tour diaries meaning

How to Start and Keep a Travel Journal: A Guide to Travel Diaries

When you capture your memories, you’ll never lose them.

Traveling is a transformative and enriching experience – and one of the best ways to capture and preserve those memories is by keeping a travel journal. A travel journal serves as a personal record of your adventures, reflections, and emotions throughout your journey.

A travel journal offers numerous benefits and can become a cherished keepsake for years to come. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to start and keep a travel journal – and how to make the most of your journaling experience.

Why Keep a Travel Journal?

Keeping a travel journal is a gateway to a treasure trove of memories , self-reflection , and creative expression . From preserving the details of your journeys to unlocking personal growth, a travel journal is definitely worthwhile. Let’s uncover the magic of travel journaling together.

Preserving Memories

Preserving memories is crucial when it comes to maintaining a travel journal. It is essential to capture the moments and experiences during your trips. Here are some techniques to effectively preserve your memories:

– Write comprehensive descriptions of the places, individuals, and activities you encounter. It is important to be vivid and use expressive language in your writing.

– Capture photographs of the landscapes, landmarks, and memorable moments you come across.

– Keep tickets, receipts, and other mementos from your travels as keepsakes.

– Maintain a daily log of your activities, thoughts, and emotions throughout the journey.

– Consider recording voice memos to encompass ambient sounds and conversations, which will add depth to your memories.

– Document the people you meet on your journey, including their names and stories .

Incorporating these practices into your travel journal will allow you to effectively preserve your memories for the years to come.

Self-Reflection and Personal Growth

Self-reflection and personal growth are essential aspects of travel journaling. When you take the time to introspect and process your experiences and emotions, you not only gain a deeper understanding of yourself but also foster personal growth .

Here are five effective ways to enhance self-reflection and personal growth through your travel journal:

1. Embracing emotions : Use your journal to describe your feelings and emotions during your travels. This practice can help you process and comprehend your emotional responses.

2. Contemplating experiences : Take the opportunity to write about the impactful moments, challenges, and lessons you encounter. By doing so, you can gain valuable insights, learn, and grow.

3. Recognizing strengths and weaknesses : Assess your reactions to various situations and identify areas where you excel as well as struggle. This self-awareness will optimize your personal growth.

4. Establishing personal goals : Utilize your journal to set realistic development goals for yourself. For instance, if you tend to be shy, challenge yourself to interact with locals. Regularly reflect on these goals and track your progress.

5. Documenting achievements : Take the time to celebrate your accomplishments in your journal. Whether it’s conquering fears, trying new activities, or pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, recognizing these achievements will boost your self-confidence and inspire further growth.

By actively engaging in self-reflection and personal growth through your travel journal, you can maximize your travel experiences and create positive changes that spill over into various aspects of your life.

Creative Outlet

Travel journaling provides you with a valuable creative outlet that allows you to express yourself and document your experiences in unique ways.

There are several methods through which travel journaling serves as a creative outlet:

1. Writing: You can vividly describe your adventures, including the places you visit, the people you meet, and the emotions you experience. By skillfully using descriptive language, you can bring your experiences to life on the pages of your journal.

2. Drawing and Sketching: If you possess artistic abilities, you can visually represent your travels through sketches and drawings. You have the opportunity to capture breathtaking landscapes or intricate architectural wonders.

3. Collages and Scrapbooking: Incorporating various mementos such as pictures, tickets, and postcards can elevate your travel journaling experience. By artfully arranging these items, you can create visually appealing collages that effectively capture your journey.

4. Mapping and Planning: You may enjoy incorporating maps and itineraries into your journals. By using different colors, markers, and symbols, you can highlight your routes, points of interest, and even plan future adventures.

5. Poetry and Prose: Travel journals offer a platform for you to explore your emotions and experiences through poetry, short stories, and song lyrics. This allows you to express your thoughts and reflections in a profound and meaningful way.

Incorporating a creative outlet into travel journaling enhances the overall experience, enabling you to express yourself artistically. It adds a personal and unique touch to your journals, reflecting your unique personality and perspective.

Editor’s Note : You don’t have to be a famed artist to enjoy adding artistic touches to your journal – even a postcard can help you capture a moment or memory, it’s art!

How to Start a Travel Journal?

You might be wondering, “Where do I start?”

You’ll need to start with a journal and a journey. Consider the following guidelines as you choose and prepare to record an adventure you’ll never forget. Are you ready to dive into the world of travel journaling and embark on an adventure of self-expression and reflection?

Choose the Right Journal

When selecting a journal, it’s important to choose one that suits your needs and preferences. Consider the following factors:

Consider these factors to choose the right journal that meets your needs and enhances your travel journaling experience.

Determine Your Journaling Style

When it comes to travel journaling, determine your style. This helps capture your travel experiences authentically and true to your voice. Consider these factors when determining your style:

1. Writing or Visual: Decide if you prefer writing or capturing your thoughts and experiences through drawings, sketches, or collages. Some may prefer a combination.

2. Length and Detail: Consider how much detail you want in your journal entries. Do you enjoy writing long and descriptive passages or shorter, more concise entries? This determines entry length and depth.

3. Structure: Think about if you prefer a structured journal with a specific format like a daily log or reflection on specific trip aspects. Alternatively, you may prefer a free-flowing and spontaneous approach.

4. Multimedia Elements: Decide if you want to include additional elements like travel photos, tickets, or souvenirs. These bring memories to life and add a visual dimension.

Remember, your journaling style can evolve and change over time. The important thing is to find a resonating style that effectively captures your travel experiences. Experiment with different approaches and embrace the freedom to authentically express yourself. Happy journaling!

Gather Essential Supplies

To gather essential supplies for your travel journal, follow these steps:

1. Choose a journal: Select a journal that fits your style and preferences. Consider factors like page count, paper thickness, and lay-flat design for easy writing.

2. Pens and markers: Bring a variety of writing tools , including pens, markers, and highlighters, to add color and creativity to your journal.

3. Sticky notes and adhesive: Pack sticky notes or adhesive to incorporate extra elements like tickets, postcards, or photos into your journal. This will make your journal visually appealing.

4. Travel accessories: Consider including travel-specific items such as a small pouch for souvenirs, a ruler for straight lines or measurements, or a pocket-sized travel guide for reference.

5. Accessories for organization: Keep your journal organized with accessories like paper clips, binder clips, or page flags. These can be useful for marking important pages or sections.

6. Glue or tape: If you plan to add larger or heavier items to your journal, such as brochures or maps, bring glue or tape to securely attach them.

7. Travel-friendly storage: Make sure you have a sturdy and compact bag or case to store all your journaling supplies in one place. This will make it easier to access them while traveling.

Remember, the purpose of gathering essential supplies is to enhance your journaling experience and creativity. Consider which items will be most useful and enjoyable for you personally.

What to Include in Your Travel Journal?

Keeping a travel journal is the perfect way to capture the essence of your adventures. You have a lot of options when it comes to what to include – especially if you’re detailed oriented. Here are some of the major players.

Daily Itinerary and Activities

When traveling and keeping a journal, you may want to document your daily itinerary and activities. Here are some key points to consider:

– Record your daily activities: Write down the places you visit, the attractions you see, and the activities you engage in each day. This helps you remember the details and experiences.

– Date and timestamp your entries: Include the date and time of each activity in your journal. This creates a chronological account of your journey.

– Include details and descriptions: Be descriptive in your writing, capturing the sights, sounds, and smells of each activity. Use vivid language to paint a picture of your experiences.

– Add personal reflections: Alongside your itinerary, include your thoughts and feelings about each activity. Reflect on how the experience impacted you and what you learned from it.

– Document any challenges or surprises: Note any unexpected obstacles or pleasant surprises you encountered during your activities. This adds depth and authenticity to your travel narrative.

– Attach mementos: Include tickets, brochures, or other physical items related to your daily activities. These mementos bring back memories and enhance your journal entries.

Remember, the goal of documenting your daily itinerary and activities is to create a comprehensive record of your trip. By capturing the details and emotions of each day, you’ll be able to relive your travel experiences in the future. Happy journaling!

Impressions and Emotions

Impressions and emotions are crucial aspects when capturing the essence of travel experiences. By actively describing and reflecting on them, you have the ability to construct a vibrant and meaningful travel journal.

• To start, describe your impressions by taking note of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that stand out to you when visiting a new place. Utilize descriptive language to effectively convey the atmosphere and essence of the location. For instance, instead of simply stating “the beach was beautiful,” vividly describe the vibrant colors of the sunset reflecting off the water, the delightful scent of the salty breeze, and the comforting sensation of warm sand between your toes.
• Describe the enticing taste of local delicacies, the texture of cobblestone streets beneath your feet, or the vibrant array of colors at a bustling market. Engaging multiple senses not only makes your journal entry more immersive but also evokes a more vivid recollection .
• It is important to reflect on your emotions while traveling. Travel often evokes a range of emotions, such as excitement, awe, nostalgia, and introspection . Write about how certain moments or experiences made you feel. Did you experience a surge of adrenaline while embarking on a chalenging hiking trail? Were you filled with a sense of wonder and reverence when visiting a historic site? By capturing your emotions in words, you are able to evoke and relive those unforgettable moments while comprehending their impact.
• Express your personal connections in your journal. Share how you connected with the individuals you encountered during your journey. Write about the meaningful conversations you had, the friendships you formed, or the cultural exchanges that touched your heart. These personal connections and interactions leave a lasting impression and add depth to your travel journal.
• Reflect on your personal growth as a result of your travels. Travel provides unique opportunities for self-discovery and personal development. Contemplate how your experiences challenged you, pushed you out of your comfort zone, or broadened your perspectives. Write about the valuable lessons you learned and how you have grown as an individual. Reflecting on personal growth helps to further enrich your travel journal.

By prioritizing and focusing on impressions and emotions in your travel journal, you can create a comprehensive and meaningful record of your adventures. This record will effectively transport you back to those treasured moments whenever you revisit your journal.

Photos, Tickets, and Souvenirs

Photos, tickets, and souvenirs are important for travel journals to capture and preserve trip memories. Here are reasons why these items are valuable:

– Photos: Capture landscapes, views, and moments of travel. They serve as visual reminders of places and experiences.

– Tickets: Save tickets from attractions, museums, shows, or events attended during the trip. These tickets transport you back to the exact date and time of something new and exciting.

– Souvenirs: Physical mementos that evoke powerful memories of travel. They can be notes, postcards, shop receipts, or even food wrappers. Souvenirs remind you of the culture, traditions, and unique aspects of the destination.

By including photos, tickets, and souvenirs, you create a comprehensive record of your experiences. These items add depth and richness to your written descriptions , allowing you to relive your adventures more tangibly. Photos serve as visual aids to jog your memory and bring back specific details of each location visited. Similarly, tickets and souvenirs help recall specific events or attractions interacted with during the trip.

Tips for Effective Travel Journaling

Looking to up your travel journal game? Say goodbye to mundane travel entries and hello to captivating narratives that will transport you and your readers back to your adventures in a heartbeat. Ready to unleash your inner storyteller and create a travel journal that will truly stand the test of time?

Here are our top tips.

Write Regularly

To maximize your travel journal’s effectiveness, it is crucial to write regularly. By consistently recording your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, you can capture the essence of your travels and create a vibrant and meaningful record.

1. Set a schedule : Establish a routine for journaling, whether in the evening before bed or during breakfast each morning. By incorporating journaling into your daily routine, you ensure that you don’t forget to record important moments and details.

2. Make it a habit : Treat journaling as a regular practice, like brushing your teeth or exercising. By prioritizing journaling and making it a non-negotiable part of your day, you are more likely to write regularly and consistently – at home or away.

3. Write in the moment : Don’t wait too long before jotting down your experiences. Memories fade quickly, and by writing while the details are still fresh in your mind, you can capture the nuances and emotions of each adventure.

4. Keep it simple : You don’t need to write a lengthy essay every time you journal. Sometimes, a few sentences or bullet points can be enough to jog your memory and capture the essence of the moment. Focus on the key highlights and impressions that stand out to you.

5. Use prompts and writing techniques : If you’re feeling stuck, use prompts or writing techniques to stimulate your creativity. Try freewriting, list-making, or describing a specific sensory experience. This can help generate ideas and deepen your journal entries.

By writing regularly, you will cultivate a substantial collection of travel memories for future reflection. So, make it a habit, be consistent, and enjoy the process of documenting your adventures. Happy journaling!

Be Descriptive and Detailed

Keeping a travel journal requires being descriptive and detailed. This allows you to capture the essence of your travel experiences and create vivid memories. Besides sharing sensory descriptions and your emotions and responses , here are some tips to help you be descriptive and detailed in your travel journal:

1. Include colorful anecdotes : Share interesting stories, encounters, or observations that stood out to you during your travels. These anecdotes add depth and personality to your journal entries.

2. Add context : Provide background information about the places you visit. This can include historical facts, cultural traditions, or local customs. It helps create a richer understanding of the destinations you explore.

3. Use quotes and dialogue : Incorporate conversations you had with locals or fellow travelers, as well as any memorable quotes or phrases that resonated with you. This adds authenticity and liveliness to your journal.

Being descriptive and detailed in your travel journal creates a personal time capsule of your adventures . So, grab your journal, embrace your inner storyteller, and let your words transport you back to those incredible moments you experienced while traveling.

It can also enhance memory retention – writing about experiences in detail helps solidify memories and improve recall.

Keeping Your Travel Journal Safe

When it comes to keeping your travel journal safe, there are a couple of important considerations to keep in mind. With the increasing use of technology, finding the right methods for digital backup is crucial. Safeguarding your physical journals from loss or damage is also a key aspect of preserving your travel experiences.

Let’s explore the best practices for keeping your travel journal safe and secure!

Digital Backup

When it comes to keeping your travel journal safe and secure, digital backup is essential. Here are some options to protect your travel journal:

• Cloud Storage: Use Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud to upload digital copies of your travel journal. This way, even if you lose or damage your physical journal, you can always access your entries from any device with an internet connection.
• External Hard Drive: Backup your travel journal regularly with an external hard drive. These devices have large storage capacities, allowing you to store written entries, photos, and videos.
• USB Flash Drive: Keep a USB flash drive specifically for your travel journal backups. These portable devices are compact and easy to carry, ensuring you always have a backup copy of your journal.
• Email Yourself: Send digital copies of your journal entries to your email address. This serves as a quick and convenient backup method accessible from anywhere.

In addition to these options, it is advisable to password-protect your digital backups for added security. Remember to regularly update your backups and store them separately from your physical journal to minimize the risk of losing all your travel memories.

By implementing one or more of these digital backup methods, you can have peace of mind knowing that your travel journal is safeguarded, and your cherished memories are securely preserved. So go ahead and embark on your next adventure, knowing that your travel journal is backed up and ready to capture every moment.

Protecting Physical Journals

Protecting physical journals is crucial to ensure the safety and longevity of travel memories. To safeguard your travel journal, consider the following tips:

– Use a sturdy cover : Opt for a durable journal , like a hardcover or leather-bound notebook , to prevent tearing or damage.

– Waterproof protection : Invest in a waterproof journal cover or use a plastic sleeve to shield your journal from spills or rain, preserving your writing – especially if you’re hiking or camping with it.

– Keep it separate : Avoid storing your journal with sharp objects or liquids. Use a dedicated pouch or compartment in your bag to minimize accidents.

– Store in a safe place : When not in use, store your journal in a secure and dry location , away from sunlight and extreme temperatures to prevent fading or warping.

– Back it up : Make digital copies or scans of your journal pages to mitigate the risk of loss or damage. Store them securely on your computer, external hard drive, or cloud storage.

– Handle with care : Use clean hands and gentle handling to preserve the binding and keep the pages intact.

By following these precautions, you can protect your travel journal and ensure it remains a treasure of memorable experiences for years to come.

Interesting fact : The oldest surviving travel diary dates back to the 2nd century AD. It was written by a Roman soldier named Aulus Plautius , who documented his exploration of Britain !

Sharing Your Travel Journal

When sharing your travel journal, follow these steps to effectively communicate your experiences to others so they can experience your adventure with you all over again.

– Organize your entries : Arrange your journal entries in a logical order, either chronologically or by location. This helps readers follow your journey and understand its progression.

– Include visuals : Alongside your written entries, add photographs, postcards, or sketches that capture the essence of your travels. Visuals enhance readers’ understanding and create a more immersive experience.

– Be descriptive : Use vivid and detailed language to describe the places, people, and experiences you encountered. Paint a picture with your words so that readers can feel like they are there with you.

– Share personal insights : Include your thoughts, reflections, and emotions in your journal entries. This adds a personal touch and allows readers to connect with your experiences on a deeper level.

– Consider your audience : Think about who you want to share your journal with. If it’s a close group of family and friends, you can be more intimate and less formal in your writing. If you plan to publish or share your journal with a wider audience, make sure your tone and content are appropriate.

– Set boundaries : While sharing your travel experiences can be exciting, respect the privacy of others. Be mindful of what you include in your journal and obtain consent before sharing personal stories or photographs involving other individuals.

Sharing your travel journal allows you to relive your adventures and inspire others to explore the world. So grab your pen, gather your memories, and let your words transport you and your readers to the incredible places you’ve visited.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how can a travel journal be beneficial for business purposes.

By keeping a travel journal, you can jot down ideas and inspiration for business ventures during your trips. It allows you to document potential collaborations, networking opportunities, and innovative concepts that can be implemented in your work.

2. What are some pre-departure ideas to spark travel journal ideas?

Before leaving for your trip, consider researching the history and culture of your destination. This can help spark ideas for what to include in your travel journal, such as unique landmarks, local customs, or traditional cuisine.

3. How can a travel journal help with post-holiday ideas?

After your trip, reviewing your travel journal can jog your memory and inspire ideas for future vacations. You can reflect on your favorite experiences, places you want to revisit, or even new destinations you discovered during your previous trip.

4. What are some different versions of travel journaling?

There are various ways to approach travel journaling, including “just the facts,” storytelling, envelope-style, scrapbook style, and sketchbook. Each version offers a unique way to document and remember your trips, allowing you to choose the style that suits you best.

5. Can a travel journal be stored digitally?

Absolutely! In modern life, digital travel journal options are available. You can use diary software or dedicated travel journal apps to create a solid collection of your travel memories. Just make sure to backup your digital journal to keep it safe.

6. Is it essential to keep a separate notebook for each trip?

It is not necessary to have a separate notebook for each trip. You can use a single travel journal and section it off for various travels. This way, you can maintain one comprehensive journal that includes all your travel adventures.

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

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How To Write A travel diaries : The Ultimate Guide 4 you

Inside Contents

How To Write A travel diaries :The Ultimate Guide 4 you

Write A travel diaries : The Ultimate Guide 4 you. You’ve just returned from an amazing trip. You want to document the experience, but you really don’t know where to start. Great news: You’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to writing a travel diary . It’s designed to help you create a travel diary that capture the emotions, thoughts, and memories of your trip. We hope you find it useful! Writing a travel diary  can be a rewarding experience. You’ll get to document your journey and share your experiences with your friends and family.

A travel diaries is a great outlet for your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It’s a place to record your thoughts and feelings as they happen, without the pressure of essay writing. It’s a place to explore your identity and the world around you.  It’s a place to share your story with the world. It’s a place to remember what matters.

What is a Travel Diaries?

As you can see, there’s no singular definition of the word “travel journal.” One could use the term to define a journal kept on a trip by a local, a tourist, a traveler, or even an average person. What to keep in a travel diaries : Anything that makes you go, “That’s such a great memory.” Anything that makes you go, “I can’t wait to tell other people about this!” Anything unique and memorable — but not so valuable that you can’t forget it when you want to. Anything that holds a special meaning in your heart that you’d like to always hold on to. Things That Shouldn’t Be In A Travel Diaries You wouldn’t bring in a toddler’s favorite blankie on vacation, so why bring something precious that only you can remember from your trip?

travel diaries meaning || Why keep a Travel Diaries?

If you want to remember the most important events or places you visited, you need to note them, and you need to write about them down. This will ensure you remember them in the future and can also help you relive them.

