Road Trip Planner

Road Trip Planner

Plan multi-day driving itineraries from a vague idea ("I want to drive the California coast") to navigation-ready guides with real-time-verified driving times, point-to-point Google Maps links, interactive maps, and per-stop parking/timing details.

When This Skill Applies

• User wants to plan a road trip or multi-day driving tour
• User asks for a driving itinerary between cities/attractions
• User wants route optimization (eliminate backtracking)
• User needs a travel guide with navigation links
• User mentions self-drive, rental car, or road trip anywhere in their request

Tool Compatibility

This skill works across different Claude environments. Adapt tool usage based on what's available:

Degradation rule: If a tool is unavailable, fall back to web_search for data and Leaflet HTML for visualization. Never skip a verification step just because the preferred tool is missing.

Layered output rule: Core deliverables (daily markdown + HTML) must always succeed. Enhancement layers (weather forecast, pre-trip content discovery, PNG cards) are fail-soft — if a search fails or a rendering tool is unavailable, log the miss and continue. Never let an optional enhancement block the core deliverable.

Writing Principles

These rules apply to every piece of content generated by this skill. They elevate output from "tourist brochure" to "trusted friend who's been there."

1. Why see + What to observe (per stop)

Every stop card must answer two questions, not just "visit X for 1 hour":

• Why this place matters (1 sentence — historical, geographical, or experiential reason)
• What specifically to look at (2-3 concrete observation points — NOT "take photos", but "look at the left hand of the statue — it holds a scroll with [inscription]")

Bad example: "Hearst Castle — 参观 2 小时" Good example: "Hearst Castle — 1920s 美国报业大亨 William Hearst 的私人庄园，把欧洲古董运过半个地球拼装而成。看什么：(1) Neptune Pool 的罗马柱是真的 1 世纪庞贝出土的；(2) 室内 Gothic Suite 的天花板是从西班牙修道院整体拆运；(3) 户外室外泳池底部铺金箔，下午 3 点阳光下最明显。"

2. Don't fabricate — web-search or leave blank

Every concrete number (address, ticket price, phone, mileage, opening hours) must come from a web_search result, not LLM memory. If a number can't be verified:

• Leave the field blank with a [需现场确认 / verify on arrival] marker
• NEVER fill with a plausible-looking estimate

Fabricated ticket prices and wrong addresses are the fastest way to destroy trust.

3. Bilingual search habit

For international destinations, search the same query in both Chinese and English — coverage differs:

• Chinese search: 小红书/马蜂窝/知乎 — strong on 实用贴士, 本地美食, 打卡时间
• English search: Reddit/TripAdvisor/official sites — strong on operating hours, historical accuracy, safety info

Always cross-reference both when facts disagree.

4. Cut noise, keep signal

When filtering travel content (for pre-trip homework or restaurant picks):

• Keep: content with knowledge-add (背景故事, 建造工艺, 考古过程, 建筑细节, 实际开销)
• Cut: pure check-in photos, no-analysis recommendations, sponsored-looking content
• Prefer long-form (B站 >10min explainers, 公众号 with cited sources) over short-form打卡

Gather Requirements

Before planning, collect these inputs. Ask the user if not provided:

Route type matters for optimization:

• One-way: Optimize for a single geographic direction, no doubling back
• Loop: Ensure the final leg returning to origin is accounted for in time/fuel budget
• Out-and-back: Plan the return route separately — avoid repeating the same stops, suggest alternative roads for the return

Workflow

Execute these steps in order, for each day. Do not skip steps — every shortcut taken here (especially steps 2-5) leads to a broken itinerary the user will discover mid-trip.

Parallel execution note: Steps 3, 4, and 5 (driving time / holiday check / weather forecast) are all independent web_search calls per stop. Fire them in parallel — a single batched round of N×3 searches instead of 3 sequential rounds. This compresses research time from ~3 minutes to ~1 minute and is strictly better than serial execution.

Step 1: Route Framework

Design the day's route based on user interests and geography.

