A Google Sheets toolkit for independent rail travelers
You know you want to go. You just don't know where to start.
Research any destination. Build your shortlist. Plan your connected journey.
You have destinations in mind. You want to travel independently and plan your own rail route. But figuring out which places are actually worth stopping, how they connect via train networks, and what you are walking into takes hours of scattered research with nothing to show for it.
This toolkit gives you a structured way to research any destination globally and build a real itinerary before you book a single thing.
Delivered as a Google Sheet · yours permanently · no subscription
Why Google Sheets
Yours forever
Saved in your own Google Drive. No app to log into, no account to lose.
No subscription
Pay once. Use it for every trip you ever plan. No monthly fee, no renewal.
Free to use forever
Google Sheets is free. No API credits, no usage limits, no hidden costs on your end.
Nothing to break
No software updates, no broken integrations. Google has maintained Sheets for 20 years and is not stopping.
Works with any AI
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity. Use whatever you already have. No new account needed.
Research stays with you
Every destination you research is saved. Open it a year later and everything is still there.
What you get
Everything in one place, organized the way your brain actually works
Destination research card
Transit access, arrival safety, best neighborhood, hidden gem, honest pacing advice, and where to go next. One tab per destination. Works anywhere on earth.
Shortlist comparison table
All your researched destinations side by side. See transit options, pacing, and logical rail connections so you can decide what makes the trip and what gets cut.
Journey plan table
Destination, nights, arrival method, next stop. The itinerary stops living in your head and becomes something you can actually act on.
How it works
Type a destination. Paste one prompt. Get everything you need to decide.
1
Type your destination
Open the destination tab, type the city name and your passport country. The research prompt builds itself automatically with your details already included.
2
Copy the prompt into any AI
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, your choice. Paste the prompt and press enter. The AI returns a structured report built around how independent rail travelers actually think about a destination.
3
Paste the response back
One paste fills all 12 research cards automatically. Transit access, safe neighborhood, hidden gem, food, tech logistics, where to go next.
4
Build your shortlist and plan your route
Duplicate the tab for each destination you are considering. The shortlist table pulls everything together automatically. Finalize your journey order and you are ready to start booking.
Who this is for
You plan your own trips. You just need a better starting point.
You want to travel independently by train without a tour group or someone else's pre-set schedule.
You have stations and destinations in mind but have not figured out how they connect logistically or how long to spend in each.
You want to know the real arrival situation before you get there: the station or transit exit, the neighborhood, whether you will feel safe walking out alone.
You are comfortable with Google Sheets and use AI tools at least occasionally.
You want your rail research saved somewhere permanent, not reset every time you close a browser window.
A note on what this is not: this toolkit helps you decide where to go and how your route connects via rail. It does not book transport, pull live schedules, or replace a travel agent. Think of it as the strategic analysis step before all of that.
That list of destinations has been sitting there long enough.
For $9 you get a structured way to research any destination, compare your options side by side, and build a real itinerary before you spend hours going down the wrong rabbit holes. No subscription. No software to maintain. Just a tool that lives in your Google Drive and works every time you need it.
