road-trip-planning

name	road-trip-planning
description	Create interactive HTML road-trip guides for multi-day driving itineraries. Use when an AI agent is asked to plan a road trip, build a travel itinerary page, make a fullscreen route map, estimate trip cost/time, compare restaurant or lodging alternatives, add POIs with photos and Google Maps links, or produce a self-contained HTML guide for any road trip.

Road Trip Planning

Output Standard

Create a polished, self-contained HTML guide unless the user asks for another format. Prefer one file that can be opened directly in a browser, with CDN dependencies only when useful.

Include:

• A day-by-day itinerary with realistic time blocks.
• A fullscreen or prominent interactive map with route lines, day filters, POI markers, and driving-time annotations.
• Restaurants, lodging, golf or activity options when requested, each with estimated cost and Google Maps links.
• A separate cost/time estimate sheet or overlay when the user asks for budget detail.
• Clear alternatives: primary vs backup restaurants, hotel vs campsite, main activity vs weather/time fallback.

Use assets/roadtrip-guide-template.html as a starter when creating a new HTML guide from scratch.

Initial Preference Interview

Before researching or planning, run a short step-by-step interview unless the user has already provided the answers or explicitly asks to skip questions. Ask in small batches and keep momentum; do not ask every possible question at once.

Step 1, route basics:

• Start and end point, including whether the trip is a loop or one-way.
• Number of days or date window.
• Season/month, if known.
• Must-see places, avoid places, and whether detours are acceptable.

Step 2, pace and travel style:

• Maximum comfortable driving per day.
• Preferred start/end times for driving days.
• Trip emphasis: nature, cities, food, golf, hiking, family activities, photography, national parks, scenic drives, or relaxation.
• Energy level: relaxed, balanced, ambitious.

Step 3, food and lodging:

• Cuisine priorities, dietary restrictions, and meal budget.
• Hotel, camping, RV, cabin, or mixed stay preferences.
• Lodging budget range and comfort expectations.
• Whether to show hotel/campsite alternatives every night.

Step 4, activities and constraints:

• Fitness/hiking level and trail length limits.
• Golf interest, tee-time tolerance, and budget if relevant.
• Pet, child, accessibility, EV charging, winter driving, passport/border, ferry, or reservation constraints.
• Desired output: HTML only, map-first HTML, printable summary, spreadsheet-style cost sheet, or all of these.

After the interview, summarize the assumptions in 5-8 bullets and ask for confirmation only when a choice materially changes the route. If the user wants a fast draft, proceed with explicit assumptions and make them visible in the guide.

Use this concise prompt when appropriate:

Before I build the HTML road-trip guide, I need a few preferences:
1. Route: start/end, loop or one-way, and total days/date window?
2. Pace: max driving hours per day and relaxed/balanced/ambitious?
3. Priorities: nature, food, golf, hiking, cities, scenic drives, or something else?
4. Food/stay: cuisine preferences, hotel vs campsite/RV, and rough budget?
5. Constraints: pets/kids/accessibility/EV/winter roads/reservations?

Research Workflow

Use web research when facts may be current or location-specific: open seasons, road closures, park reservations, lodging/campground names, restaurant status, golf tee-time rules, costs, and official links.

Prefer authoritative sources:

• National/state park official pages for roads, fees, reservations, campgrounds, and alerts.
• Official venue pages for golf courses, restaurants, hotels, and campgrounds.
• Google Maps URLs generated from coordinates or place names for navigation links.
• Local tourism boards for scenic route and regional attraction context.

Capture approximate coordinates for every map marker. If exact coordinates are unavailable, use a defensible nearby coordinate and label it as approximate in notes or code comments.

Planning Workflow

1. Complete the initial preference interview or state the assumptions used when the user skips it.
2. Define the route shape: origin, destination or loop, total days, must-see regions, season, and driving tolerance.
3. Create a realistic day skeleton: start city, end city, mileage, drive hours, main natural stop, meals, and sleep location.
4. Add POI categories as requested: nature, restaurants, lodging, golf, viewpoints, trailheads, ferry stops, border crossings, or airports.
5. Build daily schedules with actual sequencing: departure, first stop, lunch, main activity, check-in, dinner, and evening fallback.
6. Make alternatives visible, not buried: primary restaurant plus alternatives; hotel plus campsite; golf course plus backup; short hike plus long hike.
7. Estimate costs separately from prose: fuel, lodging, meals, park/activity fees, golf, and daily total ranges.
8. Add map behavior last: route polylines, markers, day filters, popups, Google Maps links, and driving-time labels.

