After years of traveling and fine-tuning my own travel planning system in Notion, I’ve discovered the perfect blend of automation and organization. Here’s your comprehensive guide to mastering this travel dashboard—think of it as your digital travel command center.

My travel planning began much like yours might have: a chaotic mix of spreadsheets, screenshots, and scattered notes. The breakthrough came when I discovered Notion’s database capabilities. Here’s what transformed my approach:

The Power of Notion Databases

Think of a Notion database as your digital travel command center—imagine the world’s most flexible spreadsheet that can transform into a calendar, gallery, or timeline at will. But here’s what makes it revolutionary: every entry can expand into its own page, housing endless details without cluttering your main view.

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Personal Experience: I crafted this system during a three-month Asia trip, where keeping track of 14 cities worth of details in traditional planners proved impossible. The ability to zoom out for a bird’s-eye view, then dive deep into specific details, changed everything.

A Beginner’s Guide to Notion: Your New Digital Command Center

After moving my life into Notion three years ago, I’ve discovered it’s more than just another productivity app—it’s a digital revolution in organization. Before we dive into the travel template, let me introduce you to the power of Notion.

The Free vs. Paid Experience

Free Plan (Personal)

• Unlimited pages and blocks
• File uploads up to 5MB
• Basic page sharing
• Perfect for individual users starting (this is all you need to use this template)

Personal Pro ($12/month)

• Unlimited file uploads
• Advanced sharing options
• Version history
• My recommendation for serious travelers.( who want to use the automation I have in place)
• Free for students and teachers (sign up with your edu email)

Get [Notion Pro Now]

What is Notion?

Imagine combining your notes app, calendar, spreadsheets, and task manager into one seamless digital workspace. That’s Notion—a versatile platform that adapts to your needs. I switched from juggling five different apps to having everything in one place, and my productivity skyrocketed.

Getting Started with Notion

Desktop Installation

1. Visit notion.so
2. Click “Get Notion – it’s free”
3. Choose your signup method (email or Google)
4. Download desktop app for:
   • Windows
   • Mac
   • Linux

Mobile Setup

• Download from App Store or Google Play
• Sign in with your account
• Enable notifications (I recommend this for travel planning)

Helpful Tip: The mobile app is fantastic for quick updates and accessing travel info on the go, but I do most of my planning on desktop.

Syncing Across Devices

One of Notion’s superpowers is its flawless syncing:

• Real-time updates across all devices
• Offline access to recent pages
• Automatic backup of all content

Personal Insight: I’ve planned entire trips on my laptop and accessed every detail instantly on my phone while traveling—it’s remarkably reliable.

Basic Notion Concepts

Pages

Think of these as digital documents that can contain:

• Text
• Images
• Tables
• Embedded content
• Other pages

Databases

These are powerful collections of information that can be viewed as:

• Tables
• Calendars
• Galleries
• Lists
• Kanban boards

Blocks

The building blocks of Notion:

• Text
• Headers
• Images
• Lists
• Tables
• Embedded content

Setting Up for Success

Before diving into the travel template:

1. Create Your Account
   • Sign up at notion.so
   • Install both desktop and mobile apps
   • Take the welcome tour
2. Basic Navigation Practice
   • Create a test page
   • Try different block types
   • Experiment with views
3. Template Installation
   • Click the provided template link
   • Select “Duplicate” on Upper right corner
   • Wait for all content to copy (it might take a few minutes)

The Ultimate Guide to Using The Notion Travel Template

The Core Four: Your Travel Planning Foundation

After years of refinement, I’ve identified four essential databases that form the backbone of effective travel planning:

1. Countries Database

Your Global Intelligence Hub

• Houses detailed profiles of 194 sovereign states
• Automatically tracks your travels
• Connects every piece of country-specific information you’ll collect

Helpful Tip: I always start here when planning trips to unfamiliar destinations—it’s amazing how often the pre-loaded currency and language information saves crucial planning time.

2. Cities Database

Your Urban Encyclopedia

• Contains 365 major global destinations
• Automatically pulls relevant experiences
• Links every city-specific detail from restaurants to transport tips

3. Trips Database

Your Trips Command Center

• Transforms abstract plans into concrete itineraries
• Connects all other databases seamlessly
• Handles everything from expense tracking to emergency contacts

4. Bucketlist Database

Your Travel Statistics Powerhouse

• Automatically calculates your travel metrics
• Visualizes your global footprint
• Tracks progress toward travel goals

Why This System Works

The magic lies in the interconnections. When you add a trip to Tokyo, the system automatically:

• Updates your country count
• Pulls relevant saved articles about Japan
• Suggests local apps to download
• Converts expenses to your home currency

Here’s a real example: Planning my Istanbul trip took 3 hours instead of my usual 3 days—every restaurant recommendation I’d saved over the years automatically appeared in my itinerary view.