How To Write A Travel Diaries : 5 Key Pieces Of Content To Create A Blog. First of all, creating your travel diaries is an excellent thing because you will have a unique place for all your content. You will have an ultimate digital catalog for your content that you can effortlessly search through in the future. That’s right — you can download all your digital journal entries and photos straight to your computer. From there, you can transcribe them to a blog that you can easily update whenever you want.

travel diaries India || How to Keep A Travel Diaries.

When traveling, the lack of internet access (and even the accessibility of the Internet) often leads to a lack of electronic tools, creating the need for a physical journal. And a good travel journal should be one that can be filled out — i.e., the index page. If the index page is not included, you’re only giving yourself five hundred or so extra words to fill in the blank, creating a rushed and incomplete picture of your trip. That said, there are ways to organize your journal effectively.

When to Keep A Travel Diaries || travel diaries drawing

There is no set of mandates on when to take a travel diaries with you. Still, there are some parameters to consider: On your flight Luggage size limits The amount of room left in your carry-on Must-pack items such as your laptop, camera, and smartphone. The amount of space left in your checked bag Whether you’re traveling for a week or a month Whether you’re flying international or domestic Types of Travel Journals Whether you’re starting a travel journal or have been doing so for many decades, you should keep a few things in mind to make it easier to organize and find the essential bits of information quickly and easily: Sketch Books & Travel Journals Whether you’re using a sketchbook or a travel journal to document your trips, always keep your focus on detail.

So whether you’re planning to go to Disneyland for the first time, tour the UK, or spend a week at a secluded seaside hotel, travel diaries are a great way to bring your travel experiences to life and never to forget the people and things that have made your trip unforgettable. I hope you all have a unique and extraordinary vacation! May the force be with you.

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What Is a Travel Journal + How to Make One with Examples

Traveling to new places and journaling about your exciting and enriching experiences is beyond rewarding. Whether you're exploring a bustling city, immersing yourself in nature's wonders, or embarking on a cultural adventure, capturing your travel experiences is a great way to preserve memories and reflect on your journey. One popular and creative way to document your travels is through a travel journal . In this article, we'll cover what a travel journal is, the benefits of keeping one, how to choose the best travel journal among different types, and provide you with tips and examples on how to make your own.

Ready to discover how to capture your travel experiences in different places, explore creative travel journal ideas and travel journal prompts, and more? Let the adventure begin!

What is a Travel Journal?

A travel journal is a personal diary that allows you to record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences during your travels. It serves as a visual and written account of your adventures, providing you with a tangible keepsake that you can cherish for years to come. Unlike a regular journal, a travel diary focuses specifically on your journeys, including details about the different places you visit, the people you meet, the food you try, and the sights you see.

Benefits of Keeping a Travel Journal

Keeping a travel journal offers numerous benefits beyond simply documenting your experiences. Here are some additional reasons why you should consider starting one:

1. Emotional and Mental Well-Being

Journaling has been shown to have positive effects on emotional and mental well-being . When you write about your travel experiences, you have the opportunity to process and reflect on your emotions, helping you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your reactions to different situations via your journal entries. It can be a therapeutic outlet for releasing stress, anxiety, or even excitement, allowing you to better manage your emotions throughout your journey.

2. Enhanced Memory Retention

Writing about your travels helps improve memory retention. By actively engaging with your experiences and recording them in detail, you reinforce the neural connections related to those memories. This makes it easier to recall specific moments, sights, sounds, and even the feelings associated with them in the future. Your travel diary becomes a valuable tool for preserving and retrieving cherished memories.

3. Cultural Exploration and Appreciation

A travel journal encourages you to be more observant and attentive to the details of the places you visit. It prompts you to delve deeper into the local culture, traditions, and customs. By documenting your interactions with locals, sampling regional cuisine, and exploring hidden gems, you develop a greater appreciation for the unique aspects of each destination. Your journal becomes a testament to the richness and diversity of the world around you.

4. Personal Growth and Self-Reflection

Writing in a travel diary allows for introspection and personal growth. As you reflect on your experiences, you gain insights into your own values, beliefs, and perspectives. You may discover new passions or interests, challenge preconceived notions, or develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding for others. The process of self-reflection through journaling can lead to personal transformation and a deeper connection to the world.

5. Travel Planning and Preparation

Your travel journal can serve as a practical resource for future trips. By documenting your itineraries, accommodations, transportation details, and recommendations, you create a valuable reference guide that covers your experiences more fully. You can refer back to your journal to jog your memory or provide recommendations to fellow travelers. It becomes a repository of knowledge that can streamline the planning process for future adventures.

6. Connection with Loved Ones

Sharing your travel journal with friends, family, or future generations can be a meaningful way to connect and bond. Your journal becomes a storytelling tool, allowing others to experience your journey vicariously through your words, sketches, and photographs. It can spark conversations, ignite curiosity, and inspire others to embark on their own adventures.

7. Creative Expression

Engaging in the creative process of journaling stimulates your imagination and artistic abilities. Whether you're writing prose, sketching landscapes, creating collages, or experimenting with different art mediums, your travel diary becomes a canvas for self-expression. It encourages you to think outside the box, explore new artistic techniques, and develop your creative skills.

Keeping a travel journal goes beyond simply recording your experiences. It has profound benefits for your emotional well-being, memory retention, personal growth, and cultural appreciation. It serves as a tangible reminder of your adventures, a tool for planning future trips, a means of connecting with others, and a creative outlet for self-expression. So, grab a journal and embark on your journey of exploration and self-discovery through travel journaling.

Types of Travel Journals

There are different journals for just about any goal or activity you can think of – from travel journals to fitness journals , from gratitude journals to garden journals , and more. Similarly, there are various types of travel diaries to suit different preferences and styles. We cover the best travel journals below so you can find one perfect for you.

1. Guided Travel Journals

Guided journals provide travel journal prompts and structured sections to help you capture specific aspects of your journey. Guided journals often include questions, blank pages to fill in, and guided activities to guide your journaling process. Using a guided journal or planner , can ensure you cover all the essentials, without missing any crucial details you’ll want to revisit later.

2. Traditional Handwritten Journals

These are classic journals or notebooks with blank pages where you can freely write, draw, or glue mementos. Traditional journals offer the most flexibility in terms of customization for creative journal entries.

3. Photographic Travel Journals

For those who prefer visual storytelling, a photographic travel journal focuses on capturing moments through photographs. You can include pictures alongside brief descriptions or captions to narrate your journey visually.

4. Scrapbook Travel Journals

Scrapbook-style journals combine photographs, tickets, postcards, and other memorabilia with handwritten notes and decorative elements. They provide a visually appealing way to preserve your travel memories.

5. Sketchbook Travel Journals

If you have artistic inclinations, a sketchbook journal allows you to sketch and paint scenes, landmarks, and people you encounter during your travels. It's a great way to capture the essence of a place through your own artwork.

6. Digital Travel Journals

In the digital age, many people opt for digital travel journals, using apps or online platforms to document their adventures. Digital journals offer the convenience of easy editing, multimedia integration, and the ability to share your journey with others online.

7. Travel Bullet Journals

A popular trend in journaling, travel bullet journals combine organization and creativity. Based on the bullet journaling system, these journals use symbols, icons, and trackers to help you plan and record your travels. You can create sections for itineraries, packing lists, daily logs, and more, all while adding artistic touches and personalization.

You can also use a monthly planner with ample note pages and customize it as a travel calendar journal.

Whether you prefer the structure of guided journals, the freedom of traditional handwritten journals, the visual impact of photographic or scrapbook journals, the artistic expression of sketchbook journals, the convenience of digital journals, or the organization of travel bullet journals, there's a type of travel journal that will resonate with you and enhance your travel experiences. Choose the one that suits your style and embark on a journey of creativity and self-expression.

How to Make a Travel Journal

Now that you have an idea of the different types of travel journals, let's explore how to make your own.

1. Selecting the Right Journal

Consider the type of journaling experience you desire. If you prefer writing and sketching, a traditional blank-page journal or sketchbook might be ideal. If you want structure and guidance, opt for a guided travel journal. If you're tech-savvy, explore digital journaling options.

2. Gathering Essential Supplies

Depending on the type of journal you choose, gather supplies such as pens, pencils, markers, glue, scissors, washi tape, stickers, and any other decorative elements you'd like to incorporate. If you're going digital, ensure you have a suitable device and any necessary apps or software.

3. Planning Your Journal

Before your trip, plan how you want to organize your journal. Consider creating sections for different aspects like itineraries, accommodation, food, and sightseeing. This will help you stay organized and make it easier to find information later.

4. Documenting Your Journey

During your trip, actively engage in your journaling process with regular (yet not restrictive or rigid) journal entries. Write about your daily experiences, jot down interesting conversations, glue in ticket stubs or postcards, and take photographs to complement your entries. Let your creativity flow and capture the essence of each moment.

Travel Journal Page and Layout Examples

The layout and organization of your travel journal pages play a crucial role in bringing your travel experiences, from all the different places you’ve visited, to life. By incorporating various elements and sections, you can create a visually appealing and informative journal that captures the essence of your journey. From practical pages for itineraries and packing lists to creative spreads for reflections and bucket lists, here are some ideas to help you design engaging and meaningful pages for your travel diary.

1. Packing List and Pre-Trip Planning Pages

Dedicate a page or spread to jot down your packing list and pre-trip preparations. Include essential items, travel tips, and any special considerations for the destination. You can even add checkboxes or symbols to mark off items as you pack, ensuring you don't forget anything important.

You may also want to check out these helpful travel and packing tips .

2. A List of Local Words and Phrases

Learning a few basic words and phrases in the local language can greatly enhance your travel experience. Create a page dedicated to practicing and referring to these words and phrases. Include translations, pronunciation guides, and space to practice writing them. This page can be a helpful tool for connecting with locals and immersing yourself in the local culture.

3. Itinerary Pages

Design pages dedicated to your daily itineraries. Include the places you plan to visit, opening hours, transportation details, and any additional notes or reservations. You can add maps, photographs, or illustrations to make the page visually appealing and easy to navigate.

4. Accommodation and Restaurant Reviews

Reserve pages to review and rate the accommodations and restaurants you experience. Include details like the location, ambiance, service, and any standout dishes. You can even attach business cards, menus, or photographs to accompany your reviews. These pages will not only serve as a reference for future trips but also help fellow travelers discover hidden gems.

5. Post-Trip Reflection and Wrap-Up

Allocate space in your journal for post-trip reflections. Create pages to summarize your overall experience, highlight your favorite moments, and reflect on the lessons learned during your journey. Include photographs, sketches, or quotes that capture the essence of your adventure. These reflection pages will serve as a reminder of the growth and memories you gained from your travels.

6. Travel Bucket List

Create a dedicated page to list destinations, landmarks, or experiences you aspire to visit or accomplish in the future. You can divide the page into different categories like countries, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, or adrenaline-fueled activities. This page will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for your future travels.

7. Travel Budget, Savings Goals, and Tracking

If budgeting is important to you, design pages to track your travel expenses, savings goals, and tips for saving money during your travels. Create tables or graphs to visually represent your budget and savings progress. These pages will help you stay accountable and ensure you're making the most of your financial resources.

Your travel diary is a personal and creative space to capture the memories, emotions, and experiences of your journeys. Through carefully designed pages and layouts, you can transform your journal into a visual and written narrative of your adventures. Whether you choose to incorporate practical elements like itineraries and packing lists or focus on creative expressions like reflections and bucket lists, the possibilities are endless. Let your imagination guide you as you create pages that reflect your unique travel style and personality. With each turn of the page, your travel diary will become a treasure trove of cherished memories and a gateway to relive your journeys again and again.

Creative Travel Journaling Ideas and Prompts

Stuck on what to write or include in your travel diary? Here are some creative travel journal ideas and travel journal prompts to get you started:

• Write a letter to your future self reflecting on your travel experiences and what you hope to remember.
• Describe the scents, sounds, and tastes that stand out in each place you visit.
• Create a "People You Meet" page, where you can jot down brief descriptions or draw portraits of interesting individuals you encounter during your journey.
• Write a short story or poem inspired by a specific location or experience.
• Make a to-do list of activities or experiences you want to accomplish at each destination. Challenge yourself to complete as many as possible and check them off as you go.
• Write a gratitude list, noting the things you're grateful for during your travels. It could be the stunning sunsets, the kindness of locals, or the serendipitous encounters.

A travel diary is a beautiful way to document and cherish your travel experiences. Whether you opt for a traditional handwritten journal, a photographic account, or a digital platform, the process of journaling will enhance your journey and provide a lasting memory of your adventures. Experiment with different styles, layouts, and prompts to make your travel journal uniquely yours. So, grab a journal and start capturing your travel memories today!

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Travel Journal: Ideas, Tips, and How To Write a Travel Diary

• Travel Journal

Traveling has the potential to be wildly fulfilling. It exposes you to new cultures, different perspectives and unique experiences. The further you travel the more you are pushed out of your comfort zone. And the more you are pushed out of your comfort zone, the more you learn about yourself and the world around you.

One of the most popular types of journals is a travel journal. By having a travel diary, you can keep all these new experiences and knowledge in one place where you can reflect on them.

What is a travel journal?

Travel journals are a place where you can write about trips you have taken, what you learned during and the experiences you had. It is a collection of adventures, stories, memories and discovery.  It doesn’t matter where you're going or who you’re traveling with, an online trip journal can come anywhere. 

Why Write A Journal When Traveling?

There are many benefits of keeping a journal when traveling, but here are a few to start with:

Remember More

By writing down the things you want to do on your trip and the things you have done during it, you won’t forget the reasons you wanted to go and will remember more of your visit.

When traveling somewhere new, you will learn a lot about that place’s culture, customs and people. By having a place to write down your observations, you will absorb more of your surroundings.

Reflect More

A journal is a place to record new things you have discovered while exploring various places you visit. By having all these new findings in one place, you will be able to look back and reflect on what you have learned and apply it to other parts of your life.

How To Write Travel Journals: 5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Journaling

You don’t need to be traveling to Timbuktu to write a travel diary. Your writing can start with a family vacation or a weekend getaway. All you need is a destination and your holiday journal can begin!

1. Use your journal to plan your trip

Your trip journal can begin before your trip has even started. Use your journal to start planning the things you want to do. It can be anything from a cool restaurant you want to eat at, a hike you want to go on or different sights you want to see. Write down whatever is on your trip check-list, so you don’t forget it.

Once you know what you want to do, do some research and figure out the best way to do it. If you want to go see a special monument, figure out the best way to get there and put it in your journal. If you want to do some cool activities, write down the contact information of the people, places or tours that facilitate them. Your journal is also a great place to keep the contact information of your accommodations and transportation.

2. Write about what you imagine it will be like

Sometimes when you travel, your destination is wildly different than what you expected. Maybe you expected the local food to be bad and it turned out to be delicious. Maybe you imagined the town to be smaller than it actually is. Maybe you thought you would be more comfortable with the language. Whatever it is, think about writing it down before you arrive. It will be interesting to compare these predictions to what you actually experienced.

3. Write during your trip

It is always easier to remember things when they are fresh in your brain, so try and write as much as you can while traveling; every day if you can. Your journal entries don’t have to be long, but let them highlight what you feel was most important or exciting. How did you feel during your visit to the local market? What did you smell, taste and hear? Did you learn something new from the person you spoke to at the bar? Were you surprised by the clothes people were wearing? What was the view from the top of the mountain like? Before you go to bed, try and recall what you did that day, what you thought and how you felt. This will serve as a great way to remember more from your trip, but will also help you reflect and grow from what you encountered.

4. Add pictures to your journal

Even though your journal is meant for writing, pictures are still worth a thousand words. Combining pictures with your first-hand accounts of what they represent, or what happened when they were taken, will make for an even more comprehensive narrative of your travels. Don’t worry about glueing or taping anything either. Penzu allows you to upload pictures straight into your online travel journal, so you can keep your pictures and words connected and organized.

5. Write about your trip after you leave

Since you write about your trip before you arrive, you should also write about it after you leave.

• What was it like?
• What did you learn?
• What surprised you?
• What disappointed you?

It is important to reflect on your travels, so you can retain new understandings and apply them to future adventures. This is also a great way to learn about yourself, other people you may have travelled with and how you can grow. Step back from all the things you did and try to see the big picture. It may surprise you.

10 Travel Journal Ideas To Inspire You

The blank pages of your travel journal may not be serving as great inspiration, but your new trip should! Here are 10 travel journal ideas to get those creative juices flowing, kick-start your writing and help you get the most out of your travels. We hope these journal prompts help!

1. Why are you going?

Not every trip needs an explanation and not every vacation needs a justification. People travel for all sorts of different reasons or for no reason at all, but if your travel has purpose, write about it. Even if you’re traveling for the sake of it, that is a reason worth talking about too.

2. Write about your expectations.

As we mentioned above, expectations can wildly differ from reality, especially when going somewhere you’ve never been or going with someone you have never travelled with before. Jot down what you think the trip will be like, or hope it will be like.

3. What are you going to do?

Write about the things you want to do, the sights you want to see, the music you want to dance to, the food you want to taste. Writing it all down will get you excited and help you not to forget.

4. Write about the people.

Did you meet anyone new? Did you make a new friend? Were the locals welcoming? Did you learn something new from a stranger? Did you learn something new from a friend? People can really make a trip. Whether you came with them, or met them there, write about how the people you encountered affected your experience.

5. Write about the food.

Just because you call it your travel diary, doesn’t mean it can’t double as a food diary . If there are any foods you loved, dishes you hated or recipes you can’t live without, write them down to remember them all. Maybe some new fare you tried will influence your tastes when you return home.

6. The ups and the downs.

What did you like most about the trip? What did you like the least?

7. Write about yourself.

Reflect on the new experiences you had, what made you uncomfortable and what enticed you. Did you learn anything new about yourself on the trip? Did being somewhere else expose something you hadn’t seen in yourself before? Traveling can help people grow. Think about your journey and if it helped you grow in any way.

8. Write a travel guide.

If you knew friends were going to the same place, what would you tell them to do? Write down your recommendations and the stuff that should not be missed.

9. What would you have changed?

Is there anything about the trip you would have changed? Is there anything else you wish you did? Anything you wish you didn’t do? Write about your travels and how you can improve them for the next time you go away.

10. Where do you want to go next?

We all have a wish-list of places we want to go. Write yours down and try to start checking them off.

Using Penzu for Your Travel Journal

Penzu’s journal software allows you to access your journal from any computer, smartphone or tablet. Penzu will be your travel journal app ; all you need is your mobile phone or tablet and can write in in it, with or without wifi. You never have to miss an entry or forget a moment, as Penzu can come with you around the world. No internet necessary.

Now that you know what to write in a travel diary and how to write one, all you need to decide is where to go. Pick a place get start your online journal today!

There's no time like the present - start your free online journal today!

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Lyn Hughes | 07 November 2018

How to write the perfect travel journal.

Want to record the thrills and spills of your adventures? Here's how to write an evocative and captivating travel diary...

1. Ask yourself... who is the diary for?

Is it just for you to read – or to share with your friends? This could influence what you put in or leave out! It will also influence the tone and style of the way you write. If you're keen to write for a wider audience, how about  creating a travel blog ?

2. Ask yourself... What do you want to include?

When writing your notes, think about what you’ll want to remember from the trip in ten, 20, or even 30 years.

It'd be a good idea to include your itinerary; your route plotted on a map, plus a ‘cast list’ of people you meet en route (include brief descriptions or even photos to jog your memory). Keep the contact details of the people you would like to keep in touch with (and do keep in touch with them!).  You could list the ‘top moments’ or ‘best bits’ from your trip – best sunset, view, meal, restaurant...

3. Avoid listing mundane activities

'And then I did this... and then I did that’... It can become tedious! You want to create a captivating story, not a repetitive list. Indeed, this is one of  the big no-nos of travel writing !

4. Remember entries don’t have to be chronological

Write whatever catches your imagination, whenever it occurs to you.

5. You don’t have to record everything!

What you leave out is as important as what you put in.

6. Use dialogue

Funny things you’ve overheard, or a conversation with a camel driver, for example.

7. Use ALL your senses

Write about the sounds, smells, tastes and even textures of your trip.

