my travel journal essay

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 .

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Find a tour or experience on Get Your Guide .

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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.

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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 .

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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Travel Journal Examples & Sample Pages

Posted on Published: January 13, 2018  - Last updated: March 31, 2023

When I took the plunge to downsize a few years ago, I promised myself that I would see more of the world. Initially, I was turned off to the idea of solo travel,  so I put my travel plans to the side. That was two years ago. In the time since, I’ve grown in my ability to navigate unfamiliar spaces and, through following a few solo travel blogs, warmed to the idea of solo travel and visited over a dozen countries on solo adventures.

In April of 2017, I began planning my first solo journey- 25 days that summer in Italy, Croatia, and Bosnia. At some point, as I dreamed about travel and adventures, I began to imagine what it might be like to honor my artist self with something that all classically trained artists receive: a chance to study the masters.

I dreamed, cautiously, of spending hours in museums during my trip, sitting in front of the iconic work of the masters and translating their work into my style. I did this with caution because, as anyone can tell, I’m not a classical artist. Realism in art defies me, and I was acutely aware of the exposure that sketching in a museum carries. Could I bring the courage I’d need to sit in some of the best museums in the world, before works of the masters, and doodle? Cautiously, I packed my bags, created a travel art kit, and set off on my journey.

DAY 1. Michelangelo’s David At Gallery Academia

I intentionally planned my days without an itinerary, so I had the freedom to wander, to bask, or to explore. On my first full day of my trip, I was in Florence, and the only thing on my to-do list was to make it to the Academia Gallery by days end. Academia was built specifically to house their most famous piece- Michelangelo’s David sculpture.

It was at this gallery that I discovered the best part about solo travel as an artist- the freedom to really pause and take in great art. Without having to be sensitive to a partners interest or boredom, I could sit for hours with David- and I did. After some study and some people watching I went to work on this little doodle.

I had so much fun doing this sketched that when I stumbled onto Logia Del Lanzi later that day, I sat and doodled one of those ancient sculptures as well:

DAY 2. Botticelli’s “Birth Of Venus” At Uffizi Gallery 

Cruelly, Uffizi did not provide benches with a view of this piece, but I was able to stand with it for a time, studying, and then snap a photo to sketch her from a bench in a nearby hallway.

It was fun to study this piece as a student of psychology and someone doing a lot of personal work in the area of body image currently. Renaissance art bodies are so beautiful to behold, and great reminders. Here’s how I captioned this shot on Instagram:

Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. It is lovely to be reminded that thigh gaps and flat tummies are a fleeting ideal. This painting was made in a society that thought art should be in service of faith with a very narrow view of what that meant. I love that this image of a round woman’s body was one of the first to say the beauty of bodies, God’s creation is good.

DAY 3.  Florence Parks & Truffle Hunting

On Day 3 I strayed a bit from my “no itinerary” plans and booked an : Air BnB Experience . In a brilliant move on Airbnb’s part, in my opinion, they are using their network of local hosts as a source from which to curate local guides. Only available in limited cities at the time of this writing, Airbnb made booking the tour really easy (since I already had an account) and I loved, love, loved that it really was the offer of a memorable “experience” instead of an information-based tour.   Of the three day tours I joined during my 3 week journey, the Airbnb experience was my favorite.

I didn’t actually get the chance to doodle this one until I was in Croatia, and it’s not one of my favorite travel doodles- but it captures the experience- and that’s what my travel art journal was all about. The journal gave me space to capture what stood out about the experience- the texture of a truffle, our guide and his dog, and the views as we hiked through the Tuscan hills overlooking Florence. Space left for text allowed me to record a few things I learned about truffles.

You can read more about my adventure truffle hunting in Italy on my post about it .

Buildings of Florence

Florence was my first opportunity to use my doodling to collect a record of the places I visited, not just the art I saw, through recording streets and buildings.

A partially-finished painting of the street where I stayed in Florence

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Architecture is a point of interest for anyone visiting Italy, and the not-very-popular but still beautiful Piazza Del Liberta was a great spot to sit in the cool of the evening and practice architectural doodles. This turned out to be the first of many architectural doodles during the trip, but it’s still one of my favorites. I kept a separate hardcover booklet of heavy watercolor paper  in my pack for these kind of watercolors.

There and Back: Italy on the Return

My trip began and ended in Italy, with two weeks of exploring Croatia and Bosnia in the middle. On the return trip to Italy, I spent four days in Rome.

In Rome, I got to doodle Carravagio’s “Inspiration of St Matthew”. (Which turned out weirdly like a bible themed coloring page- but ok, everything is a learning process)

By the time I reached Rome I was so tired, but the doodles I made time for were lovely ways to remember what I saw during my solo time in Italy.

City Scapes and Overlooks

Self Portraits as a Traveler

Journal accent pages.

Fountains and Structures of Rome

In Rome more so than Florence, it was the architecture rather than the galleries that demanded most of my awe.

And the Iconic Trevi Fountain, too grand to capture in its fullness so represented in my doodle of a side portion of the fountain

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Lynli Roman’s unique approach to travel is informed by decades of experience on the road with a traveling family and, later, years spent as a solo international traveler. When she’s not writing about Seattle from her Pike Place Market apartment, Lynli writes on-location while conducting hands-on research in each destination she covers. Lynli’s writing has been featured by MSN, ABC Money, Buzzfeed, and Huffington Post. She is passionate about sharing information that makes travel more accessible for all bodies.

Sunday 14th of January 2018

so lovely to see them all collated :) . any chance you might share your info/discoveries/ sources on single person travel?

Thursday 18th of January 2018

Thanks for your comment! This is my art blog and I have a blog about non-art stuff, like solo travel, over at wanderbig.com I've written about some of my adventures traveling as a single person there!

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Write a Good Travel Essay. Please.

Kathleen Boardman

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Editor’s Note: We know that many of you are looking for help writing travel experience essays for school or simply writing about a trip for your friends or family. To inspire you and help you write your next trip essay—whether it’s an essay about a trip with family or simply a way to remember your best trip ever (so far)—we enlisted the help of Professor Kathleen Boardman, whose decades of teaching have helped many college students learn the fine art of autobiography and life writing. Here’s advice on how to turn a simple “my best trip” essay into a story that will inspire others to explore the world.

Welcome home! Now that you’re back from your trip, you’d like to share it with others in a travel essay. You’re a good writer and a good editor of your work, but you’ve never tried travel writing before. As your potential reader, I have some advice and some requests for you as you write your travel experience essay.

Trip Essays: What to Avoid

Please don’t tell me everything about your trip. I don’t want to know your travel schedule or the names of all the castles or restaurants you visited. I don’t care about the plane trip that got you there (unless, of course, that trip is the story).

I have a friend who, when I return from a trip, never asks me, “How was your trip?” She knows that I would give her a long, rambling answer: “… and then … and then … and then.” So instead, she says, “Tell me about one thing that really stood out for you.” That’s what I’d like you to do in this travel essay you’re writing.

The Power of Compelling Scenes

One or two “snapshots” are enough—but make them great. Many good writers jump right into the middle of their account with a vivid written “snapshot” of an important scene. Then, having aroused their readers’ interest or curiosity, they fill in the story or background. I think this technique works great for travel writing; at least, I would rather enjoy a vivid snapshot than read through a day-to-day summary of somebody’s travel journal.

Write About a Trip Using Vivid Descriptions

Take your time. Tell a story. So what if you saw things that were “incredible,” did things that were “amazing,” observed actions that you thought “weird”? These words don’t mean anything to me unless you show me, in a story or a vivid description, the experience that made you want to use those adjectives.

I’d like to see the place, the people, or the journey through your eyes, not someone else’s. Please don’t rewrite someone else’s account of visiting the place. Please don’t try to imitate a travel guide or travelogue or someone’s blog or Facebook entry. You are not writing a real travel essay unless you are describing, as clearly and honestly as possible, yourself in the place you visited. What did you see, hear, taste, say? Don’t worry if your “take” on your experience doesn’t match what everyone else says about it. (I’ve already read what THEY have to say.)

The Importance of Self-Editing Your Trip Essay

Don’t give me your first draft to read. Instead, set it aside and then reread it. Reread it again. Where might I need more explanation? What parts of your account are likely to confuse me? (After all, I wasn’t there.) Where might you be wasting my time by repeating or rambling on about something you’ve already told me?

Make me feel, make me laugh, help me learn something. But don’t overdo it: Please don’t preach to me about broadening my horizons or understanding other cultures. Instead, let me in on your feelings, your change of heart and mind, even your fear and uncertainty, as you confronted something you’d never experienced before. If you can, surprise me with something I didn’t know or couldn’t have suspected.

You Can Do It: Turning Your Trip into a Great Travel Experience Essay

I hope you will take yourself seriously as a traveler and as a writer. Through what—and how—you write about just a small portion of your travel experience, show me that you are an interesting, thoughtful, observant person. I will come back to you, begging for more of your travel essays.

Take Notes in a Cute Journal

Keep track of all the crucial details- and even the ones you might forget, in a durable and refillable journal.

More from SmarterTravel:

• Genealogy Travel: How to Find Your Family Tree
• The Essential International Packing List
• 9 DIY Ways to Upgrade Economy Class

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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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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 Journal: 100+ Prompts, Ideas, and Tips

• March 30, 2023

Home » Day One Blog » Travel Journal: 100+ Prompts, Ideas, and Tips

Keeping a travel journal can be an incredibly rewarding and transformative experience, whether you’re an avid traveler or someone who’s embarking on a new adventure. From documenting unforgettable memories to fostering personal growth and reflection, a travel journal can be a window into the unique journeys you take in life.

In this guide, we’ve put together an extensive list of 100 travel journal prompts, tips, and ideas to help you create a travel journal that truly captures the essence of your adventures. Get ready to explore new cultures, savor the beauty of the world around you, and create a one-of-a-kind keepsake that will forever be a reminder of your incredible experiences.

What is a Travel Journal?

A travel journal is simply a personal record of your experiences, thoughts, and feelings during your travels. Travel journaling is a wonderful way to document and reflect on your travel experiences, capturing memories of the places you visit, the people you meet, and the adventures you have.

Travel journaling can take various forms, depending on your preferences and needs. You can choose to write in a traditional notebook or sketchbook, or create a digital journal or blog. Some people use their travel journals not only to record their experiences but also to plan their trip, track expenses, and organize important information such as flight details, reservations, and contact information for locals they meet along the way.

Keeping a travel journal can be a valuable tool for reflecting on your travels, preserving memories, and sharing your experiences with others.

