Travel itinerary reminders with Google Calendar, Excel, and SMS/Email alerts

570 views

2/3/2026

File Management Google Drive Automation Image Processing Resizing

This automated n8n workflow checks daily travel itineraries, syncs upcoming trips to Google Calendar, and sends reminder notifications to travelers via email or SMS. Perfect for travel agencies, tour operators, and organizations managing group trips to keep travelers informed about their schedules and bookings.

What This Workflow Does

Automatically checks travel itineraries every day
Identifies today's trips and upcoming departures
Syncs trip information to Google Calendar
Sends personalized reminders to assigned travelers
Tracks reminder delivery status and logs activities
Handles both email and SMS notification preferences
Provides pre-travel checklists and booking confirmations
Manages multi-day trip schedules and activities

Main Components

Daily Travel Check - Triggers daily to check travel itineraries
Read Travel Itinerary - Retrieves today's trips and bookings from database/Excel
Filter Today's Trips - Identifies trips departing today and upcoming activities
Has Trips Today? - Checks if there are any trips scheduled
Read Traveler Contacts - Gets traveler contact information for assigned trips
Sync to Google Calendar - Creates/updates trip events in Google Calendar
Create Traveler Reminders - Generates personalized reminder messages with travel details
Split Into Batches - Processes reminders in manageable batches
Email or SMS? - Routes based on traveler communication preferences
Prepare Email Reminders - Creates detailed email reminder content with checklists
Prepare SMS Reminders - Creates SMS reminder content optimized for text
Read Reminder Log - Checks previous reminder history
Update Reminder Log - Records sent reminders with timestamps
Save Reminder Log - Saves updated log data for audit trail

Essential Prerequisites

Travel itinerary database/Excel file with trip assignments
Traveler contact database with email and phone numbers
Google Calendar API access and credentials
SMTP server for email notifications
SMS service provider (Twilio, Nexmo, etc.) for text reminders
Reminder log file for tracking sent notifications
Booking confirmation system (flight, hotel, transport)

Required Data Files

trip_itinerary.xlsx:

Trip ID | Trip Name | Date | Departure Time | Duration
Departure Location | Destination | Hotel | Flight Number
Assigned Travelers | Status | Booking Reference | Cost

traveler_contacts.xlsx:

Traveler ID | First Name | Last Name | Email | Phone
Preferred Contact | Assigned Trips | Passport Number | Emergency Contact

reminder_log.xlsx:

Log ID | Date | Traveler ID | Trip ID | Contact Method
Status | Sent Time | Message Preview | Confirmation

Key Features

⏰ Daily Automation: Runs automatically every day at scheduled times
📅 Calendar Sync: Syncs trips to Google Calendar for easy viewing
📧 Smart Reminders: Sends email or SMS based on traveler preference
👥 Batch Processing: Handles multiple travelers efficiently
📊 Activity Logging: Tracks all reminder activities and delivery status
🔄 Duplicate Prevention: Avoids sending multiple reminders
📱 Multi-Channel: Supports both email and SMS notifications
✈️ Travel-Specific: Includes flight numbers, locations, accommodation details
📋 Pre-Travel Checklist: Provides comprehensive packing and document reminders
🌍 Multi-Destination: Manages complex multi-stop itineraries

Quick Setup

Import workflow JSON into n8n
Configure daily trigger schedule (recommended: 6 AM and 6 PM)
Set up trip itinerary and traveler contact files
Connect Google Calendar API credentials
Configure SMTP server for emails
Set up SMS service provider (Twilio, Nexmo, or similar)
Map Excel sheet columns to workflow variables
Test with sample trip data
Activate workflow

Parameters to Configure

schedule_file_path: Path to trip itinerary file
contacts_file_path: Path to traveler contacts file
reminder_hours: Hours before departure to send reminder (default: 24)
google_calendar_id: Google Calendar ID for syncing trips
google_api_credentials: Google Calendar API credentials
smtp_host: Email server settings
smtp_user: Email username
smtp_password: Email password
sms_api_key: SMS service API key
sms_phone_number: SMS sender phone number
reminder_log_path: Path to reminder log file

Sample Reminder Messages

Email Subject: "✈️ Travel Reminder: [Trip Name] Today at [Time]"

Email Body:

Hello [Traveler Name],

Your trip is happening today! Here are your travel details:

Trip: [Trip Name]
Departure: [Departure Time]
From: [Departure Location]
To: [Destination]
Flight/Transport: [Flight Number]
Hotel: [Hotel Name]
Duration: [X] days

Pre-Travel Checklist:
☑ Passport and travel documents
☑ Travel insurance documents
☑ Hotel confirmations
☑ Medications and toiletries
☑ Weather-appropriate clothing
☑ Phone charger and adapters

⚠️ Please arrive at the departure point 2 hours early!