Before We Begin

As we dive into creating your first trip, remember:

1. Start with the core databases
2. Let the automation work for you (you’ll need the pro plan to use this)
3. Trust the system’s organization

I’ve tested this template across 6 continents, and it’s ready to transform your travel planning. In the next section, I’ll guide you through creating your first trip—turning this powerful framework into your personal travel companion.

All Databases & where to find them

Here are all the databases and where you can find them on your homepage.

>> on the left side on your homepage you’ll find all the databases below.

1. ALL Countries Database

Location: Homepage → Countries Database Purpose: Your global intelligence hub

This database is the foundation of your travel ecosystem, housing:

• 194 sovereign states
• 30 dependencies
• Pre-loaded essentials for each country:
  • Official currencies
  • Languages
  • Capital cities
  • Time zones
  • Visa requirements

Pro Usage: I always start here when planning trips to unfamiliar destinations. Each country page automatically pulls relevant trips, saving hours of manual cross-referencing.

2. bucketlist Database

Location: Homepage → Bucketlist Primary Function: Statistical tracking & visualization

This seven-record powerhouse contains:

• Global overview
• Continental breakdowns
• Automated travel statistics

Personal Insight: The genius of this database lies in its automatic calculations—no more manually updating country counts or travel stats.

how to: make a country/city appear on bucket list

1] On homepage → go to All Countries on database

2] Find the country and check box “Bucketlist”

3] it will now appear on your homepage as a bucketlist country

To Add a city to your homepage bucketlist

1] Go to Cities database → select the city by checking the box “bucketlist”

3. Cities Database

Location: Homepage → Cities Core Function: Urban destination management

Housing 365 global cities, including:

• All capital cities
• Major tourist destinations
• Custom city entries

Power User Tip: The city template pulls every piece of relevant information automatically—from your past visits to saved articles about that destination.

Trip Planning Architecture

4. ACCOMMODATION Database

Location: Homepage → Accommodations Primary Purpose: Accommodation intelligence

Think of this as your personal hotel encyclopedia:

• Property details
• Location information
• Personal notes
• Past experiences

Personal Experience: I separated this from reservations after one too many confusion about repeat stays at favorite properties.

5. Reservations Database

Location: Homepage → Reservations Function: Stay-specific tracking

Tracks individual stay details:

• Dates
• Room types
• Rates
• Special requests
• Booking references

Pro Move: Link reservations to both hotels and trips for perfect organization without redundancy.

6. Transportation Database

Location: Homepage → Transport Purpose: Journey tracking

Handles every type of movement:

• Flights
• Train journeys
• Local transport
• Multi-city connections

Insider Tip: The path formula here is magic for complex itineraries—it visualizes your entire journey flow.

7. Expense Tracker Database

Location: Homepage → Financial Core Function: Comprehensive cost tracking and cost split by person and categories

Features:

• Multi-currency support
• Automatic conversion
• Category tracking
• Split calculations

Personal System: I always log expenses immediately—the automatic currency conversion has saved me from countless calculation headaches.

8. Attractions & Things To DO Database

Location: Homepage → Attractions & Things To Do Purpose: Content Research collection & organization

Your personal travel research library:

• Blog posts
• Videos
• Social media saves
• Personal recommendations

Pro Strategy: Tag everything by both country and city—you’ll thank yourself later.

Advance Tip: Add Google maps URL link for easy navigation

• On Homepage >> Click on the trip ..example japan:>> scroll to visited attractions and things to do>> sort/filter for location>> click on attraction>> example : visit old town takayama>> grab the link from google maps and paste it here.

Where to find the Google Maps URL

9. Phone Apps Database

Location: Homepage → Apps Function: Destination-specific app tracking

Catalogs essential apps for each destination:

• Transport apps
• Food delivery
• Local payment systems
• City guides

Real-World Application: I update this after every trip with new discoveries—it’s become an invaluable resource for future travelers.