HTML Guide Requirements

Use a layout that supports scanning:

• Left sidebar for itinerary cards and controls; make it collapsible and desktop-resizable when the map is a primary workspace.
• Right fullscreen map or map-first pane.
• Cost/time sheet as an overlay drawer or separate panel with fullscreen option when requested.
• Compact cards; avoid landing-page hero sections for practical trip tools.

For each day card, include:

• Header: Day number, route title, drive summary, sleep area.
• Action row: "Show on Map" button (filters main map to this day) and "Google Maps Route" link (opens day's full multi-stop driving directions in Google Maps).
• Realistic schedule: times and brief notes.
• Trail / POI plan: primary card and alternatives card.
• Golf plan when relevant: primary course and alternatives card.
• Restaurant plan: primary card and alternatives card.
• Stay plan: hotel card and campsite card when camping is requested.
• Inline estimated cost and Google Maps button inside restaurant, stay, golf, and mapped POI cards.

Avoid a separate giant POI link list if inline map buttons already exist.

Map Requirements

Use Leaflet with OpenStreetMap tiles for simple local HTML files.

Marker conventions:

• N for nature/lake/river.
• R for restaurants.
• G for golf.
• H for hotels.
• C for campsites.
• Day number for city or route endpoints.

Each map POI should have:

• Name, coordinates, type, note, color.
• Photo URL or type fallback photo.
• Google Maps search URL.
• Popup with photo, note, type/day tag, Google Maps link, and a day-route-via-POI link where useful.

Keep lodging, restaurants, and activities in the same POI data model so day filtering, popups, and link generation stay synchronized.

Cost And Time Estimates

Use ranges rather than false precision. Include the assumptions visibly:

• Party size and vehicle count.
• Fuel price and mpg.
• Lodging style.
• Meal style.
• Golf/activity assumptions.
• Exclusions such as alcohol, tips, shopping, rental car, or flights.

Daily cost rows should include:

• Miles.
• Drive hours before stops.
• Nature/activity time.
• Golf/activity time when relevant.
• Fuel, meals, lodging, activities, golf, and total range.
• Notes on variability.

Cost heuristics when exact current pricing is not researched:

• Casual restaurant: $15-35 / person.
• Upscale or resort restaurant: $30-70 / person.
• State/national park campsite: $20-45 / night.
• KOA/private campground: $55-120 / night.
• Mid-range hotel: use the daily lodging estimate row, often $120-520 / night depending on region/season.

Label estimates clearly as estimates.

Validation Checklist

Before final delivery:

• Run a JavaScript syntax check on inline scripts with new Function(...).
• Check all referenced POI IDs exist in the places dictionary.
• Check every restaurant/stay card has a map URL or a deliberate fallback.
• Check every requested day has a daily schedule.
• Check each day card has a "Show on Map" button and (when ≥2 route stops) a "Google Maps Route" link.
• If a dev server or browser automation is available, open the HTML and verify the map is not blank.
• Report any verification that could not be run.

Starter Template

When beginning from scratch, copy assets/roadtrip-guide-template.html to the working directory and replace its placeholder data. Keep edits scoped to the generated trip artifact unless the user asks for a larger app.

Code Snippets

Use these snippets when building a custom HTML guide instead of copying the full template.

Core Data Model

Keep day data small and link every restaurant/stay/activity to a POI placeId.