10 Convincing Reasons to Keep a Travel Journal

Keeping a travel journal or travel diary offers several benefits, both during the trip and long after your travels have ended. Some of the key reasons to keep a travel journal include:

1. Preserve your memories.

A travel journal helps preserve memories of your experiences, sights, and encounters that might otherwise fade with time. You can look back and reminisce about your adventures, learning from and enjoying them all over again.

2. Be more present.

When you write about your travel experiences in real-time, you tend to be more focused on the present moment. This can help you to be more present and mindful during your travels, and can also improve your memory of the trip.

3. Sharpen your observational skills.

Journaling pushes you to pay closer attention to your surroundings, which can improve your observational and descriptive abilities. This heightened awareness can lead to a more enriching travel experience.

4. Organize your thoughts and experiences.

A travel journal serves as a central location to record important information, such as trip itineraries, contact details, and to-do lists. This can help you stay organized and focused during your travels.

5. Enhance your creativity.

Writing about your experiences encourages creativity and storytelling skills. You can experiment with different writing styles, descriptions, or even drawings to capture the essence of your trip. Since traveling has links to creativity , keeping a travel journal allows you to expand these benefits in both ways.

6. Encourage self-reflection.

Traveling can be a transformative experience, and a travel journal can serve as a tool for self-reflection . Writing about your experiences can help you process your emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and gain insights into yourself and your place in the world.

7. Boost your personal growth.

Recording your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to new experiences can provide insight into your own personal growth and development. You can track how your perspectives and attitudes have evolved over time and learn more about yourself.

8. Reduce stress.

Studies have shown that even short vacations can improve stress levels , and writing in a travel journal can be therapeutic, allowing you to process your emotions and experiences in a healthy way. Travel journaling can also help you work through challenges and setbacks that may arise during your trip.

9. Create a unique keepsake.

A travel journal is a personalized souvenir that tells the story of your adventures. What you write can become a special item to share with friends and family or pass down to future generations.

10. Encourage deeper gratitude and appreciation.

Writing about your experiences while traveling can foster a deeper sense of gratitude for the opportunities and experiences you’ve had, helping you appreciate the journey and the people you’ve met along the way.

What to Write About In A Travel Journal

There are many things you can write about in a travel journal. A travel journal usually involves writing a personal record of your thoughts, feelings, and observations throughout your journey. You can also include details about the food you try, the sights you see, the cultures you encounter, and the emotions you experience.

Here are a few things to write about in a travel journal:

• Daily activities: Write about what you did each day, including any sights you saw, people you met, and activities you participated in.
• Observations: Record your observations of the places you visit, including the landscapes, architecture, and culture.
• Food and drink: Describe the local cuisine and drinks you try, and note any favorites or new discoveries.
• Thoughts and feelings: Reflect on your thoughts and feelings about your experiences, including any challenges, surprises, or moments of joy.
• Cultural insights: Document your learnings about the local culture, customs, and traditions.
• Travel tips: Share any travel tips or advice that may be useful for others planning to visit the same places.
• Accommodations: Write about your accommodations, including any interesting details or experiences you had there.
• Write about the people you meet: Describe the locals, fellow travelers, and any interesting characters you come across. Note any conversations or interactions you have with them.
• Reflect on your growth: Traveling can be a transformative experience, and writing about the ways in which you’ve grown and changed can be a powerful exercise in self-reflection.
• Budget and expenses: Keep track of your expenses and budget, including any unexpected costs or money-saving tips.
• Memorable moments: Jot down any particularly memorable moments from your trip, including those that took you by surprise or left a lasting impression on you.
• Challenges and triumphs: Write about any challenges you faced during your trip, and how you overcame them. Celebrate your triumphs, big and small, and the sense of accomplishment they brought.
• Sights, sounds, and smells: Use all your senses to describe the places you visit. Write about the sights, sounds, smells, and textures that make each destination unique
• Overall impressions: Sum up your overall impressions of each place you visit, including what you liked, what you didn’t like, and what surprised you the most.

13 Tips for Keeping a Travel Journal

Keeping a travel journal can be a great way to document your experiences and memories from your travels. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Find a travel journal that suits your needs.

When choosing a travel journal, consider not only the size and weight but also the durability of the journal. If you plan to carry it with you all the time, it’s best to choose one that can withstand wear and tear. Additionally, think about whether you want a plain notebook or one with prompts and questions to guide your writing. Some journals may have pre-designed sections for you to fill in with information about the places you visit, what you did there, and what you learned.

2. Consider a journal app with travel journal features.

Using a travel journal app like Day One is an excellent way to capture your travel experiences conveniently. You can quickly jot down notes, take pictures, and record your thoughts and feelings, even if you don’t have your physical journal with you. The app’s Map View is especially useful, as it allows you to see where you’ve been and what you’ve done in each location. Plus, if you’re traveling internationally and plan to limit your data usage, Day One will store your entries and uploads locally on your device until you connect to WiFi.

3. Decide on your travel journaling style.

When deciding on your travel journaling style, consider what you want to focus on. Do you want to describe the places you visit in detail, or do you want to focus more on your thoughts and emotions during your travels? Writing daily entries can be a great way to capture everything that happens, but if you prefer to write less frequently, consider making notes of significant events or experiences.

4. Set a journaling goal.

Setting a goal for your travel journal can give you a sense of direction and purpose while writing. Your goal could be as simple as writing in your journal every day during your trip, or more specific, such as recording a unique experience or learning something new about the culture of the places you visit. Create a list of goals before you begin your travels so you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your journal.

5. Slow down.

When traveling, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of new sights and experiences. However, taking the time to slow down and observe your surroundings can help you appreciate the small things that you might otherwise miss. Take a moment to sit down and watch the world go by, or go for a leisurely stroll to take in your surroundings.

6. Include as many details as possible.

Include details such as the names of the places you visit, the foods you eat, and the people you meet. The more specific and detailed your writing is, the more vividly you’ll be able to recall your experiences later.

7. Use your senses.

Using your senses is a powerful way to immerse yourself in your surroundings. Try to pay attention to the smells, sounds, textures, and tastes of the places you visit. Describe the scent of a local market, the sound of a street musician, or the texture of a historic building’s walls. Using your senses to describe your experiences can help bring your travel journal to life.

8. Ask questions.

Asking questions can be an excellent way to learn more about the places you visit. Locals and tour guides can provide valuable insights into the history, culture, and traditions of the places you’re exploring. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations on things to see and do, or for tips on where to find the best local cuisine.

9. Stay in the present moment.

When you travel, it’s easy to get caught up in planning, taking photos, and checking items off your bucket list. However, it’s important to take the time to slow down and appreciate the present moment. Take a few deep breaths and focus on your senses, noticing the sights, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes around you. Take time to observe the people you meet and the interactions you have with them. Engage with the local culture and try to understand their way of life.

10. Take photos and videos.

Taking photos and videos can be a great way to capture details that you may not be able to describe in words. Use your camera or phone to snap pictures of interesting sights, people, and places. These photos and videos can provide valuable inspiration when you’re writing in your travel journal later.

11. Stay curious.

Staying curious while traveling means keeping an open mind and embracing the unknown. Try new things, explore new places, and take risks. Step outside your comfort zone and embrace the unfamiliar, whether that’s trying new foods or engaging in new activities. Keeping a sense of curiosity can inspire your writing and help you capture unique experiences that you may have otherwise missed.

12. Keep your journal safe.

Your travel journal is a precious record of your travels and experiences, whether it’s in a physical or digital format. Consider investing in a sturdy, waterproof journal or storing your journal in a plastic bag or waterproof cover to protect it from moisture. It’s also a good idea to keep your journal in a safe place when you’re not using it, such as a backpack or hotel safe. Consider making a backup copy of your digital travel journal, whether it’s on your phone, tablet, or laptop. For example, the Day One app offers secure cloud-based backups and file exports. Additionally, you can encrypt your digital journal to protect it from unauthorized access. This way, you can ensure that your journal is safe and secure, and you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your memories are protected.

13. Make it fun.

Remember that travel journaling should be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Use your journal as a creative outlet to express yourself and capture your unique perspective on the world. Experiment with different writing styles and formats, such as poetry, short stories, or essays. You could also include sketches, paintings, or other visual art to enhance your journal entries. And most importantly, don’t worry too much about making your writing perfect or adhering to a strict structure. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process of documenting your travels in a way that is meaningful and fulfilling to you.

20+ Travel Journaling Ideas

A travel journal is a fantastic way to capture memories, thoughts, and experiences from your trips. To get started, here are some creative travel journal ideas to help you get started with travel journaling:

1. Record your itinerary and travel plan.

Record your trip itinerary, including transportation details, accommodations, and planned activities.

2. Organize your packing list.

Create a packing list for your trip and reflect on what items were useful and which ones you could have left behind.

3. Create a bucket list.

Create a bucket list of activities or experiences you want to have during your trip, and check them off as you complete them.

4. Recap each day.

Write about your daily experiences, such as the places you visit, the people you meet, and the local cuisine you try.

5. Use journal prompts.

Using journal prompts can be a helpful way to spark creativity and reflection in your travel journal. Choose a travel journal prompt below that resonates with you and write freely without worrying too much about structure or perfection.

6. Sketch and doodle.

Illustrate your memories with drawings of the landscapes, architecture, and other interesting sights.

7. Capture quotes and phrases.

Jot down memorable quotes from locals or interesting phrases you learn in the local language.

8. Include your favorite travel photos.

Include photographs of your favorite moments, places, and experiences from your trip.

9. Collect ticket stubs and mementos.

Attach ticket stubs, maps, postcards, brochures, or other small mementos to help you remember your trip. If you prefer to go the digital route, scan items or take a photo of these items.

10. Write about your feelings.

Traveling can be an emotional experience, and writing about your feelings can be a cathartic and introspective exercise. Reflect on how the trip is making you feel and what emotions are arising.

12. Go deeper by reflecting.

Write about your personal growth and what you’ve learned during your travels. Reflect on how your travels have impacted you, whether it’s a new perspective on a cultural issue, a realization about yourself, or an enhanced sense of empathy and understanding. Think about the ways in which your travels have shaped your worldview and how you can apply these lessons to your life back home.

13. Express your gratitude.

Express gratitude for the experiences you’ve had and the people you’ve met along the way.

14. Keep a food diary.

Record the local dishes you’ve tried, including their names, ingredients, and your thoughts about them during your trip.

15. Add notes on culture and customs.

Describe the local culture, traditions, and customs that you encountered and found fascinating.

16. Write about your travel challenges.

Write about any challenges you faced during your trip and how you overcame them.

