One of the best souvenirs from your travels may just be a travel journal of your experiences that YOU create. It can include the people you encountered, the places you visited, the beaches you loved, and even the mishaps you faced along the way. Keep the travel memories alive long after the suntan fades and the jet lag has passed.
Discover why keeping a diary of your travels is a must for your next trip and find inspiration with the best travel journal ideas, tips, and prompts.
What is a Travel Journal?
This page may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on one of the links and then make a purchase, Just Wander More may earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the company at no extra expense to you. Read the full disclosure here.
Your travel journals (also known as adventure journals) involve more than simply writing down what you did on a trip. Your journals are a place for reflection on your travels, a record of travel notes, and a travelogue of the adventures you experience.
Travel journal ideas may include:
- Your travel preparation and research
- Your day-to-day travel diary as you explore
- New foods you try
- People you meet along the way
- Favorite photos
- Keepsakes you collect along the way
I believe a travel journal is one of the essentials of your travels: before, during, and after your trip.
Why Keep a Journal?
I have been journaling my personal and family history diligently for well over 40 years and the information, memories, and experiences are a treasure. I am anticipating the future when my grandchildren read for the first time what their moms (my daughters) were like at their age.
This post shares reasons why you need to “just start” journaling—specifically your travels—with the hope that you’ll discover journaling is a hobby you love whether you are on the road or at home.
If you put a little time and effort into your personalized travel journal, you will create something you can look back on and treasure long after your adventures have ended.
The Wall Street Journal touts the benefits of journaling: “One of the more effective acts of self-care is also, happily, one of the cheapest.” Whether you want to create a journal of your life or a journal of your travels, my best piece of advice is to JUST START.
To relate a wise Chinese Proverb, “The best time to plant a tree [or start a journal] was twenty years ago. The next best time is now.”
In all of my efforts to journal life on my family blog for the past 20+ years, I have always kept notes as we traveled as a family. These travel notes have become a superb reference for my website: justwandermore.com.
When I travel, I record details and destinations, mishaps and memories all along the way that I can then use to create travel posts with detailed supplemental information. I always carry a travel journal with me.
7 Tips to Start a Travel Journal?
1. Determine the Medium: Pen & Paper, Digital or Photographs
You have options here. If you choose to use pen and paper, find a notebook or travel journal. Some people just prefer the feel and creativity of pen and paper. You could choose a leather travel journal, a simple composition notebook, or a soft cover travel journal.
If you plan to keep a digital journal, find a note-taking app (ie., Evernote, OneNote, Noteshelf, Google Docs) that works best for you.
2. Make a Plan to Write the Same Time Everyday
You may find that if you don’t record the day-to-day happenings as you travel, you begin to mix up days and locations or forget insightful moments (or maybe that is just me!)
So, whether you are exploring the dreamy villages outside of Florence, planning to paraglide from Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland, or snorkeling with black tip sharks in Tahiti, you won’t forget any amazing moments.
Writing down information about your travels is the easiest way to remember places you visit, people you meet, brilliant ideas, funny moments that happen along the way, mishaps, favorite destinations and day trips, and interesting tidbits of information.
Once you do begin to keep travel notes, pulling the information together into a meaningful blog post, photo journals, family letter, or digital travelogue once you return home is so much easier!
Make it a habit to write in your journal at the same time everyday.
3. Include the Day, Date and Location
Before I even leave on vacation, I start a page in my travel journal and number it with the number of days our family will be on vacation. I then add the day of the week, the date, and our location. For example:
- Day 1 Thursday, August 10 London
- Day 2 Friday, August 11 London
- Day 3 Saturday, August 12 Train to Paris
- Day 4 Sunday, August 13 Disneyland Paris
- Day 5 Monday, August 14 Normandy
You get the idea. It just makes a quick reference guide as I keep travel notes throughout our travels.
4. Develop Your Observational Skills
Learn to be observant and descriptive.
5. Send Yourself Quick Travel Notes or Messages
I often text myself quick travel notes as a reminder of funny things that happen during our travels, cool things we see, or places we visit. This just helps me to not forget something that I want to include in my travel journal.
