20 travel prompts that flag what to check before you book

A chat model will hand you a trip plan with old prices, closed museums and last year's entry rules, all said with the same confidence. These prompts plan from your real pace and budget, compare the options you actually found, and mark every fact you need to check before you pay.

Swap anything in [brackets] for your dates, budget, travelers or the options you found.

01. Plan a day by day itinerary around your pace and budget

You have the dates and the city, and nothing else yet.

Plan a day by day itinerary for [destination] from [arrival date and time] to [departure date and time].

Travelers: [who, ages]
Pace: [slow, two things a day / normal / packed]
Budget for activities and food: [amount per day, currency]
Mobility: [how far we can walk, stairs, wheelchair, stroller]
Must do: [list]
Not interested in: [list]
Where we are staying: [neighborhood or address]

For each day give morning, afternoon and evening, grouped so we are not crossing the city twice. Add travel time between stops and one meal idea near where we will be. Leave the arrival day light.

Mark every opening hour, price and booking requirement as [VERIFY] so I check it on the official site. Then list the three things that need booking ahead, with how far ahead you think, also marked [VERIFY].

02. Compare the flights or hotels you found on total cost

You have three tabs open and the cheapest one is probably not.

Here are the options I found for [flights / hotels] for [dates and travelers]. I copied them from the booking sites:

[paste each option with price, times or location, and the fare or room details]

Put them in a table with the real total for our trip: base price, taxes and fees shown, bags or resort fees, transfer cost to [where we need to be], and what the times cost us (a 6am flight means a taxi, a far hotel means daily transport).

Then rank them by total cost and by convenience, and say which one you would pick and why in two lines. Only use the numbers I pasted. Where a fee is not in my text, write [NOT LISTED: check before booking] instead of guessing.

03. Set a daily budget and list the prices to check

Before you book, to see if the trip fits the money.

I am going to [destination] for [number] days with [travelers]. Total budget after flights: [amount, currency]. Travel style: [hostel and street food / mid range / comfortable].

Build a daily budget table: lodging, food, local transport, activities, and a buffer. Show a typical day and a heavy day (the day with the big paid activity).

Your prices may be out of date. Next to every line, give the price as a range and mark it [VERIFY], with where I would check it (the transit operator's site, a current menu, the attraction's ticket page).

End with the two costs travelers to this place most often forget, and whether the budget works. If it does not, tell me what to cut first.

Unlock the other 17 prompts for free

Pack for the weather and activities you actually planned
Build a rainy day backup for every outdoor day
Turn entry rules into questions for the official site
Plan what to eat by neighborhood
Plan a trip around kids or older parents
Route a road trip with a daily driving limit
Get the local phrases for the situations you will be in
Spot tourist traps before you pay for them
Plan the first three days around jet lag
Plan a group trip that gives everyone their one thing
List the questions to ask before you spend points or miles
Add one free day to a work trip
Decide what to do with a 10 hour layover
Write the complaint after a cancellation or delay
Read the cancellation terms before you book
Make the checklist for the week before you leave
Have a second model check the first one's travel plan