• Assign a theme to each day (e.g., "Silicon Valley tech tour", "coastal highway scenic drive")
• List all candidate stops with addresses
• Use places_search to get exact coordinates for every stop — never rely on memory for coordinates
• Decide on overnight accommodation locations

Step 2: Geographic Verification — Eliminate Backtracking

This step catches route inefficiencies that waste 30+ minutes per occurrence.

• Plot all stops on a map using places_map_display to visually verify the sequence
• Check that the route flows in one geographic direction (north→south, etc.) without doubling back
• If hotel/accommodation is between two stops, consider checking in first to drop luggage
• Reorder stops if the visual map reveals backtracking

Common trap: Visiting a southern stop, going north to the next, then returning south to the hotel. Always verify against the map.

Step 3: Driving Time Verification

LLM estimates for driving times are systematically optimistic by 30-50%. This step is non-negotiable.

• Use web_search to find the actual driving time for each segment
• Search queries like: driving time [origin] to [destination] or [origin] to [destination] drive how long
• Bilingual search: also try [起点] 到 [终点] 开车多久 — Chinese traveler forums sometimes surface more recent real-world times than English sources
• Factor in day of week and time of day — Friday 5 PM rush hour is very different from Sunday 10 AM
• Record the realistic time range (e.g., "45-55 min") not just the optimistic number
• If total driving + activity time exceeds the available daylight, cut stops or restructure

Red flags to search for:

• Rush hour on the planned route (search "[city] rush hour traffic [day of week]")
• Known bottleneck roads (PCH, Bay Bridge, LA freeways)
• Construction or seasonal closures (especially mountain passes)

Step 4: Holiday and Closure Check

Search for every stop's operating status on the travel date.

• Use web_search with queries like: [attraction] hours [holiday name] [year] or [attraction] open [date]
• Bilingual search: also try [景点中文名] 开放时间 [日期] — local Chinese tourism sites sometimes have更 current closure notices
• Check for: national holidays, religious holidays (Easter, Christmas), local observances
• Check weekday-specific closures (many museums close Mondays)
• Check seasonal closures (some trails/roads close in winter)
• If a stop is closed, note it prominently and suggest an alternative

Holiday calendar to check against:

• US federal holidays, Easter weekend (Good Friday through Easter Monday), Christmas week
• Country-specific holidays for international trips
• "First Monday closed" pattern common at museums

Step 5: Weather Forecast and Contingency Planning

Check the weather for each day's route and prepare alternatives.

• Use web_search with queries like: [city] weather forecast [date] or [region] weather [month] [year]
• For each day, record: temperature range, precipitation probability, wind conditions, sunrise/sunset times
• Sunset time matters: If a stop's highlight is sunset (e.g., Big Sur, Santa Monica), verify the exact sunset time and work backwards to plan arrival

Weather-driven adjustments:

• Rain forecast → swap outdoor hikes with indoor alternatives (museums, markets, aquariums), add "rain plan" note to the stop card
• Extreme heat (>35°C / 95°F) → schedule outdoor activities for early morning or late afternoon, note hydration stops
• Fog (common on Pacific Coast) → warn that coastal views may be obscured in the morning, suggest delaying departure
• Snow/ice (mountain passes) → check road closures, add chain requirement warnings

Feed results into Step 8 (Pre-trip Checklist) for packing recommendations.

Step 6: Generate Markdown Document

Create one .md file per day in {output_dir}. Follow this exact structure:

# Day N 详细攻略：[Route Summary]

> ⚠️ Holiday/special date notice if applicable

## Flight/Travel Info (if applicable)

## 🧭 Navigation Links Summary Table
| Segment | Route | Nav Link | Drive Time |
Top-level quick-reference with all segments

## [Time Range] | [Section Title]

### [Time] | [Stop Name] ([Duration])
- 🧭 **[驾车到停车场](Google Maps drive URL)** · **[步行到入口](Google Maps walk URL)**
- **为什么值得停**：[1 句话 — 历史/地理/体验层面的 why]
- **看什么**：
  1. [具体观察点 1 — 不是"拍照"而是"看哪一处的什么细节"]
  2. [具体观察点 2]
  3. [具体观察点 3]
- **底层故事**（optional，仅当有文化厚度时 — 2-3 句历史/建造背景）
- Address, hours, tickets (all web-verified, or `[需现场确认]`)
- Parking: specific lot name, cost, tips
- Safety warnings if any