17. Include maps and routes.

Trace your travel route on a map, or draw your own maps to remember the places you’ve visited.

18. Write about the people you meet.

Traveling provides opportunities to meet new people and learn about their lives. Use your journal to document these interactions and what you’ve learned from them.

19. Use poetry and creative writing.

Use your travel experiences as inspiration for poems, short stories, or other creative writing exercises.

20. Keep track of your budget and expenses.

Document your travel expenses to help you plan better for future trips, or to help stay on track with your budget.

20. Include ratings and reviews.

Rate and review accommodations, restaurants, attractions, and other experiences to help you remember the highlights of your trip.

21. Make a travel wishlist.

Write a list of destinations you’d like to visit and why they appeal to you.

22. Plan for a post-trip recap.

After returning home, reflect on your trip as a whole, including your favorite moments, any personal growth, and what you’ll take away from your journey.

23. Print your digital travel journal.

Having a physical copy of your travel journal can provide a tangible reminder of your travels and serve as a cherished keepsake for years to come. By printing your travel journal, you can create a physical record of your adventures that you can hold in your hands and share with others. It can be a meaningful way to preserve your memories and reflect on your journey, long after your travels have ended.

50 Travel Journal Prompts to Try

Still not sure what to write about in your travel journal? Journal prompts are a great way to spark your creativity and dive deeper into your travel experiences.

These travel journal prompts are designed help you capture the essence of your trip, and encourage introspection before, during, and after your adventure. So, whether you’re exploring new cultures, savoring local cuisine, or simply taking in breathtaking landscapes, let journal prompts guide your writing, enrich your narrative, and ultimately, help you create a captivating and memorable travel journal.

Journal Prompts For Before You Leave

Preparing for a trip can be just as exciting as the trip itself. Before you head out, consider using journal prompts to help you focus your thoughts and prepare for the adventures ahead. The following travel journal prompts can help you dig deeper into your travel expectations, identify potential challenges, and set meaningful goals for your journey. By reflecting on these prompts, you can better prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the exciting journey that lies ahead.

• What are my expectations for this trip? What do I hope to gain from it?
• What are the places I want to visit and why are they important to me?
• What am I most looking forward to experiencing on this trip?
• How do I think this trip will change me?
• What are my travel goals, both short-term and long-term?
• Can I describe my travel companions (if any) and why I chose to travel with them?
• How am I preparing for my trip (mentally, physically, logistically)?
• What are my top three fears or concerns about the trip?
• How will I react if the trip takes an unexpected turn?
• What am I most looking forward to about this trip?
• How do I plan to challenge myself during this trip?
• What role do I hope this trip will play in my personal growth and development?
• What specific moments or experiences do I hope to capture in my travel journal or through photography?
• How do I plan to stay open-minded and present during my trip? What steps can I take to cultivate this mindset?

Journal Prompts For While You’re Traveling

While traveling, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment and forget to take time to reflect on your experiences. By using travel journal prompts to capture your thoughts and observations during your trip, you can deepen your connection to the places you visit and the people you meet. The following prompts are designed to help you stay present and engaged during your travels, and to encourage you to take a closer look at the world around you. Reflect on these travel journal prompts to create a meaningful record of your journey.

• How did I feel when I arrived at my destination? What were my first impressions?
• What was the most memorable moment of my day?
• What beautiful or interesting sight did I encounter today?
• What new foods did I try and how did they taste?
• How would I describe the atmosphere of a specific location I visited today (e.g. café, beach, market)?
• How have the locals treated me and what are my experiences interacting with them?
• What was a conversation I had with a local or fellow traveler?
• What cultural differences or similarities have I noticed during my trip?
• Can I describe a piece of art, architecture, or natural wonder that left an impression on me?
• What local tradition, festival, or event have I witnessed or participated in?
• How is my trip living up to my expectations so far?
• What were some unexpected challenges I have faced during my trip so far?
• Can I share an act of kindness I’ve experienced or observed during my trip?
• What was a moment when I felt outside my comfort zone and what did I learn from it?
• What’s a funny or embarrassing moment that has happened during my trip?
• What has been my favorite and least favorite aspects of the destination(s) so far?
• How has my perception of the world changed during my trip?
• Who is an inspiring person I’ve met on this trip and what is their story?
• What new skills or knowledge have I gained on this trip?
• If I could give advice to someone visiting the same destination(s), what would it be?

Journal Prompts For After You Arrive Home

Returning home after a journey can be bittersweet. While you may be happy to be back in familiar surroundings, it’s also common to experience a sense of loss or nostalgia for the experiences you had while traveling. These travel journal prompts can help you reflect on your journey after you’re home, so you can continue to process your experiences and keep the memories alive. The following prompts are designed to help you unpack your thoughts and feelings about your trip, to identify the ways in which it has changed you, and to set goals for future travel. By reflecting on these prompts, you can continue to grow and learn from your travel experiences long after the journey has ended.

• What will I remember most about my trip experience?
• What was the biggest highlight of the trip?
• What is a food or drink that I tried during my trip that I still think about?
• What moment from my trip challenged me in a significant way?
• What did I learn about myself during this trip?
• How has my trip influenced my perspective on life and my priorities?
• What souvenirs or momentos did I collect on this trip? What were their significance?
• What was my favorite photo of the trip? What is the story behind it?
• What was my favorite destination on my trip? Why?
• What was the most valuable lesson I learned from this trip?
• How have my travel goals changed after this trip?
• What aspects of the local culture would I like to incorporate into my daily life?
• What places would I I want to visit in the future?
• What was a place or experience that I wish I had more time to explore?
• How has my trip influenced my outlook on the world and my place in it?
• How did my trip impact my sense of identity? Did I discover anything new about myself?

Wrapping Up: Your Travel Journal Awaits Your Next Adventure

Travel journaling is a fun way to preserve your memories, foster personal growth, and enhance your travel experiences. With the travel journal tips, prompts, and ideas we’ve shared in this post, we hope you now feel well-equipped to embark on your own travel journaling journey. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to capture your adventures—the most important aspect is to embrace the process, stay curious, and allow your unique voice to shine through. So, grab your journal, explore the world, and let your creative spirit soar as you document the unforgettable moments, the hidden gems, and the personal discoveries that make each journey truly yours. Happy travels and happy journaling!

About the Author

Kristen Webb Wright is the author of three books on journaling. With a passion for writing and self-reflection, Kristen uses her experience with journaling to help others discover the benefits of documenting their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In her role at Day One, she helps to promote the power of journaling so people from all walks of life can experience the transformative power of journaling.

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Discover the simplicity and convenience of Day One, the ultimate travel journal app for every globetrotter. Instantly record your thoughts, take photos, and preserve memories, even when your physical journal isn’t within reach. Download the Day One app today to begin chronicling your journey.

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How to Write a Travel Journal That’s Worth Reading

Shelves full of spiral-bound notebooks filled with scrawl you’ll never open again? Or treasure troves of notes and experiences that you’ll re-read until your grandchildren hit college? If you’re planning to keep a journal while you’re traveling, you won’t be alone, but the big question is how to write one that you’ll actually want to read again.

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Some travelers swear by a laptop or an online blog to hold their memories, but this is not always practical, or in many cases not that desirable. When I travel, I still rely on my write-anywhere notebook and pen to record the special experiences I encounter.

Tip 1: Pick an Attractive Book

This might seem superficial, but I bet the guy I met in a hostel in Vienna who was scribbling in a cheap school exercise book doesn’t open that up too often any more. I’ve always liked to buy a diary or notebook that’s a bit meaningful: in Slovakia, for example, I bought a hardcover notebook adorned with pictures of the pretty Bojnice Castle . I loved writing in it, probably wrote more than normal, and still like to grab it off my shelf today. Because we do judge a book by its cover, even if we wrote it ourselves.

Be careful to balance attractive with functional, though. In fact my favorite travel journals are spiral bound with thick, solid rings. They’re the easiest to open and lay flat while you write, or to balance on your lap or a tray in an airplane or train. Don’t be too cheap with it because this book’s going to get battered around on your travels, and you don’t want it falling apart.

Speaking of attractive: it might be a personal preference, or a completely neurotic habit, but I like to alternate the color of the pen I use each day. It’s more interesting to flip through, and easy to quickly locate where one day’s entry ends and another begins.

Tip 2: Weigh Your Words

Do not make the mistake of writing down every single thing that happens to you. Just because it’s happening in a foreign country doesn’t necessarily make it interesting, even to you.

I often want to remember practical facts from everyday life, like the number of the bus or the cost of a ticket, or even the series of stops my train makes. Instead of writing about this in long-winded prose, I make a few dot points of the salient facts and leave it at that. It’s also not necessary to list the chronology of your day, including how you got from X to Y: if it’s not interesting, leave it out. It usually won’t be that important in the future that you took a bus from the museum to the art gallery and it took 37 minutes.

Whenever you sit down to write in your journal, recall the sights or events of the last days that have made the biggest impression on you. Which special food did you eat, or how did you feel at a new museum? Try and paint a word picture describing your feelings and thoughts about your new experiences, as well as explaining the history or culture behind it. Talk about the different backgrounds of the locals or fellow travelers you’ve met, and why you like them (or not!).

Do make the effort to spend your first few words identifying the when and where . I always include a heading with both the day and date, plus the town I’m staying in, and the place where I’m writing the entry — the name of the hotel, a train line or a bench in a park.

Tip 3: The Original Multimedia Approach

Keep it interesting for your eyes by adding in the occasional tidbit that’s not just words. This might be a quick sketch to explain the bizarre arrangement of furniture in your current hotel room, or pasting in the train ticket with your name printed in the Cyrillic alphabet. My backpack always contains a pair of scissors and a small stick of glue, useful for many things but especially intended to help augment my travel journal.

Be creative about what the extra bits might be. When I traveled across Russia I bought the most delicious bag of wrapped candies in Irkutsk. I stuck one of these colorful candy wrappers into my journal and I can still taste them when I open to that page. At the same time, be selective about your extras, and don’t just stick in picture after picture from tourist brochures. Pick something meaningful.

Tip 4: Create an Index

I’m serious. While this might sound like an incredibly anally retentive thing to do, it works. Every time I get a new notebook to use as a travel diary (always an exciting moment), I sit down with a pen and number every page in the bottom corner. When the journal is full, I take a half hour to write an index that lists the main destinations of my trip and which page I can find them on. Later, when you want to re-read your journal, it will most often be because you want to check on the name of a museum you visited, or to find out the name of that friend you made in Beijing. You’ll be grateful for your handy index then.