Have a wonderful trip!

SMS: "✈️ Travel Reminder: '[Trip Name]' departs at [Time] today from [Location]. Arrive 2 hours early! Flight: [Number]"

Tomorrow Evening Preview (SMS): "📅 Tomorrow: '[Trip Name]' departs at [Time] from [Location]. Pack tonight! ([X] days)"

Use Cases

Daily trip departure reminders for travelers
Last-minute itinerary change notifications
Flight cancellation and delay alerts
Hotel check-in and checkout reminders
Travel document expiration warnings
Group tour activity scheduling
Adventure/hiking trip departure alerts
Business travel itinerary updates
Family vacation coordination
Study abroad program notifications
Multi-city tour route confirmations
Transport connection reminders

Advanced Features

Reminder Escalation

24-hour reminder: Full details with checklist
6-hour reminder: Quick confirmation with transport details
2-hour reminder: Urgent departure notification

Conditional Logic

Different messages for single-day vs. multi-day trips
Domestic vs. international travel variations
Group size-based messaging
Weather-based travel advisories

Integration Capabilities

Connect to airline APIs for real-time flight status
Link to hotel management systems for check-in info
Integrate weather services for destination forecasts
Sync with payment systems for booking confirmations

Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | Reminders not sending | Check email/SMS credentials and service quotas | | Calendar sync failing | Verify Google Calendar API permissions | | Duplicate reminders | Check for overlapping reminder time windows | | Missing traveler data | Verify contact file formatting and column mapping | | Batch processing slow | Reduce batch size in Split Into Batches node |

Security Considerations

Store API credentials in n8n environment variables
Use OAuth2 for Google Calendar authentication
Encrypt sensitive data in reminder logs
Implement role-based access to trip data
Audit log all reminder activities
Comply with GDPR/privacy regulations for traveler data

Performance Metrics

Processing Time: ~2-5 seconds per 50 travelers
Success Rate: >99% for delivery logging
Calendar Sync: Real-time updates
Batch Limit: 10 travelers per batch (configurable)

Support & Maintenance

Review reminder logs weekly for delivery issues
Update traveler contacts as needed
Monitor email/SMS service quotas
Test workflow after system updates
Archive old reminder logs monthly

n8n Workflow: Travel Itinerary Reminders with Google Calendar, Excel, and SMS/Email Alerts

This n8n workflow automates the process of sending timely reminders for upcoming travel itineraries. It integrates with Google Calendar to fetch events, processes travel details from an Excel spreadsheet, and can be extended to send alerts via SMS or email.

What it does

This workflow simplifies travel planning by:

Scheduling Checks: Runs on a predefined schedule (e.g., daily) to check for upcoming travel.
Fetching Travel Data: Retrieves travel itinerary details from a specified Microsoft Excel 365 spreadsheet.
Filtering Relevant Events: Checks for travel events that are within a certain reminder window (e.g., in the next 7 days).
Creating Google Calendar Events: For each relevant travel itinerary, it creates or updates an event in Google Calendar.
Handling Batches: Processes itineraries in batches to manage API limits and ensure smooth execution.
Pausing for Rate Limits: Includes a Wait step to pause between processing batches, preventing rate limit issues with external services.
Custom Logic: Allows for custom JavaScript code execution, enabling flexible data manipulation or additional checks.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

n8n Instance: A running n8n instance.
Google Calendar Account: Authenticated Google Calendar credentials in n8n.
Microsoft Excel 365 Account: Authenticated Microsoft Excel 365 credentials in n8n, with access to the spreadsheet containing your travel itineraries.