6. Take Pictures as Reminders Too!
Snap a picture of a cafe where you have lunch (be sure to include the name of the restaurant in your photo), the spelling of the name of a town you visit, where you stay, a train you take, etc. so that you have it for your records.
I take these pictures to remember our stops throughout the day and then to make sure that I spell names correctly when I begin to journal. These pictures aren’t usually my best efforts, just a record.
Pictures also give you a day-to-day guide to writing travel notes in chronological order of where you went and what you saw.
7. Keep Memorabilia
I often bring home pamphlets, tickets, maps, etc. to remind me of our adventures. My girls love to keep the tickets and other memorabilia for their shadow boxes.
What Should You Include in Your Travel Journal?
If you are at a loss for what to write and need travel journal ideas and prompts, these are some great points to get you started and maybe keep you motivated to continue writing.
Trip Planning Details
- Packing list
- Itinerary
- Travel bucket list
- Important things to remember
- Bookings for hotel, air travel, ground transportation
- Research on excursions, adventures and tours
- Budget
- Foreign words and phrases to remember
Travel Notes to Keep During Your Trip
- Actual costs
- Tickets, maps, brochures
- Pictures
- Quick sketches
- Daily itinerary of the places you visit, famous sites, food you eat, etc.
Travel Journal Ideas Once You Return Home
- Final budget
- Things you would do differently
- Ideas for your next trip
- Updates to your bucket list
Tips on How to Share and Display Your Travels
Discover reasons why you need to just start journaling as well as ideas on what to write in a travel journal.
Journaling is not only a great way to keep a record with corresponding and related photos, but it is also a fantastic medium to share your experiences and family pictures with grandparents, family members, and friends… many who may live far away.
I recognize that not everyone is a writer but I hope that you will be inspired to begin keeping your own personal travel record in a way that best reflects your talents and personality.
So, how can YOU begin?
Start a Blog
A blog is a fantastic medium for journaling travel (and life) experiences and beginning to share itineraries, tips, and practical advice with would-be travelers. Others can learn from YOU as you share travel journal ideas.
If you only want to create a personal, diary-style blog to share with family and friends, you could do this at wordpress.com or blogger.com.
I started on Blogger for my personal blog and found it easy as a newbie to use and personalize.
Create Social Media Accounts
If you choose to create a website to journal your travels, be sure to claim your website name on social media accounts (even if you don’t know if you will use them yet).
- Instagram – Share your pictures with family and friends; begin to create a following to grow your brand. Learn some of the Best Selfie Poses for awesome shots.
- TikTok
- YouTube – Upload to your YouTube channel (set to private if you wish), and you have a virtual album of your trip you can watch on the big screen or send to Grandma.
Claim your name on any social media account where you will also want to share about AND journal your travels.
Create a Travel Hashtag #
If you don’t plan to create a website and don’t really want to create a separate Instagram account where you can journal your travels, you can also create a #hashtag specific to your travel, ie., #justwandermoretravels
Use hashtags “#” on Instagram to make it easier for family, friends, followers, or potential customers to find your Instagram feed and “follow you”.
The hashtags on Instagram are usually a combination of words, numbers or emojis preceded by the # symbol (no spacing) to provide a category for content and make your photos easier to discover.
Do you ever wonder why people use so many hashtags on their posts (you can use up to 30 per post)? It is to try and get more people to see their posts. More people viewing your posts means more followers and hopefully more people visiting your website.
Instagram Hashtags
#traveljournal #traveljournals #traveljournaling #travelersnotebook #traveldiary #creativejournal #journalinspiration #scrapbooking #notebooktherapy #diary #journalcollection #journalwithme #journaling #journalingcommunity #bulletjournalideas #selfcare #writers #bookstagram #annotating #travelersnotebook #plannercommunity #adventurejournal #adventurejournaling #keepajournal #keepajournalwriteitdown #keepajournalofmemories #travelmemories #momswithcameras #familytradition #ineedavacation #instatravel
Collect Memorabilia or Souvenirs
Do you like to collect? For awhile, my girls were collecting sweatshirts when we traveled to foreign cities. They would say, “You can never have too many sweatshirts,” but hmmmm, I think you can.
