Travel Planning

Plan trips with itineraries, multi-city routing, budget optimization, family logistics, packing lists, and visa timelines.

Setup

On first use, read setup.md for onboarding guidelines. Start helping naturally without technical jargon — users can always ask about storage details if curious.

When to Use

User wants to plan a trip, track travel expenses, organize bookings, coordinate group/family travel, or build packing lists. Agent handles the full travel lifecycle: dreaming, planning, booking, traveling, and documenting.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/travel-planning/. See memory-template.md for structure.

text

~/travel-planning/
├── memory.md              # Preferences + travel history summary
├── wishlist/              # Dream destinations
│   └── {destination}.md
├── trips/                 # Active and upcoming trips
│   └── {trip-name}/
│       ├── overview.md
│       ├── itinerary.md
│       ├── bookings.md
│       ├── packing.md
│       ├── budget.md
│       └── travelers.md     # For group/family trips
├── completed/             # Past trips with notes
├── templates/             # Reusable packing lists
└── documents/             # Passport, visa info, insurance

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Booking timing	booking-guide.md
Packing templates	packing-templates.md
Multi-city planning	multi-city.md

Core Rules

1. Check Memory First

Before any trip planning, read ~/travel-planning/memory.md for:

• Travel style preferences (budget, pace, accommodation type)
• Past trip patterns (average daily spend, packing habits)
• Document status (passport expiry, frequent flyer numbers)
• Family/group composition if applicable

2. Trip Lifecycle

Phase	Action
Dream	Add to wishlist/ with why, when, budget estimate
Plan	Create trip folder in trips/ when dates confirmed
Book	Track confirmations in trip's bookings.md, update budget
Travel	Reference itinerary, log actual expenses
Return	Move to completed/, document highlights and lessons

3. Booking Timeline Reminders

Proactively remind based on trip dates:

• 90 days out: Complex visas (China, Russia, India), group bookings
• 60 days out: International flights, travel insurance for pre-existing conditions
• 45 days out: Hotels, standard visas, rental cars for groups
• 30 days out: Activities, restaurant reservations, special requests
• 14 days out: Travel insurance (general), kids' documents check
• 7 days out: Bank notifications, packing list finalization, check-in reminders

4. Budget Tracking & Optimization

For each trip, track in its budget.md:

markdown

## Budget — {Trip Name}

### Per-Person Breakdown (for groups)
| Traveler | Share | Notes |
|----------|-------|-------|
| Adult 1 | $X | Organizer |
| Adult 2 | $X | |
| Child | $X | 50% activities |

### Planned
| Category | Estimate | Optimization Applied |
|----------|----------|---------------------|
| Flights | $X | Shoulder season ✓ |
| Hotels | $X | Kitchen saves meals |
| Transport | $X | Off-airport rental |
| Food | $X | ~$Y/day/person |
| Activities | $X | City passes ✓ |
| **Total** | **$X** | **Saved: $Y** |

### Actual (update during/after)
| Category | Spent | vs Planned |
|----------|-------|------------|

5. Multi-City & Complex Itineraries

For trips with 2+ cities:

• Plan minimum 2 nights per city (avoid one-night stays)
• Group geographically close destinations
• Consider open-jaw flights (fly into A, out of B) — often same price
• Build connection buffers: 4+ hours international, 2+ hours domestic
• Track different currencies and exchange rates per leg

6. Family & Group Travel

When traveling with kids or groups:

• Create travelers.md in trip folder with each person's details (dietary, medical, seat prefs)
• Plan kid-friendly activities with energy breaks
• Book accommodations with kitchen access (saves 30%+ on food)
• Check child visa/consent requirements (some countries need notarized letters)
• Pack shared items list to avoid duplication
• Assign roles: navigator, budget tracker, activity planner

7. Document Safety (with user consent)

Only store document info if user explicitly shares it:

• Passport expiry dates (for validity warnings)
• Visa requirements per destination
• Travel insurance policy numbers
• Emergency contacts (embassy, bank, family)
• Never store full document images — only reference numbers

Booking Optimization

Timing

Booking	Optimal Window	Why
Domestic flights	6-8 weeks out	Price sweet spot
International flights	3-4 months out	10-20% savings
Hotels	2-3 months out	Best selection + rates
Rental cars	2-6 weeks out	Prices fluctuate less
Group activities	4-6 weeks out	Availability for large groups

Cost Optimization Tactics

Strategy	Typical Savings	When to Use
Shoulder season	30-40%	Flexible dates
Off-airport car rental	30-40%	Any rental
Kitchen accommodation	30%+ food costs	Family trips, 5+ days
City passes	20-40% on activities	3+ attractions planned
Open-jaw flights	$0-100	Multi-city, different endpoints
Tuesday flight booking	5-15%	Flexible booking day
Bundle hotel+flight	10-20%	Package deals available

Group Booking Tips

• Book flights separately for flexibility (one delay shouldn't cancel all)
• Hotels: request adjoining rooms at booking, confirm before arrival
• Activities: ask for group discounts (10+ people often qualify)
• Car rentals: compare 2 cars vs 1 large van (often cheaper + more flexible)

Itinerary Structure

markdown

# Day X — {Date} — {Location}

## Morning
- [ ] {Activity} @ {Time}
  - Address: {address}
  - Kid-friendly: ✓/✗
  - Notes: {hours, tickets, tips}

## Afternoon
- [ ] {Activity}

## Evening
- [ ] Dinner @ {Restaurant}
  - Reservation: {time}
  - Confirmation: {number}
  - High chairs available: ✓/✗

## Logistics
- Transport: {how to get there}
- Accommodation: {check-in time if applicable}
- Backup plan: {if weather/energy fails}

Keep 2-3 hours buffer daily. Mark must-dos vs nice-to-haves.

Multi-City Connection Planning

markdown

## City Connections — {Trip Name}

| From | To | Transport | Duration | Cost | Booked |
|------|-----|-----------|----------|------|--------|
| Paris | Amsterdam | Train | 3h20m | €80 | ✓ |
| Amsterdam | Berlin | Flight | 1h15m | €65 | ✓ |

### Connection Risks
- Paris→Amsterdam: Low (frequent trains, no checkin)
- Amsterdam→Berlin: Medium (need 2h+ at airport)

### Luggage Strategy
- Full luggage: check at origin, pick at final destination
- Day bags: carry essentials for city transitions

Common Traps

• Over-scheduling → leave discovery room (max 3 planned activities/day)
• Forgetting to document after trip → memories fade in days, not months
• Booking without checking visa requirements → some need 90+ days
• Ignoring passport validity → many countries require 6 months beyond trip dates
• Not saving confirmation numbers → create bookings.md immediately
• One-night stays in cities → exhausting, skip or extend
• Ignoring jet lag recovery → plan light first day after long-haul
• Group booking all together → one problem cancels everyone

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• Manages travel planning in ~/travel-planning/
• Reads/writes markdown files for trips, budgets, packing
• Reminds about deadlines based on trip dates

This skill NEVER:

• Makes actual bookings (provides info for user to book)
• Accesses email or calendar directly
• Stores payment information
• Reads files outside ~/travel-planning/

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• daily-planner — daily task management
• plan — general project planning
• expenses — expense tracking

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star travel-planning
• Stay updated: clawhub sync