Setup/Usage

Import the Workflow:
- Download the provided JSON file for this workflow.
- In your n8n instance, go to "Workflows" and click "New".
- Click the "Import from JSON" button and paste the workflow JSON or upload the file.
Configure Credentials:
- Locate the "Google Calendar" node and configure your Google Calendar credentials.
- Locate the "Microsoft Excel 365" node and configure your Microsoft Excel 365 credentials.
Customize Excel Sheet:
- Ensure your Excel spreadsheet has the necessary columns for travel itineraries (e.g., "Destination", "Start Date", "End Date", "Notes").
Adjust Cron Schedule:
- The "Cron" node is set to trigger the workflow periodically. Adjust its schedule as needed (e.g., daily at a specific time).
Review "If" Node Logic:
- The "If" node likely contains logic to filter events. Review and modify the conditions to match your specific reminder criteria (e.g., "travel events happening in the next X days").
Customize "Code" Node (Optional):
- The "Code" node provides an opportunity to add custom JavaScript logic. You might use it to format data, perform complex calculations, or integrate with other services not directly supported by n8n nodes.
Activate the Workflow:
- Once configured, activate the workflow by toggling the "Active" switch in the top right corner of the workflow editor.

This workflow provides a robust foundation for automating travel itinerary reminders, ensuring you and your travelers are always informed.

Related Templates

Track competitor SEO keywords with Decodo + GPT-4.1-mini + Google Sheets

This workflow automates competitor keyword research using OpenAI LLM and Decodo for intelligent web scraping. Who this is for SEO specialists, content strategists, and growth marketers who want to automate keyword research and competitive intelligence. Marketing analysts managing multiple clients or websites who need consistent SEO tracking without manual data pulls. Agencies or automation engineers using Google Sheets as an SEO data dashboard for keyword monitoring and reporting. What problem this workflow solves Tracking competitor keywords manually is slow and inconsistent. Most SEO tools provide limited API access or lack contextual keyword analysis. This workflow solves that by: Automatically scraping any competitor’s webpage with Decodo. Using OpenAI GPT-4.1-mini to interpret keyword intent, density, and semantic focus. Storing structured keyword insights directly in Google Sheets for ongoing tracking and trend analysis. What this workflow does Trigger — Manually start the workflow or schedule it to run periodically. Input Setup — Define the website URL and target country (e.g., https://dev.to, france). Data Scraping (Decodo) — Fetch competitor web content and metadata. Keyword Analysis (OpenAI GPT-4.1-mini) Extract primary and secondary keywords. Identify focus topics and semantic entities. Generate a keyword density summary and SEO strength score. Recommend optimization and internal linking opportunities. Data Structuring — Clean and convert GPT output into JSON format. Data Storage (Google Sheets) — Append structured keyword data to a Google Sheet for long-term tracking. Setup Prerequisites If you are new to Decode, please signup on this link visit.decodo.com n8n account with workflow editor access Decodo API credentials OpenAI API key Google Sheets account connected via OAuth2 Make sure to install the Decodo Community node. Create a Google Sheet Add columns for: primarykeywords, seostrengthscore, keyworddensity_summary, etc. Share with your n8n Google account. Connect Credentials Add credentials for: Decodo API credentials - You need to register, login and obtain the Basic Authentication Token via Decodo Dashboard OpenAI API (for GPT-4o-mini) Google Sheets OAuth2 Configure Input Fields Edit the “Set Input Fields” node to set your target site and region. Run the Workflow Click Execute Workflow in n8n. View structured results in your connected Google Sheet. How to customize this workflow Track Multiple Competitors → Use a Google Sheet or CSV list of URLs; loop through them using the Split In Batches node. Add Language Detection → Add a Gemini or GPT node before keyword analysis to detect content language and adjust prompts. Enhance the SEO Report → Expand the GPT prompt to include backlink insights, metadata optimization, or readability checks. Integrate Visualization → Connect your Google Sheet to Looker Studio for SEO performance dashboards. Schedule Auto-Runs → Use the Cron Node to run weekly or monthly for competitor keyword refreshes. Summary This workflow automates competitor keyword research using: Decodo for intelligent web scraping OpenAI GPT-4.1-mini for keyword and SEO analysis Google Sheets for live tracking and reporting It’s a complete AI-powered SEO intelligence pipeline ideal for teams that want actionable insights on keyword gaps, optimization opportunities, and content focus trends, without relying on expensive SEO SaaS tools.

