Travel journals are a fun and creative way to remember your most meaningful travels. While I record my favorite tips, tricks, and locations here at A Friend Afar, I knew I wanted to start a handwritten journal to record how these destinations make me feel. Starting a travel journal was something I thought about for a long time before I started writing because I was worried that I would start one and then quickly give it up or forget to write in it. I did a lot of searching through Pinterest for inspiration, and I was honest with myself about what would work for me and what would not work. Below are my favorite tips for starting a travel journal and keeping up with it as you seek out more adventures.
Keep it simple! – When I studied abroad 10 years ago (yikes!), I was great at keeping a daily travel journal of my adventures. That’s not the case anymore, so I’ve learned to set realistic goals. I’ve been able to keep up with my travel journal over the past year by keeping it simple. For each trip I take, I write out my itinerary and fill it in with a few daily highlights and favorite memories. When an experience really stands out, I take the time to write a paragraph or so about the impression it made on me. Consider including your packing list, a vocabulary list, your goals for the trip, or fun descriptions of your travel partners. A quick intro to how you decided to travel to a particular location can set the stage for the rest of your entries.
By keeping it quick and simple, I’ve created a routine that I can stick to, and I look forward to writing a little bit each day, either on a train or plane or in my hotel at night.
You don’t have to be an artist to have a beautiful journal! – I am not an artist. Sometimes I do a few fun little sketches in my journal, but my journal is mostly decorated with little paper bits that I pick up along the way. It’s faster. It’s easier. I can’t mess it up, and I don’t have to wonder if it’s good enough.
I keep track of which countries I’ve been to by coloring in a map that I traced for each continent.
Top Souvenirs to Include in Your Journal
- Postcards
- Plane and Train tickets
- Luggage Tags
- City Maps
- Tickets to Museums and Sites
- Polaroid Photos
- Candy and Food Wrappers
[Source]Buy supplies you love! – Just like how a new pair of running shoes can (maybe) encourage you to exercise more, a beautiful new travel journal is begging to be filled out. Here are our favorite supplies:
- Midori Traveler’s Notebook
- Moleskine Passion Journal – Travel Journal
- Passport Stamp Washi Tape
- Vintage Travel Washi Tape
- Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer
Look online for inspiration! – There are some beautiful examples out there of travel journals. The following photos give us new ideas for how to display our keepsakes and record our memories. We’ve started keeping track of them on our new Travel Journal Pinterest Board. Be sure to follow these great journalers on Instagram! (Links below.)
Do you keep a travel journal? How do you record your travels? Share your ideas and tips with us in the comments below.
[Disclosure: This post contains a few affiliate links, which means we receive compensation if you make a purchase using those links. None of the items on this list were sponsored, and all of the opinions are our own.]
Traveler’s Notebook is really popular among journal fans. They have a whole range of stationery perfect for travel journals. As for washi tapes, MT Tapes are the best!
Thanks, Therie! I love my MT washi tapes, too! I’m always on the lookout for fun new styles.
A question: do you fill or write into your travel journal during or after your journey? If during, do you take all the stuff (washi tapes….) with you?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Kate!
Great question! I try to write while I’m traveling, but sometimes a few things get filled in when I get home. I’ve been keeping a small glue stick with me, some colored pens, and some washi tape. I took a hotel room key that I accidentally forgot to return, and I wrapped a few feet of washi around it so it’ll lay flat in my journal. It’s easier than taking a whole roll. I recently bought a few sheets of small double-sided tape squares, which are a great alternative to the glue stick, so I’ll be taking them next time.
I like to fill in my journal at the end of a great travel day. But in order to remember what I did, I send texts to myself (we always have our phones on us) I might just say…”starting mileage 9876, breakfast at Mel’s cost $9.00 (I like to track my expenses) got to the park at 10am, checked in for our historical tour of Gettysburg” my photos help with time line too, and I use my mini printer for pictures. I have been known to send 4-5 text a day ending with the final mileage. When I sit down by the pool that night it all ties together easily.
I add pictures while en route to my destination. Some road signs and billboards are very funny! And if by plane, I take take-off and landing pictures and some in between. Of course, I keep all receipts and add them next to a photo of the place I visited. I make small paper envelopes to keep the receipts in my journal. I also take some photos on my phone of what I’m taking with me (clothes, electronics, accessories, etc.). Makes it easy for me to ensure all that left comes back with me. 😉
Nice! I’m just planning to start one and this got me excited!! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I Love Love travel journals) I used to have Travelers notebook and write down my adventures and add sketches to it. But what I struggled with is the need to print photos and stickers (which is not very convenient sometimes), you have to carry instax or pocket printer with you all the time (which takes a lot of space in the packing bag).
About 10 months ago I started kinda nomadic lifestyle) Me and my husband have been traveling through South east Asia for 10 month now and will go to Europe for the next 9 months. And I had to decide what to take with me on the trip that will not take too much space (because we have one suitcase for the both of us). And when I combined all the supplies and notebooks I wanted to take with me, it took a good chunk in the space of suitcase. Then I thought that I’ll add to it even more, while gathering tickets, receipts etc.
I got to thinking and realised that I always have my Ipad with me. And thought how cool it would be if I had all my journals on the Ipad and if I could keep it and write in it as I would in paper version. I bought Apple pencil and after some research, found out how to make interactive pdf journal.
I designed my first digital travel journal from actual images and pages and it turned out looking absolutely realistic and just like paper version, but with navigation as bonus. In paper journals you’d use tabs and bookmarks to skip on the needed page, so I transferred that experience to the digital journal as well.
The best part about it is that I don’t have to worry about printing photos or carrying a bunch of supplies and stationary with me. 🙂 I can do everything on my Ipad on the go.
If you are interested how it all works, here is the link to the travel journals I have so far in my shop with page examples: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TravelJournalSticker?ref=l2-shopheader-name§ion_id=22973288
And insta account with journal spreads: https://www.instagram.com/traveljournal_stickers/
I love this new experience so far. It makes keeping track of my memories much more smoother and more convenient.
I’d love to hear your thought about it <3
Hey! I am planning on starting a travel journal, but I don’t have one. What do you use? Do you think I could make one or just use a normal notebook? Preferably I don’t want to buy one.
I love those pretty pictures of travel journals and I would love to have one like that myself. And your advise makes it sound so easy, but I am finding it very hard to keep up.
A few months ago, I discovered Polarsteps, an online travel journal which I can share with friends and family. I keep updating that one because I know my parents regularly look at it. But once I’ve written about my travels there, I feel too drained to write about it again in my physical journal.
I still use my travel journal, but I mostly just glue in tickets that I got along the way. I should probably do more with it, but I know I would have to keep it simple. I will think about your suggestions and see if I can use any of that.
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These are so great! I also love keeping a travel journal. One of my goals is to not wait until a big trip to make one, but to keep an ongoing family day trip journal to record little trips with my kids.