Don't forget that the little things matter a lot in an unfamiliar place.
Finally, list emergency contacts by phone or email and who to contact first in an emergency. Corporate Traveller offers 24/7 emergency assistance for your employees anytime, anywhere in the world.
Tools to stay organized
Staying organised while travelling is a must. Create an itinerary that everyone can access before, during, and after the trip. You can create an itinerary as simple or tech-savvy as your team in Google Docs, via travel platforms, or with apps.
Ensure travel expense guidelines are included, with what's covered, what's not, and how to reimburse. If receipts are required, travellers need to know that prior to their next trip and how to submit them (images vs. original paper copies).
There's a range of apps that come in handy with planning for or travelling on a business trip. Even if you're the travel arranger and not the traveller, looking at transfer rates vs. booking a rental car can help you stay within budget. These tools can be helpful in other ways as well. Download these for a try before departure:
How to organise travel information
What should the itinerary look like? Think of it like a diary or calendar and list each item step by step. Organise information chronologically, grouped by day, and with the most important details (flight times, hotel check-in, and check-out) highlighted in bold or a bright color at the beginning and the end of the itinerary.
Use a clean, easy-to-read layout with main points summarised on the first page or screen and more details afterward. For a multi-city trip, note the destination city next to each booking for flights, hotels, and transportation to avoid confusion. For example, "9:45 am transfer from City A to City B".
Check that confirmation codes and numbers are easy to copy and paste into other apps and formats for easy check-in or sign-in to travel apps. No one wants to be fiddling with their phone at the last minute to meet the travel schedule. Also, set up all business travel itineraries so that they can be viewed while travelling, including when offline.
Pro tips for planning business travel
We've covered the basics of a travel itinerary. Now, what else? What steps can streamline and customise it even further.
Finally, we recommend building in buffer time for rest into the travel itinerary and avoiding back-to-back meetings or events. Leave time in case of delays and to recharge for a more effective corporate trip. Travel takes a toll, and making time for rest takes care of travellers so they can feel their best for that important meeting or presentation.