Starting a trip
Create a trip from scratch or from a bucket-list goal, then add who's going, the cities, the dates and where you'll stay.
For trip editors · Updated October 19, 2026
There are two ways to start a trip. Either way you become its editor.
From a goal on your bucket list
The quickest way. On a goal in My bucket list or My dates, click Plan a trip.
- The trip's name, dates and place are filled in from the goal; change them if you like. "Trip dates can change later."
- Click Start the trip.
To put the goal on a trip you already have instead, pick it under Or add it to a trip you already have and click Add to this trip. One trip can cover several goals. See your bucket list.
From scratch
Open Trips in the left menu and click New trip (or Start a trip when you have none yet).
Fill in The trip and click Create trip:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | What you call the trip, such as "James & Regan — Taos". Only people on the trip see it. |
| Destination | Where it is, such as "Taos / Angel Fire, New Mexico". A shared link uses this, never the name. |
| Cities | The catalogue cities the trip visits. Days and journeys pick their city from this list. |
| Start date, End date | The first and last day. |
| Travelers | Who's going. Use Add a traveler below if a name is missing. |
| Budget, Structure, Status | The budget level, the kind of trip, and how far planning has got (Starting → Fleshing out → Confirming → Ready to go). |
| Notes | Anything for the whole trip. |
What to do next
On the trip page, click Edit trip. From there:
- Days: click Add a day for each date (adding a day).
- Lodging: a row per stay, with its name, address, city, check-in and check-out. A stay's city fills in the city of the days it covers that have none.
- Travel by day: the trains and flights for each day (travel legs).
- Bookings & confirmations: confirmation numbers, once things are booked (bookings).
Everything under Trip details saves together when you click Save changes; if one row has a mistake, nothing is written and the mistake is shown.
To let others see or edit the trip, click People on the trip page and invite them (inviting people).
Problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| No New trip button | Your account can't start trips: it isn't verified yet (use the link in your sign-up email), or staff have stopped it. Contact us if you think that's wrong. |
| "The end date cannot be before the start date." | Swap the dates. |
| A city isn't in the Cities list | It isn't in the catalogue yet. Add it under Places, or ask the site's staff. |
| A day has no city after adding a stay | The stay needs a city, and the day only gets one if it had none. |
Related guides
- Getting startedWhat ShareBucketList is for, how a goal becomes a trip, and the first three things to do.
- Sharing and accessWho can see, comment on or change a trip, how to invite people, and what a public share link shows.
- Your travel profileKeep your seat and meal preferences, passport and trusted-traveler numbers, and loyalty programs in one private place for whoever books.
- Your data: download it or delete your accountTake a copy of everything you've put on the site, or delete your account, and what happens to shared trips, reviews and notes when you do.
- Reporting and safetyReport something wrong in the catalogue, stop emails you don't want, and what limits keep the site safe.
All help · Still stuck? Contact us.