## Day N Timeline Overview
| Time | Stop | Duration | Drive Time | Notes |

## Practical Info
- Weather: temperature, precipitation, sunset time
- Cost estimates (use structured budget template — see below)
- Emergency contacts
- Gas/fuel notes
- Rain plan alternatives (if applicable)

Navigation link rules (critical — validated through 4-day real-world testing):

1. Destination-only format: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=PLACE+NAME+CITY+STATE&travelmode=driving
2. Never add origin parameter — user may not be at the expected location, causing Google Maps to route from the wrong place
3. Never add waypoints parameter — waypoints can route users onto closed/restricted roads (e.g., Cañada Rd incident — 30+ min wasted)
4. Prefer place names over coordinates — coordinates are error-prone (NVIDIA photo spot, Stanford entrance). Only use coordinates when place name is genuinely ambiguous, and web_search the coordinates first
5. Two-segment navigation for every stop: always provide BOTH a driving link to the parking lot AND a walking link to the attraction entrance. Users need to know where to park separately from where to go
6. Two layers of nav links: summary table at top AND inline in each section
7. Include skip links: "If skipping stop X, click here to go directly from A to C"
8. Include conditional rules: "If you arrive at [Station X] after [TIME], skip [Station Y] to protect [hard deadline Z]"

Step 7: Generate Interactive HTML Guide

Create one .html file per day in {output_dir}. Read references/html-template.md for the complete template code before writing.

Key requirements:

• Leaflet.js map with numbered color-coded pins and dashed route line
• CARTO Voyager tiles (not Google Maps iframe — it fails in restricted environments)
• Blue navigation buttons on every stop card that open Google Maps with coordinate URLs
• Highlight the day's main event with gold border (.hl class)
• Optional stops get dashed-outline numbers (.sn-o class)
• Alert boxes: yellow for cost warnings, red for safety warnings
• Mobile-optimized, max-width 480px
• Light theme (white cards on off-white background) for readability

Step 8: Generate PNG Portable Cards

Create a PNG summary card per day (Day1-[Region]-速查卡.png etc.) for offline / IM-sharing use. Unlike the HTML guide, PNG cards:

• Don't need network to open
• Can be shared in WeChat / Telegram / iMessage groups in one tap
• Render the same on every device (no layout drift)
• Fit on one phone screen when zoomed to fit

What goes on the card (single vertical image, ~750×1600px portrait):

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  Day N · [Theme]           📅 Date │  ← Header strip (brand color)
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  🌤️ [Weather] · ☀️ Sunset HH:MM  │  ← Weather + sunset bar
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  ① [Stop 1]          🕐 8:00    │
│     [1-line why]                │
│     🚗 XX min to next           │
│                                 │
│  ② [Stop 2]          🕐 10:30   │
│     [1-line why]                │
│     🚗 XX min to next           │
│     ...                         │
│                                 │
│  ⭐ [Main highlight]  🕐 16:00   │  ← Gold-bordered highlight
│                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│  💰 预计开销 $XXX · 🅿️ 停车 $XX  │  ← Cost strip
│  ⚠️ [1-line critical warning]    │  ← if any
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Generation approach (in order of preference):

1. Headless browser screenshot (preferred — leverages existing HTML template):

   • Create a purpose-built DayN-card.html with fixed 750px width and no scroll
   • Use Playwright / Puppeteer to screenshot: page.setViewportSize({width: 750, height: 1600}); await page.screenshot({path: 'DayN-card.png', fullPage: true})
   • In Claude Code: uvx playwright screenshot --viewport-size 750,1600 DayN-card.html DayN-card.png

2. Python + Pillow fallback (if headless browser unavailable):

   • Use PIL.Image.new() + ImageDraw to composite the card from scratch
   • Noto Sans SC for Chinese; system sans for fallback

