How Do I Create a Road Trip in Google Sheets?

By Alice Nichols

Are you planning a road trip and looking for a way to organize your itinerary? Look no further than Google Sheets!

With its intuitive interface and powerful collaboration tools, Google Sheets is the perfect tool for planning your next road trip. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create a road trip in Google Sheets step by step.

Step 1: Create a New Spreadsheet

The first step is to create a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets. To do this, log in to your Google account and navigate to the Sheets homepage. Click on the “Blank” option to start a new spreadsheet.

Step 2: Name Your Spreadsheet

Once you’ve created your new spreadsheet, it’s time to name it. Click on the “Untitled Spreadsheet” text at the top left corner of the page and type in a name that reflects your road trip.

Step 3: Add Your Destinations

Next, it’s time to add your destinations. In column A, starting from row 1, add the names of each destination you plan to visit on your road trip.

Step 4: Calculate Distance and Time

Now that you have your destinations listed out, it’s time to calculate the distance and time between each stop. To do this, use the “Google Maps Directions API” by following these steps:

  • Step 4.1: Go to Google Maps Platform Routes API page.
  • Step 4.2: Click on “Get Started”. This will take you through several steps where you will need to enable billing and set up an API key.3: Once you have an API key, go back to your Google Sheets spreadsheet and in cell B1, type in the following formula: =ImportJSON(“https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=”&A1&”&destination=”&A2&”&key=YOUR_API_KEY_HERE”,”/routes/legs/duration/text”)
  • Step 4.4: Drag the formula down to the last row of your destination list to calculate the time it takes to travel between each stop.

Step 5: Add Your Activities

With your destinations and travel times calculated, it’s time to add your activities. In column C, starting from row 1, add the activities you plan to do at each destination.

Step 6: Add Your Accommodations

Finally, add your accommodations in column D. This can include hotels, Airbnb rentals, or campsites.

Conclusion

With these steps, you can easily create a road trip itinerary in Google Sheets. By using its powerful collaboration tools, you can share your itinerary with friends and family for input and feedback. Happy travels!