ideas about travel writing

Trending Post : 52 Best Things to do in Ireland

Great Travel Writing Examples from World Renowned Travel Writers

Are you ready to be a better travel writer? One of the best ways to do this is to read great travel writing examples from great travel writers.

Writing about travel in a way that keeps your reader reading is not always easy. Knowing how to write an irresistible first paragraph to entice the reader to keep reading is key. Writing a lede paragraph that convinces the reader to finish the article, story or book is great travel writing.  This article features travel writing examples from award-winning travel writers, top-selling books, New York Times travel writers, and award-winning travel blogs.

Ads are how we pay our bills and keep our blog free for you to enjoy. We also use affiliate links; if you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

The writers featured in this article are some of my personal favorite travel writers. I am lucky to have met most of them in person and even luckier to consider many friends. Many I have interviewed on my podcast and have learned writing tips from their years of travel writing, editing and wisdom.

11 Great Travel Writing Examples

Writing with feeling, tone, and point of view creates a compelling story. Below are examples of travel writing that include; first paragraphs, middle paragraphs, and final paragraphs for both travel articles as well as travel books.

I hope the below examples of travel writing inspire you to write more, study great travel writing and take your writing to a higher level.

Writing Example of a Travel Book Closing Paragraphs

Don George is the author of the award-winning anthology The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George , and the best-selling travel writing guide in the world: How to Be a Travel Writer .

He is currently Editor at Large for National Geographic Travel, and has been Travel Editor at the San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle, Salon, and Lonely Planet.

I had the wonderful opportunity to see Don speak at Tbex and read from one of his books as well as interview him on the Break Into Travel Writing podcast. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Below is the closing of Don’s ebook: Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus: Dispatches from a Year of Traveling Close to Home

I continued hiking up to Lost Trail and then along Canopy View Trail. Around noon I serendipitously came upon a bench by the side of the trail, parked my backpack, and unpacked my lunch. Along with my sandwiches and carrot sticks, I feasted on the tranquility and serenity, the sequoia-swabbed purity of the air, the bird and brook sounds and sun-baked earth and pine needle smells, the sunlight slanting through the branches, the bright patch of blue sky beyond.

At one point I thought of shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, the Japanese practice that has become widely popular in the U.S. This was a perfect example of shinrin-yoku, I thought: Here I am, alone in this forest, immersed in the sense and spirit of these old-growth redwoods, taking in their tranquility and timelessness, losing myself to their sheer size and age and their wild wisdom that fills the air.

I sat there for an hour, and let all the trials, tremors, and tribulations of the world I had left in the parking lot drift away. I felt grounded, calm, quiet—earth-bound, forest-embraced.

In another hour, or two, I would walk back to the main paved trail, where other pilgrims would be exclaiming in awe at the sacred sequoias, just as I had earlier that day.

But for now, I was content to root right here, on this blessed bench in the middle of nowhere, or rather, in the middle of everywhere, the wind whooshing through me, bird-chirps strung from my boughs, toes spreading under scratchy pine needles into hard-packed earth, sun-warmed canopy reaching for the sky, aging trunk textured by time, deep-pulsing, in the heart of Muir Woods.

• You can read the whole story here: Old Growth: Hiking into the Heart of Muir Woods
• Please also download Don’s free ebook here:  Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus
• In addition to writing and editing, Don speaks at conferences, lectures on tours around the world, and teaches travel writing workshops through www.bookpassage.com .

Writing Example of a Travel Book Intro Paragraphs

Francis tapon.

Francis Tapon , author of Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe , also created a TV series and book called The Unseen Africa, which is based on his five-year journey across all 54 African countries.

He is a three-time TEDx speaker. His social media username is always FTapon. I interviewed Francis on the Break Into Travel Writing podcast about “How to Find An Original Point of View as a Travel Writer “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Below is the opening of Francis’ book, The Hidden Europe:

“This would be a pretty lousy way to die,” I thought.

