Planning travel itineraries is one important aspect of an Executive Assistant’s work. Executives usually travel to meet key business partners, pursue game-changing deals, and attend high-profile conferences and meetings. The success of these mission-critical travel plans rests in the hands of smart, capable Executive Assistants (EAs).
To help EAs ace every trip, we’ve created business travel itinerary templates that streamline the travel planning process and establish a consistent standard itinerary that executives will love receiving again and again.
Conference Travel Itinerary
To have the most successful conference experience possible, executives must follow a military-precise schedule. Conferences demand careful planning over spontaneity; if an attendee wants to network with certain people and attend certain sessions, then they have to follow a carefully engineered itinerary that heavily focuses on logistics.
Must-have details for a conference travel itinerary:
- Travel/transportation times and details
- The trip’s overall arrival and departure times and essential transportation details. When does the executive need to leave home to make it to the airport? Will she provide her transportation or has that been pre-arranged? Consider all the little questions you subconsciously ask as you plan your trips, and include the answers as itinerary details.
- Go above and beyond: If the executive you work with loves to have all the details, then include some of the bullets below in your itinerary. As you’ll see in our templates, we recommend subordinating many of these details to make the truly essential parts of the itinerary easy to skim.
- Travel confirmation/reservation numbers, (These are good to have on hand to make trip details easy for customer service representatives at different transportation hubs to look up if there are questions or issues with the executive’s plans.
- Parking details, including restrictions, costs, and physical addresses for parking lots and garages, at all destinations. (A tricky parking situation could equal missed meetings or conference sessions.)
- Seat numbers. (It’s always helpful for a traveler to memorize these.)
- Addresses of the relevant transportation hubs, such as the airport, car rental office, and train station.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails and tickets.
- Terminal details. (This is especially important for large airports or train stations where terminals or gates can be miles apart and require travelers to take shuttles to and from.)
- Printed maps (downloaded from online tools) to use as a backup forcell phonee GPS in areas without reliable internet.
- Lodging-related times and details
- Check-in and check-out times and dates and also addresses for all the trip’s lodging.
- Go above and beyond: Some extra lodging details make an executive’s trip more enjoyable.
- Lodging amenities. Is there an on-site gym, a spa, or maybe laundry facilities? Knowing these key details lets executives better plan trips. For example, a traveler might decide to wake up two hours early every day to hit the on-site gym before the conference starts.
- Transportation tips. Make it easy for the executive to navigate to and from the hotel. Make notes about restaurants or places of interest within walking distanceofo the executive’s home away from home. You could also flag hotels that offer shuttle services and hotels near reliable public transportation hubs.
- Screenshots or printed copies of relevant lodging confirmation emails.
- Day-to-day schedule details
- Meeting and conference session times and locations.
- Meal times and snack times. (No one wants to network while hangry on an empty stomach)
- Work windows. Highlight relatively open time frames when executives can plan to do follow-ups immediately after important meetings and conference sessions. Executives can also use these windows to check in on regular work and associates at the home office.
- Go above and beyond:
- What to wear. You might provide dressing tips based on the executive’s schedule for the day. For example, you might advise the executive to dress casually for a morning breakfast meeting, but tell them to pack a blazer to dress up the outfit if they won’t have time to change before an afternoon meeting.
- Break times and lengths. Highlight when the executive will have downtime to do some work, go to the gym, or just grab a coffee. Earn extra brownie points by incorporating elements, such as meditation or family phone calls, important to the executive’s daily routine.
- Recommendedwake-up and bedtimes.
- Weather forecast and packing suggestions.
- Places to eat. (Do your Yelp research to avoid leading your executive astray!)
- Travel pro tips. Outline crowded or touristy areas, high-traffic roads, and other factors influential to the travel experience.
- Contact information for people attending the executive’s scheduled meetings
Conference travel itinerary template
| Itinerary – Conference Title – Executive’s Name | ||||
| Conference Dates | — | |||
| Conference Location | — | |||
| Travel and Transportation | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Details | Transit Time |
| OUTBOUND | ||||
| Ex: Leavethe house forthe airport | — | — | Ex: Via scheduled car | — |
| Ex: Plane takes off | — | — | Ex: Seat 17A | — |
| INBOUND | ||||
| EX: Leave hotel for airport | — | — | — | — |
| EX: Plane takes off | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Inbound flight number | Ex: FlightXYZ | |||
| Ex: Inbound airport address | Ex: 123 Airplane Avenue, Big Sky, CO | |||
| Ex: Confirmation email | Ex: Copy and pastethe screenshot here | |||
| Lodging | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Address | |
| Ex: Check In | — | — | ||
| Ex: Check Out | — | — | ||
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Hotel amenities | Ex: Gym, Swedish spa, on-site massage therapist | |||
| Schedule | ||||
| Day 1 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| Ex: 6:00 AM | Ex: Wake up | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 6:30 – 7:30 AM | Ex: Gym | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Ex: Conference sessions | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Ex: Networking lunch | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Ex: Leadership meeting | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Ex: Conference sessions | Place – address | ||
| Ex: 6:00 – 9:00 PM | Ex: Welcome dinner | Place – address | ||
| Day 2 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | ||
| Day 3 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | |||
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: What to wear | Ex: Business formal attire | |||
Media Tour Itinerary
Unlike conference itineraries, media tour itineraries rely on flexibility and leeway. Plan an itinerary with plenty of breathing room in between media meetings to accommodate and even encourage the possibility that meetings will run over time. In the world of the media tour, a long-running meeting might simply mean an executive is building solid relationships with media professionals.