How about stamps, Christmas ornaments, t-shirts, or postcards? Train stubs, airline tickets, museum entrance tickets, journal sketches, and coin rubbings all make a unique way to journal your travels throughout the world as well.
Create Scrapbooks
Are you an avid scrapbooker? I was always too busy blogging to add one more medium to my efforts to journal my travels with scrapbooks, but many of my friends love the scrapbooks they have created over the years.
You will want to collect and save memorabilia from your trip such as ticket stubs, vouchers, a napkin, postcards, and receipts. And the hardcopy scrapbooks will give you a great excuse to print your photos and then to look back through the pages.
Make a Photo Book
I love to create photo books online. I make one every year for my family as a reminder of all of the fun we had, to recap our momentous occasions, and to highlight the places we visited.
You could make books for each of your travel destinations as a way to journal your travels. If you have never made one, I think you would be surprised to find just how quick and easy they are to make.
75 Journal Prompts for Travelers
Need some ideas and journal prompts for travelers to help as you record your travels or travel journal questions? Writer’s block is real.
You may just need to pick one of these ideas to get you started or keep the ideas at hand to help you recall events and moments from your day.
I even ask my family what their favorite moments are from the day. Your traveling companions can be great in helping you remember or in bouncing ideas off of them.
- What are your recommendations for your next trip?
- Why did you choose this particular destination?
- What are you looking forward to the most?
- What are your transportation and flight details?
- What are your accommodations with address and contact information?
- Did you plan tours (with contact information)?
- Are there food tours that you would like to try?
- What is your itinerary for this trip?
- How long will your flight be?
- Is there anything that worries you about this trip?
- Are there significant cultural customs to respect?
- Do you have any day trips planned?
- Have you had any pre-trip setbacks?
- What are some of the basic words to know: thank you, please, hello, goodbye?
- What destinations are on your travel bucket list?
- Do you have favorite childhood travel memories and places you want to visit?
- If money wasn’t an issue, where would you go?
- What advice and tips have you read about in your research?
- Did you create a playlist for this trip?
- Is this a relaxing trip or go go go with lots of sightseeing?
Be descriptive. While a picture often says a thousand words, adding your impressions of the sights, sounds, and smells offers an added dimension.
- What puts you out of your comfort zone while traveling?
- Describe the funniest travel moments you have had.
- What is the most beautiful beach you’ve ever visited?
- What is your favorite European country to visit?
- Name the most picturesque city, town, or village that you have visited.
- Have you ever visited Christmas markets?
- Are there any places you just don’t want to visit?
- What are your favorite meals or treats to splurge on money-wise and calorie-wise?
- What are the best and worst accommodations you’ve stayed in while traveling?
- What was the weather like? Did it impact your day?
- What are the sights, sounds and smells that you will remember the most?
- Did you have gelato today?
- What was the first thing that caught your attention when you arrived at your destination?
- Describe where you are right now using as many of your senses as you can.
- Sketch a famous landmark in your travel journal.
I recommend that you set aside some time at the end of the day to update your notes each day of your vacation. It makes it so much easier to journal your travels and remember what you did, where you went, and the funny or crazy things that happened.
Here are 20 questions to consider as you document your travels:
- What are your first impressions of your travel destination?
- Are you suffering from jet lag?
- What has surprised you so far?
- Did anything unfortunate, embarrassing, funny, or eventful happen today?
- What did you forget to pack?
- Do you like your accommodations?
- Did you get lost?
- What was your favorite meal today?
- How will you prioritize your health while you are traveling?
- What can you do for self-care while on the trip?
- Is there one thing that you never travel without?
- What was the most amazing thing you did today?
- Did anything embarrassing happen today?
- What made you laugh today? Did anything make you cry?
- What is the biggest challenge about the city you are visiting?