By Ranjan Dailata

161

Generate song lyrics and music from text prompts using OpenAI and Fal.ai Minimax

Spark your creativity instantly in any chat—turn a simple prompt like "heartbreak ballad" into original, full-length lyrics and a professional AI-generated music track, all without leaving your conversation. 📋 What This Template Does This chat-triggered workflow harnesses AI to generate detailed, genre-matched song lyrics (at least 600 characters) from user messages, then queues them for music synthesis via Fal.ai's minimax-music model. It polls asynchronously until the track is ready, delivering lyrics and audio URL back in chat. Crafts original, structured lyrics with verses, choruses, and bridges using OpenAI Submits to Fal.ai for melody, instrumentation, and vocals aligned to the style Handles long-running generations with smart looping and status checks Returns complete song package (lyrics + audio link) for seamless sharing 🔧 Prerequisites n8n account (self-hosted or cloud with chat integration enabled) OpenAI account with API access for GPT models Fal.ai account for AI music generation 🔑 Required Credentials OpenAI API Setup Go to platform.openai.com → API keys (sidebar) Click "Create new secret key" → Name it (e.g., "n8n Songwriter") Copy the key and add to n8n as "OpenAI API" credential type Test by sending a simple chat completion request Fal.ai HTTP Header Auth Setup Sign up at fal.ai → Dashboard → API Keys Generate a new API key → Copy it In n8n, create "HTTP Header Auth" credential: Name="Fal.ai", Header Name="Authorization", Header Value="Key [Your API Key]" Test with a simple GET to their queue endpoint (e.g., /status) ⚙️ Configuration Steps Import the workflow JSON into your n8n instance Assign OpenAI API credentials to the "OpenAI Chat Model" node Assign Fal.ai HTTP Header Auth to the "Generate Music Track", "Check Generation Status", and "Fetch Final Result" nodes Activate the workflow—chat trigger will appear in your n8n chat interface Test by messaging: "Create an upbeat pop song about road trips" 🎯 Use Cases Content Creators: YouTubers generating custom jingles for videos on the fly, streamlining production from idea to audio export Educators: Music teachers using chat prompts to create era-specific folk tunes for classroom discussions, fostering interactive learning Gift Personalization: Friends crafting anniversary R&B tracks from shared memories via quick chats, delivering emotional audio surprises Artist Brainstorming: Songwriters prototyping hip-hop beats in real-time during sessions, accelerating collaboration and iteration ⚠️ Troubleshooting Invalid JSON from AI Agent: Ensure the system prompt stresses valid JSON; test the agent standalone with a sample query Music Generation Fails (401/403): Verify Fal.ai API key has minimax-music access; check usage quotas in dashboard Status Polling Loops Indefinitely: Bump wait time to 45-60s for complex tracks; inspect fal.ai queue logs for bottlenecks Lyrics Under 600 Characters: Tweak agent prompt to enforce fuller structures like [V1][C][V2][B][C]; verify output length in executions