8. Illustrate it

The act of drawing a building, termite mound or person will help to etch them in your memory. If you're not artistic, how about learning how to   get the best results from your camera  or  how to take great iPhone photos  instead?

9.  Use it as a scrapbook, too

Stick in tickets, bottle labels, snippets from local newspapers, receipts, etc – use the pocket in the back of the journal to hold them, or stick them in next to the day they refer to. You'll have a thick, full memory book to look back through.

10. Give a day and date for each new memory...

Or else you’ll forget what happened when.

11. Get it down on paper while it’s fresh

It will be much more vivid. If there’s not enough time for a full description, jot down a few key words, which will jog your memory and fill in the gaps later.

12. It’s your journal, so stick to what interests YOU

If you want to record distance in miles covered, units of wine drunk, funny road signs, tacky souvenirs, or even cute cats, then great – that’s up to you!

13. Enjoy yourself!

Your travels and trips are fun – and your journal should be too! If it's becoming a chore, think how you can change it to make writing more enjoyable... How about summarising each day with one sentence, a best of/worst of list, or replacing words with pictures or photos?

Further tips on travel writing:

5 biggest mistakes made by novice travel writers how to become a travel writer 10 tips for writing inspiring travel articles, related articles, looking for inspiration.

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How To Write A Travel Journal: Ideas, Tips, Prompts & Resources (2023 Definitive Guide)

Before I give you the A-Z on creating your travel journal, I have an interesting thought experiment for you…

Can you imagine packing up your life into ONE SINGLE duffel bag?

That’s exactly what my wife and I did when we first moved onto our sailboat  Sea Otter : one duffel of personal items each, and one small box of other items stored at our folks back home.

It turns out over  90% of the “stuff” we all own can happily be given away  or tossed in the bin.

Look around you right now. How much of the things you see are truly meaningful enough that you’d NEED to keep if all you could leave your home with was ONE duffel?

You’ll like this…

One of the  DEAD SIMPLE decisions you’d face with a “purging” like this is with your travel journals  because I can GUARANTEE it wouldn’t take more than a nanosecond for them to be placed delicately in your bag so you could keep them forever (which is exactly what I did with mine).

That’s how important your  travel diary  will become to you. It will become a cherished vault of memories…

…stories you’d have forgotten if you didn’t jot them down…

…memories you’ll look back on for the rest of your days with an ear-to-ear grin…

…a memento you can pass along to future generations so they can bask in your adventures.

And today you’re going to see  how to write a travel journal of your very own , including travel journal ideas, writing prompts, tips and all the best resources around!

What Is A Travel Journal?

Simply put, a travel journal is a diary of your time on holiday or vacation. It’s a place to jot down the things you never want to forget: people you met, important details, funny events, raw experiences.

And as we’ll discuss, it can take many forms, such as a paper notebook, a DIY scrapbook, an app, a website, and everything in between.

Is There A Difference Between A Travel Journal, Trip Diary, And Travel Log?

People often get confused about whether there’s a difference between these terms, but the answer is that they’re all the same thing.

Whether you prefer to call it a diary or a log doesn’t matter because you enter inside is the same: the stories of your travels.

And here’s an interesting fact you might enjoy: 

The term “travel log” (otherwise known as “travelogue” or “travelog”) originally comes from the term “ship’s log,” which was how sailboats and other seafaring vessels tracked the details of the voyage. They called it a “log” because of a wooden float that they used to drag behind the boat to measure speed.

…You know, in case you were really wondering. 😉

Why Keep A Journal While Traveling?

The experience is priority one.

Followed closely by a way to remember that experience.

You know this conundrum:

If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?

Now how about this doozie:

If you forget most of the things you did on your trip, did they really happen?

Well of course they did! But wouldn’t it be so much sweeter if you KNEW you would remember that adventure for the rest of your life? Hell yeah!

THAT is why it’s SO important to keep a journal while on your trip: to remember the best days of your life — those days spent abroad exploring new places, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures.

What Are The Different Types Available?

If you want the best travel journal, you first need to know what  type  you would prefer.

There are  2 main types  to consider, and they are very different:

1. A paper notebook style journal 2. A digital, multimedia style journal (such as an app)

Let’s take them one by one:

A Paper Travel Journal:

These are, most often, simple notebooks that you tailor to your travels. Blank page after blank page, ready for ink to cover the lines.

The main benefits of a paper notebook style journal are:

• Some people like the physical act of writing, as opposed to typing on their phones or tablets.
• It’s physical. You can hold it in your hands. It can sit on your bookshelf and physically take up space. 
• They make really cool gifts (especially  personalized travel journals ). 
• You scrapbook with it by gluing in boarding passes, ticket stubs, and anything else you want to keep a hold of.

A few shortcomings of a physical journal are:

• You can lose it! 😩
• You can only write it in, not easily add pictures or videos from your phone.
• You can’t track or tag locations automatically.
• They take up physical space (if you are a diehard minimalist).
• You can’t share your stories online.

A Digital Travel Journal:

Digital journals are usually apps and websites that work well for journaling. That said, you could also DIY it by simply documenting your travels in a simple text doc on your computer or the ‘Notes’ app on your phone (just make sure you back them up properly!).

The main benefits of a  travel journal app :

• The best ones store all your entries securely to the cloud, so you never have to worry about losing your memories.
• You can add pictures directly from your phone’s camera.
• The best ones allow you to add videos too!
• You can collaborate with travel-mates to the same journal, which makes sure you get ALL the stories from all angles (and pics too).
• The best ones automatically tag locations for you and show your routes on a map.
• The best ones allow you to  ‘publish’ your journals online for your friends and family to follow along .

A few shortcomings of a digital journal are:

• It’s in the cloud, so you can’t place it on your coffee table and peruse when you’re in the mood (although the best ones do allow you to print your journals too).
• You can’t glue in physical mementos you want to hold on to.
• They’re harder to give as gifts because the “ unwrapping ” just isn’t the same.

As you can see, there are tradeoffs with each style and the answer to which is better truly lies in what you find as more important. Do you want to  share it online  or are you happy to  keep it privately written  on your bookshelf? Are you cool with just being able to write or do want to add pictures, videos, and maps ?

Think about what’s best and go for it! Remember, you can always choose a different style next time!

5 Of The Best Travel Journal Notebooks To Buy

There are loads of travel journals available for you to buy online. Some with simple ruled pages, others with prompts and other interesting things inside, and some are personalized for that extra cool touch.

Here are our top 5 favorites (including a few of our best selling personalized journals, of course 😊):

1.  The Extraordinary Life & Adventures Notebook (Personalized!)  by Journo Travel Goods

2.  Refillable Leather Journal Traveler’s Notebook  by Moterm 3.  Personalized ‘Comrades in Life, Love & Adventure’ Couples Travel Journal  by Journo Travel Goods

4.  Simple Premium Leather With Monogram  by OxAndPine

5.  The Custom Boarding Pass Travel Journal  by Journo Travel Goods

There are plenty of options out there. The best of which comes with personalization and are an ideal size for hauling around on a trip.

What Is The Best App For Journaling?

I founded  Journo  to do ONE THING: help fellow travel junkies track, remember and share their adventures like they couldn’t do ANYWHERE else.

It all started while at anchor in a secluded bay in The Bahamas, when I was trying to describe in my paper journal the most strikingly red sunset I’d ever seen. But I couldn’t find the words.

…and  I felt like I was going to miss out on that memory  if the only way I was trying to document it was on paper.

The very next day the idea for  Journo  was born. It’s taken on a life of its own since – developing a huge community of incredible travelers and winning “Best Travel App” by IMA Awards. 

National Geographic Travel put it simply:

“Sharing memories from a trip can get messy. Journo removes the pain.”

Journo  is loaded with cool capabilities that make it so much easier to document your trips. And even comes with your very own travel blog so your friends and family back home can follow along (and endlessly drool at your adventures 🤤).

Journo is  available on iOS for iPhones and iPad , with Android coming soon. Of course, there are a few other travel journal apps out there and I encourage you to compare with Journo and use whichever you think is best. 

What do you write in your journal? 10 Fun Travel Journal Ideas To Inspire You!

A little nudge can go a long way when you’re first starting out. So to get your mind running, here are 10 of our favorite ideas to include in your trip diary:

1. Start before your trip.  Jot down your  pre-trip planning list , where you’re going, who with, what items are on your  must-see and must-do lists . Write about anything you’re most excited about, even if it’s simply relaxing on the beach and going through a couple of  great books !

2. A picture is worth a thousand words.  If you’re using a travel journal app like Journo, the simplest thing to do is start in your photo album. Look through, grab a pic that catches your eye, add it to your Journal and then write the story about it! If you’re using a paper journal, consider bringing along  a mini polaroid like this , and then paste in your pics!

3. A video is worth all the words.  This one only works with a limited number of apps that allow for video (like Journo, of course 😉), but including a video of a memorable moment can really take your entries up a notch.

4. Oh, the sights!  We often say, “ Don’t be a tourist. Be a traveler. ” But we always recommend seeing the big sights, even if they’re in massive tourist traps. They’re big sights for a reason – they’re incredible! Add them to your journal. Write about if they lived up your expectations or not.

5. It’s all about the people.  I guarantee some of the longest-lasting memories you’ll have from a trip are of the people you meet. We, humans, are built for connection, and so a beautiful connection with a new friend or complete stranger can have a lasting impact. Document it!

6. Let’s not forget about the food.  Even the most non-foodies amongst us love to talk about  amazing food experiences abroad . I’ll never forget my squid ink spaghetti on The Amalfi Coast, or navigating my way through Cuy (Guinea Pig!) in Cuzco, or my daily  street dumplings  in Shanghai. Take pics of your favorite dishes, jot down the restaurant (or pin it on a map in Journo), and describe the food in detail! 😋

7. Map it!  If you’re anything like me, you love the look of a cool map. Now, doesn’t that map get even sweet when it’s of YOUR travel route? Yep! Draw it and color it if you’re using a paper journal (gives you something to do when in limbo or on a  long train ride ). If you’re using an app, it should  pin your route for you .

8. Paste in awesome mementos.  This one is best for the paper journalers amongst us because you can literally glue in cool stuff from your adventures, like maps, ticket stubs, bottle labels, coasters, postcards, foreign dollar bills, candy wrappers, etc. Whatever you find interesting, toss it in! If you’re using an app, just take a pic of it!

9. Write about yourself.  No better place for a little bit of introspection than on a trip. And that’s usually because – if you’re doing it right – you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and growing as a person. Write about that. Write about your feelings, changed opinions, ups, and downs, whatever it may be that you’re going through!

10. Team up!  We created Journo as a collaborative journaling tool because it’s a ton of fun for you and your travel-mates to be journaling in the same place ( here’s my wife, Mak, and my collabo Journo from a sail a while back , as an example). You get all the stories and, oftentimes, a hilarious new angle on a shared experience. If you’re using a paper journal, just pass it around, maybe even taking turns documenting the days.

>> New: 100 travel journal prompts for ever part of your adventure.

And whatever you do… don’t overthink it! It’s better to just roll with it than overthink it. It’s just an entry, after all. Just write!

One thing we’ve discovered from our community of travel journalers is that it can be hard to find the time  while on a trip  to keep up with your journaling. Here’s some help with that…

4 Writing Tips To Fill Your Travel Journal With Ease WHILE Vacationing

1. Start with today.  With limited time, and being pretty beat after a long day, it’s tough to keep up. So just don’t worry about previous days, just start with today (and catch up as soon as you can or when you get home and maybe  feeling the post-trip blues ).     

2. Think “highlight reel.”  The quickest way to get that entry rolling is to think about the top 1-3 things that went down today. Add those, then expand later if you want. 

3. Start in your phone’s photo album.  As mentioned above, it’s simplest to start by pulling up the date in your phone’s photo library, find the best pics, add them to your journal and write a short snippet of it.     

4. Consider giving your friends back home a touch of the #TravelEnvy bug.  😜 With Journo, you can publish your entries to your very own travel blog with a couple of taps. This will both  make your friends drool  and also keep you on track with adding more stories of your adventures.

I hope you found this helpful in getting started with traveling journaling. Remember, the most important thing is to simply begin.

Step one is to grab the right journal  for you  (thanks for considering Journo in your decision).  Step two , if you have time before your departure date,  is to start writing now ! That easy!

Ok here’s one last helpful tip for you…

Try to develop the habit of daily journaling now will make it even easier while on your trip.  Here is a free downloadable journaling prompt exercise book for you: The 21-Day Journo Challenge.

Inside you’ll get ONE word or image, and all you need to do is write about WHATEVER comes to your mind as you read the word or lay your eyes on the pic.

Have any tips we didn’t mention? What do you love travel journaling about the most?  Tell us in the comments below!

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Travel Journaling Guide: How to Write the Ultimate Travel Diary

Travel journaling allows you to preserve your travel memories for life. It’s a fact of life that memories fade over time. Some may disappear within seconds, while others can stay clear for hours, days or weeks. Travel memories that are written down, however, are there for life.

If you’ve been tracking down waterfalls in the Cuban jungle, it’s only a matter of time until you forget the blood-red feathers of the Cuban trogon you stumbled upon. What about the name of that man you met on the Paris Metro? The ins and outs of your journey on a night bus in Vietnam? The accidental shortcut you found in Switzerland?

As a travel writer, I’ve been travel journaling in one shape or form for my whole life. However, you don’t have to be a writer to start a travel journal. It can be as simple, as short or as complex as you like, with the following travel journaling guide.

Whether you bullet-point everything or smash out several pages of prose per day, your travel journal doesn’t just preserve precious travel memories. It’s a place to self-reflect on your journey, record facts and quotes, and creatively display your travels so far. The best part? All you need to start travel journaling is a notebook, a pen and a travel plan.

Table of Contents

What is travel journaling?

Travel journaling is the act of keeping a written record of your travels. While this typically refers to keeping a chronological (hour-by-hour and day-by-day) travel diary, some travel journalers might also sketch, create collages or draw infographics to tell a story.

Travel journaling is unique to each storyteller, but at its core, it’s about relaying your experiences for an imaginary or real reader and recording your adventures for your future self to look back on.

The only piece of equipment you need to begin travel journaling is a notebook. This could be as simple as a basic lined or unlined notebook. However, some notebooks are designed specifically as travel diaries and aim to prompt the author, such as the  Travel Listography Diary  and the  You Are Here Mindful Travel Journal .

ESCAPE CHEAT SHEET

Planning your big escape? These are the booking resources I return to time and time again.

Book your hotel or hostel on Booking.com or Hostelworld .

Protect against accidents and emergencies with insurance from Staysure or SafetyWing .

Find a tour or experience on Get Your Guide .

Travel the world for free with TrustedHousesitters .

Travel Journaling: Should I keep a travel journal?

Anyone can keep a travel journal, whether you’re creating a travel journal to share memories with family and friends when you return home, or just for yourself. It’s a souvenir of sorts, but one that has a personal meaning to you and captures your exact thoughts and feelings at a specific time and place in your journey.

You might want to keep a travel journal if…

1. You want your memories to become sharper and more meaningful.

At school, teachers often advise students to write down facts to remember them. The same goes for memories. Writing about a memory stimulates your brain to recall and remember specific details from that moment.

When you revisit a memory like that, it sends your brain a signal that that particular memory is important. It is prioritised above other, more insignificant memories from the day, the week or the year. As a result, you’re more likely to be able to recall it in the future.

At the same time, revisiting a memory allows you to add meaning to your experience. By exploring the thoughts and feelings that came along with the physical sensations, you’re able to bring a unique, personal meaning to what happened.

2. You’d like to relive a memory a second time.

When I urged a friend I met on my travels to try recording his memories on paper, one of the most significant things he said was, “It’s like I get to experience it all over a second time.”

That’s one of the best parts about travel journaling. In your own, unique way, you get to experience something in detail for a second time. You might feel the same rush of adrenaline, the same apprehension or the same ‘lightbulb moment’.

3. You want to jot down contact details of new friends.

Sometimes you meet people on the road and they have a huge impact on you in some way or another: a blasé comment that stuck with you, a new perspective on a topic you thought you’d already figured out, or an unexpected friend in a moment where you really needed it. Just as often, you forget to ask for their contact information or you lose it in the mayhem.

Anything can happen to your phone when you’re travelling: loss, theft, damage, or unexpected memory wipes. Jotting down important contact details in your travel journal creates a second, permanent copy of their details. You never know, you might want to share some of the entries they starred in as a way to reflect on your fleeting time together.

4. You want to work through complex thoughts and feelings.

There’s a reason why many therapists and life coaches suggest writing down how you’re feeling. It’s a very effective way of processing complex or difficult emotions.

You might have had a travel experience that has shook you up slightly – an illness or a missed flight, perhaps – and want to get your immediate frustrations out on paper. Maybe you’ve come to a big realisation about the way you handle stress or adversity. Either way, your travel journal is a great way to work through the feelings.

Bottling up emotions isn’t good for anyone, so this is a particularly handy use for a travel diary if you’re a solo traveller who doesn’t have anyone to vent to immediately. This can all boost your self awareness, protect yourself from future mishaps, and generate a greater understanding of yourself.

5. You want to reflect on your travels so far and what you’d like out of the rest of your trip.

Travel can be a whirlwind. However, by reflecting on your travels so far, you can assess what have been the most meaningful experiences in your trip so far, and seek out similar experiences in the future.

Similarly, it can help you to realise if you’ve been focusing on one particular experience so far – for example, hiking or visiting historical sites. It might influence you to try something new, like attending a cultural festival, going on a village walk or engaging in some  offbeat travel  experiences.

6. You want to save ideas for an online travel diary or social media posts.

Whether you’re a content creator, a digital nomad, or simply someone who likes to share your travels with friends and family, travel journaling can be a great way to fine-tune ideas for future stories, whether written or visual.

You might be planning to create your own blog or post photos on Instagram with in-depth captions. Setting up your own website is relatively inexpensive to do nowadays with websites such as  Bluehost  offering cheap, affordable domains and hosting plans – this is the site I used to set up my own blog.

Draft ideas for stories and captions in your travel journal, and use a highlighter to pick out your best ideas.

7. You want to improve your writing skills

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a complete beginner, the simple act of travel journaling every day (or every other day) will give you more practice in the art of the written word.

This will carry over into your studies, essay-writing, creative writing, email-writing, or general communication skills. It also boosts your confidence as a writer.

8. You want something tangible to share with family or friends.

Unless you’re planning on keeping your travel journal to yourself, a travel diary is a great hand-me-down that will give your ancestors a taste of your travels and personality. It’s also an excellent way to connect with friends and families back home, and give them the run-down on what you got up to. If you travelled with a partner or a friend, it’s also an excellent shared keepsake.

Travel Journaling: What should a travel journal include?

When it comes to the question of ‘what should a travel journal include?’, I use the word ‘should’ lightly. Your travel journal is uniquely yours. It doesn’t  have  to include anything you don’t want it to.

However, there are many things that you might want to include in your travel journal, so the following list should provide some inspiration.

Pick and choose the ideas you like and  experiment  to see what works for you. What works for you will be different than what works for other travel journalers.

1. Brainstorming

You don’t need to wait until your departure date to begin travel journaling. It can also be used to plan your trip. Before anything else, you might want to dedicate a page (or a few) to brainstorming.

Do you want a budget or a luxury trip? Do you want to see the beaches, mountains, jungle, lakes, rivers, or deserts? Which countries match your non-negotiables? Who might you invite, or who can you connect with out there? This sort of brainstorming can streamline the planning process and help you to get the most out of your trip.

2. Trip research

After brainstorming comes the more nitty-gritty trip research. Your travel notebook is ideal for this too. It’s easy to open up a dozen or more tabs on your laptop or mobile device, so you can use the physical notebook to jot down key destinations and activities that have captured your attention. This will help you to narrow down your itinerary once and for all.

3. A trip plan

You can take this a step further and write a complete plan for your trip. If you don’t want your notebook to get too messy, you can simply add your finalised itinerary. This will be very helpful when you’re actually travelling, because you can store all of your booking information and your travel timeline in one place.

