Merge your trip with another traveler's trip to create a shared, co-owned trip. This is perfect for couples, friends, or family members who traveled together but tracked their trips separately.
What is Trip Merging?
When two TravelTracker users have recorded the same trip independently, they can merge their trips together. The merge combines:
- All visited locations from both trips
- Photos from both travelers
- Journal entries from both perspectives
- Lodging records from both trips
The result is a single, comprehensive trip that both users co-own and can edit.
Requirements
Trip merging requires:
- Both users must have Adventurer accounts - This is a premium feature
- A shared trip link - One person shares, the other initiates the merge
- Similar trip dates - Trips should have overlapping dates
How to Merge Trips
Step 1: Share Your Trip
The first traveler shares their trip:
- Open the trip you want to merge
- Click the Share button
- Copy the share link
- Send it to your travel partner
Step 2: View and Initiate Merge
The second traveler (with an Adventurer account):
- Opens the shared trip link
- Reviews the shared trip details
- Clicks Merge with My Trip (button appears for eligible users)
- Selects which of their trips to merge with
Step 3: Review the Merge Preview
Before merging, you'll see a preview showing:
- Total locations that will be in the merged trip
- Total photos from both trips
- Journal entries from both travelers
- Lodging records being combined
- Conflicts that need resolution (if any)
Review this carefully before proceeding.
Step 4: Complete the Merge
Click Merge Trips to create the co-owned trip. The process:
- Validates both trips
- Creates a new merged trip
- Combines all locations
- Merges journal entries
- Consolidates photos
- Sets up co-ownership
- Finalizes the merge
This may take a few moments depending on how much content is being merged.
Co-Owned Trips
After merging, the new trip is co-owned by both travelers:
| Feature | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Editing | Both co-owners can add and edit content |
| Statistics | The trip counts toward both users' travel stats |
| Access | Both have full access to all trip content |
| Co-owners | Up to 10 co-owners can be added to a trip |
What Gets Merged
| Content Type | How It's Handled |
|---|---|
| Locations | Combined, duplicates detected for review |
| Photos | All photos included, duplicates flagged |
| Journal Entries | Both perspectives preserved |
| Lodging | All accommodations combined |
| Trip Dates | Expanded to cover both trips' date ranges |
| Trip Name | You can choose a new name during merge |
Merging Cruise Trips
Cruise trips have special handling during merges to ensure a seamless combination of both travelers' cruise experiences.
Automatic Cruise Deduplication
When both travelers have logged the same cruise, TravelTracker automatically recognizes it as a single cruise and combines the records:
- Matching by dates - Cruises with overlapping dates are identified as the same cruise
- No duplicate lodging - You won't end up with two cruise lodging entries for the same sailing
- Cabin info preserved - If you had different cabins, the second traveler's cabin details are saved in the trip notes
Ports of Call Merging
Cruise ports are intelligently merged:
| Scenario | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Same port, both travelers | Notes combined, missing dates filled in |
| Port only one traveler logged | Added to the merged cruise |
| Different port orders | Automatically sorted by arrival date |
After merging, all ports appear in chronological order regardless of which traveler originally logged them.