- Did anything go wrong today? What happened?
- How is this place similar or different from home?
- Are there any current events that are impacting your trip?
- How are you feeling—relaxed, happy, tired and stressed?
- How many steps/miles did you walk today?
As you arrive home and begin to journal your travels, what are some of your thoughts, ideas, and reflections about your trip?
- How did you hear about this destination?
- What advice would you share with others?
- Is this a trip you would take again or was once enough?
- What would you do differently?
- What would you pack differently?
- What would you add to your packing list?
- Did you have any travel mishaps?
- What were the humorous moments from your trip?
- How long did it take you to get over the jet lag?
- Did you buy any souvenirs?
- Are you excited by the pictures you took?
- Did you meet someone new?
- What would you recommend to others about this destination?
- Are you glad to be home? Are you ready to go again?
- What do you miss the most from home?
- Is there a tourist spot you wish you had visited?
- What is the best trip you have ever taken?
- Is there a local tradition that you would like to try once you get home?
- What are you favorite foods from this country?
- What did you love/not love about your accommodations?
Travel Journal Gear
As much as I love to travel I also LOVE to take pictures.
As a traveler AND a photographer, I can often be found with my Canon 6d Mark II around my neck and my iPhone in my hand as I hike, sightsee, and travel. I don’t want to miss a single picturesque moment!
Tip: Change the time stamp on your camera when you arrive at your destination so that it is the local time. Don’t forget to change it back when you return home.
Pictures can be an effective tool as you journal your travels.
TOTALLY RANDOM SIDE NOTE: Leggings with side pockets are so ingenious. Slide your phone in, pull it out it quickly. Never miss a shot.
Need Ideas on How to Journal Your Life?
I have been focusing a lot on how to journal your travels, but there are a myriad of ideas for creative ways to also journal your life:
- Keep a Gratitude Journal
- Record your Yearly Goals
- Create a Calendar of Your Family Photos
- Keep a Personal Journal in a Book
- Create an Instagram Account
- Print Your Photos and Hang Them in Your House
- Create an Online Private Journal
- Respond to Journal Prompts to Create a Personal History
- Use a Sketchbook
- Write Letters to Yourself, Your Children, Others
- Use a Daily Planner
- Create a Recipe Book of Your Family’s Favorite Recipes
It doesn’t have to be complicated to journal your way to a happier YOU!
- Make a Bullet Journal
- Record your Health Journey
- Design a Yearly Vision Board
- Create a Book or File of Your Favorite Quotes
- Write About Your Family Traditions
- Create a Book on the Advice You Would Give to Your Adult Children
- Write Down the Funny Things Your Children Say
- Make Note of the Books and Movies That You Love
- Create a Playlist of Songs
- Write a List of Fun Facts About You and Keep Adding to It
- Write Lists of Fun Facts About Your Family Members
Check out my Ultimate Travel Planner, Travel Journal, Gratitude Journal, and the Reflections Daily Journal. They are great for getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shadow box frame?
A shadow box frame is a display case (often hung on the wall) with an open space between the glass and photo. A shadow box adds a 3-dimensional frame that lets you showcase photos, mementos, keepsakes, and other cherished items from your travel adventures.
Can a travel journal be filled with pictures?
Definitely. Showcase your favorite photos and memories.
Why keep an adventure journal (or any other kind of journal)?
I have kept a personal family journal since 1999. The blog, as we affectionately refer to it in our family, and the blog books which my husband has printed for me over the years, are a treasure. My youngest daughter, Kristen, pours over those books, often reading about the years before she joined our family. It is funny to us when she says, “Do you remember when…” and then references a time before she was even born. They are a treasure and are filled with memories and moments and mishaps.
Love this Post? Pin it!
Final Thoughts on 100+ Brilliant Travel Journal Ideas, Tips and Prompts
If these lists seem overwhelming, just pick one idea and start there. That’s what makes keeping a travel journal so ridiculously easy. Pick what works the best for you! The time you take to make a record of your travels or your life in a meaningful way will make an impact.