I was locked in an outhouse with no way out. Outhouses sometimes have two latches—one on the outside and one on the inside. The outside latch keeps the door shut to prevent rodents and other creatures who like hanging out in crap from coming in. Somehow, that outer latch accidentally closed, thereby locking me in this smelly toilet. I was wearing a thin rain jacket. The temperature was rapidly dropping.

“This stinks,” I mumbled. It was midnight, I was above the Arctic Circle, and the temperatures at night would be just above freezing. There was no one around for kilometers. If I didn’t get out, I could freeze to death in this tiny, smelly, fly-infested shithole.

My mom would kill me if I died so disgracefully. She would observe that when Elvis died next to a toilet, he was in Graceland. I, on the other hand, was in Finland, not far from Santa Claus. This Nordic country was a jump board for visiting all 25 nations in Eastern Europe.

You can find his book on Amazon: The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us

For $2 a month, you can get Francis’ book as he writes it: Patreon.com/ftapon

Intro (Lede) Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Michele peterson.

Former banking executive Michele Peterson is a multi-award-winning travel and food writer who divides her time between Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach).

Former banking executive Michele Peterson is a multi-award-winning travel and food writer who divides her time between Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach). Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s Mexico from the Source cookbook, National Geographic Traveler, Conde Nast’s Gold List, the Globe and Mail, Fifty-five Plus and more than 100 other online and print publications.

She blogs about world cuisine and sun destinations at A Taste for Travel website. I met Michele on my first media trip that took place in Nova Scotia, Canada. I also had the pleasure of interviewing about “ Why the Odds are in Your Favor if you Want to Become a Travel Writer” . You can listen to the full podcast here .

Michele’s Lede Paragraph Travel Writing Example

I’m hiking through a forest of oak trees following a farmer who is bleating like a pied piper. Emerging from a gully is a herd of black Iberian pigs, snuffling in response. If they weren’t so focused on following the swineherd, I would run for the hills. These pigs look nothing like the pink-cheeked Babe of Hollywood fame.

These are the world’s original swine, with lineage dating back to the Paleolithic Stone Age period where the earliest humans decorated Spain’s caves with images of wild boars. Their powerful hoofs stab the earth as they devour their prized food, the Spanish bellota acorn, as fast as the farmer can shake them from the tree with his long wooden staff. My experience is part of a culinary journey exploring the secrets of producingjamón ibérico de Bellota, one of the world’s finest hams.

You can read the full article here: Hunting for Jamón in Spain

Perry Garfinkel

Perry Garfinkel has been a journalist and author for an unbelievable 40 years, except for some years of defection into media/PR communications and consulting.

He is a contributor to The New York Times since the late ’80s, writing for many sections and departments. He has been an editor for, among others, the Boston Globe, the Middlesex News, and the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

He’s the author of the national bestseller “ Buddha or Bust: In Search of the Truth, Meaning, Happiness and the Man Who Found Them All ” and “ Travel Writing for Profit and Pleasure “.

Perry has been a guest on my podcast twice. He gave a “ Master Class in Travel Writing ” you can listen to the full podcast here . He also shared “ How to Find Your Point Of View as a Travel Writer ” you can listen to the full episode here .

Perry’s Lede Travel Article Example from the New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — A block off Grant Avenue in San Francisco’s Chinatown – beyond the well-worn path tourists take past souvenir shops, restaurants and a dive saloon called the Buddha Bar – begins a historical tour of a more spiritual nature. Duck into a nondescript doorway at 125 Waverly Place, ascend five narrow flights and step into the first and oldest Buddhist temple in the United States.

At the Tien Hau Temple, before an intricately carved gilded wooden shrine and ornate Buddha statues, under dozens of paper lanterns, Buddhists in the Chinese tradition still burn pungent incense and leave offerings to the goddess Tien Hau in return for the promise of happiness and a long life.