3. Mermaid/D2 diagram (last resort for simple timeline-only cards):

   • Only use if above two fail; less visually polished

Card design rules:

• Fixed width 750px (fits 1x on most phones, zooms cleanly to 2x)
• Single column, no side-scroll
• Day's highlight gets gold border (same .hl class as HTML)
• All text large enough to read without zoom (min 14px)
• NO navigation links on PNG — users open the HTML or MD for nav; PNG is for glance-only
• Include filename + generation timestamp as small footer so users know which version they're looking at

Step 9: Generate Pre-trip Checklist

Create a single pre-trip-checklist.md file in {output_dir}. This is generated once for the entire trip, not per day.

Weather-driven packing section (based on Step 5 forecast data):

# 行前清单 | Pre-trip Checklist

## 🌤️ 天气概览 & 行李建议
| 日期 | 地区 | 天气 | 温度 | 建议穿搭/装备 |
|------|------|------|------|---------------|
| Day 1 | [Region] | ☀️ 晴 | 12-22°C | 薄外套+防晒, 墨镜 |
| Day 2 | [Region] | 🌧️ 小雨 | 8-15°C | 防水外套, 防滑鞋 |
| ... | | | | |

### 必带行李
- [ ] 根据天气列出的衣物（具体到件）
- [ ] 防晒霜 SPF50+（户外日必备）
- [ ] 雨具（如有雨天）
- [ ] 舒适步行鞋
- [ ] 车载手机支架
- [ ] 充电线 + 车载充电器

## 📄 证件 & 预订
- [ ] 护照 / 身份证（有效期检查）
- [ ] 国际驾照 / 驾照翻译件（如需）
- [ ] 租车确认号：[号码] | 取车地址：[地址]
- [ ] 机票确认号：[号码]
- [ ] 酒店确认号：逐晚列出
- [ ] 保险单号 / 保险公司电话
- [ ] 信用卡（确认境外支付已开通）

## ⛽ 车辆 & 驾驶
- [ ] 租车公司电话：[电话]
- [ ] 道路救援电话：[电话]
- [ ] 加油类型：Regular / Premium
- [ ] 过路费准备（现金 / ETC / FasTrak）
- [ ] 了解当地交规（限速、右转规则、停车标志）

## 🆘 紧急信息
- [ ] 当地报警电话：[号码]
- [ ] 最近医院位置（每天路线附近各标一个）
- [ ] 大使馆/领事馆电话（国际旅行）
- [ ] 同行人紧急联系方式

## 📱 App & 离线准备
- [ ] Google Maps 离线地图已下载（覆盖全程区域）
- [ ] 翻译 App（如需）
- [ ] 加油站 App（GasBuddy 等）
- [ ] 酒店/民宿 App 已登录

## 📺 出发前功课（Cognitive Prep）

在路上看是浪费，在出发前看能让体验翻倍。筛选原则：**要知识增量，不要纯打卡。**

### 推荐观看 / 阅读清单
- **[视频 | 平台]** [标题] — [为什么值得看：1 句话，比如"讲清 PCH 的修建历史和地质成因"]
- **[文章 | 平台]** [标题] — [为什么值得看]
- **[书籍 | 如有]** [书名] — [相关章节]

### 筛选标准（skill 生成时遵循）
- 要：B 站 >10min 讲解类、知乎高赞长文、公众号引用了参考文献或作者有明确身份
- 要：YouTube 纪录片、Reddit r/[destination] 热门帖、官网历史页
- 不要：纯打卡照片集、软广、无分析的"必去 Top10"

Rules:

• Packing items must be specific to the weather forecast, not generic — "薄羽绒" vs "外套" makes a difference
• If any day has rain >50% probability, add rain gear to must-bring
• If temperature drops below 10°C at any point, add warm layers
• If visiting beaches/coastal areas, add swimwear + towel even if not explicitly planned
• Always include offline map download reminder — cell signal is unreliable on scenic routes

Output Directory

Before generating any files, confirm the output directory:

• Claude.ai: use /mnt/user-data/outputs/
• Claude Code: ask the user, or default to ./trip-output/
• Create the directory if it doesn't exist

Output File Naming

Day1-[Region]-攻略.md          Day1-[Region]-攻略.html          Day1-[Region]-速查卡.png
Day2-[Region]-攻略.md          Day2-[Region]-攻略.html          Day2-[Region]-速查卡.png
pre-trip-checklist.md          (行前清单，整个行程一份)
budget-summary.md              (费用汇总，整个行程一份)
...