10. Travelers Database

Location: Homepage → People Purpose: Travel companion management

Tracks:

• Contact details
• Travel preferences
• Dietary restrictions
• Emergency contacts

Power Usage: Link travelers to trips for automatic expense splitting and itinerary sharing.

11. Packing Database

Location: Homepage → Packing Lists Function: Comprehensive packing management

Features:

• Climate-based lists
• Activity-specific items
• Duration considerations
• Custom categories

Personal System: I start with the master list, then filter based on destination and trip type—it’s remarkably efficient.

Advanced Integration Features

12. Emergency Information Database

Location: Homepage → Within each Trip → Emergency Doc Purpose: Critical information management

Contains:

• Embassy contacts
• Local emergency numbers
• Insurance details
• Medical information

Critical Tip: Always generate a PDF version before departure—technology isn’t always reliable when you need it most.

13. Itinerary Database

Location: Within each trip Function: Day-by-day planning

Features:

• Timeline visualization
• Activity scheduling
• Reservation linking
• Weather integration

example: Japan Trip

Pro Move: Use the template’s built-in time buffers—they’ve saved countless over-scheduled days.

14. Trip Database

Location: Homepage → Templates Purpose: Quick trip creation

Includes:

• International template
• Domestic template
• Weekend getaway
• Business trip

Personal Workflow: I’ve customized each template based on years of travel—they’re living documents that evolve with experience.

This comprehensive database system might seem complex at first, but it’s designed for intuitive daily use. Start with the core databases (Countries, Cities, and Trips), then gradually incorporate others as needed.

Initial Setup: The Foundation

Before we dive into how to plan your trip let’s familiarize you with how to set up your databases and the heartbeat of the template.

1. Setting Up Your Home Base Start by configuring your essentials on the homepage:

• Set your home country and city for quick filtering

2. Countries Database Configuration The backbone of your travel planning starts here:

• Navigate to the countries database (194 sovereign states + 30 dependencies)
• Locate your Bucket list countries and check off (click on bucketlist checkmark) them for quick access
• Each country page comes pre-loaded with crucial info—currency, language, capital city

Planning Your First Trip step by step

Phase 1: Initial Setup

1. Navigate to ‘New Trip’

Creating a New Trip Entry → homepage→ upcoming trips→ blue button “new trip”

• Click New trip template
• Click on “more properties”

• Fill in basic trip details
• Fill start and end dates [include end date make sure to check the box]

• The system automatically calculates the duration and timeline

• Travelers : You’ll need to add your travelers before getting to this step.

To add new Travelers:

Type in the person’s name → Click on the name (add new page + new traveler)→ Fill in the information and add a cover image. ignore the remaining properties that say “related to” DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING

• Cities visiting: If you know what cities you’re visiting search for the name and click on it (it’ll pull data from our countries and cities database)

Phase 2: Transportation & Accommodation & itinerary

1. Add your flights or transport:
   • Direct routes: Origin → Destination
   • Multi-city: Use the path formula (I’ve found this invaluable for complex itineraries)
   • AUTOMATION: Once the “status” is set to “confirmed” the automation will add this flight/transport to your itinerary as you’ll have to input the remaining
   • UPVOTE: Select the status as “UPVOTING” to let others know you’re waiting for them to vote.The ability to upvote when you’re planning a group trip is so helpful to agree on a flight or hotel. once you share the page with others with Notion they’ll be able to upvot, once you decide on the option select the status as “Booked”/ “confirmed” and itl’ll trigger the automation.
2. Input accommodations:
   • Add hotel information
   • Create reservation entry
   • Link to trip
   • AUTOMATION: Once the “status” is set to “confirmed” the automation will add this reservation to your “Itinerary” as New Accommodation Reservation. You’ll have to input the remaining info in the itinerary.

1. Click on the “New Accommodation Reservation” and input all the necessary information . This will be saved in the “Reservations” database as well

Now it’ll appear in your Itinerary Board view’ … you can drag and drop this to other days and it’ll reflect with the time and date change. You can rename it and set a different start time if you don’t want to drag and drop

1. UPVOTE: Select the status as “uPVOTING” to let others know you’re waiting for them to vote.The ability to upvote when you’re planning a group trip is so helpful to agree on a flight or hotel. once you share the page with others with Notion they’ll be able to upvot, once you decide on the option select the status as “Booked”/ “confirmed” and itl’ll trigger the automation.

Phase 3: Trip Research & Planning

After years crafting the perfect travel workflow, I’ve discovered that thoughtful planning creates those unforgettable moments. Here’s my insider’s guide to transforming your trip from idea to itinerary.