This is what I do, and it keeps my mind clear and my travel plan organised. I also include back-up ideas for activities and alternative transport options should anything go awry.

4. A travel diary

When you start to gather first-hand travel experiences, you can begin to record a diary of the events. You might want to write in prose, which is the best way to let your thoughts flow freely onto the page.

An alternative option is to take bullet points, which help you to get down information quickly before you forget it. You might also want to alternate between the two, writing in bullet points when you’re short on time and writing in prose when you feel particularly inspired.

5. Other travel memorabilia

Your travel journal doesn’t just have to be a written diary. You can collect – and glue down – other travel memorabilia such as ticket stubs, receipts or dried flowers.

Just remember to pack a small glue stick or double-sided tape and scissors (in your checked bag, not your carry-on bag).

Some travel memorabilia that you might want to stick into your travel diary include:

• Ticket stubs.
• Foreign bank notes.
• Newspaper clippings.
• Dried flowers.
• Food wrappers.
• Luggage tag labels.

6. Sketches

If you’re particularly artistic, sketching the scenery, wildlife, or people you see on your journey is a great way to bring your diary to life. If you’re not artistically inclined, a small caricature might be more accessible and just as fun.

Others might prefer to paint in watercolour; there are a number of  watercolour travel journals  available.

Travel journaling: How do you write a travel journal entry?

When you start recording your first travel journal entry, my first piece of advice is simply to start writing.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to make sense to anyone but you. If you work better with an outline, the following prompts should get you started.

1. Write down the date.

The most important thing to do, and perhaps the only rule of travel journaling, is that you should start by writing down the date of your entry. If you can, include the day of the week too, as this can often give extra context – for example, if it’s the weekend, it might explain why the crowds in your destination were so lively or the public transport delayed.

I recommend using the format: Thursday, 21st July, 2022. You want to be able to look back on the date of the entry and see how much time has passed since it took place.

2. Write down your location.

The second most important thing to write down is your location. It’s a good idea to be as specific as possible. Include the town, the village or even the hotel or hostel you’re staying at.

This makes it easier to re-imagine the scenario when you’re reading your diary back. It also makes the entry more accurate and places the event somewhere tangible.

3. Decide whether you’re going to write in prose or use bullet points.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to get your memories down on paper when they are still fresh. If you’re pressed on time, you might want to take bullet points rather than write in prose. If more than a couple of days have passed, you’ll start losing some of the sharper details.

4. Start writing chronologically.

It might be tempting to jump right into the drama that happened in your evening. However, writing your travel diary chronologically is the easiest way to keep it understandable.

The version of events can get confusing if the narrator is constantly skipping from 7pm to 10am, then to 3pm and back to 10am again.

Begin by writing about your morning. What time did you wake up? What did you eat for breakfast? Who did you talk to? Where did you go from there? It’s also easier to recall memories this way and follow a clear train of thought.

5. Be specific.

As a rule of thumb, the more specific your writing is, the better. This is because the smaller details such as street names or direct quotes are some of the first things that will fade from your memory.

If you really want to bring the memory back to life, focus on the details:  location, names, times, dates, quotes, and specific thoughts.

The following prompts might come in handy:

• What did you eat? Where did you dine? How did it taste? What was the texture of the food?
• Who did you speak to? What were their names?
• Did you discover anything new today? Are there any facts you can recall? Did your destination meet your expectations?
• What was your favourite part of the day?
• What was your least favourite part of the day?
• Did you have any realisations throughout the day? What did you learn about yourself?
• How did you feel mentally? Were you energised, homesick, nervous, excited, or content?
• How did you feel physically? Were you in full health, hungry, full, sore, sleepy, or hormonal?

6. Be truthful.

Not every day is all roses and butterflies. At the same time, not every day is packed with drama and turbulence. It can be tempting to over-exaggerate your version of events, for a number of reasons.

You might want to make your trip sound more positive, add drama to your diary, or impress your real (or imagined) readers.

Remember, journaling isn’t just about creating a story. It’s about gaining self-awareness, improving your understanding of the world and working through the feelings that arise as a result of your travels. You can’t do that if you’re trying to paint your journey in a specific light the entire time.

Travel insurance is essential for any trip abroad. If you’re in an accident or experience an emergency, you need adequate cover. I recommend  Staysure  for single or multiple trips per year and SafetyWing for digital nomads.

Travel journaling tips

1. decide whether you want to use a dated diary or a general notebook..

There are pros and cons to purchasing a dated diary over a general notebook. The problem with a notebook is that it’s just a notebook.

A general notebook:

+ There are no restrictions on how long your entries are.

+ It’s more space-efficient for those travelling long-term, as you don’t have to start a new entry at the top of a page.

+ More freedom to doodle.

– Less incentive to make an entry.

– It can get scruffy quickly.

Purchasing a dated diary can make you feel more motivated to write your entries on a regular basis. They often include prompts, which can help you to get started. Many tailored travel journals also have additional pages dedicated for jotting down thoughts and notes, whereas a general notebook can quickly get messy.

A dated diary:

+ Looks more aesthetic.

+ Acts as a reminder not to miss a day.

+ Looks like a traditional diary.

+ May motivate you to write more often.

+ Often includes helpful prompts to spark your creativity.

– Can waste line space.

– May limit the space you have to write about each day.

At the same time, a general notebook might be the best option for long-term travellers who are short on space, because you don’t need to start a new entry at the top of a page. Starting a new entry mid-page saves precious line space. Unless your dated diary has blank spaces where you can insert the exact date, you’re also limited on the amount of space you have to write about each day.

2. Put aside 15 minutes every day to journal.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that travel can get hectic. As a result, it’s easy to get out of the routine of travel journaling every day. Since you want your memories to be as fresh as possible when you’re writing an entry, one of the best ways of keeping on track is by putting aside a specific time slot every day to journal.

You might decide to journal for 15 minutes each morning while you wait for breakfast to be served or for the 15 minutes before you go to bed.

If you have a daily commute – to the beach, to your temporary job, or to your friend’s hotel, for example – take your journal with you and utilise the spare time.

3. Journal while you’re in transit.

If you’re constantly travelling, it’s probably not going to be long until you have a lengthy train, bus or flight ahead of you. As long as the road (or airspace) isn’t too bumpy and you’re not prone to motion sickness, I’ve found that this is the perfect time to get some travel journaling done.

Having a good chunk of time to dedicate to writing is excellent. Plus, if you do get preoccupied on your travels and go off track with your journaling, the plane ride or boat ride back home is a good stretch of time to pick up where you left off and get down everything you can remember in chronological order.

4. Try to write within at least two days of the events.

The sooner you write about a memory, the better chance you have at remembering the niche details. The ideal situation would be to write about your day at the end of the day before you sleep, but that’s not always realistic.

Instead, try to set yourself a goal of writing about a day or an event 48 hours after it happens. If you still fall off track, write about your travels within a week of the date they happened.

5. Don’t feel the pressure to be perfect.

The pressure to get something perfect is often the first obstacle in getting started. Life is messy – and so is writing a travel journal. It’s not going to be perfect the first try. Besides, what is perfect anyway?

Your travel journal is for you. It doesn’t matter how many spelling or grammar mistakes there are, as long as it’s legible. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the motivation to write.

Bullet points or a few short paragraphs are better than a blank page. Otherwise, you won’t have anything to look back on at all.

6. Get creative with it.

Harnessing your creativity goes hand-in-hand with letting go of the need for perfection. You could draw caricatures of the interesting people you meet on the road. You could sketch a bird you spotted this morning. You could even make a chart or a diagram of your spendings so far.

Here are some ideas:

• Dedicate a few pages to creating caricatures of people you meet along the road.
• Create a ‘quotes’ section and jot down the most meaningful things people have said to you.
• Make a chart or a diagram of your spendings.
• Put together a recipes section where you write down your favourite meals and their key ingredients (don’t be shy about asking).
• A ‘rant’ section dedicated to unedited writing.
• Glue ticket stubs to the relevant pages.
• Make a collage out of ticket stubs, photographs and other memorabilia.

7. Keep your travel journal safe.

While a journal might not look that attractive to potential thieves, it’s probably invaluable to you. Therefore, it’s very important to take measures to stop it from getting stolen, lost or damaged.

Prevent water damage

Whether it causes smudged ink or crinkled pages, water damage can have a catastrophic effect on your journal. It’s also one of the most common ways that travel journals get damaged, as they’re prone to rainwater and liquid leakages in your luggage.

Some travel journals have waterproof covers, which add some extra protection, but this isn’t a foolproof solution.

Storing your travel journal in a waterproof pouch or pocket is the most effective way to prevent water damage.

A plastic bag is effective too. However, it’s more prone to getting punctured by sharp objects and it’s less durable (and less eco-friendly) than a permanent waterproof pouch.

The following waterproof bags and pouches will protect your travel journal:

• Syncwire Waterproof Pouch Bag
• Eono Waterproof Waist Bag
• Waterproof Dry Bag Set

Keep it in a safe or a locked locker

If you’re not planning on travel journaling while you’re on the go, it’s probably best to leave it locked securely in your accommodation. Many hotels provide safes; it will usually be listed on the list of features on booking websites such as  Booking.com  or  Hostelworld.com .

Some hostels and homestays may provide a locker instead. For this, you will often need to bring your own padlock. I’d recommend bringing a set of  TSA-approved combination padlocks .

Carry an anti-theft backpack

It’s unlikely your travel journal will get swiped from your backpack. Thieves are far more likely to target a mobile phone.

Still, you should carry your valuables (journal included) in an anti-theft backpack. They come with features such as secret pockets, durable zippers, and designs that make it hard for thieves to gain access.

Anti-theft backpacks:

• Della Gao Anti-Theft Laptop
• TcIFE Ladies Backpack
• Oscaurt Theft Proof Travel Backpack
• Waterfly Anti-Theft Backpack

8. Don’t forget a pen (and back-ups).

A pen is one of the easiest things to forget on your trip. While they should be easy to get a hold of, there are some locations where you might find it tricker (Cuba, the middle of the jungle, or a small town, for example).

I’d recommend using a clickable pen, because this is less prone to leaking ink than a regular ballpoint. Bring spares if you can, because the ink might run out mid-journey or just when inspiration strikes.

Travel journaling examples

As someone who preaches about travel journaling, I’ve decided to share a few entries from my own travel diary so that you can get an idea for the sheer variety of what you can write about and how you can record the details.

Entry 1: Havana, Cuba (Saturday 22nd January, 2022)

Anisah and I arrived in Cuba late, around 7pm. It was already dark outside and thunder-storming – lightning, heavy rain that soaked through my papers.

The airport was very basic and very stringent with Covid (masks, stalls and many checks) but we cleared security swiftly and had only our backpacks as a carry-on.

Outside, there were taxi drivers holding names, and, surprisingly, they weren’t at all pushy. Our hostel was supposed to arrange a driver to take us directly there, but upon ringing twice (and spending a daunting £3 per minute on the calls), it appeared the driver was stuck in his house due to the storm.

We ended up in a yellow, licensed cab (which cost 25 euros – but down to 20 when the lady hosting us paid on our behalf).

I felt a little unnerved in the taxi, probably because I was exhausted, and because without maps, the driver relied on memory and locals in Havana for directions – and there weren’t many outside due to the torrential rain.

Entry 2: Ubud, Bali (Thursday 20th June, 2019)

Woke at 1am for the Mount Batur sunrise trek.

• Mount Agun nearby “coughed” up lava three weeks ago, according to our guide.
• 1,700-metre climb – our time was 1h35 but it felt way longer.
• Very steep, gravelly, and one of the toughest climbs I’ve done in my life. At one point, I told Jess, “Go on without me”.
• I ate a boiled egg and a banana at the top. I was still starving.
• Monkeys and dogs were fighting on the mountaintop.
• Monkeys almost stole my bag. They successfully stole a purse from another lady.
• We lost Pablo (Goncalo’s cousin) at the top of the mountain. The guide (jeans and sandals) was going to leave him behind, but we refused.

Entry 3: Havana, Cuba (Monday 31st January, 2022)

Our host gave us the cheque. We were short by 700 pesos. We went to hunt down an ATM. The ATM declined my card, as did the second ATM… and then the third ATM.

We started to panic, so we went to the Kempinski Hotel in Plaza Mayor to use their WiFi to contact my bank. It quickly emerged that the WiFi had completely cut out city-wide. At this point, we really started to panic. We had to leave for the airport in one hour.

We’d used up all of our options, so I told Anisah we’d have to ask someone for money. She was very dubious. We were walking down my favourite street when I spotted an older man and a younger woman, both blonde, looking lost and carrying cameras and bags.

I took off my mask and asked ‘Ingles?’. Nope, they spoke Spanish. In broken Spanish/English, I started to explain ‘plane’ (hand motion), ‘Londres’ (London), ‘desperate’, ‘taxi to airport’, and ‘short by 700’.

They replied, ‘No, a taxi should be 20’. They thought I meant euros! I said, ‘No, no. 700 pesos’. He nodded, ‘Oh, good price!’. To my disbelief, he pulled out a fat wallet filled with US dollars and pesos, and handed me a 500 and a 200. I nearly cried, but settled for tapping the lady’s arms and doing a prayer hand motion. People are truly good at heart.

Travel journaling: How do you make a memorable trip?

There are two halves to creating a travel journal. The first half is the part where you  explore, observe and investigate .

The second half is the part where you  write or create .

If one half of the formula is missing, you won’t have a travel journal at all.

Similarly, a travel notebook that documents seven days spent beside a swimming pool, tanning and reading a book, is unlikely to be as riveting as a travel journal that documents a journey into Dubrovnik’s old town, a bus ride through central  Vietnam , wild swimming through waterfalls in  Cuba  or a cruise over the backwaters in  Kerala , for example.

• Guide to the Parque Guanayara Waterfalls in Cuba
• Things to do at Alleppey and its backwaters

1. Research your trip.

A great motto, and one I live by, is ‘plan to travel without a plan’. If you want to make your trip memorable, it’s just as important not to over-plan as it is to dive in headfirst without a scooby of what you are doing.

Research enough so that you have a huge backlist of itinerary and destination ideas. Make a list of local accommodations that you like the sound of. Book essential, long-distance travel only.

You don’t know what will happen on the trip: delays, unexpected new acquaintances, weather events, romances, and so on.

Sometimes, the most interesting stories form from following your heart or your intuition, so if you’ve planned every single detail, you’ll end up boxed in.

Here are some ideas for your research:

• Research blogs to get practical advice from those who have visited a destination or attraction previously.
• Confirm the main modes of transport, currencies, and WiFi accessibility in your chosen destination. Practical details matter.
• Create a list of destinations and activities you’d like to engage in.
• Highlight your non-negotiable activities, desirable itineraries, and nice-to-have experiences. That way, you know which activities are the most important to you.
• Try to avoid tourist traps and opt for more authentic, local or offbeat travel experiences. These are often the most interesting experiences to write about.

2. Book your flights.

After your research is complete, the first thing you need to do is to book your flights.  Skyscanner  should be your go-to tool to search for flights. It scans the internet for the cheapest deals, routes and even the most eco-friendly transport options.  Google Flights  is another useful tool, which you can use to confirm that you’ve found the best deal.

3. Book interesting accommodation.

The accommodation you book has a direct impact on your travel journal entries. It can create drama, it can spice things up a little, or it can act as a relaxing backdrop.

Unique accommodation might liven up your entries: search for things like treehouses, camping tents, shepherd’s huts, and themed resorts.

The following sites are my go-to websites for booking accommodation that will jazz up my travel journal entries:

Booking.com : Booking.com has a wide selection of accommodation, including eclectic stays. I also find that it generally has the best price, compared to other booking websites advertising the same hotel or accommodation.

Hostelworld : Staying in a hostel is one of the best ways to introduce new, wise and quirky characters into your diary. As most hostels have communal spaces, it’s very easy to delve into a deep conversation with a stranger, which is often one of the most interesting parts of travel journeys.

The act of staying in a dorm room or shared accommodation is eventful in itself; you don’t know what sorts of stories you might get out of one night spent in a dorm room. Was there a fight for a particular bed? A sleep talker? Late-night card games and conversations?

Homestay :  Homestay specialises in accommodation where you stay in the home of a local. This is a brilliant option for those who are writing a travel diary, because it enables you to connect with the community, learn about local customs and have a more authentic travel experience.

4. Engage in more offbeat travel experiences.

Generally speaking, you won’t get as much of a story out of a tourist trap as you will out of a more unusual or hands-on travel experience. After six years of travelling, this is the biggest lesson I have learnt, and exactly why my blog specialises in offbeat travel experiences.

So, how do you find offbeat travel experiences for your travel journal?

• Ask at your hotel or hostel for local-led activities. Questions such as ‘where do you eat?’ or ‘where do you go to party?’ are also great ways to find local spots over tourist traps.
• Search for unique travel experiences on  GetYourGuide . They list local-led travel experiences, which are a great way to meet fellow interesting travellers and get an insight into the offbeat sides of a destination.
• Use tour organisations that label themselves as ‘local-led’, ‘experiential’, ‘offbeat’ and ‘immersive’. These are tailored towards giving travellers unique, hands-on experiences, and not taking you on the usual tourist trails.

Travel journaling: How do you write a travel journal that is worth reading?

Not everyone wants to share their travel journal. However, if you do want to write your travel diary for an audience – whether that’s family, friends, an online following or a potential future publisher – it’s going to need to be worth reading.

1. Make your first draft in a physical travel journal.

Writing in chronological order and as soon as possible after the events happen, make your first draft in a physical travel journal.

Remember, that you’re going to edit your travel journal when you’re back home, so the most important thing isn’t writing perfectly. It’s about being consistent with your writing schedule and getting the details down on paper.

2. Be as specific as possible.

Specificity is even more important if you’re going to share your travel journal in one form or another.

Use exact times, exact dates, full names, ages, and detailed physical descriptions. This will bring your story to life, especially for those who weren’t there to watch it unfold in person.

3. Feature specific characters.

Just as a novel would be incomplete without a series of in-depth and interesting characters, your travel diary should also feature characters.

It doesn’t matter if they’re fleeting and disappear after an entry or two. The important thing is that your reader can envision and relate to your character.

That might mean describing them physically, disclosing their name (or pseudonym) and age, as well as describing their little quirks and mannerisms.

You should try to quote them directly when possible, and explore their mindset and their backstory.

4. Write up your travel journal.

When you arrive back home, write up your travel journal into a digital format, correcting spelling and grammar mistakes as you go. This will create a second copy of your journal, just in case anything happens to the physical copy.

5. Edit your travel journal.

If you’re going to be sharing your travel journal, the most important part is the editing process. Your journal may only need a light edit, which corrects any spelling or grammar mistakes and makes it more legible.

However, it may need a deeper edit if you’re truly going to post it online or send it to a publisher. The execution, plot, and characters will be more important in this case.

Traveling journaling: Types of travel journals

There are several types of travel notebooks, and they all have their specific advantages and disadvantages.

There are also some clear criteria you should be looking for out of a high-quality travel notebook:

Number of pages:  The number of pages you’ll need will depend upon the length of your trip. If you’re travelling long-term, it’s better to have a notebook with a large number of pages rather than several, smaller notebooks which will take up more space overall.

Paperback or hardback:  While a hardback notebook is more durable, a paperback journal is more lightweight. If you’re limited by space or weight limits, opt for a paperback. Size:  Notebooks come in a variety of sizes, such as A4, A5, or A6. In general, an A5 notebook is ideal for a travel diary because it’s compact enough to carry in your packed or day luggage, but not so small that you’ll run out of space quickly.

Line size:  Unless you have large handwriting, a journal with fairly narrow line sizes is ideal, because you can fit more writing onto one page, and therefore into one notebook. You could also choose a notebook without lines at all, which gives you more freedom over the size of your handwriting, but can end up with messy, undulating lines.

Paper thickness:  Thinner paper is usually ideal, unless you are planning on painting, colouring-in or using heavy ink. Still, bear in mind that ink can bleed through the paper if it’s too thin, ruining other pages in your diary.

Binding:  The binding of your notebook is important too. Ideally, you want a notebook that can spread out flat while you write and one where you don’t need to hold the edges of the pages down. A spiral-bound notebook is ideal over a smaller, tightly-bound notebook, in this case.

