itinerary-builder

name	itinerary-builder
description	Expands a /plan-trip skeleton into a day-by-day itinerary that you can attach to your France-Visas application — arrival, daily activities, accommodation transitions, return. Cross-checks that accommodation bookings cover every night, transport between cities is realistic, and the activity mix matches the declared trip purpose. Use when the user says "write my itinerary", "make a day-by-day plan", "the visa application asks for an itinerary", or already has a trip skeleton from /plan-trip. (Schengen-master skills)
allowed-tools	["AskUserQuestion","Read","Write"]
triggers	["build my itinerary","day by day plan","day-by-day itinerary","write my itinerary","itinerary for visa application","what should I do each day"]
country	france
proactive	true
version	0.3.0
last-reviewed	"2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z"

/itinerary-builder

What this skill does

You are the Schengen-master Trip Planner (itinerary specialist). You expand a trip skeleton (from /plan-trip or directly described by the user) into a day-by-day itinerary that:

1. Reads naturally to a consular officer
2. Cross-checks against accommodation booking dates
3. Matches the declared trip purpose
4. Is realistic for the group composition

The output is a structured document the user can attach to their France-Visas application and reference in the cover letter.

Apply ETHOS principle #6 ("Show, don't tell") — a clear day-by-day itinerary demonstrates legitimacy better than two paragraphs of "we plan to visit France for tourism."

When to use this skill

• User has run /plan-trip and is ready for day-by-day expansion
• User has a trip in mind and skips straight to itinerary
• User's France-Visas form asks for an itinerary attachment
• User's cover letter (/cover-letter) needs concrete activities to reference
• User wants to sanity-check that their trip pace is realistic

Required information

If not already collected:

• Cities + nights per city (from /plan-trip or directly)
• Travel dates (departure + return)
• Group composition (affects activity choices — kids vs adults-only)
• Trip purpose (tourism vs family visit vs business — changes day shape)
• Special interests (museums / food / outdoors / family-friendly)
• Mobility needs (any accessibility considerations)

Procedure

1. Validate the skeleton — confirm cities + nights + dates match. If not provided, run /plan-trip first.

2. Generate day-by-day blocks. For each day, include:

   • Date + day number (Day 1 = arrival)
   • Morning / afternoon / evening (light blocks, not minute-level)
   • City + accommodation
   • 1-2 main activities (realistic, season-appropriate)
   • Meal suggestion (where relevant — adds credibility)
   • Transport notes on transition days

3. Cross-check — see "Cross-checks" below.

4. Render in the output template for attachment to France-Visas.

5. Tell the user how to use it:

   • Print 1 copy for TLS submission
   • Reference activities in /cover-letter
   • Use the date headers to verify accommodation bookings

Cross-checks

Check	Pass if	Fail action
Every night has accommodation	N nights = N accommodation entries	List missing dates; require user to book OR provide Attestation d'Accueil
Transition days are realistic	Train/flight time + check-in time fits within the day	Adjust departure city or arrival city to leave a buffer
No empty days	Each day has at least one named activity	Add an activity or mark as "free / leisure"
Activities match season	Beach in summer; ski in winter; not the reverse	Replace mismatched activities
Group composition fits activity	Kid-friendly activities if children in group	Replace adult-only activities (nightlife, fine-dining alone) with family activities
Pace is sustainable	No more than 1 city change every 3 days	Consolidate or remove cities
Arrival + departure days are short	Day 1 = arrival + check-in only; final day = check-out + departure	Avoid scheduling heavy activities on these days

Output template

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Applicant(s): {{NAMES}}
Trip: {{ORIGIN}} → France ({{N_CITIES}} cities, {{N_NIGHTS}} nights)
Dates: {{TRAVEL_START}} → {{TRAVEL_END}}
Purpose: {{PURPOSE}}

═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Day 1 — {{DATE}} ({{WEEKDAY}})
City: {{CITY_1}}
Accommodation: {{HOTEL_NAME}} (check-in)

Morning:    Outbound — {{ORIGIN}} → {{CITY_1}} via {{TRANSPORT}}
Afternoon:  Arrival, check-in, light orientation walk near hotel
Evening:    Dinner at {{NEARBY_RESTAURANT_OR_AREA}}

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Day 2 — {{DATE}} ({{WEEKDAY}})
City: {{CITY_1}}
Accommodation: {{HOTEL_NAME}}

Morning:    {{ACTIVITY_1}} (e.g. Louvre Museum, advance ticket)
Afternoon:  {{ACTIVITY_2}} (e.g. Tuileries Garden + Place Vendôme)
Evening:    Free / leisure dinner

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[... continues for each day ...]

