Tools to hammer your trip together

Making order out of a trip:

Google Maps : 1. I keep a "bucket list" map with pins everywhere I want to go all in one place. I have sites, bookstores, museums, etc. Once we've been to the place I change the pin to something smaller. 2. Once I've decided to go somewhere I create a map specifically for that place. While I browse books, websites, blogs, etc. I keep lists on index cards, booksmarks, etc. and they all get pinned on the trip map. Once I'm down to planning the itinerary it's pretty easy to eyeball the map and get a sense of what's possible and what isn't. 3. Once you're on the road it's the GPS. (Although I have GPS too.) And don't forget all these fun tips. 




Plain old maps: I buy laminated fold up maps like this. Sure, there's GPS and phones, etc. but I love having an overview to give me context. For road trips I use Michelin's Road Atlas. I like the size, the detail, and the wire binding, but Rand McNally would work too.

Furkot This is COOL! I just became a Furkot-er. I'm in love. Once I have my Google map and a tentative plan for the trip, I plug in the specific details including routes/byways, housing, food stops, sites, museums, bookstores, etc. into Furkot. From there, once we're on the road, I have a working flexible tool to help me keep track of well, like everything en route. How did I not know about this before?

Tripit: Not a necessity, but pretty handy especially when flying, picking up rental cars, etc. TripitPro is fasting at updating me than airlines is about delays, gate changes, etc. And it picks up reservations from your email, creepy and cool. You can upload images, say of tickets, maps, etc. which can be handy. My only beef about Tripit is that it has to be online to work. If you're off the grid, it ain't no good.

Evernote (Or Google Keep, Apple Notes, etc.) As soon as I start organizing a trip, everything goes in a new Evernote File. Websites, receipts, flight arrangements, housing notes, maps, EVERYTHING. I'm a pro user (aka addict) which is worth it just to download the entire folder to my phone and ipad, so I can be offline and still have access to important information. I. LOVE. IT. I keep my grocery lists, food plan, packing list, etc. all in my trip file (I use the same ones over and over, thanks copy and paste).