Traveling journaling: A6 travel diaries

Best for: weekend trips.

• Sovereign-Gear Antique Brown Refillable Travellers Notebook : This A6 notebook has a leather case and a refillable design, which includes three packs of paper (one unlined, one lined and one made from kraft paper). Even better, it has a PVC water-resistant zipper pocket for your valuables.
• Avocado and Spice Hardback A6 Notebook : With a hardback cover and 200 pages, this A6 notebook is an aesthetic travel diary that comes with its own protective velvet bag. It comes with the option of dotted, lined or blank pages, and has a built-in pen holder and a bookmark.
• Antony Olivier Leather Journal : With unlined paper and vintage brown leather, the Antony Olivier Leather Journal is a premium A6 notebook. There are 200 pages, all unlined.
• Newestor Pocket Notebook : The Newestor Pocket Notebook is small enough that you can tuck it into your back pocket. It’s probably not ideal for those who are going to be writing in long prose, but those who are planning on documenting their travels with bullet points or short paragraphs will have 144 pages at their disposal.

Travel journaling: A5 travel dairies

Best for: longer trips.

• EMSHOI A5 Notebook : With the option of lined, dotted or squared pages, the spiral-bound EMSHOI notebook has 640 A5-sized pages. It also has a water-resistant PVC cover.
• Antony Olivier Leather A5 Notebook : This is an A5-sized version of the high-quality, leather Antony Olivier notebook. It includes unlined 200 pages and a journal enamel pen.
• Silvine A5 Executive Soft Feel Notebook : The Silvine 15 Executive Notebook has 160 pages with a sewn case, inside pocket and ivory paper.

Travel journaling: Watercolour travel journals

Best for: artists.

• Seawhite A5 Travel Journal : This notebook has 60 pages and a back pocket. It’s also completely vegan.
• Hahnemuhle Watercolour Book A5 : This sturdy hardback book has 30 sheets of natural white fine-grain paper, ideal for panoramic paintings.
• Tumuarta Watercolour Journal : Designed as a travel watercolour notebook, this journal has 48 pages, made of 25% cotton. The pages can tolerate light washes and they’re micro-perforated, so you can tear out a page if you need to.

A travel journal is a great place to jot down travel affirmations if you experience anxiety or nerves before or during a trip or to write down packing lists and other plans. See where I’ve been to start planning your next trip.

Katie Treharne

I’m Katie, the owner of Escape Artist Katie. I have been travel writing since 2018, including writing for luxury travel magazines and publications such as Wanderlust.

As well as being a digital nomad who works and lives abroad permanently, I’m a big advocate for  offbeat travel  and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

I hope you found my article useful – find out more  about  me here or keep up with my travels on  Instagram .

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9 Tips For Keeping A Memorable Travel Journal

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My sister gave me my first travel diary the year I turned 14, when my family took a trip to Italy. A small, yellow-lined notebook — I still have it in my box of childhood journals. I kept lists like “Souvenirs I Bought,” “Hotels We Stayed At,” “People I Met,” “Languages I Heard,” “Menus,” “Places Of Interest,” and “Anecdotes” (foreshadowing my future writer self!).

My 14-year-old self was onto something: Creating lists is a great way to capture the essence of a trip in your diary. Whether you’re going 10 miles away or to the other side of the world, a travel diary can enhance the journey and be a valuable keepsake. Here are suggestions for keeping a memorable one.

Alix Kreil / Shutterstock

1. Pick Your Pen And Paper

Although I recognize in the digital age that many people “write” on an iPad or phone, I’m a big believer in the benefit of noting thoughts down the old-fashioned way, on paper, because the mind-body connection is more immediate. First, be sure you like the pen you select! Black felt-tip PaperMates have been my pen of choice for decades, and I’m very territorial. I don’t even like lending them to my husband!

I’m equally particular about my notebook. The wrong size or shape will never do. My requirements are that it’s 5” by 7”, its pages lie flat, it’s lined and hardback. If you’re traveling abroad, you might find it fun to shop for a journal wherever you’re visiting, because you’ll find a different selection of notebooks than you find in your home country.

My husband is British, so whenever we’re visiting my in-laws, I love picking up A5 notebooks in stationery shops. An evocative article in The New York Times by novelist Mary Gordon describes her pleasure in buying notebooks in France, Ireland, and Italy.

2. Choose When And Where To Write

You can start your diary before you even begin the trip, describing your plans and hopes, and continue it when you’re back home. When you’re embarking on a trip, you can describe your hopes, intentions, and fears; as you’re returning home, your memories, feelings, and next steps.

Different times offer different benefits: I’m a fan of Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” concept from her bestselling classic The Artist’s Way, where you scribble your wayward thoughts just after waking up. But you could also write late in the day, reflecting on your day’s explorations. And it always helps to record your impressions soon after you experience them, while they’re fresh.

As for where, certainly in your hotel room or rental apartment works. But it’s also fun sitting in a cafe, watching people while jotting notes down in your journal. One of my favorite memories is writing in a Seattle restaurant, where I spent several hours waiting for a late-night bus, eavesdropping on conversations I heard at the next table and scribbling snippets into my journal, making up stories about the other diners.

I love writing on airplanes, where sitting at 35,000 feet and looking at the clouds and the changing landscape below gives me a big-picture, expansive feeling.

What about trains? On a train in India, a man sitting to my right peered over my shoulder, started reading my journal, and proceeded to tell his friends what I had written — which luckily was not about them! Rather than offended, I burst out laughing. It made me realize how radically different boundaries are in different cultures. I couldn’t imagine someone openly reading my journal in the U.S.

3. Include The Day, Date, And Location

Your future self will thank you! In my early journals, I thought it looked hip thinking I was transcending time by skipping the date. Now, it’s a pain trying to find an entry back in the annals of my history.

4. Develop Your Observation Skills

A journal offers the opportunity to notice everything from architecture to wildlife. Focus on all your senses, then describe what you experience. Hearing, for example: When I’ve visited Muslim countries, I’ve been deeply moved by the haunting tones of the call to worship. Texture? The feeling of cobblestones under my shoes. Or taste — whether you’re describing a gumbo in New Orleans or a risotto in Sicily, putting down your impressions of a dish you savored will help to keep the memory alive.

Twinsterphoto / Shutterstock

5. Write About The People You Meet And See

Did you learn something new from a stranger? Were the local people welcoming? In my 1976 travel journal, I describe Ellen, the young woman from Michigan who I met in an Amsterdam hostel. She always wore a pink sweater and told me hair-raising stories about hitchhiking across Europe. A few years later, on the island of Crete, I met Ty from Alberta, and my travel journal from that era describes our walks to monasteries on dirt tracks lined with olive trees, and how she listened to me as I poured out my grief about the loss of my mother a year earlier.

6. Track What You Want To Change

While travel is often seen as a way to indulge, I’ve often found it easier and more natural to let go of unwanted habits when I’m away from home. I’ve quit smoking and stopped eating Doritos (the mainstay of my daily diet before I taught myself to cook!), both when on the road. One strategy that helps is to keep track of what you want to change, whether it’s exercising more, eating differently, handling conflict more productively, or spending less. As the management consultant Peter Drucker said, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”

7. Describe Your Moods

Emotions for most of us are more intense when away from home because we can’t depend on our usual anchors. This can be great — and not so great. Describe your highs and lows. Journals are a safe place to rant — better there than with your travel companions.

Louisa Rogers

8. Use Your Journal To Boost Your Creativity

On trips away from home, I’m often inspired to try different writing forms, like rhymed verse, haiku, and limericks. Many people sketch. If you don’t want to draw, you can still collect ticket stubs, museum passes, bus tickets, currency, and other local memorabilia and then create collages in your journal. All you need is a small pair of scissors and a glue stick. I’m not great at watercolor, but I often paint a streak down the side of a journal page for a burst of color.

9. Brainstorm On The Written Page

Being in a different environment often brings a fresh perspective on our lives back home. On a trip to Britain in 1976, I described in my journal the many charms I observed in the British way of life. Towards the end of our visit, while writing in my journal one day, I had an epiphany: I’d try to write an article for American readers who were unfamiliar with the public footpath system or (then low-cost) bed and breakfasts. On the flight home, I highlighted relevant passages from my journal. And indeed, a few months later, I sold the article to an airline magazine — and thus was a writing career born.

I’m not alone! Elizabeth Gilbert became the author of the best-selling 2007 memoir Eat, Pray, Love after her year traveling abroad following a traumatic divorce. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, wrote a business plan on spare napkins while traveling across the U.S. And Howard Schultz, former chairman and CEO of Starbucks, hatched the idea of creating a coffee company while visiting Italy.

Travel diaries are just not about travel, they’re about life. As the classic American travel writer Paul Theroux said, “Travel is a state of mind. It has nothing to do with existence or the exotic. It is almost always an inner experience.”

No better way exists to discover and express that “inner experience” than through a travel diary. If you’re planning a trip, grab the moment and get started! Go find yourself the perfect notebook and pen for your taste, and start your journey.

Further Reading:

• How Writing About Travel Changed My Life And Can Change Yours
• 18 Great Summer Reads For Travel Lovers

Louisa writes articles and essays about travel, expat life, physical and psychological health, spirituality, and food. In 2022, four of her articles were among Travel Awaits' 25 most-read pieces.

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How to Write a Travel Diary

Travel diaries and notebooks are a wonderful thing. When a person is asked what their hobbies and interests are, the chances are that one will be travel. The urge to explore new places and experience different cultures is something so many of us have in common.

Spring especially sparks a wish to go abroad and have these experiences as we are all getting ready for summer sunshine. Whether your next trip is imminent or in a matter of months, beginning a travel diary or journal is a fantastic way to prepare and get excited for your upcoming adventure… Furthermore, why not make it a luxury travel diary?

What is a travel journal?

A travel diary (or travel journal – whichever you prefer), is a book in which you can accumulate the beginnings of travel plans, from aspirations to the nitty gritty of budgets, as well as daily logs of good and bad memories once you make your trip. It provides an excellent space to reflect on your journey. In fact, a written reflection in your diary is a wonderful way to round it off prior to planning your next trip in another book. It is a way of remembering all the highs and lows of your trip, allowing you to cherish them forever and learn from them for your next adventure.  

How to write a travel diary?

All great trips begin with aspiration. My own travel journals begin with listing the places which I aspire to go to – usually either multiple countries or places within one country. From here I can use the diary to work out where is possible from a combination of holiday time available and budget… yes, the less exciting bit.

Once the selection process is complete it’s time for the exciting bit which is finding places to stay, sites to see, activities to do, and for the foodies out there, all the must-try restaurants in the area.

You can then use this information to create an itinerary. Next stop – your trip!

While on your trip is when the journal moves from being a notebook to your diary. That way you can record, when possible, your experiences, the feelings you had experiencing them (good or bad), people you’ve met and the conversations you had, and even include any memorabilia. Following your trip, the book should be used to go over the high moments and the low moments and find what you’ve learned from them to make the most of this knowledge for your next trip.

Why write a travel diary?

Regardless of the trip’s purpose, whether it be for business, an event, or a great adventure, writing a travel diary is a fantastic way to ensure you really stop and absorb your surroundings. It enables you to capture the moments so that you really remember them.

I have travel journals from years ago that bring a smile to my face each time I come across them and I often have a flick through because of the extraordinary and funny details I recorded. Both the act of writing your travel diary and in particular the moments you have looking back over them are hugely fulfilling.

By putting descriptions of your whereabouts and your thoughts and feelings on a page, you find you notice more about the cultures, food, and people you are experience – all incredible things to look back upon from a different perspective in the future.

Aside from documenting memories, these journals look fantastic lined up on a shelf. My preferred journal is the Noble Macmillan Calfskin Lined Journal  (pictured below). They come in an array of colours and the elastic strap is an invaluable extra to allow your book to hold all sorts of added memorabilia such as train tickets and post cards.  

A travel diary is an excellent reminder of why to travel. A look at why you’ve been saving that money and not buying the pair of shoes you don’t need or going on just another night out – things and moments that won’t stay with you forever like those you have travelling.

Although my favourite is indeed the Noble Macmillan Calfskin Lined Journal , we have plenty of options suitable for whatever your preferred size or colour. Simply check out the notebooks and journals collection of the stationery section of our website to explore your choices.

And if you are the type of person who just loves writing, check out our guide on the joys of writing handwritten letters.

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How to Write Travel Diary – Practice with Examples

What is a diary entry, and how can we benefit from it.

A diary is a place where you may be honest with yourself, note your observations, and express your feelings regarding events in your life. Additionally, it is a place where you can speak freely, think, and fantasize. Anything you want can easily be written down using words.

Activity Time

It was agreed by you and your sister to commemorate your parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. Your plans should be expressed in no more than 150 words as a diary entry.

Diary entry

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

What are Diary Entries and their Types?

A diary entry is a group of pages that make up the entry. The dates and times when the diary entries were written are typically used to organize them. Depending on the diary type, each entry may include thoughts, feelings, reflections, dreams, and more. Even in your diary, you can subcategorize the information in an entry.

• As an illustration, subcategories of a dream diary could include lucid dreams, nightmares, etc.
• Diary entries can be written, illustrated, recorded, or even a combination of several media.

Why Keep a Diary When You Travel?

There are numerous advantages to writing when traveling, but these are a few to get you started.

• Remember More

You won’t forget the reasons you wanted to go and will remember more of your visit if you list the activities you intend to undertake while traveling as well as the activities you have already completed.

You can learn a lot about a new place’s culture, traditions, and people when you visit there. You will notice more of your surroundings if you have a place to record your observations.

• Reflect More

A journal is a location where you can write down new things you’ve learned from exploring the many places you go. You will be able to look back and consider what you have learned and apply it to other areas of your life by having all these fresh discoveries in one location.

Here are a Few Pointers on How to Write a Travel Diary

You must travel and keep a travel diary. You can begin writing wherever you need to. All you need is a location to start your vacation diary.

• Plan Your Vacation Using Your Diary

Even before you go on your trip, you can start keeping a notebook. Start making plans for the things you wish to do in your journal. It could be anything, such as a hip restaurant to eat at, a trek you want to do, or other attractions you want to see. To ensure that you don’t forget anything from your trip checklist, write everything down.

Mention the location you’ve been to above the page

• Use a small diary that you can easily carry along with your travel
• Carry a craft kit, which includes little scissors, pens, plaster, a notepad, stamps, and other supplies.
• Write About How You See it to be

Describe your experiences there.

When you travel, your final location may be completely unanticipated. It’s possible that despite your expectations, the local cuisine surprised you by being excellent.

• Write While Traveling

When information is still fresh in your mind, it is always simpler to recall it. Therefore try to write as frequently every day as you can.

• Add Pictures to Your Diary

In order to have a nice memory of your travels for the rest of your life, you can gather photographs or photos from the places you visit.

You can then add your doodles or postcards to the entries in your journal.

• Write About Your Trip After Your Leave.

You should write about your vacation once you return, just like you do before you go.

• How did it feel?
• What did you discover?
• What caught you off guard?
• What made you unhappy?

To retain new knowledge and use it in future endeavors, it is crucial to reflect on your travels. This is also a fantastic method to discover more about who you are, your possible traveling companions, and your potential for development. Take a step back from what you accomplished and try to grasp the big picture. You might be surprised.

Let’s write the travel diary entry of the place we visited during the last vacation .

You’ve traveled to Miami and visited many places in the city and the city’s scenery and cuisine, and you plan to write about your travels there as well as its location and part of its history, culture, food, and attire. You must compose a minimum of 100 to 150 words.

Let’s practice with a few examples

Make a daily journal of your activities, a scientific notebook of your observations of plants and animals, an art journal of your sketches, a map of the places you visited, or a mix of all four.

Vacation Journal: Day

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Travel journal examples and how to get the most out of a travel journal

A travel journal: your new best friend.

Travel journal examples can spark ideas for your own journal. This matters a great deal because a travel journal can be one of your most helpful travel — make that life — tools. It can serve myriad purposes from recording your thoughts, emotions (an important aspect many overlook) and experiences to being a repository of creative ideas and even artwork. You can use it as a scrapbook, planning tool, contact book, organizer, reference book (for vital information such as passport numbers, hotel addresses, places to visit, etc.) and even a place to hide certain valuables.

It’s simple enough to put information into your travel journal. The hard part is being able to find or extract that information easily later on. But don’t worry. I’ll show you travel journal examples, techniques, hacks and tips for that and more based on decades trying a wide variety of travel journals and approaches. You’ll find these useful whether you’re an old pro at journaling or even if you’ve never used a travel journal before. And be sure to read all the way through this article since the Additional Resources section at the end is loaded with inspiring and helpful travel journal examples and ideas.

Getting started

The first and most important thing to remember is that there is no one right way to set up your travel journal. In fact, I’ve found that the best approach is to just start with something and learn as you go. My first travel journal was basically a daily diary: “Today I did this, etc.” Now, however, I use it in a very different matter. But it all comes down to this: What is the purpose of your travel journal?

Two typical entries from my first travel journal on my first trip to Europe in high school. I have upped my travel journal game a bit since then, or so I hope.

This is such an important question because it will guide what kind of notebook/journal/sketchbook you use, how you organize it and how you interact with it. If you’re just starting out, you may not even know your purpose other than to record your experiences. That’s fine. Start there. Then refine over time.

For me, I see my travel journal as a collection tool for travel drawing and notes where I gather ideas, sketches, some to-do’s, trip details and anything else that interests me. But the main difference between this and most journals is that as a tool, I want to use my journal after I return. Not just for nostalgic reminisces on my trip, but to glean from it what I’ve learned, gained and become. I’ll explain this more momentarily.

Picking the right journal

Again, I’m not sure there is a universal “right” travel journal. Your goal is to find what works for you. You can start by determining if you want a blank notebook or a travel journal that comes with prompts, quotes, organizing categories, etc. Here’s a helpful list of 17 travel journals to give you a sense of travel journal examples and possibilities. Mostly, consider if you want to do travel drawing or even painting in your travel journal. If so, you’ll want thicker paper that won’t warp with the water or bleed through with ink. You likely will want blank pages, as opposed to lines, grids or dots.

Just as there’s no right or wrong size (just what works for you), so too is the orientation up to you. As you can see here, I sketched holding the journal in a portrait orientation (left page) but wrote (right page, partial) using a landscape orientation. Both work.

If you want to use it as a form of a scrapbook, get one with pockets or that is expandable enough for when you’ve doubled the thickness with all those tickets, stamps, samples of currency, bottle labels and other elements you’ve glued to the pages.

Buying a nice looking or feeling notebook or journal can be motivating. But getting too nice of a notebook to use can be intimidating: You’ll be afraid to do any travel drawing or mess it up. Thus, I suggest starting somewhere in the middle. Find a journal or notebook that will hold up well (hard covers help in this regard), but isn’t so expensive you’ll only want to use it on special occasions. 

Even fancy patterns on your pages can be fun. I tend to prefer blank pages, but sometimes I’ll try different patterns just to mix things up.

Your travel journal is more of a workhorse than a show pony (though sometimes a bit of that too later on). You’ll get far more out of one you use all the time, where you write, do travel drawing or urban sketching, doodle and record with the intent that only you will ever see it. If you choose to show it to others later, fine. But don’t make that your main goal, at least as a beginner, or you’ll never get the most out of your journal.

How will you use your travel journal?

Back to purpose, you can choose to have a general-use journal or one devoted only to your trips (or to a particular trip). I have done both, and there are pros and cons to each. A journal for all situations allows you to connect everything you do so that if a great work idea hits you on a trip, you can reference back to a meeting about that, etc. You can also find things easier in some ways since your whole life, trip or home/work, is laid out in a chronological fashion in one book.

Here’s a recent journal of mine that I use daily, as well as for trips. You can see the basic outline for this article here that I wrote on the plane on a business trip. How do I know it was on a trip? From the notation that the sketch was done from a photo in the airplane’s magazine somewhere between Baltimore (BWI) and Seattle (SEA)

A really popular approach these days to general journals is the Bullet Journal . Many people swear by this way of organizing their journal and their life. I love many of the ideas found in bullet journaling. But I choose not to follow that approach completely. Why? Bullet journaling is primarily intended as a productivity tool. I personally don’t find it helpful in that regard because, for example, tracking all my calendar events and moment-by-moment to-do’s in a journal slows me down.