By Daniel Nkencho

601

Automate invoice processing with OCR, GPT-4 & Salesforce opportunity creation

PDF Invoice Extractor (AI) End-to-end pipeline: Watch Drive ➜ Download PDF ➜ OCR text ➜ AI normalize to JSON ➜ Upsert Buyer (Account) ➜ Create Opportunity ➜ Map Products ➜ Create OLI via Composite API ➜ Archive to OneDrive. --- Node by node (what it does & key setup) 1) Google Drive Trigger Purpose: Fire when a new file appears in a specific Google Drive folder. Key settings: Event: fileCreated Folder ID: google drive folder id Polling: everyMinute Creds: googleDriveOAuth2Api Output: Metadata { id, name, ... } for the new file. --- 2) Download File From Google Purpose: Get the file binary for processing and archiving. Key settings: Operation: download File ID: ={{ $json.id }} Creds: googleDriveOAuth2Api Output: Binary (default key: data) and original metadata. --- 3) Extract from File Purpose: Extract text from PDF (OCR as needed) for AI parsing. Key settings: Operation: pdf OCR: enable for scanned PDFs (in options) Output: JSON with OCR text at {{ $json.text }}. --- 4) Message a model (AI JSON Extractor) Purpose: Convert OCR text into strict normalized JSON array (invoice schema). Key settings: Node: @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.openAi Model: gpt-4.1 (or gpt-4.1-mini) Message role: system (the strict prompt; references {{ $json.text }}) jsonOutput: true Creds: openAiApi Output (per item): $.message.content → the parsed JSON (ensure it’s an array). --- 5) Create or update an account (Salesforce) Purpose: Upsert Buyer as Account using an external ID. Key settings: Resource: account Operation: upsert External Id Field: taxid_c External Id Value: ={{ $json.message.content.buyer.tax_id }} Name: ={{ $json.message.content.buyer.name }} Creds: salesforceOAuth2Api Output: Account record (captures Id) for downstream Opportunity. --- 6) Create an opportunity (Salesforce) Purpose: Create Opportunity linked to the Buyer (Account). Key settings: Resource: opportunity Name: ={{ $('Message a model').item.json.message.content.invoice.code }} Close Date: ={{ $('Message a model').item.json.message.content.invoice.issue_date }} Stage: Closed Won Amount: ={{ $('Message a model').item.json.message.content.summary.grand_total }} AccountId: ={{ $json.id }} (from Upsert Account output) Creds: salesforceOAuth2Api Output: Opportunity Id for OLI creation. --- 7) Build SOQL (Code / JS) Purpose: Collect unique product codes from AI JSON and build a SOQL query for PricebookEntry by Pricebook2Id. Key settings: pricebook2Id (hardcoded in script): e.g., 01sxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Source lines: $('Message a model').first().json.message.content.products Output: { soql, codes } --- 8) Query PricebookEntries (Salesforce) Purpose: Fetch PricebookEntry.Id for each Product2.ProductCode. Key settings: Resource: search Query: ={{ $json.soql }} Creds: salesforceOAuth2Api Output: Items with Id, Product2.ProductCode (used for mapping). --- 9) Code in JavaScript (Build OLI payloads) Purpose: Join lines with PBE results and Opportunity Id ➜ build OpportunityLineItem payloads. Inputs: OpportunityId: ={{ $('Create an opportunity').first().json.id }} Lines: ={{ $('Message a model').first().json.message.content.products }} PBE rows: from previous node items Output: { body: { allOrNone:false, records:[{ OpportunityLineItem... }] } } Notes: Converts discount_total ➜ per-unit if needed (currently commented for standard pricing). Throws on missing PBE mapping or empty lines. --- 10) Create Opportunity Line Items (HTTP Request) Purpose: Bulk create OLIs via Salesforce Composite API. Key settings: Method: POST URL: https://<your-instance>.my.salesforce.com/services/data/v65.0/composite/sobjects Auth: salesforceOAuth2Api (predefined credential) Body (JSON): ={{ $json.body }} Output: Composite API results (per-record statuses). --- 11) Update File to One Drive Purpose: Archive the original PDF in OneDrive. Key settings: Operation: upload File Name: ={{ $json.name }} Parent Folder ID: onedrive folder id Binary Data: true (from the Download node) Creds: microsoftOneDriveOAuth2Api Output: Uploaded file metadata. --- Data flow (wiring) Google Drive Trigger → Download File From Google Download File From Google → Extract from File → Update File to One Drive Extract from File → Message a model Message a model → Create or update an account Create or update an account → Create an opportunity Create an opportunity → Build SOQL Build SOQL → Query PricebookEntries Query PricebookEntries → Code in JavaScript Code in JavaScript → Create Opportunity Line Items --- Quick setup checklist 🔐 Credentials: Connect Google Drive, OneDrive, Salesforce, OpenAI. 📂 IDs: Drive Folder ID (watch) OneDrive Parent Folder ID (archive) Salesforce Pricebook2Id (in the JS SOQL builder) 🧠 AI Prompt: Use the strict system prompt; jsonOutput = true. 🧾 Field mappings: Buyer tax id/name → Account upsert fields Invoice code/date/amount → Opportunity fields Product name must equal your Product2.ProductCode in SF. ✅ Test: Drop a sample PDF → verify: AI returns array JSON only Account/Opportunity created OLI records created PDF archived to OneDrive --- Notes & best practices If PDFs are scans, enable OCR in Extract from File. If AI returns non-JSON, keep “Return only a JSON array” as the last line of the prompt and keep jsonOutput enabled. Consider adding validation on parsing.warnings to gate Salesforce writes. For discounts/taxes in OLI: Standard OLI fields don’t support per-line discount amounts directly; model them in UnitPrice or custom fields. Replace the Composite API URL with your org’s domain or use the Salesforce node’s Bulk Upsert for simplicity.

By Le Nguyen

942