You can read the full article here: Taking a Buddhist pilgrimage in San Francisco

Elaine Masters

Elaine Masters apologizes for pissing off fellow travelers while tracking story ideas, cultural clues, and inspiring images but can’t resist ducking in doorways or talking with strangers.

She’s recently been spotted driving her hybrid around the North American West Coast and diving cenotes in the Yucatan. Founder of Tripwellgal.com, Elaine covers mindful travel, local food, overlooked destinations and experiences. Elaine was a guest on my podcast where we spoke about “ How to Master the CVB Relationship “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Elaine’s Lede Example

I jiggered my luggage onto the escalator crawling up to the street. As it rose into the afternoon light, an immense shadow rose over my shoulder. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I burst into giggles, looking like a madwoman, laughing alone on the busy Barcelona boulevard.  The shadow looming overhead was the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. It had mesmerized me forty years earlier and it was the reason I’d finally returned to Spain.

You can read the full article here: Don’t Miss Going Inside Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s Beloved Cathedral

Along with his wife, photographer Mary Gabbett, Bret Love is the Co-Founder/Editor In Chief of Green Global Travel and the Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide.

He’s also an award-winning writer whose work has been featured by more than 100 publications around the world, including National Geographic, Rolling Stone, American Way, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.

Bret’s Lede Example

Congo Square is quiet now. Traffic forms a dull drone in the distance. A lone percussionist taps out ancient tribal rhythms on a two-headed drum. An air compressor from Rampart Street road construction provides perfectly syncopated whooshes of accompaniment.

Shaded park benches are surrounded by blooming azaleas, magnolias, and massive live oaks that stretch to provide relief from the blazing midday sun. It’s an oasis of solitude directly across the street from the French Quarter.

Congo Square is quiet now. But it’s here that the seeds of American culture as we know it were sown more than 200 years ago. And the scents, sounds, and sights that originated here have never been more vital to New Orleans than they are now, more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

You can read the full article here: Treme, New Orleans (How Congo Square Was The Birthplace Of American Culture)

Middle Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Mariellen ward.

Canadian travel writer and blogger Mariellen Ward runs the award-winning travel site Breathedreamgo.com , inspired by her extensive travels in India.

She has been published in leading media outlets worldwide and offers custom tours to India through her company India for Beginners. Though Canadian by birth, Mariellen considers India to be her “soul culture” and she is passionate about encouraging mindful travel.

Mariellen’s Middle Paragraph Example

While the festival atmosphere swirled around me, I imbued my  diya with hope for personal transformation. I had come to India because a river of loss had run through my life, and I had struggled with grief, despair and depression for eight years. I felt I was clinging to the bank, but the effort was wearing me out. Deciding to leave my life and go to India was like letting go of the bank and going with the flow of the river. I had no idea where it would lead me, what I would learn or how I would change. I only knew that it was going to be big.

You can read the full article here: The River: A tale of grief and healing in India

Joe Baur is an author and filmmaker from Cleveland currently based in Berlin. His work has appeared in a variety of international publications, including BBC Travel, National Geographic, and Deutsche Welle.

He regularly reports for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and is the author of Talking Tico detailing his year of living in Costa Rica and traveling around Central America. I interviewed Joe about “ How to Find Unique Travel Stories “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Joe Baur’s Middle Paragraph Example

I first became aware of the Harz mountains and the Brocken when reading the works of some of Germany’s great writers, like Goethe and Heinrich Heine. Legends of witches congregating with the devil being the main theme of the mountain’s mythology. I, however, was more interested in a refreshing time spent in nature rather than reveling with the devil.

The first stage from Osterode to Buntenbock was a warm-up to the more rigorous stages ahead. It began on sidewalks before sliding into the forest sporting a healthy shade of green — a gentle jaunt that made my hiking boots feel a bit like overkill given the dry, pleasant weather.

You can read the full article here: Follow the witch through the forest: 5 days hiking Germany’s Harz

Samantha Shea

Samantha is a freelance travel writer with bylines in Matador Network, GoNomad and more. She also runs the travel blog Intentional Detours which provides thorough guides and tales related to offbeat adventure travel in South Asia and beyond.