I just started keeping a travel journal about a year ago. I wish that I had started keeping one 10 years ago. It’s sad to think of all the great memories I could have recorded from many years past. *sigh*

One thing I like to add in my journal is the names of people that I meet on my travels. It seems like on each trip there is a special person who goes out of their way to be helpful or friendly and I always like to record that person’s name in my journal. It tends to solidify the memories.

I agree completely, Sheila. Especially the special people you’re sure you’ll never forget … I tend to write all kinds of neurotic things in my travel journals assuming the worst about my memory. Sometimes the act of writing helps me remember anyway – but if not, then at least I’ve got something to refer to. That way I can relive all these great experiences when I’m sitting in a boring desk job somewhere dreaming of another trip …

Thank you! This were the best travel writing tips I’ve come across yet! :)

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I enjoyed reading all your tips and pointers. I’ve been planning to have my trips and vacations on writting but never really had the chance. Everytime me and my best friends go out we always have something crazy happening. To top it all, we got lost, miss a turn or take the wrong road to nowhere like today! The trip to Multnomah falls was just an adventure. I really need to have a journal. I’m sorry for this long email. goodluck to us all. Happy travelling.

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Thank you for this! I am going on a 6 week holiday to Europe, my first ever overseas, and I agree about the attractive book thing :) The one I got looks really nice with like famous attractions and like a suitcase, all with a nice colour scheme, and its really thick too I cant stop taking it out and admiring it! It also has a little pocket to put train tickets and things in too :) I went on this site to see how I would write it, and this gave me lots of ideas! Thank you :) Oh and I shall make an index :D good idea! x

These were great tips! Thanks! I can’t wait to use them on my next trip (which is sadly unknown). On a side note, I absolutely love choosing notebooks. :)

Hey this was an awesome article, thanks =) I’m going away with my grandparents next year and I want to make sure I keep a nice journal…so ta for the tips =)

i believe your writing will inspired lot of travelers out there like what i felt just now.

i can feel that you are not just an ordinary ‘walk through’ traveler, it is obvious that you treat all your journeys as ‘once in a lifetime’ moment.

i also wishing all the good luck for your writing.

Thanks for this post. I’ve been doing travel blogging myself and I will have to use some of your tips!

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Thank you so much for the tips. I’m about to travel to Thailand for three months, and want to create an interesting travel blog while I’m away. I will definitely check out the rest of your blog for some more inspiration!

My journals are usually pretty scribbled in and I really do want to make more time to do some sketches etc. I stick things in too. I like putting parts of maps of where I’ve been. Agree re spiral which is also good for when you stick things in and it gets fat – doesn’t burst its seams. I’ve been using the Art A% ones as heavier gsm so if doodling and sticking it doesn’t go through the thinner paper ones. Part of my journal is photos which is one way I see things but these end up in my Facebook albums. ALthough I did get one printed for one trip I did. Expensive though. Happy advetures

I have been travelling overland in a convoy for the past 20 years. It is just us, our machines and the journey. Recently it occurred to me that I must record all my travels in a journal. Can anybody tell me how to I start?

I use mid-range small 4-to notebooks because I like to decorate the outside as well as the inside pages. I test my pens before I leave to make sure they won’t bleed away if the journal is dropped in the river. I collect printed ephemera and paste in collages (ephemera distinctive of a place is increasingly hard to find in these days of the global market). I pay attention to what the layout of the pages looks like. I paste pockets into the journal to hold odds and ends.

As with all writing, the best advice is do it. My early journals are awful; my later ones are a delight. I am at the moment using a journal I wrote a dozen years ago in Oaxaca to write a blog and am having a fine time of it.

At the moment, I am writing about a lost tomb I got wind of when I was there, a story I have wanted to write ever since I got back. I am interested to see how it comes out.

Eventually, I will move on to the Yucatan, Central America, Brasil, Greece, Italy and elsewhere. They’re all there in my old journals.

Just a thought on what I plan to try and experiment with. I want to take a large wall size map such as one from the National Geographic store, and using specific locations, mark those areas with numbers, letters, just with some sort of system that can be cross referenced in a journal and a photo album for both visual reference to those memories as well as your documented words about the experience. I definitely agree with the index though. Maybe even dvd pockets for video of the trips.

This article was really helpful. I have to start one of these! :) :)

Lol i just have to buy some glue and a notebook now :) :)

(excited about starting my new journal :) )

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Ive kept journal/sketch books for the last few trips and love looking at them.one problem is that I’m usually too tired to finish (or even start) the sketches! I’m wondering if anyone has used a voice recorder and edited a journal from that. Thought I might try it for am upcoming trip to Spain. Of course that doesn’t help with the sketches! There never seems to be enough time! And, yes, a glue stick and scissors are essential

Perfect…great post. Very helpful. :)

This is a really great read. I have never kept a travel diary but I realise, I have lost out on a lot. For my future travels, I will be sure to start recording. Thanks for the great tips

I’m going through my mother’s travel diaries now and putting them on a blog. She kept them throughout her life – starting in 1933 at age 11 on a trip to the Chicago World’s Fair. I’m putting them online for my grown children but others are enjoying them as well.

Late in their lives, my mom got them all out and would read them aloud to my dad. What a special thing to have and be able to do! Alas both are deceased now…I have so many questions to ask as I write.

Fay, are your online stories s available for anyone to access?! I would love to read them. What a treasure!

I used to sweat over writing a travel journal – both loving and hating it because it was a real chore to write everything I wanted to. Everything changed when I discovered speed journaling. Just write – don’t try to create bestselling prose.

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Travel Journal Writing

Ai generator.

Who does not like to travel? At some point in our short lives, we would like to get out of the house or out of work and see the world with your own two eyes. Because in reality, taking pictures is just never enough. Sometimes, you just have to write about them in order to relive the memories and experiences to the places that you have been to before. You may also see book journal examples .

• 19+ Journal Writing Examples
• How to Write a Journal Entry

It may seem like a drag, but in due time, you will learn to appreciate it even more when you want to sit back and do some recollecting of your own.

Just like e-books, digital pictures are able to save money as you do not exactly need to print them anymore, but there is actually a good reason on why Polaroids are still the trendiest camera that everyone wants to buy.

For starters, they are cheap and they do not need a lot of adjusting unlike digital singles lens resolution (DSLR) cameras. But it is perhaps the printed picture that comes out of the Polaroid camera that people still dig (and it is not just because of 13 Reasons Why Season 2). You may also like writing templates & examples .

So the next time you decide to travel, whether domestic or local, you should remember to make a travel journal that stores all the precious and irreplaceable moments spent. You may also see reflective writing examples  if you happen to explore other kinds of writing.

Why Write a Journal When Traveling?

1. remember more.

Let us admit it: memory is fleeting. At some point in our lives, we will grow old and will eventually succumb to sickness and die. It is not an easy thing to admit. But we all have to face that reality.

So while you are still physically and mentally able to remember and jot down what you can, do so. Because you might just regret about it as soon as you forget it. So at the very least, you can always have something to look back to when you can no longer recall your timeless vacation. You may also check out bullet journal examples .

2. Learn More

Learning never stops. Even when you are not schooling anymore, that does not mean learning will officially come to an end. After all, learning is often best done outside the four corners of the school. As you travel, you may also learn other people’s culture and practices, their holidays, their world views. You might be interested in student writing examples .

CNN’s very own Anthony Bourdain in his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is a travel and food show in which the TV personality/chef travels the world uncovering lesser-known places and exploring their cultures and cuisine. His untimely death has left a hole in the hearts of many as he was considered to be an inspiration not only to his viewers but perhaps to people on all walks of life. You may also see summary writing examples .

3. Reflect More

Other than learning about other people and their culture, their practices, you get to learn more about yourself too in the process. These can be valuable life lessons that can be useful in the process of becoming a better person.

Black and White Travel Journal

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Printed Travel Journal

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Picture Travel Journal

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Good Book with Ship Cruise Itinerary

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Colorful Travel Journal

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How to Write Travel Journals: 5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Journaling

1. use your journal to plan your trip.

People do not often realize that even a travel journal can be used to plan trips to other than writing them. Although thanks to the Internet, booking trips has never been easier, but sometimes it is just as good to write them in your travel diary too. You may also see fitness journal examples .

What plans and activities do you have for Day 1? Which hotel are you planning to stay in? Because let’s face it: writing down on your travel journal is much more creative and is aesthetically beautiful than printing out a colored or a black-and-white copy of your personal travel itinerary. You may also like debate report writing examples .

The best part? You get to decide how it looks, decide what kind of drawings you would want to add there. Personally, sky is the limit. Whether you want it a minimalist kind of theme or artsy, it is entirely up to your discretion. You may also proforma invoice examples for more information and details.

2. Write about what you imagine it will be like

Now that you have your itinerary worked out for your vacation, it is high time to put on your thinking caps on and turn on the imagination switch. Think of the country or place that you are going to visit and start imagining on what it is going to be like once you visit there. You may also check out free writing examples .

Is it as what you have expected over time? Is it as magical and wonderful as you thought it would be? Or is it something so horrible that you would not recommend it again? Whatever activities that you have planned for your vacation, list down your hopes and your expectations for that. So that when you are done doing the activity, you may do a comparison and find out whether or not they have been realized. You may also check out on how a daily agenda is being written.

3. Write during your trip

Sometimes, the thing about travel journals is that people forget they bring them in the first place since they want to pay close attention to everything that is unfolding right before their very eyes. At most, people would often write them at night when they reach the hotel room as they are still busy as to whatever activities they are engaging or simply taking too many pictures on the attractions and the tourist spots. You may also see what is writing used for ?

But here is a piece of advice: whenever you have vacant time on your hands no matter where you are (i.e., taking lunch, riding the bus, or just standing by at a museum), write down all that you have seen, all that you have felt, all that you have smelled, all that you have tasted, and all that you have heard down in the travel diary right away. You may also like writing examples in pdf .

List it down while the memory is still fresh and accurate. Sometimes, it is often the littlest of details and actions that make the travel experience so real: the locals you talk to while asking for directions, the street food that you consume, the architectural marvel of a certain tourist spot, etc. You may also check out formal writing examples & samples .

Everything and anything you can gather. In one way or another, it will serve as a great way to remember more from your trip, but will also help you reflect and grow from what you encountered. Here are some examples of cash receipts in case you find yourself writing one.

4. Add pictures to your journal

No travel journal could ever be complete without taking pictures. Adding pictures to the journal would serve as proof that you actually went to the area and not just make stories up so that they can just make other people jealous. When you add pictures to your journal, it is also to make it more colorful and meaningful so that when you forget in your head, you were still there on that place and captured that beautiful moment. You may also see application writing examples .