Combine digital and analog

Instead, I use a combination of Outlook, Trello , Evernote and Scrivener (the latter two for organizing ideas and writing projects or content) on my phone and computer. The main reason for tracking tasks digitally is that they roll over automatically. I don’t have to constantly move them manually from one day, week or month to-do list to the next.

But the main reason I don’t use the bullet journal methodology for my travel journal is that when I travel, productivity is not my goal. Exploration and discovery are. I use my travel journal to capture what I learn as I explore the world around me and the world within me wherever I go.

On a trip, I’m less interested in productivity than in explaining why this sketch was hard to do well.

In the last few years, I’ve taken up sketching and even watercolors, so for me, I now maintain a separate travel journal for each major trip. I use one that has thicker watercolor paper, so on a three-week trip, I can pretty much fill up the whole book. But for shorter trips, I do use my day-to-day journal. And I’ve even done both: Used my day-to-day journal to record words and a smaller sketchbook for travel drawing or watercolors. Again, no right or wrong way to do this. Just start with an approach and build from there.

Organizing your travel journal

What follows is how I organize my travel journal. It’s the same way I do my day-to-day journal but with some additional pages in the end for travel-specific information. My purpose, remember, is to capture ideas, information and experiences and then to be able to use these later. For that reason, the most helpful part of my journal is the index. I’ll explain that in a moment along with travel journal examples, but here’s what else goes into my journal.

Starting with a brand new empty journal

The first thing I do with a new journal is to put my name, cell phone number and email address on the inside cover.

Next, if the journal doesn’t have a rear pocket, I make one or glue/tape in a small envelope that fits on the inside of the rear cover.

If you glue in your own, consider hiding a few large denomination bills, both dollars and the local currency, behind the envelope or anything else you tape or glue inside the covers. It’s a great place for hiding back-up money. It works because once you start using your travel journal regularly, you’ll find it is one of your most precious possessions. You’ll learn to guard it like your wallet, passport or phone.

These are just some of the many travel journals I’ve filled up over the years.

In addition to the pocket or envelope in your journal, consider bringing a quart or gallon-sized zip lock bag to hold all the small items you pick up along the way. I used to shove them into pockets in my carry-on bag, but having a single location now keeps them from getting lost or mangled. And it keeps my travel journal from looking like George Costanza’s wallet on Seinfeld . This same bag can hold a glue stick, paper clips or anything else you want for adding items to your journal.

Start in the front and work back

I track everything chronologically noting the date at the top of each day’s entry. If it spans multiple pages, I’ll write “(cont.)” after the date on later spreads so I know to keep looking for the start of that day when I review the entry later.

I work in this chronological fashion for recording most of my entries because I find it flows better to write the item down right away and then figure out how to classify it later. I set up indexes in the back for classifying and locating the entry. But that comes as a review step, not a creative or collecting function.

What to write

Starting at the front section of the travel journal, I may use the very first page as a title page if the journal is devoted to a single trip. Otherwise, I skip over that page and then start with the date of the start of the trip and then just keep going from there. Here are the types of content I write/draw along with some of my travel journal examples:

Sometimes, I’ll devote a whole page or spread to nothing but sketches.

• General thoughts . These make up the majority of my journal and are what you’d expect in any journal.
• Sketches . I’m still just a beginner, but I’ve committed to one sketch per day, at home or on a trip. Sometimes they are involved. Others (most of the time), are just a quick gesture. But the discipline helps improve my skill.
• A daily log . At the end of each day, I do a very quick list of summary activities, where I went, who I met, what I did. I actually note it like this: “(Log 11/27/19 – Wed.):” so that I can see at a glance what were log entries versus other ideas. For logs, the shorter the better. Here’s where bullet journal techniques can help: Record a few words as a bullet rather than full sentences. At the end of every daily log, I also record two specific items in addition log entries themselves, gratitude points and what I’ve read or watched.
• Gratitude points : I jot down what I call a Goodness Journal (abbreviated as GJ) entry. This is the highlight of my day for which I am most grateful. On trips, this can often end up being multiple points.
• Read/Watched : The second additional component is what I call Read/Watched (R/W) where I list any books I’ve read that day or any movies, programs, concerts, etc. that I watched. It can include podcasts and anything else you want to track. Before I started doing this, I’d get to the end of the year and couldn’t recall all the books I’d read. Now I can just by referring back to these entries.
• Insights and Ideas . Most of my journal at home is filled with these. On trips, these happen more on plane, train or bus rides than every single day. But they could happen any time which is why I keep a pocket-sized travel journal with me or at least a note card or my phone so I can write the idea down immediately.
• Quotes . These can be formal written ones I encounter or snippets of conversations I overhear. As a writer, I want to always be gathering dialog examples or clever turns of phrases.
• To-dos. Yes, I said I record these digitally for the daily tasks. But sometimes on trips, you have opportunities for dreaming and planning. I mark all to-do’s with a checkbox I can fill in later. I like the bullet journal way they do this as well (a dot instead of a box).

I had a gentleman in China demonstrate his woodblock stamps by stamping some examples in my journal. You can paste in stamps, tickets, receipts, postcards or any other artifacts from your trip onto your journal pages as you go (if you remember to bring some glue or paste).

• Descriptions . These are either quick notes on what I’m seeing, hearing, tasting or tasting, or longer ways to capture the details of a place. See Look Closely for details on how to do this as a way to learn to see details better or to write better based on your travels. I also make sure to write down the names of places, people, food, local expressions and anything else I want to write about later. Don’t assume you’ll remember it or can look it up later. Write it down.
• Miscellaneous . I’ve had artists draw in my journal, had people stamp it (see photo above), record different colors of beverages spilled or intentionally dripped on it and a wealth of other things added. Be open to how you can use your journal. Or for fun, try this exercise: Come up with as many ways as you can think of to use your travel journal on your next trip.

The back of the journal

The front of the journal is used for a chronological input of information each day (or whenever you choose). The goal there is to record the idea, insight, drawing or information just like in a diary. The back of the journal is where you’ll organize it all for later retrieval.

Working from the last page backwards, I set up a series of index or topic pages (see the list below) where I record anything related to that topic either verbatim (if I have the time and forethought to write it down there such as contact info or a quote I came across) or as a page number reference and summary line from the front of the journal (hence the reason these back-of-the-journal pages are called Index Pages).

For me, I find that most index sections only require one page (e.g. for Contacts or Travel Details) but I leave two pages for Ideas or Vocabulary since they tend to have more entries. I write small (some would say ridiculously small), so if you don’t, you may want to leave more room.

Review your entries and record them for easier retrieval

I don’t assign page numbers as I write in the front of the journal. Instead, I jot down a page number later, maybe daily, maybe weekly, as I review my journal. Writing down the page number during the review phase shows me which pages have been indexed. No page number indicates it still needs to be indexed. As I review each page, I also code the entries themselves on the journal pages by highlighting the topic or assigning a word or letter to let me know what it is. For example, if there’s a quote, I will write “Quote” and circle it right before the quote. For blog ideas, I’ll write “blog” and circle that, etc. If  an idea that has distinct merit, I’ll draw a star next to it. Particular project ideas get a corresponding code, e.g. if it’s about  my book on Hidden Travel,   I’ll write “HT” and circle that. The whole point is to make it easier to spot the entry when you’re reviewing the page later.

Here you can (hopefully) see how I’ve written and circled page numbers at the top and put a box around the word “Quote” on the left page and “Visual appeal article” on the right page. Then, on the Quotes index page, I’ll write “108” and circle it with a quick notation like, “E.B. White on saving/savoring the world.” On the Ideas index page, I’ll write “109” and circle it with the notation, “Visual Appeal article questions.”

In case you’re wondering why the index/topic pages go in the back and not in the front like a table of contents, it’s because I often add topics as I progress through the journal. Working from the back gives me room to add new pages whereas if I’d started from the front and I didn’t guess correctly, I’d be out of room before running into my journal entries.

Travel journal examples of Pre-Trip Items

Some of my index/topic pages get filled in (or at least started) before my trip either as planning or to load my travel journal with important information to have on my trip. Here are some travel journal examples of the key sections.

Here’s a travel journal example of a shot list from my China trip journal. I tend to write pretty small in the back section of a journal! The whited out area was my passport number in code. Writing key information on pages with other entries makes it even less obvious this is something valuable.

• Vocabulary. On trips to countries where I’m learning the language, I’ll add new vocabulary words here usually starting long before the trip. These are key words to practice, as well as new ones I pick up as I travel.
• Shot list . When planning my trip, as a photographer, I make a list of specific places, scenes, techniques I want to try or even times of day I want to shoot. Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Making Awesome Travel Photos for more on this and other travel photo techniques. In addition, as I review guidebooks or articles, I’ll add interesting places to this list. Even if you’re not a photographer, you can make a list of “must see” places or “must do” experiences or activities. Writing them down really helps because it makes it so easy to find all these in one place rather than hunting through a guidebook or other pages on your trip.
• Themes and Moments . This is yet another pre-trip fill-in page. I try to come up with a theme or quest for each trip. Writing down ideas about that or defining it really adds to the anticipation of the trip. On this page, I’ll also jot down ideas for creating magic or defining moments for others on the trip. This includes ideas for the activities or contact info for places or people that will be part of the activity.

Travel journal examples of elements to add as you travel

Here are some typical index/topic pages in the back of my travel journal that get filled in as I go:

• Contact information . I keep a separate page to record the names, email addresses, etc. of people I meet along the way. If, in a hurry, I just write down a name and email address in the front-of-the-book journaling section. I’ll later record the page number and contact name on the page here so all I can find all my contacts in one place later.
• Ideas . This becomes a catchall for any creative ideas I’ve had. I normally start with the page number(s) followed by a brief summary such as “27 – 29: Dining room chair design” or “73: Article on architecture styles in Morocco.”

Here’s a specific travel journal example, the Ideas Index Page from my China trip journal. I had started the page on the left as a vocabulary list but made room from more ideas when I ran out of space on the page on the right.

• Books and Movies . This too is a catchall for any form of entertainment I want to read. I constantly get book and movie (and even song or podcast) recommendations as I travel that I add here with an open check box. I also record books I’ve finished to this list noting those with a checked box.
• Quotes . As noted above, these may be written quotes I come across or snippets of dialog I pick up. I either write the quote here directly or reference the journal page where I wrote the quote with a reminder such as “53-quote from Leipzig waitress on timing.”

You can do a trip highlights page on the flight home, but sometimes it helps to record a summary of details in the midst of your trip of things that stand out to you.

• To-do’s. I said I like to keep my travel journal free from productivity and time management, but I always have big-picture to-do activities that arise on a trip. I’ll record these as I go in the journal section, but for longer-term ones I don’t want to lose track of, I sometimes add a to-do index as well in the back of the journal. This can also be a great place to record future planning ideas for things you want to accomplish after your trip.
• Trip highlights . I’ll normally note the big moments in the journal section as they occur. But often on the flight home, I like to review these and capture them all in one place with the page reference and a brief notation. I may also add in additional ones at this point because sometimes, you don’t realize how powerful or meaningful a moment was at the time.

When your journal is full

Eventually, you’ll fill up your journal with entries. You’ll then review and have every page numbered with key entries noted in your index pages. Then what?

I use Scrivener (for writing projects) and Evernote (for others) as software/apps to track ideas over time. Thus, when I finish a journal, I go copy the content from my index pages into one of these digital programs.

There are several reasons for this. First, it helps to have all your ideas over time in one place so you can view them easier. Second, with the online tools, I can tag content by subject making retrieval later much easier. Most of us focus our efforts on having ideas and maybe writing them down. But those ideas won’t serve you well if you can’t find them later. Finally, putting everything into one place helps me see patterns and related ideas which, in turn, sparks new ideas.

It all relates to the concept of Collect, Connect and Share. If all you’re doing is collecting, you’re missing out on the main value of your journal.

Make a copy

This may be overkill to some, but my journals are precious repositories of life. I would hate to lose them. I could dictate the contents and transcribe that, but I don’t have that kind of time. Instead, Evernote comes to the rescue.

The Evernote app has a photo function. I open the app and take pictures of every spread or page of my journal. I save the results as an Evernote file and can even tag it by date, country or other criteria. It then resides on the cloud (and I also do a back-up on a drive at home). That way, if the original gets lost, I know that all those memories are secure.

Let’s review

Here’s a summary of the key points:

• Know the purpose for your journal
• Choose the type of journal based on your intended purpose.
• Start with something that’s not too nice so that you’re not afraid to mark it up.
• Keep daily entries in the front and a list of index pages in the back of the journal.
• Periodically review your journal entries. As you do, number each page and record that page number and a brief reminder on the appropriate index page.
• At the end of each journal, photograph each page and save to a secure location. Then enter the index information into whatever tool you use for tracking all of your ideas over time.

Additional resources and travel journal examples

Here are other resources and travel journal examples to both inspire and help you get the most out of your travel journal:

• A helpful article with visuals of different travel journal examples
• Writer and artist Austin Kleon’s comments on notebooks 
• Travel journal examples (and notebooks) of author Robert MacFarlane 
• Some additional travel journal examples and notebook types
• The Sketchbook Projec t, one of my favorite places to visit in Brooklyn, NY and a great source of inspiration for sketchbooks. If you’re looking for a single place for travel journal examples, it is this one. Here are just a few screen shots of some random travel journal examples I looked up by Julia Yellow . There are thousands of such journals at this site.

• If you really enjoy the travel drawing aspect of a travel journal, you might want to connect with the whole Urban Sketchers movement and see travel journal examples that include urban sketching. Here’s an example of an urban sketch by Stephanie Bower . I took some of her architectural sketching courses online at Bluprint and they were excellent.

Parting thoughts

Finally, if you want even more travel journal examples and information, be sure to read Lavinia Spalding’s excellent book on the subject, Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler. Here’s one of many great quotes from the book:

“If we’re committed to honest investigation, the travel journal can be a cornerstone of growth and a catalyst for great work, providing a safe container for astonishing discoveries and the life lessons we take away from them. We write words in an empty book, and an inanimate object is transformed into a living, breathing memoir. In turn, as we write, the journal transforms us. It allows us to instantly process impressions, which leads to a more examined layer of consciousness in both the present and the future. It’s a relationship, and let me tell you, it’s no cheap one-night stand.”

You might want to consider writing that quote down in your travel journal. Either in the daily entries or on the quotes index page. Or however you want to do it. It’s your travel journal and the possibilities are endless.

Thanks Steve! Informative and creative. Your sketching is lovely, too! Merry Christmas to you and the fam

Thanks, Alan. I was just editing a section in my upcoming book, “Hidden Travel,” on the subject of sketching and the advice I was given by Gabriel Campinario, founder of Urban Sketchers. He told me to never apologize or say, “Oh, I’m just a beginner” when someone compliments your sketching because no matter how bad you think it is, it is still better than that of the 99% of the population who never attempts to draw. So I will leave it at, “Thank you!”

[…] I mainly get inspiration from a Reddit group called Journaling, and also I get a few ideas on making travel journals. Despite it being fun to do having a physical notebook, at times it can be difficult to finish them […]

You’ve inspired me to resume creating tiny travel journals, with scrapbook like additions. I use photo double sided stickies, not glue. Someone asked what do I do with these? As if creating isn’t pleasurable. I often use them as primary sources to create photobooks. Along with my Bird lists.🐦😁.

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How to Make a Travel Journal

Last Updated: February 24, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Archana Ramamoorthy, MS . Archana Ramamoorthy is the Chief Technology Officer, North America at Workday. In 2019, she went on a three-month sabbatical from her work and solo traveled throughout Southeast Asia. She is a product ninja, security advocate, and on a quest to enable more inclusion in the tech industry. Archana received her BS from SRM University and MS from Duke University and has been working in product management for over 8 years. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 83% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 138,960 times.

Travel is a time for growth, new experiences, and seeing more of the world. If you're taking a trip, you want to remember everything that you did for years to come. Keeping a travel journal will not only help preserve your memories of the experience, but can help enrich your trip in the moment as well. Check out this super useful list we’ve put together about travel journaling! We’ll start off with some tips on what to put in your travel journal, how to write entries, how to pick a journal type, and more.

Travel Journal Entry Template

Write about more than just activities to make entries interesting.

• For example, instead of just talking about a hike you went on, describe the meal you ate at the end of the day and how good it was after exerting yourself physically all day long.

Engage all senses to transport the reader to the time and place.

• For example, describe the scent of the flowers on the table in the cafe where you have lunch or the feel of the breeze when you're relaxing on the beach.

Find a theme for entries to help make them feel coherent.

• If you're having trouble identifying a theme for an entry, start by asking yourself a few basic questions, such as: “What made me smile today?”, “What surprised me today?”, or "What did I learn today?" Write down the answers, and you may see a theme start to emerge.

Write about people you meet to bring their characters to life.

• For example, you could describe how the old lady who sold you fresh produce at the market looked and acted to bring life into the story about your trip to the market that day. Or, you could talk about fellow travelers you’ve been hanging out with and what you like or admire about them.

Collect mementos to add visual interest to your journal.

• You don't necessarily have to glue or tape the mementos in your journal as you're traveling. Just set them aside in your folder, so you can add them when you return home. However, make sure to leave space among your written entries to add the materials that match up with them.
• If you’re making a digital journal, you can easily scan or take photos of mementos to add to it.

Take photos to bring your journal entries to life.

• If you’re journaling online, such as on a blog, upload a few relevant photos to go with each post and help bring your entry to life.
• You don’t have to print out photos on the road for a physical journal. Just save the ones you like and print and add them to your journal when you get home.

Add some sketches if you like to draw.

• It doesn't matter if you're not a great artist. You can sketch a simple map of the neighborhood that you're staying in or a pretty bunch of flowers that you saw. As long as the drawing helps you remember details of your trip later, it's worth it.
• You could even use watercolors or another type of paint to do some artwork on a separate piece of art paper, then put it in your journal once it’s dry.
• If you’re making a digital journal, you can use a drawing app on a tablet or smartphone to do sketches for it.

Make a physical journal if you’re a hands-on type person.

• A journal with acid-free paper is usually a good investment because it will ensure that your writing and sketches will hold up for years.
• If you want to get really decorative, purchase some additional art supplies like colored markers, gel pens, and pencils.
• Washi tape or a glue stick are handy for sticking postcards, pictures, and other mementos to pages.
• If you like to draw and sketch, take a set of drawing pencils with you to sketch sights you see along the way.
• A small pair of craft scissors can also be handy for cutting out images and things to stick in your journal. However, if you’re flying, make sure you can put them in a checked bag or you won’t be able to bring them with you.

Create a digital journal if you want to easily share it.

• Another advantage of digital journals is that you don’t have to bring much with you. You can use a laptop, a tablet, or even just a smartphone!
• If you want to find different apps for journaling, search wherever you get your apps from with a term like “travel diary” or “journal app.”
• Remember that there’s no right or wrong way to create a journal. Whatever gets your creative juices flowing and helps you cherish those memories forever is perfect!

Get a clear, expandable folder to collect journaling materials in.

• A folder is especially important if you don't want to compile your whole journal while you're actually traveling. You can just write in the journal as you go, and add the mementos after you've returned home because the folder will keep them all organized.

Use a map to track your travels if you’re going many places.

• If you want to find apps to track your travels on a map, just type “travel map app” into the search bar of wherever you get your apps.
• You don’t have to be travelling internationally to track your route on a map. For example, if you’re doing a cross-state road trip, you could print out a map of each state and mark your stops along your route in each state.
• You can also use a large world map to track multiple trips over the months and years to come.

Decide who you're writing for to help guide your journaling.

• If you plan to share your journal with others, consider the details that you plan to include. You may not think it's necessary to write down the address of a restaurant that you enjoyed to preserve the memory, but a friend may find the information helpful. On the other hand, there may be personal details of your trip that you don't want to share with family and friends, so it's best to omit them.