When she’s not writing she enjoys cycling, hiking, the beach, as well as language learning.

Samantha Shea’s Middle Paragraph Example

Suddenly, the spark of a match pulsed through the early-fall afternoon and my head snapped towards the men. Amir touched the flame to an unidentifiable object that seconds later made itself known by the deep earthy scent of Pakistani hashish.

Amir’s ice blue eyes focused intently on his creation: a combination of tobacco and nuggets of greenish-brown charas. He forced the mixture back into the cigarette, before bringing it to his pursed lips, flicking the match, and setting flame to his high.

I reached out from the cot to take my turn and took a deep inhale, acutely pleased. I savored the familiar burn of the drag, the rows and rows of corn and apple plants in front of me, the stuttered cacophony of animal exclamations behind me, and the generosity of the men to my left, some of whom we had just met an hour before.

You can read the full article here: Thall Tales: A Hazy Afternoon in Thall, Pakistan

Final Paragraph Example of Great Travel Writing Articles

Cassie bailey.

Cassie is a travel writer who has solo backpacked around Asia and the Balkans, and is currently based in Auckland. Alongside in-depth destination guides, her blog has a particular focus on storytelling, mental health, and neurodiversity.

Cassie’s Final Paragraphs Example

So my goal is to feel, I guess. And I don’t mean that in a dirty way (although obvz I do mean that in a dirty way too). This is why we travel, right? To taste crazy new foods and to feel the sea breeze against our skin or the burn on the back of our legs on the way down a mountain. We want to feel like shite getting off night buses at 4am and the sting of mosquito bites. We know we’re going to feel lost or frustrated or overwhelmed but we do it anyway. Because we know it’s worth it for the ecstasy of seeing a perfect view or making a new connection or finding shitty wine after a bad day.

My goal is never to become numb to all of this. To never kid myself into settling for less than everything our bodies allow us to perceive. I’m after the full human experience; every bit, every feeling.

You can read the full article here: Goals inspired by life as a solo backpacker

Lydia Carey

Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City who spends her time mangling the Spanish language, scouring the country for true stories and “researching” every taco stand in her neighborhood.

She is the author of “ Mexico City Streets: La Roma ,” a guide to one of Mexico City’s most eclectic neighborhoods and she chronicles her life in the city on her blog MexicoCityStreets.com .

Lydia’s Final Paragraphs Example

Guys from the barrio huddle around their motorcycles smoking weed and drinking forties. Entire families, each dressed as St. Jude, eat tacos al pastor and grilled corn on a stick. Police stand at a distance, keeping an eye on the crowd but trying not to get too involved.

After this celebration, many of the pilgrims will travel on to Puebla where they will visit some of the religious relics on display in the San Judas church there. But many more will simply go back to their trades—legal and illegal—hoping that their attendance will mean that San Judas protects them for another year, and that he has their back in this monster of a city.

You can read the full article here: San Judas de Tadeo: Mexico’s Defender of Lost Causes

I hope you enjoyed these examples of travel writing and they have inspired you to want to write more and write better! The next article that will be published is a follow-up to this and will include travel writing examples from my first travel writing teacher, Amanda Castleman. This article will include travel writing tips from Amanda and travel writing examples from her students as well as one from her own writing.

Follow  52 Perfect Days  on   Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram

If you liked it, please share it. Thank you!

• Pinterest 1

Alexa Meisler is the editorial director of 52 Perfect Days. Born in Paris, France she has since lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and son where they enjoy exploring California and Mexico.

Travel has always been a part of her life; traveling to such places as Morocco, Tangiers and Spain as a young child as well as taking many road trips to Mexico with her grandparents as a young girl. Since then, she has traveled abroad to locations such as Russia, Taiwan and throughout Europe.

