5 free google sheets templates to plan a long-term backpackgin trip, including a budget worksheet, itinerary wish list and trip planning task list. A lifesaver for backpackers, digital nomads, budget travellers and long-term travel enthusiasts.

FREE LONG-TERM BACKPACKING
TRIP PLANNER

4 trip planning Google Sheets templates

Long-term travel planning made easy: the all-in-one travel planner to prep a long-term trip, including a travel budget template, itinerary wish list and pre-departure task list. A lifesaver for backpackers, digital nomads, budget travellers and long-term travel enthusiasts.

💰 A travel budget Google sheets template: estimate how much money you need to save for your trip, and how much you’ll spend each month.

🗺️ A long-term travel planning template (or trip retroplanning): keep track of all the things you need to do before travelling, so you can take off on D-day with peace of mind.

📍A travel itinerary wish list: save must-see places and must-do activities to plan your itinerary. Especially useful for multi-destination trips.

All in a handy Google Sheets toolkit that you can duplicate and adapt to your needs and specific situation. Download travel planning spreadsheets in Excel format or PDF, and access them on the go (even when offline), right from your Google Drive.


I’ve built these trip planning templates using my experience as an international events executive in the automotive industry, implementing processes and proven methods to plan for complex logistics across multiple borders and continents. I’ve tested them on the road, improved them over time and used them to prepare for all my backpacking journeys and trips lasting over 6 months. They help me stay safe and organised, without sacrificing the joy, spontaneity and adrenaline of multi-destination travels.

Better preparation makes travelling even more exciting. You’ll only have to worry about what happens on the spot, not what you forgot to bring or plan.

For anyone who loves planning, or those who need a hand to visualise the administrative tasks that come with travelling, or simply to get their mind into the game, these travel planning templates will save you loads of time—and will get you excited about leaving.

The toolkit is completely free, no strings attached. You just need to give your email to download it. You’ll be subscribed to my newsletter—Cruisin’ Roamers—where I share the Roamer’s Digest once very three months. If you don’t like it, opt out anytime :)

Want to level up your trip planning? Sure you do. Download your Google Sheets Trip Planner today.

In this free backpacking trip planner...

1. Long-term trip planning template for multi-destination and long-term travel: pre-departure task list

Use this spreadsheet to list all of the tasks you need to complete before leaving. Or, use mine as a guide to know what’s involved when preparing a long-term backpacking trip.

I started planning 6 months prior to my departure to South America. I left in the spreadsheet the deadlines I had set for myself to complete each task so you can get real-life examples. Simply duplicate the sheet or edit it to add in your own tasks and deadlines.

I was working 60-hours weekly back then, so my advice is that if you have an intensive job, give yourself plenty of time to plan for your long-term trip.

Way better than a mere checklist, this template will help you know exactly when you need to complete each task and never miss the important stuff, so you can leave worry-free.

2. Backpacking trip budget calculator: estimate a long-term trip’s total cost with the automated travel budget worksheet

I built this trip budget worksheet to estimate how much I should save before leaving. As I had to quit my job to travel, I didn’t have any income while travelling, so I needed to know how much money I’d need long before leaving.

I could estimate transportation and accommodation costs by doing quick searches on Skyscanner and hostel platforms like bookings.com. Then, I used common sense to assess a food budget that would span over 6 months.

The travel budget worksheet includes equipment costs, as you’ll most probably have to purchase gear before leaving, depending on the type of country you’re visiting or the activities you’re into. So it’s essential to factor these expenses into your budget to avoid nasty surprises.

💡 You’ll be able to see costs related to pre and post-departure and your estimated monthly expenses while travelling. The travel budget worksheet will give you a general overview of your current financial situation, see if you actually have money to travel and eventually adjust your travel plans and wishlist.

If you need more help budgeting for your backpacking trip, read my guide.

It helps to have a general idea of where you want to go, and what to do once you’re there. Although, your plans might change as soon as you land, and that’s the beauty of travelling. But if you’ve heard of places you absolutely must see, use this itinerary worksheet to build your wishlist and make space for these landmarks in your budget and itinerary. If you need inspiration, visit my South America backpacking trip itinerary.

4. Visa & Vaccine tracker for easy travel admin’

Peeps, visas and vaccine can be a pain to track when you’re travelling long-term. Some countries require mandatory vaccines, while other will downright refuse your right to entry if you don’t have your vaccine booklet up-to-date.

Use this tracker to know:

• what visas you need for which country
• how much they cost
• what vaccines are mandatory and recommended based on your desired destinations
• their cost, and when to take them (some vaccines need two shots with one month delay between each shot, so plan accordingly)
• the budget worksheet will automatically update admin’ costs from this spreadsheet — you don’t need to lift a finger.

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Unlock an advanced version of this toolkit, plus a weight-friendly backpacker’s packing list with the Notion long-term travel planner

Google Sheets is great. But I wish Notion existed when I planned for my first backpacking trip years ago!

I’ve built a much more advanced version of this backpacking trip planner on Notion. It’s sleeker and easier to use than Google Sheets, and perfect to plan for long-term, complex multi-destination trips.

The pre-departure to-do list includes sub tasks, reminders and timeline views, and I’ve added tips along the way to help you plan for the journey of a lifetime.

You’ll also get a comprehensive packing list for long-term travel that you can edit and duplicate for all your backpacking trips.

I’ve listed all the gear I brought with me for my surf and trek backpacking trip in South America, planning for different seasons and climates. I’ve also included tips for what you should buy before leaving, as some items are much more expensive abroad. The list goes well beyond gear, covering documents, non-negotiables and more. Oh, and it’s weight-friendly 😉

Check it out ︎︎︎