Travel journal ideas: 40 things to write, draw and keep on your next trip

A travel journal turns a trip into something you can open again in ten years. The photos show what places looked like. The journal keeps what they felt like, what you ate, who you met and the things that went wrong and became the best stories.

Good travel journal ideas are small enough to do in ten minutes at the end of a long day: three things you noticed, the best thing you ate, a sketch of the view, a ticket glued in with one line about the journey. Plan a few pages before you go, write a little each day, and finish with a page about coming home.

What part of the trip are you on?

Before you goTravel dayFirst dayA busy dayA slow dayLast dayBack home

1. What are you most looking forward to, and what are you nervous about?Write
2. What do you picture when you imagine this place? Write it now, so you can compare later.Write
3. What do you want to feel by the end of the trip?Write

Collect: the booking confirmation, a map printout, your packing list.

3 more

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Quick takeaways

• Ten minutes a night is enough. Write at the same time each day, like after dinner.
• Mix writing with lists, sketches, tickets and maps, so tired days still get a page.
• Plan a few pages before you go: a trip overview, a packing list and a “what I expect” page.
• Keep an envelope or pocket for tickets and receipts, and glue them in later.
• Finish with a “coming home” page, so the journal has an ending.

What should you put in a travel journal?

Put in anything that brings the trip back: short daily entries, the best and worst moments, food, people you met, overheard phrases, quick sketches, maps of where you walked, and paper you collect along the way, like tickets, receipts and labels.

• Daily entries. Three to five sentences on what happened and how it felt.
• Lists. Meals, words learned, places visited, things that went wrong.
• Sketches. The view, your room, a doorway, a plate of food. Speed matters more than skill.
• Maps. Draw your route for the day from memory.
• Collected paper. Tickets, receipts, wrappers, business cards, pressed leaves.
• People. Who you met and one thing they said.

Travel journal ideas for before your trip

Before a trip, use your travel journal to set up pages you’ll fill later and to record what you expect, so you can compare it with what really happens.

1. A title page with the trip name, dates and who’s going.
2. A “what I expect” page: how you picture the place, the food and the people.
3. A packing list, with ticks for what you actually used.
4. A map with the places you want to go circled.
5. A budget page with a column for planned and a column for spent.
6. A list of words and phrases you want to learn.
7. A page of recommendations from friends, with who gave each one.
8. Three things you want to feel by the end of the trip.

Travel journal ideas for during your trip

During a trip, keep entries short and regular. A daily page with a few lines, one list and one thing glued in adds up to a full journal by the end of a week.

9. The day in five headlines.
10. The best thing you ate, with a sketch of the plate.
11. Something you overheard, word for word.
12. The view from where you’re sitting right now.
13. A map of today’s walk, drawn from memory.
14. Three things you noticed that locals probably don’t.
15. What went wrong today, and how you handled it.
16. A portrait of someone you met, in words.
17. The weather, and what it made you do.
18. A list of sounds you heard today.
19. A ticket or receipt glued in, with one line about it.
20. The moment today you’d most like to remember.
21. Rate the day out of ten and say why.
22. What surprised you today?
23. A letter to someone back home you won’t send.
24. Something you did today that you’d never do at home.

Travel journal ideas for after you get home

After a trip, use your journal to finish the story: add photos, write the moments you didn’t have time for, compare the trip with what you expected and note what you want to remember next time.

25. Print a handful of photos and caption each with something the photo doesn’t show.
26. Reread your “what I expect” page and write what was different.
27. Rank the meals.
28. List the small moments before you forget them.
29. Write the funniest thing that went wrong.
30. Draw the full route of the trip on a single map.
31. What you’d pack differently next time.
32. A “coming home” page: what home looked like after being away.

What pages should a travel journal have?

Useful travel journal pages include a trip overview, a packing list, a map of your route, a food log, a people page, a daily entry for each day and a “coming home” page. A pocket or envelope in the back keeps loose tickets safe until you glue them in.

33. Trip overview: dates, places, people, one-line summary.
34. Food log: what you ate, where and how good it was.
35. People page: names, where you met and one thing they said.
36. Overheard page: phrases, signs and menu translations.
37. Five senses page: one thing you saw, heard, smelled, tasted and touched.
38. Money page: what things cost compared with home.
39. Best of the trip: view, meal, day, mistake, surprise.
40. Pocket page: an envelope glued in for tickets and receipts.

How do you keep a travel journal going when you’re tired?

Write at the same time each day, keep it to ten minutes, and switch to lists or one-line entries on busy days. If you miss a day, write it the next morning from photos and receipts rather than skipping it.

• Pick a time. After dinner, on the train, or in bed before sleep.
• Carry a small notebook. Jot words and phrases on the go, then write them up at night.
• Use your phone’s photos as notes. Scroll through the day’s photos before you write.
• Lower the bar on busy days. A list of three things counts.
• Collect now, glue later. Keep everything in an envelope and sort it when you’re home.

If you like collecting scraps more than writing, a junk journal might suit your trips better. For how travel journals fit alongside other journaling styles, see the types of journaling.

Travel journal questions

What kind of notebook is best for a travel journal?

A small, sturdy notebook that fits in your bag, with thick enough pages for glue and pens. A pocket or elastic band helps hold loose tickets.

How do you start a travel journal?

Before you leave, write a title page with the trip’s name and dates, and a page about what you expect. Then write a short entry each day of the trip, even if it’s just a list.

How much should you write in a travel journal each day?

Three to five sentences, or ten minutes, is enough. Add a list or a sketch on busier days.

Can you keep a digital travel journal?

Yes. A notes app or a private document works, and you can add photos straight in. Some people keep short notes on their phone and write a paper journal when they get home.

What do you do with a travel journal after the trip?

Finish it with photos and a “coming home” page, then keep it somewhere you’ll see it. Rereading an old travel journal before a new trip is a good way to plan the next one.