Prior to working at 52 Perfect Days she was a freelance travel writer; focusing on family and women’s adventure experiences.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TRAVEL WITH MERAKI

Make Moments Matter

Get Inspired With These 50 Travel Journal Prompts

Travel Journal Writing Prompts

Struggling with ideas for your Travel Diary? Try these travel journal prompts to get you inspired and create amazing memories from your adventures and destinations!

There are so many reasons you should try writing a travel journal for your next vacation. Keeping a travel journal is a fantastic way to prepare for a trip, help you stay organized during a holiday and to keep those amazing travel memories alive long after your adventure has finished. 

Trying to come up with ideas on what to write about can be hard work though…especially if you are tired after a day of sightseeing! It can also be hard to know where to start as you have often seen and done so much in a day of travel !

Create a travel journal you are going to treasure for many years to come with the travel prompts below. They will help you capture all the sights, feelings and experiences you have that make your trip worth remembering.  

Table of Contents

Travel Journal Prompts

So, what do you write in a travel journal?

It’s normal to feel a little stuck with writing. Usually just starting is the hardest part and once you begin writing you will find the ideas flow easily.

Using journal prompts like the ones below is a great way to get stop the writing block. 

If you use your travel diary to help plan your adventure then it’s a great idea to get into the habit of journaling before you leave. 

Travel Prompts For Before The Trip

• What are your expectations of this destination or experience?
• What is on your destination bucket list? And why do you want to see or experience these things? 
• What part of this trip have you enjoyed planning for the most?
• Have there been any pre-trip disasters? 
• Why did you choose this adventure or destination?
• Are you worried about anything?
• What advice have you read or been given about your destination?
• What are you most excited about? ( it could be food to try or a tour you have booked).
• What has been your favorite vacation/adventure ever? 
• What  souvenir do you want to bring home?
• What do you want to learn on this adventure?
• How have you saved up for this trip?
• What are some interesting facts you have researched about your destination?

To really make the most of travel journaling it is a good idea to create a habit. Maybe get up half an hour early to write about your day before, or make sure you leave some time at the end of the day to journal. Try to journal every day as it is amazing how quickly you can forget all those small details.  Try the below journal prompts to inspire you while you are traveling. 

Journal Prompts While Traveling

• What was the first thing you noticed/felt when you reached your destination
• What was the most amazing thing you did today?
• What was the worst thing that happened today?
• Did you try something new?
• What made you smile, laugh, cry?
• What did you eat?
• What people did you meet today?
• Did something go wrong today? ( Travel disasters can sometimes end up as funny stories later on)
• What are clear things you remember feeling, seeing, touching, smelling or hearing? Evoking senses is a fantastic way to bring back memories when you reread your travel journal.
• What are you missing about home?
• What cultural experiences have you had today?
• How did you feel waking up in a new place?
• Describe the place you are in detail ( add smells, tastes, sounds, and feelings as well as what you see)
• Write down some interesting facts or history about your destination
• What makes this place similar or very different from where you are from?
• Did something put you outside of your comfort zone? Why? How did you feel?
• What is happening in the news at your destination? Are you seeing/feeling/being affected by this while you travel?
• How did an experience, person or site make you feel today?
• What music are you listening too?
• What books/magazines are you reading?
• Did you learn any new words or phrases today? How did you learn them? Where did you use them?

Writing in your travel journal at the end of your adventure is the perfect way to reflect. You could journal on the flight home, or wait until you are already home and unpacking to see what your lasting memories and emotions are about a vacation. Below are some holiday journal prompts to help. 

Post Vacation Writing Prompts

• Would you visit again? Or change something in your itinerary if you could go back?
• Did you learn anything?
• How would you describe what you did and saw to a friend or someone that was thinking of traveling to the same destination?
• What was your favorite…. ( could add food, tour, place to visit, experience, person you met.)
• Recall something funny that happened on your trip.
• What were the highlights of your adventure?
• What were some low points of your trip?
• How did your trip differ/live up to your expectations?
• Did your adventure change you or help you grow in any way?
• Where do you want to go next? Why?
• What  souvenir did you bring home?
• What item did you wish you had packed? Or things you realized you didn’t need to pack!
• What is one thing you didn’t get to do but wish you had?
• What is one thing you did do but wish you hadn’t?
• Is there a new food, or tradition from the trip that you are going to bring into your everyday life?
• How did you feel coming home from your adventure?