Pictures, after all, are still worth a thousand words. Combining pictures with your firsthand accounts of what they represent, or what happened when they were taken, will make for an even more comprehensive narrative of your travels. You may also check out reflective essay examples for more reference.

5. Write about your trip after you leave

Considering that you have written your own personal hopes and aspirations before your trip began, it is just only right that you try to make an account of your experiences after your trip. If there is one good trait about the Japanese, it is their open-mindedness that allows them to become a very progressive country. You may also like writing examples in doc .

Every time there is an opportunity to study outside, the Japanese government would normally send out their most enthusiastic students abroad not only to learn from them, but to use their newfound knowledge to share what they have learned to give back to society that helped them grow as proper citizens. You may also check out script writing examples .

People who come from third-world countries would be culture shocked when they visit first-world countries for the first time such as Singapore or Japan. The moment you return back to your hometown, you could never easily forget, which is why you should write it down all your thoughts. You might be interested in article writing examples .

Here are some questions that can help you get started:

• 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 traveled 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. Here are some examples of printable logs that might give you an insight on how people would normally write logs.

Handwritten Travel Journal with Polaroid Pictures

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Scrapbook Travel Journal

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Simple Travel Journal

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Travel Itinerary Example with Stamps

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Travel Journal Ideas to Inspire You

1. why are you going.

Before even planning out your vacation, ask yourself as to why you are going in the first place.

The reason can be anything: a business trip, personal vacation, visiting family members, for diplomatic purposes, for occupational purposes, for health reasons, or is it one of those out-of-the-blue moments? Whatever reason you have, try not to think too much about it. If you need to go, then just go. No one is going to get in your way and has no intention to interfere with your plans. Here are some self-introduction speech examples if you need to write one.

2. Write about your expectations.

Your expectations of a certain place can either be the same reality that you are looking for in a country even more or it may turn out to be something disappointing that you might not want to go back and go through the entire process again. No matter what the case may turn out to be, simply write them anyway. It just shows another aspect to your personal travels. Memo writin g is often very common in businesses and companies. When the time comes that you will be asked to write one, you need to be ready.

3. Write about the people.

Other than the sites and the food that you can look forward to, another highlight of another country would be the locals you meet. If you are like most people who like to play it safe, you would be mostly set up with your local tour guide. You may also see summary writing examples .

Take this opportunity to ask your local tour guide about what makes this place so great, the history embedded in this island, why this is a must-go for tourists, the holidays and the festivals that the locals would often celebrate, the sites to see, etc. But never forget about the people who live there. You may also like script writing examples .

After all, it is not the tourist attractions nor the food that comprises a place, but the people too. Were they very hospitable? Were they welcoming and accommodating? Did you meet anyone new? Did you make a new friend?  Did you learn something new from a stranger? Did you learn something new from a friend? Here are some food log examples for further reference.

Tokyo Travel Journal

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Moleskine Travel Journal

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Japanese Expense Notes

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Japanese Travel Journal Blog Sketch

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Chocolate Travel Journal

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4. Write about the food.

Food. Are you familiar with the name Anthony Bourdain? You should not remember him as the man who committed suicide because of depression, but as the man who traveled around the world exploring new and diverse cultures and their lifestyles along with the local cuisine. You may also see tips for writing an effective essay .

When you find yourself in another country, would you go looking for a Burger King or a McDonald’s store nearby, or would you go out of your own comfort zone and explore different kinds of cuisine that is sure to rock your taste buds. I have to admit, the reason why people would not normally wish to go beyond what they normally eat is simply because they are already satisfied with their current simple menu . It is actually understandable. I mean, could you imagine yourself eating a fried spider from Cambodia?

Or how about a developing duck embryo from the Philippines (which is actually boiled alive while still in the shell. This is normally eaten with a little seasoning of chili, garlic, and vinegar. The baby embryo is edible, including the visible wings and beak.)? Care for some fried brain sandwiches from the U.S.A.? You may also like essay writing examples .

Look, this does not mean that you have to eat whatever weird food local countries serve you. But at the very least, you can try experimenting your palette to the local dishes. Most travel diaries already incorporate the element of food in them. Here are some examples of marketing reports that you can write down if you find the time.

5. The ups and the downs.

Let’s face it. Even in a trip, there are some things that you do not find so enjoyable. You do not hate them, you just do not like them. It can be anything in particular, really: the food, the locals, some of the tourist attractions, the economy of the country, and even the state of the country as it is. You may also see informative writing examples .

For instance, if you intend to visit India in the near future, one of the things you will probably not like about the area is the traffic there. It is just terrible. And another thing you might need to note: curry is a constant staple everywhere in India. So, do not be surprised when all the food that you eat will mostly be curry-based. At some point, you just get tired of eating that all the time that you would eventually crave for something not curry. You may also like minutes writing examples .

In mainland China, some of the locals can be pretty rude or non-hospitable, especially when you are bargaining with them at a bargain market. Pros and cons. You may also see winter travel goals in 2018 should you decide to have your vacation during winter time.

Crayola Travel Journal

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Stamps Travel Journal

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Australia Ship Crew Travel Log

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Queenstown Travel Picture Journal

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Georgetown Travel Journal

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Sagdas Cave Connection: Lumiang Sumaging Caves

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6. 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. Here are some examples of personal goals that can make you grow as an individual to society for a better life.

7. Write a travel guide.

Let us say that you just got back from your travels. Perhaps one of the best things you can do after your trip is to come up with a travel guide for people who share the same interest in traveling to the same place as you in the near future. In a manner of speaking, you can help them make better choices for their itinerary. You may also see european travel goals for your next trip .

For instance, you can first recommend the places that you have already been to if you find those certain tourist spots worth visiting again.

If there are specific areas that you failed to go to because of the lack of time, you can also mark those attractions in your journal so that people who can spend a longer duration than you in that place can go check it out. For must-eats, you can list down the food stalls that sell them and where they happen to be located. You may also like summer travel goals for the free-spirited you .

Vloggers would usually inform their viewers on what to bring and what not bring for this certain country as every country has their own rules and regulations that must be followed by all, including tourists. Certain tourist spots will not allow flash photography or will ask the tourists to wear appropriate clothing since it is a religious building. Taboos can also be noted in your travel diary, even scams too. You may also check out winter travel goals in 2018 .

Although the point of tourists visiting other countries would be to boost tourism, there are some locals who will try to exploit visitors to pay more than what is needed of them. List those down too for future reference. Here are some reflective writing tips that you might find useful in case you are asked to write a reflective piece.

8. Where do you want to go next?

It is never too soon to start planning your next vacation. If that would mean working extra hard, putting in the extra hours, minimizing your spending habits, and going out less on weekends, then do so. Because there are people who are committed to visiting that place next when they have the budget and the time and the resources. Because in life, we all have bucket lists that we would want to see filled up before we pass away. You may also see travel essay examples & samples .

Look for cheap travel sales, budget out your next vacation, book hotels at their lowest price, and most importantly, coordinate with your family and loved ones. Here are some examples of expense vouchers that you might need to refer to.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

33 Terrific Travel Journal Ideas, Tips + Prompts!

Looking for the best travel journal ideas to help you remember your next trip–plus some prompts to help you think of what to write?

You’ve come to the right place!

As a lifelong lover of both journaling and travel, I have experimented with all kinds of travel journals over the years, ranging from the time-consuming to the simple, from the unique to the very basic.

I absolutely love the travel journaling system that I use now (more on that below), but depending on your habits and writing style, there is no limit to the number of ways to preserve your travel memories on the written page.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

This guide to travel journal ideas and prompts covers everything from the physical kind of travel diary to use, to tips on journaling effectively, to travel journaling prompts to help you get your writing started.

Remember, though, that the #1 rule of travel journaling is that there are no rules!

Anything that helps you preserve the intense memories of your travel experiences counts.

That being said: here are some of the best travel journal ideas out there!

Table of Contents

Terrific Travel Journal Ideas

Travel journaling tips, inspiring travel journal prompts, planning a trip.

While there are plenty of beautiful travel journals on the market, don’t feel like you need one to keep a memorable travel diary!

I’ve kept travel journals in everything from a $0.99 composition notebook to elaborate leather-bound notebooks to the Notes app in my phone, and I can confidently say that the best travel journals come from the heart–the physical place you put them is the least important function.

That being said, if you are looking for beautiful travel journal examples, I highly recommend these!

One Line a Day Journal

This is my current favorite travel journaling system, and I’ve been using it for nearly 5 years now!

Here’s the format: each page in this diary has a date at the top (say, August 17), and 5 small sections to write 1-2 sentences below it.

For 5 years, keep a daily journal of a memorable moment, and at the end, you’ll be able to look back and, on a single page, see what you did on all your August 17ths.

While this isn’t specifically a travel journal, I absolutely adore using it as one: the tracking of time through both days and years simultaneously is incredible, and the short time commitment is perfect for my lifestyle that already includes lots of writing.

I do still try to keep a long-form travel journal once a week or so, too, but I love my One Line a Day Journal so much that I recently bought two more, just to ensure I have the next decade covered if they stop making them!

Page A Day Travel Journal

Looking for something formatted for you, but with more of a travel theme and more of a long-form approach?

The Page A Day Travel Journal is perfect for that!

In addition to space to write about your day, there are spaces to note your destination and event the weather.

Classic Leather-Bound Journal

What reading-and-writing nerd among us hasn’t dreamed of owning a leather-bound journal to track their travels in?

I have always enjoyed this journal style and have owned a few in my life!

There are tons of similar ones on the market these days, given how popular they are, but I love the compass detail and great reviews on this one .

Postcards To Yourself

Looking for more unique travel journal ideas?

Consider sending postcards to yourself from the road!

In many destinations, you can mail yourself (or someone else) a postcard right from the souvenir shop where you purchase it–so bring a pen along, write some quick thoughts about your day, and drop it in the mail.

By the time you get home, you’ll have a collection of memories delivered right to your front door that you can save forever.

Travel Checklist Journal

If you’re the kind of traveler who wants to make sure they don’t forget a thing, the Travel Checklist Journal is the perfect choice!

With daily prompts covering everything from the restaurants you ate at that day to your most memorable moment of the day, it’s an in-depth log of your adventures.

I’ll be honest: I could never keep up with this much travel journaling on a daily basis.

But, some people absolutely can!

If you find yourself not sure what to put in some sections, though, don’t worry about it–better to skip a prompt than make your journal feel like work instead of fun.

