I consider this a health and wellness site, and for me, mental health is a top priority. I’m always on the lookout for hacks to organize my busy life, and today I’m excited to share a review of one of my favorite new discoveries, TripIt.
If managing booking confirmations, tickets, and itineraries feels overwhelming, the TripIt app is a must-have. This all-in-one travel itinerary organizer compiles all your travel itinerary information into one convenient place on your phone. There’s also a website for those who prefer a desktop version.
I’m using the free version of TripIt, but if you’re looking for advanced features, TripIt Pro, the paid version, offers real-time alerts and other enhanced services.
This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
Main Features
- Ease of Use: TripIt consolidates your travel plans into one easy-to-use interface.
- Itinerary Creation: At its core, TripIt excels in taking multiple travel-related confirmation emails—flights, hotels, rental cars, event bookings—and compiling them into a single itinerary timeline.
- Reminders: With TripIt Pro, you’re also privy to real-time alerts covering flight delays, gate changes, and more. The free version includes basic reminders.
- Offline Accessibility: For those occasions when you lack internet access, TripIt ensures your itineraries are available offline.
Getting Started with TripIt
To begin using TripIt, your first step is to download it from the app store. Then, create an account on their platform. The process is straightforward: provide an email address and create a password. Once registered, you can access TripIt’s services from various devices by simply logging in.
You can also link TripIt to your email inbox to automatically import travel confirmation emails. For privacy reasons, I opted not to do this and instead, forward confirmation emails to TripIt manually.
Trip Planning
After setting up your account, organize your trips by forwarding booking confirmation emails to [email protected]. The app generates a detailed itinerary within seconds, including:
- Flight Information: Dates, times, seat assignments
- Accommodations: Hotel reservations, check-in/check-out times
- Transportation Plans: including car rentals with pickup/drop-off dates and locations, and train and plane tickets.
All your travel information is accessible offline, which is invaluable when you’re on the move without reliable internet access.
My Experience Using TripIt
I signed up for a TripIt account mainly to manage an overseas family vacation to Italy. However, before that, I had a short trip in New York to attend a wedding so I tried it out.
Short Trip
For the weekend trip, I easily viewed my airline information, including takeoff times, terminals, and layover times. I also uploaded PDFs of my boarding passes and e-tickets.
My hotel booking automatically synced with clickable addresses that opened in Google Maps, and I could even view my dinner reservations made on Open Table.
Additionally, I received reminders about my departing flight.
Longer Vacation
Airline
For my family trip to Europe, TripIt provided detailed information for each day’s transportation, including flights, landing times, layovers, terminals, and airport maps.
Accommodations & Tours
TripIt showed check-in and check-out times for my accommodations, along with addresses, confirmation numbers, phone numbers, duration of stay, safety risks, and local weather.
Clicking on the addresses brought up Google Maps, displaying the closest restaurants, hospitals, pharmacies, cafes, bars, convenience stores, ATMs, parking, and gas stations. You can also upload PDFs like tour tickets into the mobile app.
Transportation Options
One of the best features is the ability to calculate transportation options from point A to point B, whether driving, public transportation, biking, or walking.
I could check travel times for future dates and receive detailed directions, including walking directions to the train station. The app even informed me about train busyness, number of stops, and total travel time, including waiting time. I could set reminders to leave on time.
I also appreciated that TripIt automatically synced most of my itinerary details, though I sometimes had to enter information manually. It is convenient to have all confirmation numbers and reservation details at my fingertips.
Overall, TripIt makes managing my trips stress-free and efficient, with all travel information accessible offline for convenience.
Document Storage
With TripIt, you can store important travel documents, such as passport copies, e-tickets, reservation confirmations, and rental car information, directly within the app. These documents are accessible offline, ensuring that you have all essential information at your fingertips even when you’re not connected to the internet.
This feature simplifies document organization, making it easy to manage all your important details in one place.
Below are some of my favorite travel accessories.
Packing Cubes / Flat Water Bottle / Folding Charger / Family Passport Holder for AirTags / AirTags / Luggage Scale / Travel Pillow / Jewelry Organizer / Rolling Suitcase and Cosmetics Case / Comfortable Walking Shoes
Safety Features
Set your personal risk tolerance and receive alerts if a location in your itinerary exceeds your risk level. Staying in various Airbnbs across Italy, this feature gave me peace of mind by alerting me if I booked a reservation in a dangerous neighborhood.
Calendar Syncing
TripIt makes it easy to sync travel plans with your personal calendar. By integrating your itinerary with most calendar services, your trip details—such as flight departure times, hotel check-in/check-out dates, and car rental periods—automatically appear alongside your regular appointments and events.
Whether you use an iPhone or Android device, TripIt provides specific instructions for setup. If you use the Skylight Calendar, like I do, you and your family can view your entire trip itinerary on the digital calendar or app, ensuring everyone stays informed.
Privacy and Security
When you use TripIt, your personal travel plans and related information are involved, so naturally, you want your privacy and secure information to remain confidential:
- Data Encryption: Your sensitive information is encrypted.
- User Control: You retain control over who can view your itinerary details, limiting access only to those you invite into your inner circle.
- Password Protection: TripIt requires a strong password.
- Third-Party Sharing: Information is shared with third parties only as necessary for providing travel-related services, such as flight alerts. TripIt’s privacy policy outlines how your information is collected and used, and they claim not to sell your travel plans or personal data to third parties.
TripIt Pricing
TripIt Free
I currently use this version and find it sufficient for my needs.
TripIt Pro Subscription
For $49 per year, the TripIt Pro version offers additional features:
- Real-Time Flight Alerts: Receive immediate updates on flight changes, such as delays, cancellations, or gate changes.
- Interactive Airport Maps: Navigate airports confidently with detailed maps guiding you through terminals, to baggage claim areas, and to connecting gates.
- Check-In Reminders: Simplify your travel routine with prompts that remind you when it’s time to check in for your flight.
- Seat Tracker: Alerts you to find a better seat or to find seats together on any valid upcoming flight.
- Travel Rewards: keep track of loyalty points and reward programs.
They occasionally offer sales on the annual subscription, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for discounts.
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TripIt is the Ultimate Travel App
TripIt is the personal assistant I never knew I needed. It simplifies the entire process from start to finish.
Whether you’re leaving for a short weekend getaway or an extended international adventure, TripIt makes all your trip information organized and easily accessible.
With features like real-time alerts, interactive maps, and comprehensive itinerary management, you can focus on enjoying your trip rather than stressing over logistics.
I hope this review has been helpful, and I encourage you to give TripIt a try on your next journey. Safe travels and happy exploring!
Michelle is a content creator and certified personal trainer. Proving it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, she’s a former attorney and teacher who loves to do the research so you don’t have to. She takes a deep dive into each topic and writes about her wellness journey here. She loves trying out new workouts, fitness tips, healthy foods, and products to share with you. This native New Yorker recently made the move to the suburbs of Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.