Want these as a printable to take with you on your adventure? Download your FREE travel Journal Prompts HERE

Travel Journal With Prompts

Want to make it even easier? Why not buy a travel diary that already has travel writing prompts?

Here are some travel journals with prompts we love!

Travel with Meraki – Remember, when you are wondering what to record in a travel journal to not just stick with the facts ( I went here, it was hot today). Add lots of descriptions using all your senses! As well as what you saw, you want to remember the smells, textures, and sounds of a destination. Be sure to also write how all these things made you FEEL !

Travel Quotes To Use In Your Travel Journal

Quotes About Journeys

Vacation Quotes For Families

The Best Travel Quotes

PIN FOR LATER!

Holiday Journal Prompts

Sharing is caring!

38 Travel Writing Prompts for Travel Writers

Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or stressing about the headline for your next travel writing pitch, we’ve got your back!

You should always check out the publication’s you’re pitching to get a feel for the style of their headlines for your best chance at success (and do some SEO research if it’s your own site), but here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing…

Itineraries

[3] Days in [City] for [Nature] Lovers

The Perfect Long Weekend for a Romantic Trip to [City]

Itineraries for Kids of Every Age in [City]

How to See the Best of [City] in [2] Days

[7] [Movie] Filming Locations to Visit in [City]

1st Person Narratives

How I [Found Myself Again After Divorce] in [City]

How I [Explored My Roots] in [City]

Exploring my Hometown as a Travel Writer

My Search for [the Perfect Beach] in [City]

The Quest to Save [the Oneida Language] in [City]

Searching for [The Wolves of Nearly Extinct Fruit Dove]

Off the Beaten Path

[7] Restaurants Only Locals Know in [City]

Live Like a Local in [City]

Get Lost: Why I Ditched the Map in [City]

The Longest-Operating [Hotel] in [City]

Packing Lists

[12] Must-Pack Items for a Trip to [City]

The Carry-On Capsule Wardrobe for [City]

Packing for [3] Climates in One Carry-on

[9] Summertime Packing Must-Haves

Where to Find Black History in [City/State]

Where to Find the Best Coffee in [City]

Summer Arts Guide to [City/State]

The 5 Best Things to do in [City] When It’s Snowing

Anniversaries/Debuts

New [Art]-Themed Hotel Opens in [City]

See the [Exhibit Name] at [Museum Name] Before it Closes

[City] Celebrates It’s Centennial with Fun-Packed Weekend

Annual Festivals/Events

Don’t Miss This Year’s [Festival/Event Name] in [City]

How to Attend the [Festival/Event Name] on a Budget

5 Hotels That Put You Near the Action at the [Festival/Event Name]

Holidays/Seasonal

Travel Hacks for Making the Most of Christmas in [City]

Experience [Holiday] in [City]

Celebrate New Year’s in Style in [City]

A Black History Road Trip Across [State]

It’s Leaf-Peeping Season in [State]! Where to Find the Best Colors

Summer Fun in [City]

An Inside Look at [City/Resort/Activity]

Live Like [a Celebrity] at [Resort]

[7] Cities Where Vegans Eat Like Kings

Ready to take your travel writing to the next level? Join our Travel Writers Café for weekly calls-for-submission from editors, trainings, travel writing retreats , networking with other writers and more.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

31 Travel Journal Prompts + Creative Travel Journal Ideas

This post contains affiliate links to trusted partners. If you purchase through these links, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Looking for travel journal prompts and creative travel journal ideas ?

Then you’re in the right place! 