const days = [
  {
    day: 1,
    title: "Origin -> Scenic Stop -> Sleep City",
    drive: "Approx 260 mi / 4.5-5.5h",
    sleep: "Sleep City",
    schedule: [
      ["08:00", "Depart", "Leave early to protect the main scenic stop."],
      ["12:30", "Lunch", "Use primary restaurant; switch to alternative if delayed."],
      ["15:00", "Main sight", "Keep travel days to one major attraction."],
      ["18:30", "Dinner / check-in", "Check in before dinner when possible."]
    ],
    sights: ["Waterfall overlook", "Short lakefront walk"],
    golf: [
      { name: "Primary Golf Course", desc: "Best-fit course for the day.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "primaryGolf", cost: "$90-180 / player" },
      { name: "Backup Golf Course", desc: "Alternative if tee time, weather, or budget is better.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "backupGolf", cost: "$60-140 / player" }
    ],
    food: [
      { name: "Primary Restaurant", desc: "Best fit for the route.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "primaryFood", cost: "$20-45 / person" },
      { name: "Alternative Restaurant", desc: "Backup option.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "backupFood", cost: "$15-35 / person" }
    ],
    lodging: [
      { type: "Hotel", name: "Primary Hotel", desc: "Convenient base.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "primaryHotel", cost: "$150-300 / night" },
      { type: "Camp", name: "Primary Campground", desc: "Camping alternative.", url: "https://example.com", placeId: "primaryCamp", cost: "$20-45 / night" }
    ],
    stops: ["origin", "mainSight", "sleepCity"],
    pois: ["primaryFood", "backupFood"]
  }
];

const places = {
  origin: { name: "Origin", coords: [47.6062, -122.3321], type: "city", note: "Start", color: "#5d4b7c" },
  mainSight: { name: "Main Sight", coords: [47.5417, -121.8377], type: "nature", note: "Primary scenic stop", color: "#176c57" },
  sleepCity: { name: "Sleep City", coords: [47.6777, -116.7805], type: "city", note: "Overnight area", color: "#5d4b7c" },
  primaryFood: { name: "Primary Restaurant", coords: [47.68, -116.79], type: "food", note: "Primary dinner", color: "#b85f33" },
  backupFood: { name: "Alternative Restaurant", coords: [47.69, -116.78], type: "food", note: "Backup dinner", color: "#b85f33" },
  primaryGolf: { name: "Primary Golf Course", coords: [47.70, -116.76], type: "golf", note: "Primary course", color: "#e4a83a" },
  backupGolf: { name: "Backup Golf Course", coords: [47.74, -116.82], type: "golf", note: "Alternative course", color: "#e4a83a" },
  primaryHotel: { name: "Primary Hotel", coords: [47.67, -116.78], type: "hotel", note: "Hotel option", color: "#3f6f8f" },
  primaryCamp: { name: "Primary Campground", coords: [47.80, -116.70], type: "camp", note: "Camp option", color: "#6f7d35" }
};

POI Normalization

Generate photo fallbacks and Google Maps links once, then reuse them everywhere.

const fallbackPhotos = {
  city: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1449824913935-59a10b8d2000?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  nature: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1500530855697-b586d89ba3ee?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  lake: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1501785888041-af3ef285b470?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  food: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512058564366-18510be2db19?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  golf: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1535131749006-b7f58c99034b?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  hotel: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1566073771259-6a8506099945?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80",
  camp: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504280390367-361c6d9f38f4?auto=format&fit=crop&w=640&q=80"
};

Object.entries(places).forEach(([id, place]) => {
  const [lat, lng] = place.coords;
  place.photo = place.photo || fallbackPhotos[place.type] || fallbackPhotos.nature;
  place.maps = `https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=${encodeURIComponent(`${place.name} ${lat},${lng}`)}`;
});

Leaflet Map Rendering

Use one POI collector so stops, restaurants, hotels, and campsites stay synchronized.

function uniqueIds(ids) {
  return [...new Set(ids.filter(Boolean))];
}

function dayPoiIds(day) {
  const lodgingIds = (day.lodging || []).map(item => item.placeId);
  return uniqueIds([...(day.stops || []), ...(day.pois || []), ...lodgingIds]).filter(id => places[id]);
}

function routeStopIds(day) {
  return (day.stops || []).filter(id => places[id]);
}

function markerLabel(place, day) {
  if (place.type === "food") return "R";
  if (place.type === "golf") return "G";
  if (place.type === "hotel") return "H";
  if (place.type === "camp") return "C";
  if (place.type === "nature" || place.type === "lake") return "N";
  return day.day;
}

function draw(selectedDay = "all") {
  markerLayer.clearLayers();
  lineLayer.clearLayers();
  const visibleDays = selectedDay === "all" ? days : days.filter(day => day.day === selectedDay);
  const bounds = [];

  visibleDays.forEach(day => {
    const coords = routeStopIds(day).map(id => places[id].coords);
    L.polyline(coords, { color: dayColors[day.day] || "#176c57", weight: selectedDay === "all" ? 4 : 7, opacity: .78 }).addTo(lineLayer);
    bounds.push(...coords);

    dayPoiIds(day).forEach(id => {
      const place = places[id];
      bounds.push(place.coords);
      L.marker(place.coords, { icon: markerIcon(place, markerLabel(place, day)) })
        .bindPopup(popupHtml(place, day.day))
        .addTo(markerLayer);
    });
  });

  if (bounds.length) map.fitBounds(bounds, { padding: [42, 42], maxZoom: selectedDay === "all" ? 7 : 10 });
}