Start journaling before your trip to help plan and get excited.

• You could write about what you imagine certain places to be like, then go back and compare notes after you actually visit them for a fun comparison!
• You can put practical details in the beginning of your journal too, such as contact info for tour operators or directions to get to certain places.

Make entries as often as possible to fill your journal as you travel.

• It helps to set aside a specific time to write in your journal. For example, you might do your entries at breakfast or just before bed. If you're taking a plane, train, bus, or car to another location, the ride is a great time to work on journal entries.
• Remember to date each entry, so you can remember the timeline of your trip. You may want to include the time that you wrote each as well.
• If you're in a hurry, jot down notes about your day on a scrap of paper that you can copy into the journal when you have more time. You may forget some details if you don't write things down as you go, so a rough draft can come in handy.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.nathab.com/blog/create-a-travel-journal-that-youll-read-again-and-again/
• ↑ http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/articles/advice/how-to-write-the-perfect-travel-journal
• ↑ http://solotravelerblog.com/9-tips-for-those-who-struggle-to-keep-a-travel-journal/
• ↑ http://www.globejotting.com/create-a-more-vivid-travel-journal/
• ↑ http://www.fodors.com/travel-photography/article-creating-a-travel-journal-84/
• ↑ http://www.gonomad.com/2288-tips-on-keeping-a-travel-journal
• ↑ https://www.windstarcruises.com/blog/how-to-make-a-travel-journal/
• ↑ https://penzu.com/travel-journal-guide

About This Article

To make a travel journal, write entries in a journal as you're traveling so you don't forget any important details. Try to engage all of your senses as you're writing by describing how your destination smells, sounds, looks, feels, and tastes, which will make your journal entries more vivid and interesting. Remember to take photos and collect mementos throughout your trip so you can glue them into your travel journal later on. You can also draw or paint different sights you see and include your own artwork in your journal. To learn how to get all the necessary supplies for a travel journal, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Whether its a  travel bullet journal,  travelers notebook or  travel journal, find out why keeping a  travel diary is a must for your next trip and get some inspiration with the best travel journal examples.

A travel journal is more than a way to remember what you did on a trip. 

The  best travel journals are a mix of travel preparation , travel diary, and travel keepsake.  We think it is one the best items for travel, before, during and after a trip. 

If you put a little time and effort into a  personalized travel journal, it will be something you can look back on and treasure long after your adventure has ended. 

Keep reading to get some ideas on how to create the best travel notebook, then get some inspiration from other travelers with beautiful travel journal examples.  

Why Write A Travel Journal?

In an age when more and more of our lives are online, you may be wondering why bother with a diary?

You can do pretty much everything for your trip online these days, from booking to downloading boarding passes and taking photos on your smartphone. While all this is super convenient it means we no longer have momentoes to keep, or really reflect on our journey with.

Being a little old fashioned and putting pen to paper is a wonderful way to get creative, make lasting memories and to also do some self-reflection. And did you know that writing by hand actually helps you to remember things better? 

I don’t keep a diary when I am at home but ever since my first overseas trip I have kept a travel diary. These take pride of place next to my photo albums. When I look back on a trip in these books, it can be amazing what things I have forgotten. 

When we take travel photos they tend to be of the big sites and the amazing experiences. A travel diary is where you can write all those small details that may not be photo-worthy, the things that didn’t quite go right and more importantly, how you are feeling during your adventure. 

What Do You Write In a Travel Journal? 

Staring at a blank journal can be a little overwhelming. There are so many things you can add!

So, how do you start a travel journal?

A great idea before you put pen to paper in your new journal is to jot down a rough idea of what you would like to include. This way you can decide on the order of your journal. 

For example, you may want to have different sections for trip planning, while you are on your adventure and then post-trip reflections. 

To best decide what you would like to have in your travel diary have a think about why you want to write? Is it to remember your adventure? or maybe to keep you organized while you are planning a trip? or to learn as much as you can about a destination. It could, of course, be all of these reasons. 

Travel Journal Ideas

Here are some  ideas for how to make a travel journal.  Pick and choose the things that suit your style and trip!

Packing list

Make sure you don’t forget anything with a handy packing list. If you are doing long term travel or staying in various accommodation, this list will be a great checklist every time you pack so you don’t leave behind any belongings. 

Trip itinerary

This can be as detailed or as vague as you like. I like to note down things like opening days for museums and other attractions so I can work around them ( there is nothing worse than only have one day in a location and finding out the place you wanted to visit is closed that day!). 

Travel bucket list

I like to do this as part of my travel research. It is always one of the first pages in my travel diary. Then I work my itinerary around what I would love to see or experience at a destination. 

Important things to remember

This could be phone numbers, a hotel address or maybe something important you need to remember to do while you are away like a bill or friends birthday. 

Travel journal prompts

If you struggle to start writing a journal it can be great to read a prompt. You will often find that starting is the hardest part and the words will flow once you begin writing. 

Notes from your travel research online

I can spend hours researching before I travel. It can be easy to forget things or to get mixed up with what there is to see in different towns or places.  You can make your research part of your diary as a memory jogger, keepsake and even help you plan future trips if you decide to return to a destination. 

Travel literature to read about your destination

I love reading, and getting lost in someone else’s words about a destination is a wonderful way to get immersed in a place. You could read travel diaries from the past like Freya Stark or more modern diaries like Bill Bryson . If you prefer fiction there will always be lots of books to choose from too. Outlander for example has inspired so many people to visit Scotland. 

Travel savings goals and tracking

Seeing those savings add up is the best way to make your travel funds goals a reality. 

Tickets, maps and other keepsakes

I love sticking in all the tickets, stamps and leaflets in my travel journal. 

Coin rubbings of the local currency

I actually first got my kids to do this in their diaries but loved it so much I started doing it in my own too. I also stick in lower denomination notes too. 

Words and phrases

Learning a few keywords and phrases such as thank you in the local language of your destination is a wonderful way to connect with the locals.  They can be hard to remember though so jot them down in your journal ( don’t forget to add how they are pronounced too).

A daily diary of your trip

Perhaps the most common thing to have in any travel journal. Try to get in the habit of writing daily, even if it is just notes or bullet points. It can be amazing how much you forget or days blur together when you are on an adventure. 

Drawings and travel doodles

If you are creative then be sure to add some drawings to your journal. It can be a fun way to pass time while you are traveling too. You can take along a travel watercolor set if you love to use color. 

Things you find interesting

Maybe food stickers or funny sayings you come across. 

Travel Budget

Keep travel of your spending while traveling and make sure you don’t blow the budget!

Travel outfits ideas

If you are packing light you can have a quick go-to list of different outfits you can make up. This will save you so much time and effort. 

Photographs

You can save spots for photos if you have a DSLR or check out some of the ideas further on in this post for creating instant photographs.

If you want to create amazing photographs of your trip, check out these easy travel photography tips. 

Travel Journal Examples

Get inspiration for your own travel diary with these travel journal ideas.

Travel Journal Paintings

Make travel memories with sketches and drawings like this stunning Travel Journal

Travel Itinerary ideas

Makes sure you don't miss anything while traveling and keep a daily travel plan in your travel diary.

Pretty Travel Journal

Mix drawings, thoughts and memories to make a gorgeous travel diary you will love to look back on.

How To Keep Travel Memories

This travel journal has a mix of lots of mediums that will bring back travel memories in an instant.

How To Keep Track Of Travel Plans

Keeping a simple list of your travel plans in your travel notebook is a great idea and saves you searching around looking for paperwork or emails.

Keeping Travel Information Safe

Use your travel journal to keep track of all the important details of your trip.

Inspiring Travel Quotes

Add inspiring travel quotes to your diary! We have a whole post on the best travel quotes. Look out for the link at the bottom of this list!

Travel Journal Packing List

Never forget to pack anything again by adding a packing list to your travel diary. A travel luggage checklist is also really handy if you are moving around a lot during your travels so you don't leave anything behind.

Travel Bucket List

Create a travel destination bucket list and tick off those amazing places after your trips.

How To Get Organized For Your Trip

A Travel Bullet Journal is a great way to get super organized before a vacation or adventure.

A Travel Wishlist

Create a travel wishlist and then make those dreams happen!

Road Trip Diary

A Travel Diary doesn't have to be all about flying somewhere. Keep a travel log of all your local and road trips too.

Travel countdown idea

Get excited for an upcoming trip by creating a countdown in your travel journal.

Travel Photo Checklist

Make sure you never miss a shot with a travel photography checklist.

Beautiful Bullet Journal Travel Spread

A travel journal is anything you want it to be. Draw, take photo's, do some travel writing and create.

Beautiful Travel Diary

Get personal in your travel diary. A great idea is to write it for your future self to read.

Travel Savings Tracker

Make those travel dreams come true by saving hard and keeping a tracker to stay motivated.

Mini Travel Notebook

Using a smaller notebook as your travel diary is a great idea so that you can pack it in your day bag easily.

Travel Bujo Ideas

Use stickers and washi tape to make your travel bujo pages look amazing.

Record Travel Highlights

Make sure you remember all those special little moments from your travels by writing down your highlights from each of your amazing travel destinations

How to Write A Travel Journal

Okay so you’re brimming with inspiration and have an idea about what to include in your diary, but how do you actually start to write!

Write a list

I don’t know about you, but I feel immediately productive and accomplished when I tick items off my to-do list. You can also be clever and turn this list into a contents page for your journal by just adding page numbers or colored page tabs. Use the previous suggestions to decide what you want to add to your travel journal. For example, you could make a list of all the things you need to have organized before your adventure if you are using your travel diary for planning such as booking accommodation and creating an itinerary.

Start ticking off those items!

Blank journal pages won’t seem so daunting when you know exactly what to write on them. The list will probably help you have some sort of order to your diary too. You may start with a destination wishlist, then all the important booking details, followed by a day-by-day itinerary. If you are creating more of a travel bullet journal then you will divide these up into spreads and collections. 

Write during your travels

There is no set way to write a travel diary. If you are creative you may want to add drawings or write as though you are telling a friend all about the destination. Or you may just like to list down important things you want to remember in bullet form. Don’t overlook recording all the small details, as those are the ones you are more likely to forget. How something smells, or how a site made you feel.

Collect things that interest you, or spark a memory and stick them into your travel journal straight away

This can be boarding passes, menus, tickets, a food wrapper or anything you feel like.

Get into the habit of journaling every day

Setting a particular time to journal ( like at breakfast about the previous day) or just before bed, is a good way to make sure you remember to write in your diary. It can be amazing how quickly places and sites can get jumbled in your mind, especially if you have a busy travel itinerary.

Write a post-trip entry

This is a great way to really wrap up what you thought about a destination, how it might have changed you or helped you to grow. It’s also a great way to see if there are any changes you would make to your traveling style or planning.

If you are struggling to think of things to write in your travel diary here are some journaling prompts that may help.

The Best Travel Journals

Have a think about how you are going to use your travel diary before you purchase one.

• If you are thinking more of a travel bullet journal you will want a dotted notebook like a leuchtturm bullet journal

• If you want a Travelers notebook that does it all then take a look at a M oleskine travel journal .   This book has a mix of lined, plain and dotted pages which makes it the  best travel notebook.

Travel Journal Supplies

HP Sprocket

Find one HERE

Polaroid Camera

It’s so much fun to take an imagine and see it appear before your eyes. They are also wonderful for making friends as you can take a photo and gift it to people as you travel. 

Find great prices for Polaroid cameras HERE

Make sure you take good quality pens with you to get great results in your Travel diary. Here are some of my favorites.

• Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliners
• Tombow Twintone Pens

Find glue tape HERE

Travel quotes to add to your journal

The Best Travel Quotes

Travel Journey Quotes

 The Best Travel Journal Ideas

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An introduction to the tour diary.

Hey, ho! Let's go! So, what is this Tour Diary thing? I'll try to keep it sort. When I started brainstorming about what I'd want Out of Medium to be, I always envisioned a collective of people, sharing thoughts, ideas, art. Creating merchandise and, as our friends at OneTwoSix Clothing say, MEMORIES. Ιt's a fundamental part of life to share knowledge, stories, memories, drinking a couple of beers and reminiscing the old days. This is what the Tour Diary is about. We reach out to people to have them write a story down, and share it with all of you. A funny story from a tour. A memorable meeting at the backstage of a festival. An "I-definitely-cant-and-never-forget-that-day" story. Who will those people be? People you've seen on and off stage at an underground live show. Musicians, technicians, roadies, promoters, you name it. It might even be you! ;) You think you got a cool story? We are all ears! Send us a message at [email protected] and we'll take it from there. Sit back, crack a cold one and enjoy. -Stef Photo by Matassos Photography  at Fuzztastic Planet Festival , 2014

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What Is a Travel Diary?

A travel diary is an individual's record of his or her travels. This may be kept in a personal journal or diary and only read by the individual, or it may be kept online in a blog format. The individual may then share the travel diary with his or her friends and family, or with anyone else who wants to visit the web site and read about the individual's travels. Many people keep travel diaries so they better remember all the details of the trip, and keep track of where they have been, particularly if they are frequent travelers.

There is no right or wrong way to keep a travel diary. Some people just buy a simple, pocket sized notebook and jot down basic notes throughout their trip. Others will buy a designated travel journal, some of which even include specific writing prompts, and write lengthy descriptions for each day or special event of the trip. When journaling in any form, it is important not to get bogged down in the way it is "supposed" to be done, and just write in the way that seems the most natural. No matter how many notes an individual chooses to take on a trip, it will still serve as a helpful reminder for the different things that happened while traveling.

It is not necessary to just stick to text in a travel diary. Many come with places to insert photos, or may include a pocket for other memorabilia as well, such as ticket stubs or concert programs. Keeping all the memorabilia from a trip in one place is a great way to revisit it later, and many people choose to combine a travel diary and a photo album into one, making a sort of travel scrapbook . This is another thing that is great to share with other people.

Keeping a travel diary on a web site can be a great way to connect with other people who are interested in traveling, or to share adventures with friends and family who may live far away. It is easy to upload photos to a web site as well, to make it even more descriptive. Individuals can choose whether they want to protect the web site with a password, and only make it accessible to certain people. Alternatively, a public travel blog makes the information open to anyone. If keeping a travel blog online, be sure to back it up regularly just in case, to be sure all the travel memories are not lost.

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Related Articles

• What Is an Exchange Diary?
• What Is Travel Writing?
• What is a General Journal?
• What is a Trade Journal?
• What is a Travelogue?

Discussion Comments

Post your comments.

• By: PicciaNeri Journaling should be done in a natural way.
• By: slast20 A person may keep a travel diary when visiting foreign places.
• By: Photographee.eu Some people choose to combine a travel diary and a photo album into one, making a sort of travel scrapbook.
• By: Sailorr Writing in a travel diary is one way to pass the time on a long flight.
• By: spvvk Travel diaries may focus on the feelings and sensations a person experiences at new locations.
• By: George Dolgikh Travel diaries may be published online as a blog.
• By: Massimo Travel diaries might focus on different adventures and activities a person might do while traveling.
• By: theartofphoto Travel diaries can help people collect their thoughts while visiting new destinations.

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[ dahy - uh -ree ]

Synonyms: chronicle , log , daybook , journal

• a book or pad containing pages marked and arranged in calendar order, in which to note appointments and the like.

/ ˈdaɪərɪ /

• a personal record of daily events, appointments, observations, etc
• a book for keeping such a record

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Word history and origins.

Origin of diary 1

Example Sentences

Like an undercover operative, Graham Greene mined his diaries, letters and interviews with misinformation to foil literary snoops.

There are other methods of teasing out social connectivity beyond diaries and cellphone data.

There are other methods of teasing out social connectivity beyond diaries and cell-phone data.

All along, she has made videos at home, which feel like a diary of her pain and endurance.

A nice notebook or diary is a great gift for just about anyone.

Her experiences are recorded in a prison diary in which she has visions that have significance for the whole community.

She and her family arrived in Lebanon on Oct. 17, 2012, at 1:34 p.m.—she marked it in her diary.

Here, again, Angleton comes into the picture: In exchange for the diary, he promised Ben and Tony, he would destroy it.

In Berlin, Princess Blucher wrote in her diary, “Nothing is talked of but the expected entry into Paris.”

In his new book, ‘OZ Diary,’ Zahm explores 10 years of his life and art.

My memory is well stored, but unfortunately I have never kept a diary or commonplace book of any kind.

Confiding these matters to his "Diary" and keeping his own opinion, Mr. Adams passed on to Philadelphia.

This was noticeable in many ways, among others his passion for keeping a diary.

About the close of the seventies Tchaikovsky started a new diary, which he kept for about ten years.

Things which he never had set down in his diary—things which he did not tell to any one save his few friends.

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Deaner’s Tour Diaries: A Murky Brown Glimpse Into WEEN History

Mickey Melchiondo uses social media to provide fans with a peek into his incredibly raw journal entries chronicling the band’s 2000 White Pepper tour

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Last month’s WEEN dates in Troutdale, Oregon were ones for the books.  The band tossed a couple of highly sought after deep cuts like “ The Rift ” (first time ever played live) and “ Kim Smoltz ” (only the 8th time played) into a pair of incredibly solid setlists, over their two night run at McMenamins unique 74-acre Edgefield property — the brewery/restaurant chain’s hotel on the premises is a former poor house and nursing home.  But beyond how it looked on paper, or even how tremendous it may sound on the recordings, it was the energy of those shows that truly stood out.  WEEN has a fairly divisive fan base, with many of the fans themselves even being split on their views about the scene and how it has evolved over the band’s 30-plus year career, which took them from a pair of friends — Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo and Aaron “Gene Ween” Freeman — meeting in a Jr High typing class in the town of New Hope, PA ; recording on 4-tracks; and performing wherever possible, as a duo backed by a DAT machine; to becoming a 5-piece major touring act playing mind-blowing 3-hour concerts in sold out venues across the globe.  That growth and evolution hasn’t only manifested itself by sheer numbers and a broadening demographic pouring in to make fans feel as if their little world may have over expanded and distanced them from their heroes, but also in a way that has demonstrated somewhat of a division within the group itself.  Since reuniting in 2016 , after a 4-year hiatus, wherein Freeman searched within himself to successfully/courageously address his substance abuse issues, there has often felt as if there were two separate factions within WEEN : one with Gener , who comes out on stage and handles his business admirably each night, before retreating to his own separate quarters, and one with everyone else, who continues to work together on side projects and hang out together.  At The Edgefield , they finally felt like a genuinely cohesive unit again, for the first time since the reunion.  It was tangible and capped off with an encore that found the brothers WEEN performing alone together on stage as a duo again. They took it back to the roots and it was beautiful.

Based on comments heard throughout the weekend, as well as those which have followed online, since, this is the general feeling that permeated throughout much of the hardcore fanbase that was in attendance, but it turns out that not everyone’s experience centers around the magic of that unity emanating from the stage.  I recently read a review of the second night show that was written by a friend of mine who has a more limited experience with the group.  He praised their live show, but was taken aback by a crowd that overwhelmed him with attendees that he interpreted as drunk, douchie bros.  Do I doubt that there were some that accurately met that description around him?  Nope.  In fact, I’m convinced of it.  But that’s definitely not the scene that I experienced this time around, and I’m one of the most cynical motherfuckers around.  What I saw was a tightly knit community of fans built around their love of the group and their music.  One woman handed me a WEEN pin, while I was in the photo pit, which I later gave to my son.  Her and the other people on the rail formed one of the most welcoming and considerate front sections of any crowd that I’ve ever experienced at a rock show.  But what stood out the most was seeing fans collect donations to help support suicide prevention and awareness in the name of a recently passed member of the WEEN community named Grant Rozmarin , who lost his own battle with depression back on June 9th , shortly after the band’s performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado .

Grant was an invaluable member of the community as the man behind the Boognish Monster YouTube channel dedicated to the group’s music, as well as co-administrating the incredibly popular WEEN Appreciation Society Facebook group, which was thriving even during the 4 years that the project was inactive, reinforcing the incredible resilience of their work and signaling to the band the extent of the thriving support of those who have continued to be affected by it.  WAS gained enough momentum that Melchiondo actually stepped in to become an administrator himself, and he frequently pops in to communicate with fans and provide inside scoops.  It’s that genuine connection to the fans that has always been at the core of what they do and, just like with MIckey ‘s short-lived “ Warm Wet Stream ”  UStream channel, his actions through the group have demonstrated how much he truly enjoys sharing behind the scenes details and inside information with those who truly appreciate his life’s work.  One of the most rewarding things that he’s offered up are excerpts from his hilarious tour diaries.  No matter what your stance is on it, the band’s evolution is embedded in their identity and, while many of us might believe that, in a just world, WEEN should be one of the most widely recognized and generously compensated acts currently operating in the world today, all signs point to the fact that this is rarely a “just world.”   Deaner ‘s tour diaries provide a murky dark brown view of what the experience was like for the men on a mission from Boognish and it’s something that only endears them further with those that love them.

Today, Mickey threw up a post in the WAS group that features a condensed, yet healthy, chunk of diary entries.  Although he didn’t specify, it seems pretty clear that these offerings reference the band’s summer tour from 2000 , while promoting the White Pepper album.  I especially like seeing the 2 Seattle Showbox dates referenced, as those were my first ever WEEN shows.  After being a fan for years, it was seeing them live that really brought my appreciation of their musicianship to a brand new height.  One security guard who worked those concerts recently referenced them by telling me “ Night one we kicked out 45 people, night two, 35 .”

If you are a WEEN fan — and even if you aren’t — these are fucking gold.  As for the fact that the European tour wasn’t listed chronologically after the one in the states… I’m not sure why that was done, but I’ve chosen not to adjust that and simply left it as Deaner originally posted them.  In the super early days of his youth, MIckey used to make a zine, and this is just further evidence of his writing skills being on point and compelling.  But… you’ll see what I mean.  You can peep all of this out for yourself below.  I hope you enjoy getting close 2 the fantasy .  I know that we do.

Old condensed tour diaries:

Japan/europe tour synopsis.

8/5 Osaka/Summersonic Festival: Osaka Japan (Stage 2) A whole day of traveling to get to Japan, only to play for 50 minutes in front of a crowd of about 900. the rest split to watch WEEZER on the main stage. After the show we had to drive all night to get to Mt. Fuji to play for another 45 minutes.

8/6 Fuji/Summersonic Festival: Osaka Japan (Stage 2) This festival was at the base of Mt. Fuji, maybe one of the prettiest venues in the world. Of course the second stage was in a gymnasium, with about 900 people there. The other 30,000 people were watching WEEZER on the main stage. I guess we’ll have to wait to conquer Japan. Our attempts to find some Geisha girls to shave our nuts never panned out either . 8/18 Bizarre Festival: Dutch Border-Germany (Main Stage) A pretty good festival featuring Beck, Foo Fighters, and others. It was professionally filmed for German t.v. and we actually played really well.

8/19 Highfields Festival: Erfurt-East Germany (Main Stage) This show was in the former East Germany alongside a lake. Got to see the new Rollins Band who were one of the best bands I’ve seen all year. These festival setlists were about 50 minutes, not enough time for us to suck or kick ass…we played pretty well tho, i hope.

8/20 Hamburg Trabrennbahn Festival: Germany (Stage 2) I think this was the one at a racetrack, they all sorta blend together. The festival experience kinda blows, and after 3 days we had seen enough. Little porta-johns, lousy food, muddy fields, no soundcheck, shitty music on 4 or 5 stages simultaneously, nothin to do but drink yourself into a coma. I wouldn’t care if we ever played these shits again. Unfortunately, this night marked the birth of a really brown situation. While driving from this festival to Berlin, the 12 cd changer in our tourbus broke while loaded with our discs. Our bus was a British made piece of crap, which deserved to be burned to the ground. Claude, in a an alcohol induced moment of clarity, decided that he was getting the discs back at any cost. so with the help of his swiss army knife, he dismantled the stereo, leaving a pile of broken plastic and simulated walnut grain vinyl on the floor of the bus. Our bus driver (who shall remain nameless) took this a little too personally. This kinda thing happens a lot on tour and is usually resolved by the band paying for whatever damage they’ve done. Not this time though, as you will see by reading on.

8/22 Berlin Arena (with Foo Fighters) The “Berlin Arena” sounds really nice doesn’t it? It was an empty hangar, (or warehouse) with big puddles of water on the floor. Probably could hold 12,000 people. As you can imagine, it sounded like shit, the Foo Fighters fans hated us, and we really didn’t give a flying fuck. Someone smashed out the tail light lenses on our bus, and despite our denials, our bus driver seemed absolutely positive that it had to be one of us who did this. All communication between band and driver ceased after Berlin, except when Aaron would address him….. in a poor British accent. On top of all this, Paul Monahan dislocated his knee while loading out. All the doctors gave him were muscle relaxers, much to my disapointment…I ate them anyway, but they didn’t do shit.

8/23 Malmo, Sweden/KB Club This is such a beautiful place. All the women are blonde and perfect, and all the men were strong healthy aryan specimens. After 7 months of touring, our ragged, sorry ass collection of jews, negroes, and white trash, alcoholic, drug addicts came limping into this place on our broken-ass bus. 70 people showed up for the gig and we kicked their ass all over the place for 3 hours. Next up was a 24 hour drive back to England to play the esteemed Reading Festival, which would be headlined by OASIS. Here’s where it gets really chocolatey.

8/25 Reading Festival: UK (Stage 2 Marquee) 24 hours on a bus sucks, no matter what your final destination. When you’re going to England, on a bus with no music, with a driver who hates you, to a festival packed to the gills with shitty bands, with diesel fumes blowing out of the vents into your bunk,it can have a devastating effect on the morale of a tour. We had just taken the ferry from Belgium back over to Dover, England and we had about 3 and a half hours to get to our hotel in Redhill where we would rest before the Reading Festival. I had eaten a bunch of some girl’s menstrual cramp medicine with a lot of vodka and passed out in the upstairs lounge in front of the tv watching “Men in Black” when the bus suddenly stopped on the side of the road. Our driver had seen enough of Ween apparently, and called the police on his cell phone to meet him at a pre-determined location. He came into the back of the bus and the dialogue went something like this. “The police are here,get your shit and get the fuck off me bus…..” The cocksucker had called the police and left us on the side of the road. In retrospect, this was probably a smart move on his part for 2 reasons. 1) where I come from, this is justifiable cause for a complete beatdown, and the police probably saved his life…and 2) we were seriously considering setting the bus on fire at the end of the “tour.” Fortunately, the hotel was only a short distance away, and it was agreed between the police, driver, and Paulie (our tour manager) that the driver would drive our equipment to a rest area and wait for a new bus company to come get our shit. Dave Dreiwitz took pictures of this whole fiasco, I’ll try and post them soon. Our new bus driver was named Uncle Mattie and he was about 7 feet tall. We got along great, altho this bus wasn’t allowed to pull a trailer, which forced us to finish the tour with the equipment on the bus…in the aisles. Oh yeah, the Reading Festival sucked balls, and our new bus broke down 10 miles outside the festival on the first day. The poopship was now in full effect, with it’s coordinates firmly locked on any unfortunate motherfucker who would cross our path.

8/26 Pukklepop: Belgium (Stage 2) Nice festival, too bad we sucked. I’’m into the word Puklepop though. 8/27 Lowlands: Amsterdam (Golf Stage) Sometime in the night, the bus arrived at our hotel in the middle of nowhere in Holland. Unbeknownst to me, there weren’t enough rooms for all of us, and I was passed out in my bunk. Not wanting to wake me up (because there wasn’t a room for me anyhow) Paulie decided to let me stay asleep on the bus. I woke up at like 4:30 am and decided to check into my room. The front desk receptionist didn’t have a key for me, didn’t speak English, and all I wanted at this point was a bed and a shower. I found an open door to a room where someone had checked out and passed out there. Well, Paulie never checked my bunk the next day and left without me for the festival. I woke up in Dunkelmoidel, Holland (or some such shit) and the bus was gone. I had no money, no clothes, and no information about where I was supposed to be. So I sat in the lobby until those bastards got to the gig and realized they had left me somewhere. Eventually someone came back for me and we played probably the best festival set we’ve ever done for about 15,000 appreciative fans. It was totally fueled by frustration and hatred. You can listen to some of this gig by clicking here.

8/28 Leeds Festival: UK (Stage 2) The Leeds festival is basically the same as the Reading Festival, just in a different muddy field in the North of England. Saw the awesome American punk band AMEN, who kicked everyone’s ass on this day. Their singer, who was a really sweet guy, had a broken ankle and was kind enough to give me some Percocet which made me feel a lot better for a couple of hours.

8/30 Amsterdam: Paradiso Our triumphant return to Amsterdam, this show was sold out in advance and really went off well. Great, rowdy audience, which is uncommon in Holland, although I felt like at least half the crowd were Americans. I finally went to the Van Gogh museum, after 15 visits to this city. Did all the usual misbehaving which is expected on a visit to this town.

8/31 Wiesen Festival, Austria It’s a long fucking drive from Amsterdam to Austria with no days off. We were 6 hrs.late and arrived just in time to set up our shit and play… between the Deftones and Blink 182. Needless to say, the crowd hated us…and it took about 2 minutes into our set for me to get hit with the first beer can. This trend continued for the duration of our performance and climaxed with me getting hit in the face with a full cup of liquid during “The Blarney Stone.” At first I thought it was human piss, but it was cold enough where I realized that it was probably just beer. You assholes can suck my New Jersey dick.

9/1 Winterthur City Festival, Switzerland A storybook little town in Switzerland, this festival was in the street. it was pretty enough to be on a postcard. There were only 3 bands, us, Boss Hog, and a local band. This was a lot of fun, and reminded me a lot of what I used to like about touring Europe.

9/2 Munich: Elserhalle A really nice, new club that provided us with some of the best food we had on this tour. I asked the promoter if he could get me any painkillers and he went out and bought me a bottle of Aspirin. Other than that, it was a great gig.

9/5 Stuttgart: Longhorn We had 2 days off in Stuttgart. Not Paris, not Switzerland, Stuttgart. Mick Preston and I wanted to take the train into town to shoot some pool, but the bitch at the front desk gave us bullshit instructions, so instead we took the train North into the middle of Germany. The cab ride back cost us 90 marks. As an experiment, (and out of laziness) I recycled our setlist from Pomona, California for this show and it ruled a second time.

9/6 Paris: La Bulle Noir For some reason, we have only played in Paris one other time, opening for NoMeansNo back in 1990. This small club was sold out and we played one of our best gigs of the year. Hopefully it won’t take 10 years for us to come back to France. Met Emanuel, the dude who publishes “Weenbeat” fanzine, a magazine dedicated to us. We missed the fuel strike by 10 hours, enough time for us to get the hell out of France. Back to jolly old England to finish this hellish tour.

9/7 London: Astoria The British press have never had a kind word to say about Ween. For some reason tho, White Pepper has been different. Our gig was sold out in advance, like 2,250 people who gave it up 100 percent for us. I got hit in the face with ice on the first tune, and beer cans rained down on us throughout the whole show. Apparently, this has replaced “gobbing” as an act of appreciation by the British audience. Hopefully next time we come to England we’ll have our shit cannons in working order so we can return your gratitude. Catch the vapors, I’m going home.

American Tour Synopsis pt. 2

6/16 City Fair: Kansas City, MO Flew from Los Angeles to K.C. after doing our video and I got on the plane with a godammn throat infection. Well my ears never popped on the descent into Kansas City and I couldn’t hear too much for a couple weeks. had to go to a doctor, who told me that my hearing is that of your average 65 year old person…. said i should start wearing ear plugs onstage but i set him straight and told him that was for fags. standing onstage playing, felt like I was listening to the band from the bottom of a swimming pool. great gig tho and a cool venue outside in the middle of an open air market.

6/17 The Ranch Bowl: Omaha NE This gig was in a bowling alley bar…not the nicest place we ever played but for some reason it was one of the better gigs we’ve played. I don’t remember too much more other than it kicked ass.

6/18 Ogden Theater: Denver CO Probably the rowdiest crowd we’ve ever played to, and that’s the truth. this shit was out of control. ‘N Sync were staying at our hotel and there were little girls camped out in front of the place for the whole 3 days we were there. I think our lighting guy fucked one of them in the ass.

6/19 Ogden Theater: Denver CO I think this was a good gig too, but I’m pretty sure the first night was better. We played different tunes both nights anyway. Played golf with Jkeats and took his money.

6/22 Vogue Theater: Vancouver BC, CAN A pretty big show for us…sold out way in advance. I think we played pretty well…can’t be sure though. Drank too much, etc.

6/23 and 6/24 Showbox: Seattle We played Seattle on the night that Experience Music Project thing that that computer guy opened, or something. These shows ruled….2 sold out nights…..we got very dark in this town. There were great shows happening all over this city to celebrate the opening of the museum. i enjoyed the hell out of both of these shows.

6/25 Crystal Ballroom: Portland OR This was a really interesting venue and a great show. i guess they finally closed down La Luna, but we should’ve played 2 nights. i love the northwest.

6/27 Warfield Theatre: San Francisco CA Had a great stay in san francisco, got to jam with my friend jon weiss and bill, the old bass player from faith no more on our night off. mick preston, our roadie, saved a little girl’s life at our hotel when she fell into the pool and sunk to the bottom while her mom was drunk -not paying attention. it was like 50 degrees outside and he saw this kid wander over the side into the pool, jumped in with all his clothes and boots on. the hotel replaced his cell phone and all his shit…pretty heroic stuff for a dirty douchebag like mick. as far as the show goes, the warfield is a great venue and they treat us well every time. that being said, this show never really seemed to click. maybe our expectations were really high or something but i came away from this one pretty frustrated. what i’m really trying to say is that i thought we sucked.

6/29 the Palace: Los Angeles CA Got to go see a dodgers game, what a beautiful stadium…makes veterans stadium look like the toilet that it really is. jim leyritz hit a pinch hit 2 out double in the bottom of the ninth to win the game, pretty exciting. the south park guys opened this show for us with their band DVDA and they ruled. “Everybody Loves Crack” was my personal favorite. Also, the Queens of the Stone Age guys were all there so we had a nice reunion with our old touring buddies. The gig was good but short because of a dance night curfew, a problem that we seem to encounter a little too often.

6/30 the Glass House, Pomona, CA Earlier in this day we played a drunken punk rock set at Benway Records in Venice….lotta weird tunes we haven’t played in a long time but it was a total blast. amazingly enough, we recovered in time to have an awesome show out in Pomona. The venue was really strange, no alcohol or smoking on the premises, very un-rock and roll. I have no idea why the best gigs occur in these strange places, but that’s the way it seems to work. overall, one of the best days of music on the whole tour.

7/1 House of Blues, Las Vegas NV This was a really fun show, altho i’d like to play somewhere a little scummier next time. the best sounding stage monitors i’ve ever heard in my life. after this gig i lost 400 bucks playing blackjack before i managed to win it all back plus an additional 200 bucks at around 4 am…took the whole damn night though. Saw Hoover Dam while driving to the next gig….i was all kinds of fucked up at the time though.

7/2 Alice Cooperstown, Phoenix AZ Asweltering hot gig….i thought i was gonna melt….i’m ready to play somewhere else next time….this is basically a sports bar with Alice Cooper’s name on it; you play outside in the courtyard. All the employees wear Alice Cooper eye makeup….gay. don’t get me wrong, they were nice to us and all…but whatever.

7/3 Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque NM Got to hang out with my close friend and partner Dickie Moist (Guy Heller) who’s band “The Voodoo Junkies” opened up the show with a great set. Last year when we played here we had the famous lactating girl incident…that didn’t happen this time but it was still a really rowdy show. Everything went smoothly.

7/5 Will Rogers Center, Oklahoma City, OK Had 2 days off here, for the 4th of July. someone gave me a bunch of quaaludes…not exactly the most social drug. 3 of us ate them….one of us woke up in the garden in front of the hotel surrounded by security…..i peed on the air conditioner in the hotel room thinking it was the toilet….and the other guy smartly passed out in private. watched the fireworks from the roofside pool at the hotel under the close eye of some hotel security dick who kinda sensed something bad about to happen. i wanted to write “Used Ass Towels” on the hamper that said “Used Towels” by the pool…spent way too much time trying to figure out how to do it without this guy seeing it. At the time it seemed hillarious. the show the next day was a lot of fun……went back with some kids to a house party and deejayed for a while with our tour buddy johnny.

7/6 Gypsy Tea Room: Dallas TX Texas usually means trouble…and this was no exception. had a great sold out sweltering gig…i like this venue more than the places we usually play. got horribly, heinously drunk (yawn) and followed our dallas friends to a small after hours “club.” the rest is a haze…..i think we had fun….austin was hanging overhead though.

7/7 and 7/8 Stubbs: Austin TX What can you say, this is the coolest venue in the world, with the coolest staff, in one of the best music towns in the world. we played to almost 5,000 people over 2 nights, pretty much double the amount of people we can draw in any other city. the shows were a blast, there were girls all over the stage, and people were overly generous in giving us their drugs. if we ever make another live record it will almost definitely be recorded at stubb’s. these few days were capped off by us getting to meet and hang out with curt kirkwood of the meat puppets, one of my all time favorite guitarists.

7/10 House of Blues: New Orleans LA Sin city…….i always love to go to this town, although if i were smart i’d probably never go back……we’ve made a lot of friends in new orleans…..i think that’s part of the problem. 

there’s something magical about this city, if you’ve ever been there then you know what i’m talking about. the gig was great…..i think.

7/12 5 Pts South Music Hall, Birmingham AL Blame new orleans, blame me, i don’t know, we got pretty drunk on tequilla before ever playing a note…..i think we probably sucked but i’m not sure.

7/14 Cow Haus, Tallahassee, FL Shit haus

7/15 Jannus Landing: St. Petersburg FL I love this place…it’s a cool outdoor venue in a weird sorta courtyard. last year it rained buckets during our gig, but this time the weather held on for us. went swimming in the gulf at like 5am with a bunch of friends while a bunch of freaks partied in my hotel room. the gig was one of my faves, helped by the beautiful girls dancing onstage. this was one of the better shows for sure.

7/16 Hard Rock Live: Orlando FL Ifigured that his show was either gonna rule or totally blow after seeing the venue and where it was. it’s shaped like the roman colloseum and it’s inside universal city in orlando, which is exactly like playing in disneyworld. the stage was a half mile long and they gave aaron a wireless microphone, which ended up being a key part of this show’s success. this was a blast….one of the illest shows in one of the most conservative environments. we played a really long “lmlyp” and most of the audience was onstage for the duration. afterwards, they took us up to the special “john lennon room” and “beatles” room and showed us their private collection of beatles shit, including one of john’s white pianos. pretty godammn cool.

7/17 the Chili Pepper: Ft. Lauderdale FL Aaron got too drunk to…..walk…but somehow managed to channel it all into something gloriously horrible for our “concert”. i’d apologize for the 50 minute “poopship destroyer” but somehow i think you deserve it for living in ft. lauderdale.

7/19 40 Watt Club: Athens GA We’ve been playing this club for years and always have a good time. hotter than a motherfucker in this place…..can’t think of much more….a good show.

7/20 Moose’s: Knoxville, TN Ate a lot of chicken wings before and after this show ….jay dubbya came onstage and sang “war pigs” which kinda dwarfed everything else we played this night.

7/21 Metropol: Pittsburgh, PA After months of hard touring we thought we’d reward ourselves by finishing the tour in knoxville and pittsburgh…jesus. show got cut short because of gay dance night or something. next time we go to pittsburgh we should book the gig into a urinal at the bus station, which would be a step up.

7/23 Wellfleet Beachcomber, Cape Cod MA Igot us this gig through an e-mail from the guy who books the club…so i guess the internet is good for something after all. this was basically our “end of tour party” and we had a blast playing this small beach bar out on the cape. i went to take a leak behind the club during our set and 3 skunks started running circles around my feet…in all the excitement i stepped in a puddle of dave dreiwitz’s piss in my bare feet. i was too drunk to care anyway. a good time for sure, i’d play there again anyday.

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