Research & Content Collection

I’ve designed this system to be your personal travel intelligence hub. Here’s how to make it work:

Research Database

Setting Up Your Research Hub:

• Navigate to the Articles & Vlogs section
• Create collections for:
  • Local recommendations
  • Travel guides
  • Restaurant reviews
  • Cultural insights

Personal Insight: I stopped taking random screenshots of travel recommendations years ago. This database has saved me countless hours of scrolling through old photos trying to find “that one restaurant” someone recommended. This is where all the research or inspiration i find lives. This will come in handy when you’re in your trip page and want to pull up this research! it’ll appear in your “attractions and things to do” tab.

Local Apps Research

Before touching down in a new city, I always:

1. Check the Apps Database for your destination
2. Note essential downloads:
   • Local transportation apps
   • Food delivery platforms
   • Translation tools
   • City-specific services

Helpful Tip: Download these apps before departure—hotel WiFi isn’t always reliable for large downloads.

individual Trip homepage/ View: where your trip lives

now you have your trip hub created. Scroll down to find everything in regards to this trip.

TROUBLESHOOTING: Make sure to use filters to filter out the trip name. in each section in the individual trip page.

Example trip: Japan trip page

In individual trip homepage you’ll find these sections

the sections of the homepage of each trip

quick add buttons

When you’re on mobile you can click these handy buttons to add an expense on the go or a new journal entry for the day.

menu

• Your officially to-do list
• emergency document. print document for a paper copy of your emergency docs.
• Print Itinerary is to print out your day by day itinerary.

Trip Cost Summary

Make sure to use filters to filter out the name of the trip to show the trip’s expenses. This will be automatically updated with accommodation, things to do, and flight costs you input.

to do list

quick notes to help you stay on top of things

reservation summary

A handy overview of your current reservations and flights. (this is automatically populated once you input hotels and transportation)

Travelers

The selected travelers are shown here.

Cities visiting

The cities you’re visiting are populated here. you can also add additional cities on the upper right corner ‘new”.

Transportation

Accommodation

Visited Attractions & Things to do

Itinerary

Emergency Preparedness

A lesson learned from a lost passport in Bangkok: preparation prevents panic.

Critical Documentation

Create your emergency dossier:

1. Digital Copies
   • Passports
   • Insurance cards
   • Vaccination records
   • Visa documentation
2. Local Information
   • Embassy contacts
   • Hospital locations
   • Police stations
   • 24/7 pharmacies
3. Emergency Contacts
   • Home country contacts
   • Local emergency numbers
   • Hotel information
   • Travel insurance hotline

Final Pre-Trip Organization

One Week Before:

1. Generate printable documents:
   • Main itinerary
   • Emergency contacts
   • Reservation confirmations
   • Local language cheat sheet
2. Review and verify:
   • Visa requirements
   • Vaccination needs
   • Currency exchange rates
   • Weather forecasts

48 Hours Before:

• Update exchange rates
• Download offline maps
• Check local news
• Verify transport strikes/changes

Helpful Tip: I always set a reminder to screenshot key reservations—they’re easier to pull up than digging through emails.

Bonus: My Template Customization Tips

After countless trips, here are my power-user tweaks:

1. Quick Access Dashboard
   • Add your frequent searches
   • Customize view filters
   • Create shortcut buttons
2. Personal Categories
   • Food discoveries
   • Photo spots
   • Hidden gems
   • Local contacts
3. Post-Trip Enhancement
   • Trip highlights
   • Lessons learned
   • Return visit notes
   • Local recommendations

Remember, this template is a living document—it grows smarter with every adventure you take. Start with these fundamentals, then make it uniquely yours.

Maintenance & Updates

Remember, the beauty of this system lies in its automation:

• Countries visited update automatically based on trip completion
• Stats calculate themselves as you travel
• Keep your hotel reviews updated for future reference

The dashboard might seem complex initially, but you’ll spend 90% of your time in the trips section, where everything flows naturally. The remaining databases work quietly in the background, keeping your travel life organized without constant maintenance.

Whether you’re planning a quick domestic getaway or an extended international adventure, this template adapts to your needs while maintaining meticulous organization of every detail.

FAQ

1. HOW DO I DELETE THE EXAMPLE TRIPS?

to delete the example trip : hover over the trip, click on the three dots on the upper right corner> click delete.