Inline Cost And Map Buttons

Use official-site links for place names and Google Maps links as separate buttons. Use the same helper for restaurants, lodging, golf, and mapped POIs.

function choiceMeta(cost, placeId) {
  const mapUrl = places[placeId]?.maps;
  return `
    <div class="choice-meta">
      <span class="cost-pill">Est. ${cost || "Varies"}</span>
      ${mapUrl ? `<a class="inline-map-link" href="${mapUrl}" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Google Maps</a>` : ""}
    </div>
  `;
}

function renderChoices(title, items, labels, stay = false) {
  return `
    <div>
      <p class="section-title">${title}</p>
      <div class="choice-grid">
        ${items.map((item, index) => `
          <div class="choice-box ${stay ? "stay" : ""}">
            <span class="choice-label">${labels[index] || "Alternative"}</span>
            <a href="${item.url}" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">${item.name}</a>
            <span>${item.desc}</span>
            ${choiceMeta(item.cost, item.placeId)}
          </div>
        `).join("")}
      </div>
    </div>
  `;
}

Trail / POI And Golf Choices

Render trail/POI and golf sections as primary/alternatives instead of plain lists.

function activityPlaceId(day, index) {
  const activityIds = routeStopIds(day).filter(id => ["nature", "lake", "golf"].includes(places[id]?.type));
  return activityIds[index];
}

function renderTrailPoiChoices(day) {
  const primary = day.sights[0];
  const alternatives = day.sights.slice(1);
  const primaryPlaceId = activityPlaceId(day, 0);
  return `
    <div>
      <p class="section-title">Trail / POI Plan</p>
      <div class="choice-grid">
        <div class="choice-box activity">
          <span class="choice-label">Primary</span>
          <b>${primary}</b>
          <span>Main nature/POI stop for the day. Preserve this first if the day slips.</span>
          ${choiceMeta(null, primaryPlaceId)}
        </div>
        <div class="choice-box activity">
          <span class="choice-label">Alternatives</span>
          <ul>
            ${alternatives.map((item, index) => {
              const placeId = activityPlaceId(day, index + 1);
              return `<li><b>${item}</b>${choiceMeta(null, placeId)}</li>`;
            }).join("")}
          </ul>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  `;
}

function renderGolfChoices(day) {
  if (!day.golf?.length) return "";
  return renderChoices("Golf Plan", day.golf, ["Primary", "Alternative"]);
}

Daily Schedule Renderer

Render time blocks as data instead of hand-writing each card.

function renderSchedule(day) {
  return `
    <div>
      <p class="section-title">Realistic Daily Schedule</p>
      <div class="schedule">
        ${day.schedule.map(([time, title, detail]) => `
          <div class="schedule-row">
            <div class="schedule-time">${time}</div>
            <div>
              <b>${title}</b>
              <span>${detail}</span>
            </div>
          </div>
        `).join("")}
      </div>
    </div>
  `;
}

Day Action Buttons

Inject a .day-actions row between .day-head and .day-body so each day card has a "Show on Map" filter and a "Google Maps Route" link. Reuses routeStopIds(day) and the day-controls click handler.

function googleMapsRouteUrl(day) {
  const ids = routeStopIds(day);
  if (ids.length < 2) return null;
  const fmt = id => places[id].coords.join(",");
  const params = new URLSearchParams({
    api: "1",
    origin: fmt(ids[0]),
    destination: fmt(ids[ids.length - 1]),
    travelmode: "driving"
  });
  const wp = ids.slice(1, -1).map(fmt).join("|");
  if (wp) params.set("waypoints", wp);
  return `https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?${params.toString()}`;
}

function showDayOnMap(dayNum) {
  document.querySelectorAll("#dayControls button").forEach(item =>
    item.classList.toggle("active", item.dataset.day === String(dayNum)));
  draw(dayNum);
  const app = document.querySelector(".app");
  if (app.classList.contains("sidebar-collapsed")) toggleSidebar(false);
  if (window.innerWidth <= 900) {
    document.querySelector(".map-wrap")?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth", block: "start" });
  }
}