Must-have details for a media tour itinerary:
- Travel/transportation times and details
- Include the trip’s overall arrival and departure times and essential transportation details, plus arrival times, departure times, and addresses for each meeting of each day. During a media tour, an executive will bounce from location to location, so it’s essential to have all the travel logistics outlined.
- Go above and beyond:
- Last-minute transportation options. (Help executives avoid missed meetings by making sure they have backup options in case the planned transportation choice falls through.)
- Parking details, including restrictions, costs, and physical addresses for parking lots and garages, at all destinations. (A tricky parking situation could equal missed meetings or conference sessions.)
- Printed maps (downloaded from online tools) to use as a backup forcell phonee GPS in areas without reliable internet.
- Lodging-related times and details
- Check-in and check-out times and dates and also addresses for all the trip’s lodging.
- Go above and beyond: Some extra lodging details make an executive’s trip more enjoyable.
- Lodging amenities.
- Transportation tips.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails.
- Detailed meeting schedule
- Meeting times and locations.
- Go above and beyond:
- Dockets on the media professionals and their publications. This will help executives prepare for successful meetings.
- Work windows. Highlight relatively open time frames when executives can plan to dofollow-upss immediately after important meetings.
- Places of interest/recommended stops around each meeting location. The busy media tour schedule doesn’t allow executives to do much exploring. Help them get a little taste of the city by calling out easy-access pit stops.
Media tour itinerary template
| Itinerary – Media Tour – Executive’s Name | ||||
| Media Tour Dates | Dates here | |||
| Media Tour Location | Location here | |||
| Arrive via plane | Date and time here | |||
| Depart via plan | Date and time here | |||
| Hotel check-in | Date and time here | |||
| Hotel check-out | Date and time here | |||
| Meeting Schedule | ||||
| Day 1 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| Media Outlet – Main Contact | — | — | Ex: Car | — |
| Media Outlet – Main Contact | — | — | Ex: Walk | — |
| Media Outlet – Main Contact | — | — | Ex: Car | — |
| Media Outlet – Main Contact | — | — | Ex: Walk | — |
| Day 2 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| Day 3 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Last-minute transport | Ex: QwickCabXYZ [555-555-5555] | |||
International Travel Itinerary
The success of an international travel itinerary hinges on preparation designed to give travelers the tools they need to understand the basics of communicating and navigating through different countries.
Must-have details for an international travel itinerary:
- Travel/transportation times and details
- Include the trip’s overall arrival and departure times and essential transportation details. Plan for the executive to arrive early enoughato the airport to avoid any travel snafus, and be sure to include arrival and departure details for any connecting flights.
- Included relevant details on the primary mode of transportation the executive will use to navigate the other country. For example, if an American businessman is taking a trip to London, he’d likely want to have all the London Underground basics down, including what kind of pass the system requires, how to plan routes, and how to understand schedules.
- Go above and beyond:
- Call out relevant international travel applications that could help the executive easily get around.
- Parking details.
- Seat numbers and international in-flight meal and drink details.
- Addresses of the relevant transportation hubs.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails and tickets.
- Details for all terminals. (This is especially important for large international airports or train stations where terminals or gates can be miles apart.)
- Printed maps (downloaded from online tools) to use as a backup forcell phonee GPS in areas without reliable internet.
- Lodging-related times and details
- Check-in and check-out times and dates and also addresses for all the trip’s lodging.
- Go above and beyond: Some extra lodging details make an executive’s trip more enjoyable.
- Lodging amenities. Does the hotel have the necessary appliance adaptors? Do they offer complimentary Wi-Fi?
- Transportation tips. Recommend the best ways to navigate the unfamiliar city to make executives feel as comfortable as possible during the trip.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails.
- Day-to-day schedule.
- Meeting times and locations.
- Meal times and snack times.
- Work windows.
- Go above and beyond:
- Pull out some frequently used words in the destination’s native language, especially if most people from the destination speak a language the executive doesn’t know.
- Include key points from travel guides. Offer some takeaways about local culture, especially cultural norms that impact business interactions. These norms might include things like standard greetings, tipping practices, meeting and eating etiquette, and communication styles.
- What to wear to avoid looking like an outsider.
- Recommendedwake-upp and bedtimes to mitigate the effects of jet lag.
- Weather forecast and packing suggestions, especially if the destination will be in the middle of a season different from the season at home.
- Places to eat. (You might also include some popular dishes and food “vocabulary” words to help executives navigate menus.)
- Travel pro tips.