Just start. You’ll be glad you did.
You may also love…
- Coolest Gift Ideas for Travelers (That They Actually Want!)
- 50 Clues for a Fun Photo Scavenger Hunt: Road Trips, Travels and Adventures
- 9 Best Day Trips in Italy for Photographers
- Family Photography: 10 Super Reasons to Plan a Family Photoshoot on Vacation
- 30 Travel Photography Tips: Take Better Travel Photos (and Look Good in Them Too!)
- 15 Popular Travel Photography Gadgets
- 5 Best Travel Photography Courses for Beginners
- Inspiring Instagram Captions for Travel and Life
- 15+ FREE Gorgeous Photos: Wallpaper for Your iPhone to Inspire Travel
- Travel Photos: 12 Creative Ways to Actually Share and Display Them
An oldschool handwrittem journal is useful for every aspect of life, it is just not for the lazy people. And I absolutely agree that there is such a thing as too many souvenirs. In my case it’s magnets, but you have only so much metal surface. 1 fridge.
For some, it is simply easier to have a journal to pick up and take with them.
I agree.
Photography was always my “thing.” But sometimes being behind the camera can mean missing out in the moment. I think travel journaling might be the perfect substitution. It helps create memories while keeping you in the moment.
I know what you mean. I have to jump into some photos just to prove I was there.
Thanks for sharing this! Actually, I always capture every moment and place it in a journal. Hayyy, missing traveling ..
I loved reading about having a travel journal. As time goes on, it is so easy to forget the names of places you have been. I’m so glad I have kept travel journals from as far back as college. Almost 20 years – how could I remember everything! hehe
I love your recommendations and I love how you create a digital photo album every year of your family’s activities and travels. Great idea. I often forget how much I do and how many places I visit and exhibitions I see. It is only when I look back at ALL the photos that I am quickly reminded of how abundant my life is.
All such great ideas on ways to keep track of travel through journaling! I love having a blog as it is detailed in reminding me of my travels plus lots of photos to bring back those memories. I also enjoy creating photo books of trips!
Lots of fantastic ideas about journaling and remembering our travels! So many great prompts too! One of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received was from my younger sister. As an adult, she copied her journal entries about me that she had written while we were growing up. It was pretty incredible all of the sweet things she shared. Journals are priceless and you have written a really useful article about them. Thanks!
What an amazing gift to receive. Not only was it thoughtful but it took her time to put it all together.
Great advice! My first big travelling experience our professor required us to journal our experience, and now I always try to make an effort to do it! They’re so nice to have in hindsight
Someday you will appreciate them even more.
I love journaling (old school writing pen to paper) so I never really made the connection that my blog and social media accounts are also forms of journaling. Love the journaling prompts…great resource!
The good news if you are a journaler is that you already have a lot of information for writing posts.
I LOVE my travel journal. It always helps me remember fun trips from eons ago.
Exactly. I transfer a lot to my personal blog and my girls love going back and reading about our adventures together.
So many good ideas for journaling! I don’t have a travel journal, but I think I will start one!
Check out my travel journal on Amazon!
I am definitely going to look into these travel journals. So often I just go off of memory, but I know it would be better if I would write down my adventures as they happen.
I would forget so much if I didn’t write it down.
The prompts are great!
Thanks
Great ideas here! I used to write a bit in my journal while I was travelling, but I decided it was easier for me to write a blog. It’s fun to record your travels in words!
I keep notes as I travel and then on the long flight home, I start creating blog posts.
This is such a comprehensive list of journaling ideas. I always forget things when I’m travelling like where I ate a great meal or those little discoveries I made by accident. Thanks so much for sharing!
Those are the details I try to remember. Comes in handy for travel blogging.
What a great idea! Outside of blogging, I had not considered journaling, but it seems like a great time to start. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Well, blogging is pretty much journaling.
These are such good ideas! I used to work for a photo processing company so have tons of photobook of my trips. I use to have a small notebook with me during my travels whenever since I was gifted with a Polaroid, I started journaling.