Structured Budget Template

Generate a single budget-summary.md alongside the daily guides. Use this fixed structure:

# 💰 费用预估 | Trip Budget Summary

## 按类别汇总
| 类别 | 明细 | 费用 (USD) |
|------|------|-----------|
| ✈️ 机票 | [航班信息] | $XXX |
| 🚗 租车 | [天数] × [日租] + 保险 | $XXX |
| ⛽ 油费 | [总里程] ÷ [油耗] × [油价] | $XXX |
| 🅿️ 停车 | 逐站列出 | $XXX |
| 🏨 住宿 | 逐晚列出 | $XXX |
| 🍽️ 餐饮 | [天数] × [每日预算] | $XXX |
| 🎫 门票/活动 | 逐项列出 | $XXX |
| 🛣️ 过路费 | 逐段列出 | $XXX |
| 📱 通讯 | SIM卡 / 漫游 | $XXX |
| 🔄 杂费预留 | 10-15% buffer | $XXX |
| **合计** | | **$XXXX** |

## 按天汇总
| 日期 | 住宿 | 交通 | 餐饮 | 活动 | 小计 |
|------|------|------|------|------|------|
| Day 1 | $XX | $XX | $XX | $XX | $XXX |
| ... | | | | | |
| **合计** | | | | | **$XXXX** |

Budget rules:

• Always include a 10-15% buffer for unexpected costs
• If group size > 1, add a per-person column: | 人均 | $XXX / person |
• If group wants to split costs, add a "费用分摊" section with who-pays-what
• Use web search to verify current prices for tickets, parking, tolls — don't rely on memory
• Currency should match the destination country, with home-currency equivalent in parentheses if different

Quality Checks Before Delivering

Run through this checklist for every day before presenting to the user:

• Every nav link uses destination-only format (no origin, no waypoints)
• Every stop has TWO nav links: drive-to-parking + walk-to-attraction
• Every driving time was web-searched, not estimated
• Route has no backtracking (verified on map)
• All stops confirmed open on the travel date (including holiday/weekday-specific checks)
• Weather checked for each day, rain plans noted where needed
• Timeline math adds up (arrival + duration + drive = next arrival)
• Timeline includes realistic buffers: +30min for car pickup, +15min for parking in cities, +50% for museums/markets
• Parking info included for every stop — specific parking lot name, not just "nearby parking"
• Skip-links provided for optional stops
• Conditional rules included: "if you arrive at X after TIME, skip Y to protect Z"
• "Optional" stops are ranked by cut priority (which to cut first when behind schedule)
• HTML map pins match the document's stop order
• Total day doesn't exceed reasonable hours (typically 8 AM - 10 PM)
• Hard deadlines noted (flight times, restaurant reservations, sunset times)
• Rental car pickup section includes anti-upsell checklist
• Every stop has "为什么值得停" (1 sentence) + "看什么" (2-3 specific observation points)
• Culturally significant stops have a "底层故事" segment (2-3 sentences of background)
• Every concrete number is web-verified or marked [需现场确认] — no fabricated prices/hours/addresses
• Steps 3/4/5 were executed in parallel (batched web_search), not serially
• International destinations checked with bilingual search (中 + EN)
• PNG portable card generated per day (750×1600px, readable without zoom)
• Pre-trip checklist generated with weather-specific packing list
• Pre-trip checklist includes "出发前功课" section with filtered video/article recommendations
• Budget summary generated with per-category and per-day breakdown
• Offline map download reminder included