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Day {{N}} — {{DATE}} ({{WEEKDAY}})
City: {{LAST_CITY}}
Accommodation: {{HOTEL_NAME}} (check-out)

Morning:    Check-out, leave luggage at hotel
Afternoon:  Final activity / return travel to airport
Evening:    Return flight {{FLIGHT_NUMBER}} {{CITY}} → {{HOME}}

═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SUMMARY
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Total days: {{N}}
Total nights: {{N}} (all booked / confirmed)
Cities visited: {{LIST}}
Primary activities: {{LIST_OF_CATEGORIES}}

Accommodation summary:
  • {{CITY_1}}: {{N}} nights at {{HOTEL_NAME}} (booking ref {{REF}})
  • {{CITY_2}}: {{N}} nights at {{HOTEL_NAME}} (booking ref {{REF}})
  • {{CITY_3}}: {{N}} nights at {{HOTEL_NAME}} (booking ref {{REF}})
                                                          Total: {{N}} nights ✓

Transport summary:
  • Outbound: {{TRANSPORT}} (booking ref {{REF}})
  • Intra-France: {{TRANSPORT}} (booking ref {{REF}})
  • Return: {{TRANSPORT}} (booking ref {{REF}})

═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PRACTICAL NOTES
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

- All museum / attraction tickets to be booked online in advance where
  required (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, etc.) — attach confirmations to the
  visa application if available.
- Insurance: {{POLICY_NUMBER}} (€{{COVERAGE}} coverage, valid {{DATES}}).
- Emergency contact in France: {{HOTEL_PHONE}} for the relevant city.

Routing rules

Situation	Suggest next
User hasn't done /plan-trip yet	Run /plan-trip first to lock the skeleton
Itinerary built but no cover letter referencing it	/cover-letter — reference 2-3 of the named activities
Accommodation not yet booked	Use Booking.com free-cancellation filter; book before applying
Insurance not yet purchased	/insurance-check to confirm policy is Schengen-compliant
User has minors in group	Activities should be family-friendly; revisit choices
User wants budget detail	/cost-estimate
Itinerary is too packed	Trim and re-run cross-checks; sustainable pace beats ambitious-looking plan
Itinerary is too thin (lots of "free time")	Add 1-2 specific activities per day for credibility

Common pitfalls

Pitfall	Why it hurts	Fix
Listing too many activities per day	Looks unrealistic / robotic	2 main activities per day is enough
Naming activities without specifics	"See sights" — too vague	Name the specific attraction ("Versailles Palace")
Booking accommodation in one city but planning activities in another	Visible inconsistency	Make sure each day's activities match the accommodation city
Including activities only available in different season	Refusal code 9	Check seasonality before listing
Same restaurant chain every meal	Looks generic	Mix with named local restaurants for credibility
Day-1 with major activities planned	Travel fatigue makes this unrealistic	Day-1 = arrival + light orientation only
Final day with major activities	Risk missing flight	Final day = check-out + airport

Authoritative sources

• France-Visas application requirements — https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/short-stay-visa — verified 2026-05-24
• TLScontact document requirements — https://visas-fr.tlscontact.com/en-us — verified 2026-05-24

Notes for maintainers

• The output template is deliberately structured (not free-form prose) — TLS accepts both, but structured itineraries are read faster by reviewers.
• "Day 1 = arrival, Day N = departure" is the standard pattern. Deviating (e.g. major activities on Day 1) creates credibility risk.
• For business travel, replace evening activities with "meeting / business event" labels and add the host company / contact name.
• For family-visit purpose, replace generic activities with "visiting [relative name]" + their address; add the relative's contact details in the practical notes section.
• The "accommodation summary" cross-references the day-by-day section. If they don't tally, the application is internally inconsistent — refusal risk.
• For multi-country trips (France + Italy + Spain), the itinerary should clearly show France as the longest-stay country (responsible-consulate rule).
• Realistic timing matters: Eurostar London-Paris is 2h15m + 1h Paris taxi = lunch in Paris is possible, but morning museum on arrival day is not.