Photos and journals are great for keeping the memories alive.
Thanks for the inspiration. I have been doing this without realising I was doing it! But your post will help me refine my journal.
Makes for a great reference when blogging too.
I do journaling about my regular life as well as my travels. The latter it´s more like a diary! But I love your prompts and will keep them in mind for my next journey!
Good ideas! Despite a digital lifestyle, I still keep a travel notebook for quick prompts.
Me too. I jot quick notes as I travel each day so that I when I return home I can create a post of my travels.
I would never remember all the amazing experiences from our travels if I didn’t take daily notes and pictures.
Definitely helps when creating travel posts.
These are such great ideas. Love the prompts you gave!
Thanks
I love the idea of writing down what you’d recommend to others. It’s a good way to discover what the highlights of the trips were for you.
These are some great tips for travel journaling! I’ve tried keeping a journey during my travels but I always end up to busy to write things down. It is funny though because I’d never really considered my blog as my travel journal but I guess it is! Thanks for sharing these tips!
I am so bad at journaling, and I need to change that! I use to journal anytime we did a trip or had a baby. It’s so fun to look back through. I definitely need to get a journal and start again!
In addition to my blog I’ve just started keeping a physical travel journal with photos, notes and little tickets from my trips. It’s been so fun so far and such a great thing to look back on to remember my trips!
Great post, full of ideas for your journal. I was journalling without knowing. I have always kept photos and written about my trips.
I journaled for all of my early travel life. It was really the inspiration that made me start my travel blog. I must admit that I still have separate written journals for my experiences as a private pilot and also for our scuba diving. The one thing I miss with blogging is the deeply personal things that really don’t make it into the blog but did into my journals. Some great tips for things to think about writing.
All great suggestions. I never considered creating a photo book (I’ve been old school using photo albums), but I’d be willing to try it.
They are so nice to have and fit compactly on a shelf too.
I have been keeping travel journals for the past 12 years. It is a great way to remember details. I also find it to be a great creative outlet. I love your list of prompts.
Thanks. And if you are a travel writer, it helps so much in writing for your blog.
This post was so helpful! I cannot count the times I was writing about something happened years before and not being able to remember the details! I will make sure to always take notes while traveling to have reference!
Yay for creating a journaling believer!
I definitely need to be better about taking notes while traveling. Its definitely hard to remember all the details without taking some notes.
I keep a small notebook with me but am not the best at writing in it on trips. I’m usually driving or too tired at the end of the day to write much! LOL Would love to be more organized though!
I keep a notebook too. I find that if I don’t take the time, I just forget all of the amazing little things from when I had thought to myself, “Oh, I need to remember that.”
I’m a huge proponent of journaling travels and just your life in general, but I hadn’t really considered all of the ways to document your experiences without using a journal itself like using Instagram! Thanks for sharing
One thing that my family and I do is grab a keychain of the state/country we visited. We have a nice little collection.
I love journaling my travel journeys, and then going back years later to read what I wrote and it brings back happy memories for me.
Journaling and pictures keeps the memories alive (and maybe more accurate in the retelling).
Perfect combination. I do both, but with phone cameras, everyone in the family can get into the picture taking moments.
Love this! I love revisiting my travel experiences and keeping a journal is a great way to allow myself to do that! Thanks for the great tips!
Great read!
Thanks!
I am another old-fashioned traveler, and use a physical journal during my travels (and stationary life, too). I love photography but I find it “steals away” from my writing (journal, poetry, narratives) — and also, I prefer to travel unencumbered by things that are too expensive to have break or get stolen.
I’m sure your journals are a treasure.
Love this! I’ve been journaling since I was around 11-12 and started documenting my travels on my blog a few years back. It’s been fun looking back on those memories. :]
Not to mention my journals have been an invaluable resource in starting a travel blog.
I love the idea of journaling about your travels. I had never thought of it, but I love the idea. Thanks for opening my eyes!
This is fantastic! One of the most comprehensive posts on Journaling I have read.
Great ideas to journal in so many different ways! Very creative!