Bullet Journal

A classic bullet journal like this makes a fantastic travel journal idea!

In addition to writing, consider including drawings, hand-drawn maps, charts, and more.

Standard Notebook

You don’t need anything fancy to keep a beautiful, memorable travel journal!

Anything from a simple composition notebook to the back of a receipt will do in a pinch, and I would never recommend putting off writing because you don’t have the “perfect” vessel to store your memories in.

If you’re looking for a fairly standard, lined notebook that is durable without including much formatting to get in the way of your creativity, though, I love these notebooks .

I’ve owned them in various colors and designs for years, going out of my way to replace my old ones with the same brand when they get full.

Buy one on the road!

While I definitely recommend keeping a travel journal from hour one (airports and train stations are great places to write!), there’s also something special about buying a diary on the road.

If you find a journal you love while you’re traveling, consider picking it up and journaling there from then on.

On Your Computer or Phone

I’ll admit, I’m very biased toward analog travel diary ideas–it’s just my style!

But if you prefer typing to writing, or you just don’t want the hassle of carrying a physical journal on the road, you can easily keep a detailed travel journal on your phone or laptop!

Evernote is a fantastic app for journaling on your phone, though a basic Notes app works fine too.

A Word document or Google Doc can work as well.

Alternatively, you can type and send emails to yourself and store them in a certain folder in your inbox!

There is no wrong way to keep a travel journal–whatever works for you, is more than fine.

That being said, based on my personal experience of keeping travel journals over the years, here’s my best advice for preserving your memories!

Try to write as often as possible.

Here’s the sad truth: you will forget much of your vacation.

Even if you remember the basics such as where you went, what you did, and who you were with, the passing years will steal the sensory details from your memory, jumble the order of events, and soften the edges of your stories, making it hard to recapture the emotions of your travel experience.

While some of that is the inevitable result of living a full, exciting life packed with beautiful memories, a travel journal can absolutely help preserve those experiences for you for decades to come.

The period of time that I was worst at keeping a travel journal– the first year of our full-time travels –is also the one where memories have faded the most.

It’s my #1 travel regret that I didn’t keep a detailed travel journal that year!

Imperfection is better than procrastination.

Don’t have time to write pages and pages?

Can’t find the right words to capture exactly how you felt seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time?

Don’t worry about it: a couple of sentences jotted down that afternoon while waiting for your coffee to arrive will capture your emotions far better than waiting weeks to find the right words.

Write what you can’t see.

Photographs and videos can do a lot to preserve visual and even auditory memory–but they can’t capture scents, or the feeling of the humidity lingering in the air, or how soft the dog you stopped to pet was, or the expression on the waiter’s face as you managed to order lunch in a language that you barely speak.

These kinds of recollections, paired with photos and videos, are invaluable for helping place you back in that moment of travel, even years after it has passed.

You don’t have to be a “good” writer.

Forget the English essays of your youth: whether you consider yourself a skilled writer or not, you can absolutely keep the world’s most perfect travel journal for yourself.

Because travel journaling is nothing but a conversation with your memory, and you know exactly how to talk to yourself!

It doesn’t matter if you wouldn’t want to publish it as a memoir or that other people wouldn’t understand what you’re trying to say, because you’re the only audience!

Trust me, as a professional writer of sorts, the things that I write publicly–even in more personal blog posts like this –are not nearly as unguarded as the conversations I have with myself when preserving my own travel memories.

Don’t edit yourself.

This goes somewhat with what I wrote about being a “good” writer, but it’s a solid tip for travel journaling even if you’re a very confident one.

Each of us sees the world in a completely unique way and will use entirely different experiences and criteria to jog our memories.

If none of the travel journal prompts in this blog post speak to you, ignore them.

Write about literally anything you like–anything that speaks to how you experienced your day.

The uniqueness of how we each see the world is never more obvious to me than when I compare the things that Jeremy writes in his travel journal to what I write in mine–many times, we each remember things that the other person didn’t even notice!

Save more than words.

Ticket stubs, brochures, boarding passes, postcards, even foreign currency–anything small and tactile that you can tuck into your travel journal is a fantastic addition.

If you print out any photos along the way or purchase any of the cheesy-but-fun souvenir photos for sale around the world, those can be great components of a travel diary, too.

Full maps are often too big to save in a traditional travel journal, but you can save them separately–or cut out your favorite section(s) and place them in your journal!

Sadly, the ink on receipts tends to fade within a couple of years, but you can try storing a few memorable ones for a while as well.

Depending on your travel journaling style and how much you collect, you may want to tape these extra items to individual pages or keep them tucked into a separate pouch (cheap and fun cloth zip pouches can be found at souvenir markets across the world–maybe you can buy one along the way!).

For something more fun than basic tape, buy a few souvenir stickers along the way and use those to secure your mementos to the page!

Avoid spiral notebooks.

If you want a very inexpensive place to save your memories, opt for a composition notebook over a spiral one–trust me.

Between the spirals being pulled out of place from being moved around so much during your adventures to the fact that they’ll scratch up anything they’re stored near (like your laptop, for example), they’re just not worth the trouble.

I learned this lesson the hard way and will never use a spiral notebook (without a cover, that is) for anything while traveling again!

Always keep your travel journal in your carry-on.

I’ll admit, I’ve broken this rule before, but it’s terrifying checking your travel journal–especially when, like my current one, it contains years worth of irreplaceable memories.

Much better to keep careful watch over it in your carry-on/hand luggage!

Wondering what exactly to write down in your travel diary?

These travel journal writing prompts will get you started!

Choose any of these travel journal topic examples from below and expand upon it in detail, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself jotting down details of memories that would otherwise be lost to time.

As always, the point of travel writing prompts like this isn’t to limit what you write–it’s to provide a jumping-off point.

If you find yourself veering off in a different direction after a few sentences, just roll with it!

What did you do today that you’ve never done before?

Make a list of everything you bought today, from food items to metro tickets.

Describe the most memorable person you interacted with today.

What was your favorite thing you ate today?

What new thing did you learn today? How did you learn it?

Describe your morning routine in detail: what was different from home?

What was your most memorable form of transport today?

What animals did you see or interact with today?

What was the weather like? How did it impact your day?

What were you wearing today? How did it impact your day?

Did you use any words in a language you don’t speak today? What were they?

What’s the big news where you are right now? Is it the same as at home?

What’s the funniest thing that happened today?

What’s the most memorable thing that you physically touched today?

What did you eat for breakfast?

Look up, and describe everything that you see in detail.

If you took a tour: describe your tour guide, including their name!

What did you do today that you didn’t expect to do before your trip?

What’s an interesting story or legend from your destination?

Describe your route from where you’re staying to your first destination of the day.

What’s your favorite word to say in the language of your destination?

What was your least favorite moment of the day?

What was the most surprising thing you saw today?

What interesting conversation did you overhear today?

None of these travel journal ideas or prompts speak to you?

Have something different in mind?

There’s no wrong way to keep a travel diary–whatever feels right when you’re on the road, that’s the best travel journal for you.

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About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

1 thought on “33 Terrific Travel Journal Ideas, Tips + Prompts!”

Thanks for posting this up , this is a very informative article surely.

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Travel Journals Ideas – How and Why to Write One

DAY 3 (Must be Friday) We got a late start, as more in our party started to adjust to Hawaii time. We headed west to Waimea Canyon. After driving to a few lookouts we came to the end of the road and set off on what we thought was an “easy one mile family hike”. Little did we know what we were getting into. We found the trail marking for a one mile hike and set off happily, humming a little tune. We were soon thinking this wasn’t quite what we had expected. The first half-mile was a good bit rockier and muddier than we’d expected. There were some pretty views, but not much different than we’d seen from the overviews. But surely, we thought, the view at the end must be spectacular. So we traveled on, as the ground got muddier and the trail got steeper, until we were climbing hand over hand, over logs, up steep slopes. All the while we were thinking “I’m really surprised the guidebook called this an easy family hike”.

The Value of Travel Journals

The above paragraph was written in our travel journal in the safety of our Kauai hotel room on the evening after our misadventure on that beautiful island. We had started what was supposed to be a short hike to a waterfall but had turned into an overland adventure when we started from the wrong parking lot. While my wife wrote the words above, our clothes still were covered with the red clay mud of Kauai.

We have a bookshelf in our living room where we keep some of our most cherished possessions. Our travel journals are kept there above out photo albums where theoretically we could grab them in our hurry out the front door should our house ever catch fire. Travel journals have been important in my family since before we were married. My wife still has the journal from her Spring Break trip to Florida. It sits next to our journal from driving cross country after college in the 1980s. Combined with the photographs we take, these journals help us remember the details of what would otherwise be a faded memory.

How to write a Travel Journal

If you are going to write a travel journal then I would suggest you:

• Make sure a journal and pen are on your packing list. You can use any notebook or your computer or smartphone.
• Decide who you are writing this journal for. Our travel journals are written for us. Sometimes they contain witty prose and humor and sometimes they just contain facts we want to remember. They are not my blog. They certainly contain details that would be boring to other people. I don’t care. I would also suggest you write for yourself.
• Jot down notes every day  that will help you remember the details of the day. If you don’t have time to write a journal entry, just keep a list of your notes in the back of whatever you are using for a journal.
• Set aside time in the evening, at breakfast, on the plane, on the train or on car rides to take these facts and write your journal entries. Try and write something for every day of your trip.

Travel Journal Writing Prompts

• Think about what you saw that surprised you.
• Think about what amused you.
• Think about the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds.
• What was the name of that guide, site, etc?
• Who was the most interesting person you saw or talked to?
• Take a picture of that historic plaque to help you with details you may want later.

Don’t worry too much about editing, spelling or grammar. This journal is for you. You can clean it up later.

Travel Journal Examples

You can see some online versions of my travel journals on Amateur Traveler. You can keep a travel journal on paper or you can keep it on your laptop, smartphone or tablet. If you do plan on putting it online as I do there are some advantages to keeping your journal electronically. Of course, that does also mean that you have to worry about your device being charged.

Travel Journals

There are no particular requirements for what you write in or on. The travel journal above is 3 sheets of yellowing 8.5″ x 11″ pieces of paper. We have written in small notebooks, Moleskine notebooks, and college-ruled notebooks. It does have to be small enough that you will take it with you. I once gave my wife the gift of a notebook where I had covered it with our travel photos and then laminated the cover. I loved that travel journal.

And of course, if you travel with a laptop or even a tablet like an iPad you could keep your notes electronically but this will add additional complexity as you worry about battery life and backups.

Whatever medium you choose, don’t assume you will remember all the things you want to from your trip. Write them down and cherish them for years.