Especially right now as travel is limited and people are searching for ways to travel at home, such as through relaxing staycations , keeping a travel journal can be a great way to relive your favorite trip memories. 

Moreover, it can keep travel alive, allow you to explore the world from home, and help you stay curious. 

Keep reading for a list of fun journal writing prompts related to travel as well as tips for creating something tangible that truly helps you feel inspired. 

Table of Contents

Downloadable Travel Journal PDF

Before we dive into the post, though, I want to offer you the chance to grab my free printable travel journal . 

The trip journal includes 56 prompts in total. 

This inspiring printable and fillable journal is great for exercising your creativity while traveling from home as you remember your favorite trips. 

Grab it, and then feel free to message me on Instagram ( @jessieonajourney ) to let me know which travel journal writing prompts were your favorite and why.

I plan to update the journal in the future — and you’ll get any revisions I make — so your feedback is appreciated!

What Is A Travel Journal?

A travel journal is a place where you can document your trip memories, whether you’re spending 7 days in Cancun , going on a solo USA road trip , off completing the world’s best hiking trails , or something else.

These can be paper or digital, bound or looseleaf, thin or thick. And— when it comes to how to write in a travel journal — it can include just text or a variety of mediums.

The point is, it offers a way to record what happens to you on the road — though you’re welcome to take your entries and give them a fictional twist for fun! 

Choosing Your Travel Journal

I may be a little biased, but if you’re looking for the best travel journal with prompts, I recommend grabbing my free printable journal here . 

Because I made it fillable, you can also use it as a travel journal online!

Additionally, there are loads of inspiring options online if you’d prefer to purchase one. On Amazon, I love this vegan leather option as well as this mindful travel journal .

Creative Travel Journal Ideas

Wondering how to be creative in your journal?

First of all, remember that a journal doesn’t just have to be writing. Use markers, paints, stickers, glitter, and even momentos from your travels to really bring the text to life. 

Of course, don’t forget about travel-themed accents, too, like stamps, tickets, postcards, and maps — you can even cut out sections of a map to showcase your favorite destinations. 

If you’re artistic, you might also consider bullet journaling and other techniques to make your journal more visual. 

In terms of keeping your travel writing fresh, having details to pull from can be a huge help.

When possible, try to experience a place with all five senses so you have more to draw from later. I personally like to take notes right after any experience I think I may write about later. 

Keep in mind, being fully present in this way is also just an overall healthy practice. 

If you’re having trouble remembering details, try to sit in silence and do a visualization. Personally, when I do this exercise I aim to not only see myself in a place, but to put myself back in the place so that I am seeing the scene through my own eyes. 

Feeling writer’s block?

Sometimes all that it takes is a change of scenery to get inspired again. Try going for a walk or trying a new cafe to see if that helps.

If not, put the journal away, give yourself some mental space, and pick it back up tomorrow. 

And if you’re proud of what you’ve written, feel free to post it on social media, share it in an email with friends or, of course, keep it to yourself. 

How To Keep A Travel Journal: Quick Tips 

As an avid journaler myself, these are some of my personal tips for having fun, feeling creative, and staying inspired while writing.

As with travel tips and trip styles, everyone has their own process when it comes to journaling, and something that works for me may not work for you. Feel free to try out this advice, keep what works, and let go of what doesn’t.

Overall, the goal is that you get something beneficial out of these pages.

Tip #1: Journal when you feel most creative.

For instance, you might choose some mindful ways to start your day and have completing daily journal prompts be one of your morning rituals. 

However, if you find you feel more creative in the afternoon or evening, plan your writing for then.

Tip #2: Don’t edit as you write.

Allow your first draft to be all about getting your ideas and thoughts down onto the paper and getting into a creative flow state.

You can always tweak things later.

Tip #3: Remember the power of lists.

This is one of my favorite trip journal ideas!

Writing in lists can be helpful when you’re:

• having trouble getting started
• wondering what things to put in a travel journal
• feeling like your sentences just aren’t flowing together

This way, you can at least get your ideas down and edit them together in a cohesive manner later on.

