Christmas Visiting and Travel Plan

Who this is for

Who goes where, and when, over Christmas. One table lays out each day of the festive period with the house you are at, who else will be there, arrival and leaving times, overnight stays and the booking that gets you there. A checklist underneath covers what has to travel with you.

Families shared between two or more households, separated parents working out handovers, and anyone driving or catching trains across the country between Christmas Eve and New Year.

What this helps you track

• Which household you are with on each day of the period
• Arrival and leaving times, so hosts know when to expect you
• Nights away and the travel booked for each journey
• Gifts and food that have to go with you to each visit
• Pets, childcare and the house left behind while you are away

How to use it

1. Write the dates the plan covers, who is travelling and any vehicle, coach or train bookings already made.
2. Fill a row for each day or each visit: where you will be, who else is there, and when you arrive and leave.
3. Tick the stay column for nights away and note how you are travelling and the booking reference.
4. Share the plan with the other households, printed or from the browser version, which saves in your own browser.
5. Work through the checklist in the days before you set off so nothing is left on the kitchen table.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should I plan every day or only the travelling days?

Every day is clearest, including the ones at home, because it shows the other households at a glance which days are already taken and where there is room for another visit.

How does this help with shared parenting at Christmas?

Writing the handover times and places in the arrive and leave columns gives both homes the same page to work from. Print a copy for each household so nobody is relying on a message thread.

Where do the gift lists go?

Use the checklist to remind yourself that gifts for each visit are packed. The gift budget by person spreadsheet is the place to plan and cost the presents themselves.

Can I use it for a New Year trip as well?

Yes. Set the dates covered to whatever period you are planning; the rows work the same for any run of visits or nights away.