What Gets Combined
| Cruise Element | How It's Merged |
|---|---|
| Cruise lodging | Single entry (dates determine match) |
| Ship/cabin info | Primary record kept, additional cabin info in notes |
| Ports of call | All unique ports combined |
| Port notes | Combined from both travelers |
| Port dates | Missing arrival/departure dates filled in |
| Port visits | Count toward both travelers' location statistics |
Tips for Cruise Merges
- Log the same cruise dates - Ensure both travelers have matching or overlapping cruise dates
- Don't worry about metadata differences - Ship name, cruise line, and cabin details don't need to match exactly
- Both travelers can log ports - Even if you visited different ports on excursions, they'll all be included
- Port order is automatic - No need to worry about port numbering; they're sorted by date
After a Cruise Merge
Once merged, your cruise trip will show:
- A single cruise lodging entry with the combined date range
- All ports of call from both travelers in chronological order
- Both travelers' notes and photos for each port
- Accurate statistics reflecting all visited ports for both co-owners
Adding More Co-Owners
Already have a co-owned trip? Add more collaborators:
- Open the co-owned trip
- Go to trip settings
- Click Add Co-Owner
- Enter the email of the TravelTracker user to add
- They must have an Adventurer account
Managing Co-Owners
Once you have a co-owned trip, you can view and manage co-owners:
- Open the co-owned trip
- Click the Co-Owners button in the trip header (visible only for co-owned trips)
- View all current co-owners with their names and emails
- Your own entry shows a "You" badge
Leaving a Co-Owned Trip
To leave a trip you co-own:
- Open the co-owned trip
- Click the Co-Owners button in the trip header
- Click Leave Trip at the bottom of the modal
- Confirm your decision (with additional warning if you're the last person)
What Happens When You Leave
When you leave a co-owned trip:
- Your statistics update - Countries visited, travel achievements, and badges are recalculated to exclude this trip
- Your content stays - Photos, journal entries, and locations you contributed remain in the trip for other co-owners
- Access is revoked - You immediately lose access to view or edit the trip
- Cannot be undone - You'll need to be re-invited by a co-owner to regain access
Special Cases
| Scenario | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Multiple co-owners remain | Trip continues normally for others |
| Only one co-owner remains | Trip converts to a regular (non-co-owned) trip for them |
| You are the last co-owner | Trip is permanently deleted (requires confirmation) |
Last Person Warning
If you're the last co-owner:
- A red warning banner appears explaining the trip will be deleted
- You must check a confirmation box acknowledging permanent deletion
- The button changes to "Delete Trip" for clarity
- All content (photos, journals, locations) will be permanently removed
Transferring Ownership
If you want to leave a co-owned trip but don't want it deleted:
- Ensure at least one other co-owner exists before leaving
- If needed, invite a new co-owner first (from trip settings)
- Then leave the trip - ownership automatically transfers to remaining co-owners
There is no explicit "transfer ownership" action - simply leaving while others remain achieves the same result.
Being Removed from a Trip
Currently, co-owners cannot be removed by other co-owners. The only ways to lose access to a co-owned trip are:
- Voluntary departure - You choose to leave through the Co-Owners modal
- Account termination - Your TravelTracker account is terminated (for Terms violations or your request)
- Account deletion - You delete your TravelTracker account (which deletes the co-owned trip for everyone)
Merge Eligibility
The Merge with My Trip button appears when:
- You have an Adventurer account
- The shared trip owner has an Adventurer account
- The trips have overlapping or similar dates
- You're not already a co-owner of that trip
If you don't see the merge button, check that both accounts are Adventurer-level subscriptions.
After Merging
Once merged:
- Original trips are replaced by the new co-owned trip
- Statistics update automatically for both users
- Notifications are sent to confirm the successful merge
- You can continue editing the merged trip together
Tips for Successful Merges
- Coordinate with your travel partner before merging
- Review the merge preview carefully before confirming
- Decide together who will initiate the merge
- Check your trip dates are accurate before merging
Differences from Sharing
| Feature | Sharing | Merging |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Read-only for viewers | Full edit access for all co-owners |
| Account needed | Any account (free or paid) | Both need Adventurer accounts |
| Content | View only | Combine content from both trips |
| Result | Original trip unchanged | New co-owned trip created |
| Statistics | Only owner's stats | Counts for all co-owners |
Troubleshooting
Don't See the Merge Button
- Verify both users have Adventurer accounts
- Check that trip dates overlap
- Ensure you're not already a co-owner
- Try logging out and back in
Merge Failed
If the merge process fails:
- Check your internet connection
- Try again in a few minutes
- Contact support if the issue persists