International travel itinerary template
| Itinerary – International – Executive’s Name | ||||
| Trip Dates | Dates here | |||
| Destination | Location here | |||
| Time Difference | Hours ahead/behind | |||
| Travel and Transportation | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Details | Transit Time |
| OUTBOUND | ||||
| Ex: Leave the house for the airport | — | — | Ex: Train | — |
| Ex: Plane takes off | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Arrive atthe layover location | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Depart layover location | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Arrive at destination | — | — | Ex: Ground transportation | — |
| INBOUND | ||||
| Ex: Leave hotel for airport | — | — | Ex: Ground transportation | — |
| Ex: Plane takes off | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Arrive atthe layover location | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Depart layover location | — | — | Ex: Gate | — |
| Ex: Arrive at destination | — | — | Ex: Train | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Helpful travel applications | Ex: Gate Guru | |||
| Lodging | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Address | |
| Check-In | — | — | — | — |
| Check Out | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Hotel amenities | Ex: WiFi and spa | |||
| Schedule | ||||
| Day 1 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| — | — | Place – address | ||
| Day 2 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | ||
| Day 3 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | ||
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Communication tips | — | |||
Sales Roadshow Travel Itinerary
Don’t ever hit the road without a well-planned sales roadshow itinerary.
Must-have details for a sales roadshow itinerary:
- Travel/transportation times and details.
- Include the trip’s overall arrival and departure times and essential transportation details for all roadshow stops.
- Include relevant details on the primary mode of transportation the executive or executive team will use to get from event to event. Is this an international roadshow, a cross-country roadshow, or simply an intrastate roadshow?
- Go above and beyond:
- Parking details.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails and tickets.
- Printed maps (downloaded from online tools) to use as a backup forcell phonee GPS in areas without reliable internet.
- Lodging-related times and details.
- Include check-inn and check-out times, dates, and also addresses for all the trip’s lodging.
- Go above and beyond: Some extra lodging details make an executive’s trip more enjoyable.
- Lodging amenities.
- Transportation tips.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails.
- Day-to-day schedule.
- Roadshow times and locations.
- Meal times and snack times.
- Go above and beyond:
- Weather forecast and packing suggestions for each roadshow location.
- Places to eat along the road. (Do your Yelp research!)
- Places to stop along the road. A few quick stops at fun landmarks will help keep executives and salespeople refreshed and ready for the rest of the roadshow.
Sales roadshow itinerary template
| Itinerary – Sales Roadshow – Executive’s Name | ||||
| Roadshow Dates | Dates here | |||
| Roadshow Location | Location here | |||
| Roadshow ScheduleStep | ||||
| p 1 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | — |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | — |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | — |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | —Step |
| p 2 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | —Step |
| p 2 | ||||
| Meeting | Start | Finish | Arriving Via | Address |
| Sales Target – Main Contact | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Food stops along the itinerary | — | |||
Personal Vacation Travel Itinerary
Even relaxed personal vacations can benefit from structured itineraries.
Must-have details for a personal vacation itinerary:
- Travel/transportation times and details.
- Include the trip’s overall arrival and departure times and essential transportation details.
- Go above and beyond:
- Parking details.
- Screenshots or printed copies of confirmation emails and tickets
- Printed maps (downloaded from online tools) to use as a backup forcell phonee GPS in areas without reliable internet.
- Lodging-related times and details.
- Include check-inn and check-out times, dates, and addresses for all the trip’s lodging.
- Go above and beyond: Some extra lodging details make an executive’s trip more enjoyable.
- Lodging amenities. Does the hotel or rental house have a kitchen, home theater, swanky basement bar, pool, or ping-pong table? Travelers can better plan their trips when they know what they’ll have access to at their home away from home.
- Go above and beyond:
- Weather forecast and packing suggestions.
- Places to eat near the hotel or rental.
- Travel pro tips. Customize the tips you include according to who the executive is traveling with. Include romantic spots for couples trips, kid-friendly attractions for family trips, and more.
- Schedule details.
- Outline times and details for each day’s main entertainment/event.
- Leave plenty of time for relaxing meals.
- Go above and beyond:
- Plan extras. The executive will likely provide the day’s main events, but you can look up quick stops on the way to those events and the traveler can pick and choose some spontaneous stops.
Personal vacation itinerary template
| Itinerary – Personal Travel – Executive’s Name | ||||
| Vacation Dates | Dates here | |||
| Destination | Location here | |||
| Travel and Transportation | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Details | Transit Time |
| OUTBOUND | ||||
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| INBOUND | ||||
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Inbound flight number | Ex: FlightXYZ | |||
| Lodging | ||||
| Event | Date | Time | Address | |
| Check-In | — | — | — | — |
| Check Out | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Hotel amenities | Ex: Full kitchen, pool table, and hot tub | |||
| Schedule | ||||
| Day 1 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| Day 2 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | — | — |
| Day 3 | ||||
| Time/Timeframe | Event | Location | ||
| — | — | — | — | — |
| NOTES [Pick and choose “Above and Beyond” items for this section] | ||||
| Ex: Places of interest | — | |||
