1. The place that cannot be identified
A plausible venue name may be mistranslated, closed, confused with another branch, or entirely invented. If you cannot connect it to a stable identity and location, it does not belong in a customer-ready route.
2. Hours with no date attached
Opening hours change by weekday, season, holiday, and event. A schedule that says “open until six” without tying that claim to the travel date is unfinished.
3. Prices presented as durable facts
Ticket, menu, and transport prices change. Separate confirmed purchased amounts from planning estimates, show the currency, and date any estimate that affects the budget.
4. Transfers that happen off the clock
If one activity ends at 14:00 and the next begins at 14:00 across town, the itinerary is fiction. Movement, queues, station navigation, and arrival margin belong inside the timeline.
5. No visible uncertainty
Real travel planning contains unknowns. A report where every claim appears equally certain is hiding useful information from the traveler.
- Can the place be identified?
- Does the fact match the travel date?
- Is movement inside the schedule?
- Is uncertainty visible?
- Can the traveler change the decision?
THE CAPTAIN’S TAKEAWAYDo not search for one magic sign of a bad itinerary. Look for claims that cannot show their identity, date, route allowance, or uncertainty.