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3 Responses to “Travel Journals Ideas – How and Why to Write One”

Bohemian Trails

Nice tips! I always make a point to bring a journal with me when I travel

My mother kept journals of her travels, starting in 1933 at age 11 when she took a trip to the Chicago World’s Fair. Later on, of course, they included trips taken with my dad. Late in their lives, when they were both pretty bed-ridden but sharp mentally, she got them out and read them out loud to my dad. What a special thing to have to relive those fun times!   I have those journals now and have started a blog of them for my grown children. It’s been a great way for them to see their grandparents in a different way – not to mention seeing how different travel was back then.

Chris Christensen

very cool fayster

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Essay on My Travel Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Travel Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Travel Experience

Introduction to travel.

Travel is like a book with many chapters, each telling a different story. My travel stories are full of colors, sounds, and tastes from new places.

Meeting New People

When I travel, I meet people with lives very different from mine. They share their stories and I learn new things. It’s like making friends in a playground.

Seeing Nature’s Beauty

Nature is a great painter. In my travels, I’ve seen mountains like giant guards and oceans whispering with waves. Each place shows me a new picture of the world.

Learning About Cultures

Every place has its own way of living, like a unique game everyone plays. I’ve seen dances, clothes, and foods that are special to each place.

250 Words Essay on My Travel Experience

My first trip.

My first trip was to a beautiful beach town. The sun was bright and the waves were gentle. I went there with my family during summer break. We packed our bags with clothes, snacks, and games.

We started our journey in our car early in the morning. The roads were not busy and the trip felt quick. We played songs and I looked out the window at the trees and hills passing by.

When we arrived, the first thing I saw was the vast blue sea. It was amazing! The beach had soft sand and I could hear the sound of the waves. We built sandcastles and collected pretty shells.

Trying New Food

We ate at a small restaurant near the beach. I tried seafood for the first time. It was different but tasty. We also had ice cream which was perfect in the warm weather.

Fun Activities

We did many fun things like swimming and playing beach volleyball. I also took a boat ride with my dad. It was exciting to see the water around us and feel the breeze.

Coming Back Home

After three days, it was time to go back home. I was sad but happy with all the new memories. The trip made me love traveling and I can’t wait to go on another adventure.

500 Words Essay on My Travel Experience

Introduction to my journey.

Traveling is like opening a book with pages filled with new pictures, words, and stories. I have been lucky to experience this joy through my travels. I want to share my travel experience, which was both fun and educational, in a way that is easy for everyone to understand.

Planning the Trip

Before going on any trip, planning is very important. I remember sitting with my family and deciding where to go. We looked at maps, read about places on the internet, and talked about what we wanted to see. We chose a place that had both mountains and a beach. Then, we made a list of things to take with us, like clothes, snacks, and a camera to capture our memories.

The Journey Begins

The day we left for our trip was filled with excitement. We woke up early, packed our car, and started our adventure. As we drove, I watched the trees and buildings pass by my window. I played games with my siblings and listened to music. The journey was long, but it was also a chance to see new places outside my usual surroundings.

Exploring New Places

When we reached our destination, I was amazed by the new sights. The mountains were tall and covered with green trees, and the sea was a beautiful blue. We went hiking in the mountains, and I felt like an explorer discovering a new land. On the beach, I built sandcastles and collected shells. Every place we visited had its own story and people who lived there, and I learned a lot just by looking around and talking to them.

One of the best parts of traveling is trying food that you don’t get at home. I tasted new fruits that grew in the mountains and ate seafood that was caught in the sea that same day. Some foods were strange at first, but I found that it’s fun to try new things.

Making Memories

Learning through travel.

Traveling taught me so much. I learned about nature, different cultures, and history. I also learned to be patient during long journeys and to be open to new experiences. Seeing new places made me curious about the world and eager to learn more.

My travel experience was more than just a holiday. It was a chance to see the world with my own eyes and learn things that books and school could not teach me. I made memories that will last a lifetime and found out that every place has its own magic. I can’t wait to go on my next trip and discover more about our amazing world.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Tourism — Travel: Personal Experience

Travel: Personal Experience

• Categories: Personal Growth and Development Tourism

About this sample

Words: 519 |

Published: Jan 29, 2024

Words: 519 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Personal growth through travel, cultural understanding and empathy, the formation of lasting memories.

• Larson, R., & Verma, S. (1999). How children and adolescents spend time across the world: Work, play, and developmental opportunities. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 701-736.
• Alkire, S., & Santos, M. E. (2014). Measuring Acute Poverty in the Developing World: Robustness and Scope of the Multidimensional Poverty Index. World Development, 59, 251-274.
• The World Bank. (2021). Poverty. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty

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What is a Travel Essay (Article) in Journalism: Definition, Features, and Travel Essay Examples

• by Anastasiya Yakubovska
• 24.03.2023 23.06.2024
• How to write ...

The travel essay allows to tell readers about impressions, interesting human types, new things happening in the world, and to share thoughts about what the author saw and experienced in a relaxed and free form. Journalists actively use the possibilities of this genre. 

In this article, you will learn:

Types of Essays

What is a travel essay, features of the travel essay, what makes a travel essay (travel article) attractive for a journalist, what write about in the travel essay, travel essay examples.

An essay is one of the most versatile and multifaceted literary forms.

What Is Essay: Definition

An essay is a short narrative that briefly describes events, facts, and people.

An essay is considered one of the varieties of a story that combines elements of literature and journalism. This type of text belongs to a special kind of author’s or writer’s journalism, which is considered the pinnacle of journalistic skill.

The essay refers to the journalistic writing style , namely to its artistic and journalistic genre.

The “sketching” of such texts is expressed in the fact that the author strives to outline the portrait and character of the hero or to display the main points and contours of the problem situation. Therefore, very often the form of presentation of information is quite rough, and free.

There are several types of essay classification. But I propose to study the following four in more detail:

• Portrait or biographical essay. The portrait essay focuses on a person, and not fictional, but taken from real life. The author’s main task is to reveal the inner world of the hero, his values, and his personality.
• Problem-solution essay. The purpose of this essay is to study some problematic situations. A problem essay can be compared to an article. As in the article, the essayist explores the problem and finds out the causes of its occurrence, further development, and solutions. The difference between an essay and an article is that in an essay the author engages in a dialogue with the reader: he shares his thoughts, explores conflict situations, tries to get to the heart of the problem, and comprehends what is happening. Such observation of the development of the conflict often causes feelings and various emotions, both in the readers of the essay and in its author.
• Travel essay . The travel essay is a description of the events, meetings, and incidents that happened to the author during his creative journey. More often, a journalist already has the main idea for a future essay and the purpose of the trip, and the impressions and facts received during the trip are already “working” for this idea. For example, the goal of a journalist is to study what traditions have been preserved among people living in different settlements or explore how the state solves certain social problems in various cities of the country.
• Historical essay . In such an essay, the author presents historical facts and events related to the subject of research in chronological order, analyzes historical information, and gives his interpretation. 

A travel essay is a diverse genre; it is both travel notes, sketches, and the author’s travel diary.

Therefore, in its structure, a travel essay is similar to diary entries: the events are described sequentially, as the author gets acquainted with them.

In addition to the fact that the travel essay allows the reader to get acquainted with real events and people, as well as to see what is happening through the eyes of the author, the essay contains the author’s analysis of what he saw and learned.

The author of the travel essay is faced with the task of holistically recreating a picture of reality. Most often, a travel essay reflects a rather long time process.

The travel essay, apart from its literary form, is actively used in advertising journalism and on television (television travel journalism). Most travel programs are written in the form of a travel essay.

The main features of the travel essay are:

• Artistic imagery.
• Emotional richness.
• Dynamism and adventurism.
• The presence of elements of journalistic and artistic writing styles.
• The author’s opinion.
• The events and characters described in the essay are taken from real life.
• The structure of a travel essay is similar to the structure of diary entries.
• Urgency and relevance of the researched problem.
• Slang , jargon words, or special terminology. 
• To confirm a personal point of view, the author uses facts, evidence, quotations, statistics, etc.

The most striking stylistic features of the travel essay are:

• First of all, this is the expressed position of the author . All narrative is connected with the author’s opinion and view of the situation. Often, the author of the essay acts as a protagonist, interconnected with the main character.
• Dialogue with the reader. Using various stylistic devices, the journalist seeks to arouse the reader’s interest and emotionally involve him in the plot of his essay, thus making the reader a participant in the described events.

Writing a Travel Essay

The process of writing a travel essay is quite time-consuming. To write an essay, it is not enough just to choose a topic, to collect and analyze information.

The author’s task is to rethink the information received and transform it into a special essay form.

The degree of the artistry of the essay may vary depending on its purpose: one text may be more specific and documentary, while the other may be as creative as possible.

Thus, in each essay, there should be both artistic creativity and facts in various proportions (depending on the purpose and subject matter). Often the material for the plot is so rich, unpredictable, and sensational that the journalist only needs to present all the information received in the essay, without resorting to additional methods of artistic expression.

Read post “How to Write a Persuasive Essay and Article: Complete Guide.”

First of all, this genre is attractive for a journalist because it makes it possible to speak out on almost any occasion: from studying the culture of the countryside to a global demographic problem.

In addition, the travel essay is designed for a mass audience, and due to its writing style, as well as persuasiveness and reliability, it is effectively perceived by the public.

A travel essay is not an entertaining read. And all because in this genre, the center of the plot will be the study by the author of some socially significant problems during his journey.

The subject of the travel essay is the human character, various conflict situations, as well as socially significant phenomena.

The travel article incorporates elements of both science and art: these are documents, figures, statistics, and, at the same time, the author’s artistic world with portraits, landscapes, and interiors.

Read post “How to Write a Persuasive Article or Essay: Examples of Persuasive Argument.”

An early example is the writing of Pausanias (2nd century CE) who produced his Description of Greece based on his observations. James Boswell published his The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides in 1786 and Goethe published his Italian Journey , based on diaries, in 1816. Fray Ilarione da Bergamo and Fray Francisco de Ajofrín wrote travel accounts of colonial Mexico in the 1760s. Fannie Calderón de la Barca, the Scottish-born wife of the Spanish ambassador to Mexico 1839–1842, wrote Life in Mexico , an important travel narrative of her time there, with many observations of local life.

A British traveler, Mrs. Alec Tweedie, published several travelogues, ranging from Denmark (1895) and Finland (1897), to the U.S. (1913), several on Mexico (1901, 1906, 1917), and one on Russia, Siberia, and China (1926). A more recent example is Che Guevara’s The Motorcycle Diaries . A travelogue is a film, book written up from a travel diary, or illustrated talk describing the experiences of and places visited by a traveler. American writer Paul Theroux has published many works of travel literature, the first success being The Great Railway Bazaar .