// Inside renderItinerary, between .day-head and .day-body:
//   <div class="day-actions">
//     <button data-show-day="${day.day}">📍 Show on Map</button>
//     ${gmapsUrl ? `<a class="gmaps-route" href="${gmapsUrl}" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">🗺️ Google Maps Route</a>` : ""}
//   </div>
//
// Use a generic [data-show-day] click delegate so BOTH the action button AND
// the day-number circle in .day-head trigger the same map zoom:
//   document.getElementById("itinerary").addEventListener("click", event => {
//     const trigger = event.target.closest("[data-show-day]");
//     if (trigger) showDayOnMap(Number(trigger.dataset.showDay));
//   });

Date-Based Day Buttons + Sidebar Scroll

When the trip has dates (e.g. multi-week guides), label the top day-filter buttons with the date (M/D) instead of generic D1..DN. Clicking a date should both (a) filter the map and (b) scroll the sidebar to the corresponding day card — pairing map zoom and itinerary focus in one click.

// Render: use the M/D portion of day.date as the button label
document.getElementById("dayControls").innerHTML = `<button class="active" data-day="all">All</button>${days.map(day => `<button data-day="${day.day}" title="Day ${day.day} — ${day.date}">${day.date.split(' ')[0]}</button>`).join("")}`;

// Click delegate: filter map + scroll sidebar to the matching day card
document.getElementById("dayControls").addEventListener("click", event => {
  const button = event.target.closest("button");
  if (!button) return;
  document.querySelectorAll("#dayControls button").forEach(item => item.classList.remove("active"));
  button.classList.add("active");
  const dayVal = button.dataset.day;
  draw(dayVal === "all" ? "all" : Number(dayVal));
  if (dayVal === "all") return;
  const card = document.querySelector(`.day-card[data-card-day="${dayVal}"]`);
  const sidebar = document.querySelector(".sidebar");
  if (!card || !sidebar) return;
  document.querySelectorAll(".day-card.active-card").forEach(item => item.classList.remove("active-card"));
  card.classList.add("active-card");
  sidebar.scrollTo({ top: card.offsetTop - 16, behavior: "smooth" });
});

Clickable Day Number → Zoom Map

Make the .day-number circle in .day-head a cheap click target that zooms the map to that day (mirrors the 📍 Show on Map button without the extra row). Add data-show-day="${day.day}" to the div and rely on the generic [data-show-day] delegate above.

.day-number { cursor: pointer; transition: transform .12s ease, box-shadow .12s ease; }
.day-number:hover { transform: scale(1.08); box-shadow: 0 4px 14px rgba(0,0,0,.22); }

// Inside the day-head template:
//   <div class="day-number" data-show-day="${day.day}" title="Zoom map to Day ${day.day}" style="background:${dayColors[day.day]}">${day.day}</div>

The generic [data-show-day] delegate (see above) handles this automatically — no extra wiring needed.

Validation Command

Run this after generating or editing the HTML.

node - <<'NODE'
const fs = require('fs');
const path = process.argv[1] || 'roadtrip.html';
const html = fs.readFileSync(path, 'utf8');
const code = [...html.matchAll(/<script>([\s\S]*?)<\/script>/g)].map(m => m[1]).join('\n');
new Function(code);
const placesBlock = code.match(/const places = \{([\s\S]*?)\n\s+\};/)?.[1] || '';
const placeIds = new Set([...placesBlock.matchAll(/^\s+(\w+):/gm)].map(m => m[1]));
const referenced = [
  ...[...code.matchAll(/(?:stops|pois): \[([^\]]*)\]/g)].flatMap(m => [...m[1].matchAll(/"([^"]+)"/g)].map(x => x[1])),
  ...[...code.matchAll(/placeId: "([^"]+)"/g)].map(m => m[1])
];
const missing = [...new Set(referenced.filter(id => !placeIds.has(id)))];
console.log('syntax ok');
console.log(`referenced ids: ${referenced.length}`);
console.log(`missing ids: ${missing.length ? missing.join(', ') : 'none'}`);
NODE