In addition to published travel journals, archive records show that it was historically common for travelers to record their journey in diary format, with no apparent intention of future publication, but as a personal record of their experiences. This practice is particularly visible in nineteenth-century European travel diaries. ( Wikipedia about travel literature )

Travel Essay Example #1

Expert  

FINDING QUIET AMONG THE CHAOS IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL After a warm greeting at Kathmandu International Airport by my travel guide Nora, we rushed into a Nepali ride share car. “They don’t have traffic lights here,” Nora casually mentioned. “It can be a little unnerving.”  LET’S RIDE Groggy after traveling halfway around the world, I didn’t fully comprehend her comment until we were on Kathmandu’s chaotic streets. They were bumper to bumper with cars, trucks, and busses and in between motorcycles squeezed into every inch of space. Lanes were nonexistent and left turns a combination of luck and shear will. With the streets so congested, however, we couldn’t go much faster than 35 mph, so I was more overwhelmed by the incessant honking and smell of exhaust.  All that changed when we arrived at the Green Palm Boutique Hotel, a small family-run hotel in Budhanilkantha in the foothills above Kathmandu. My third-floor room had a queen-size bed with access to a wraparound balcony with stunning views over the terraced hills of the Kathmandu Valley. The hotel was a breath of fresh air, literally, above the city smog. SUNSET, SUNRISE That evening I had dinner with my travel companions, Nora Livingstone, founder of volun-tourism agency Animal Experience International and her business partner and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Heather Reid. In the hotel’s quaint courtyard, we enjoyed a traditional Nepalese meal of dal bhat (lentil stew over steamed rice) from the hotel’s vegetarian café.  After dinner we relaxed by sipping Carlsberg beers and watching the hazy sunset behind Chandragiri Hill. I thought Chandragiri was a Nepal mountain , but when I asked, hotel staff quickly corrected me. In the land of the Himalayas , Chandragiri was merely a hill. No need for an alarm the next morning because barking dogs and prayer bells announced the sunrise. Breakfast was included with our rooms, but when I met my travel mates down in the courtyard, the sun hadn’t climbed high enough to warm the patio yet. Our server, who was also the chef, brought us a large green thermos of hot water.  The water wasn’t hot because we were chilly, however. It had been boiled to kill germs since Nepal ’s tap water is notoriously unsafe to drink. I poured the steaming water into a glass and held it to warm my hands.  Today’s breakfast of a large veggie omelet with toast and jam was delicious, but the best part came last – slightly sweet Nepalese coffee. It would become our morning ritual the rest of our weeklong stay: lingering over warm coffee while watching the playful antics of the hotel’s house dogs, puppies Ruby and Kali, and elder stateswoman Pepper, in the courtyard.  The pastoral mornings at the Green Palm would become a peaceful contrast to our evening excursions into the city. Nora chose this hotel because it was within walking distance to the animal shelter we volunteered at during the day. However, staying in this location was possible thanks to Pathao, Nepal’s version of Uber. Nora used it to summon cars when we transformed into tourists to visit Kathmandu’s historic sites.  Full article here qoworldtravel.com

Travel Essay Example #2

The Incredible Travel Sketches, Essays, Memoirs & Island Works of R. L. Stevenson By the prolific Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, author of Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped & Catriona

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27 Places to Submit Your Travel Writing

Diana Spechler, author of the New York Times Opinion series Going Off, teaches a very popular class called Writing Essays About Travel and Food .

While we're waiting for Diana's next class to start, we wanted to compile a list of places where you can submit your travel writing. Even better: if you're writing about travel and food, two topics that go exceedingly well together, you'll appreciate the list below.

When submitting your travel writing we recommend setting your sights high. There are a lot of magazines and literary journals out there eager to read your work and possibly give it a home. With so many markets out there, we put together a list of our 27 favorite places to read great travel writing stories. Take a look at the list below, and get your submissions in the queue:

• Travel + Leisure
• Creative Nonfiction
• Conde Nast Traveler
• National Geographic Traveler
• National Geographic
• New York Times Magazine
• The Atlantic
• Harper’s Magazine
• Virginia Quarterly Review 
• Smithsonian
• New York Times
• Oxford American
• Washington Post Magazine
• Food and Wine
• Paris Review
• Roads and Kingdoms
• Men’s Journal 

And, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered.

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My Beloved Italian City Has Turned Into Tourist Hell. Must We Really Travel Like This?

By Ilaria Maria Sala

Ms. Sala is an Italian journalist. She wrote from Bologna, Italy.

A little more than 10 years ago, Bologna, my Italian hometown, was not really considered a big tourist destination. Group tours would come, but the city was primarily known for being the place with one of the oldest universities in Europe. Its cuisine — dishes like tortellini and tagliatelle — was an attraction, too, but in a subdued way.

Budget airlines, short-term rentals and social media changed everything. These days Bologna is on its way to becoming a full-blown, must-avoid-the-main-roads kind of tourist city. Some of the effects of this have been typical, like the landlords who have converted apartments to short-term rentals, which has raised rents and sent students farther from the university and into the smaller towns on the periphery. But one result has been very particular to Bologna: the consumption of mind-numbing, heart-stopping amounts of mortadella.

If you are not already familiar with it, mortadella is a cold cut made of finely ground, light-pink pork dotted with white cubes of fat and, occasionally, pistachios. It and Bologna go way back . The slow eating of our city by mortadella shops started before Covid but accelerated when, as in many cities, lots of Bologna’s independent shops, cafes and restaurants went out of business during the pandemic. Many of those in the center of town were bought up by chains with deep pockets and a singular vision: to sell mortadella to foreigners.

Downtown has changed completely. In the streets around the historic main square there used to be many old stationery shops — a favorite sold fountain pens, inks in every color and all the hand-bound notebooks one could dream of. It had been there for as long as I can remember, but was recently turned into an “Ancient cold cuts butcher.” It’s part of a chain. Just across from it, in what I think used to be a jewelry store, is a second self-styled ancient butcher from the same chain. When I asked the shop assistant how ancient they were, she replied that they had been open for three months.

Also just off the main square is a little maze of streets where the ancient food market used to be. Many shops are still there, looking picture perfect and trying to sell their fruit and vegetables, though presumably not to the throngs of people marching behind leaders with microphones and little flags held aloft. Those groups usually stop in front of the old shops that have given in and now exhibit rounds upon rounds of mortadella in the windows.

There are also endless representations of pigs. In front of one shop I saw statues of happy pigs holding the knives with which they’ll presumably butcher themselves into mortadella. Pig snouts on the logo of another. Naturalistic, stylized and smiling pigs gaze benignly on the waiters below, who cart trays piled high with fluffy pork arranged like clouds and ribbons.

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A new global health emergency: What is mpox, where are the outbreaks and will the virus spread?

The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency. Cases are confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries, and a new form of the virus is spreading. Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the mpox outbreaks a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths among over 14,000 cases. It has called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.

Medical staff talk to each other at the general hospital in Goma, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

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A poster bringing attention to the mpox outbreak hangs at the Goma General Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

This photo supplied by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) dated May 31, 2023, shows health workers educating children on the symptoms of the mpox disease in Goma, Congo. (Augustin Mudiayi/Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières via AP)

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the increasing spread of mpox in Africa is a global health emergency , warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders.

The announcement by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the U.N. health agency’s emergency committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday.

WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceed last year’s figures.

So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in a single country — Congo. Scientists are concerned by the spread of a new version of the disease there that might be more easily transmitted among people.

Here’s a look at what we know about mpox, and what might be done to contain it:

What is mpox?

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals.

In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had not previously reported mpox.

Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

What’s happening in Africa that’s causing all this concern?

The number of cases has jumped dramatically. Last week , the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160% and deaths have increased by 19%.

Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily.

Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals.

That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they’re infected, said Dr. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, a Congolese researcher who led the research into the new form of mpox.

WHO said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. Tedros said there was concern for the further spread of the disease within Africa and beyond.

In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022 and infected nearly 100,000 people.

What’s the threat to the rest of the world?

Like any infectious disease, the new form of mpox seen in Congo could cross borders — cases have already been detected in four other East African countries.

On Thursday, Sweden’s public health agency said it identified the first case of the new mpox variant in someone who had recently been in Africa, and who sought health care in Stockholm.

Officials said the risk to the general public was considered “very low” and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue.

Kamituga, the region in Congo where the new form of mpox was first spotted, is home to a significant transient population traveling through Africa and beyond.

Still, given the resources in rich countries to stop mpox, scientists suspect that if new outbreaks linked to Congo were to be identified, transmission could be stopped relatively quickly.

Unlike COVID-19 or measles, mpox is not airborne and typically requires close, skin-to-skin contact to spread.

What does an emergency declaration mean?

WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action. But the global response to previous declarations has been mixed.

Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the agency’s declaration of a public health emergency was meant “to mobilize our institutions, our collective will and our resources to act swiftly and decisively.” He appealed to Africa’s international partners for help, saying that the escalating caseload in Africa had largely been ignored.

Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, said the last WHO emergency declaration for mpox “did very little to move the needle” on getting things like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to Africa.

What’s different about the current outbreak in Africa compared to the 2022 epidemic?

During the global outbreak of mpox in 2022, gay and bisexual men made up the vast majority of cases and the virus was mostly spread through close contact, including sex.

Although some similar patterns have been seen in Africa, children under 15 now account for more than 70% of the mpox cases and 85% of deaths in Congo.

Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Congo director, said the organization was particularly worried about the spread of mpox in the crowded camps for refugees in the east, noting there were 345,000 children “crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions.” He said the country’s health system was already “collapsing” under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera.

Emory’s Titanji said it was unclear why children were so disproportionately hit by mpox in Congo. She said it might be because kids are more susceptible to the virus or that social factors, like overcrowding and exposure to parents who caught the disease, might explain it.

How might mpox be stopped?

The 2022 outbreak of mpox in dozens of countries was largely shut down with the use of vaccines and treatments in rich countries, in addition to convincing people to avoid risky behavior. But barely any vaccines or treatments have been available in Africa.

Marks, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that immunization would likely help — including inoculating people against smallpox, a related virus.

“We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk,” he said, adding that would mean sex workers, children and adults living in outbreak regions.

Congolese authorities have asked for 4 million doses mostly for young children , but no doses have yet been received, said Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Monkeypox Response Committee.

Associated Press writer Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.