Tip #4: Write stories.

While this isn’t mandatory, those who are curious how to write a travel journal that’s worth reading should consider writing your thoughts as stories instead of in a stream-of-conscious fashion. 

To write a story, make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. Actually, if you really want to do it right, you should also consider character, plot, setting, and tension.

For a lesson in storytelling, make sure to check out this video on how to improve your creative storytelling skills for more engaging writing:

Tip #5: Go beyond text.

Wondering what to put in a travel journal?

Realize there is no right or wrong answer to this question!

Keep it text-based, or add paintings, drawings, stickers, momentos from your trip, and more. 

Personally, I’ve started writing out my journal entries and then drawing them to add some additional creativity and really bring the pages to life. 

The Best Travel Journal Apps

Prefer a digital journal option over paper? 

There is an app for that! 

I’ve talked about my favorite travel safety apps before, but here are a few of my favorite apps for keeping a travel journal:

Travel Diaries .  This free app allows you to create both public and private journals. The layouts are customizable, and you can easily add text, photos, and even maps. 

One really neat feature of this app:

You can turn your travel diary into a physical creation to be shipped to your home!

Day One Journal . This is another great travel journal app that makes it simple to record your memories using photos, videos, drawings, and even audio recordings. 

The “On This Day” feature allows you to go back in time to revisit your favorite trip moments, while automatic backups ensure your content never gets lost. 

Unique app feature:

You can handwrite in your journal using your finger or Apple Pencil. 

This travel app has both free and paid premium versions. 

Polarsteps . Dubbed “the personal travel log in your pocket,” Polarsteps is an app that helps you plan your trips as well as record them along the way in a visually-appealing manner.

In fact, this app puts an emphasis on adding experiences to maps and using video to document, so you can really bring your trips back to life later on. 

A feature I love:

You can turn your travel memories into a stunning hardcover book to keep!

Unique Travel Journal Examples

Looking for some travel journal inspiration?

Here are some mood boards with journal examples to help get your creative juices flowing.

These are also helpful if you’re wanting to learn how to make a travel journal.

By the way:

Check out the bottom right photo in the top collage if you’re looking for travel journal layout ideas.

Travel Writing Prompts – Quick Picker 

If you’re like me and often feel indecisive when choosing a prompt, I’ve got a fun little tool that can help:

The above video moves through the list of writing prompts quickly.

To use it as a quick picker, press play, turn your gaze down, and then stop the video at a random moment.

Then, voilà , you’ve got your travel writing prompt chosen for you! 

31 Travel Journal Prompts

Whether you’re physically traveling or at home dreaming of the road, use these travel prompts for your journal.

I love these prompts for when I’m feeling stuck and am searching for things to write in a travel journal:

1. Remember a time when you met people while traveling that felt like family. Describe your time with them in great detail.

2. Write a postcard to a friend from a place you’ve loved visiting.

3. Think about a problem that exists in travel. Now, invent a solution to the problem. Hey, could this journal help you come up with your next million-dollar idea?

4. If you could go on a trip with anyone, dead or alive, who would you go with? Where would you go and what would you do?

5. Share a time you were lost or that you lost something while traveling. 

6. How has travel changed or shaped you? Note: This is one of my favorite self-discovery journal prompts!

7. Start your travel story with the following: “It was a dark and stormy night…”

8. What is the first vacation memory that comes to mind? Come up with your memory in 10 seconds or less!

9. Think back to the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to. Now, describe it using all five senses.

10. Write about a multi-destination trip — from the perspective of your backpack.

11. What is a sticky situation you’ve gotten out of on the road? Hint: Allow this to also be a reminder of your strength!

12. What is a fear you’ve overcome while traveling? How?

13. Take your story from the previous prompt about overcoming a fear while traveling and rewrite it from the perspective of an onlooker.

14. What has been your craziest transportation experience?

15. Write a review of the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in.

16. Write a review of the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed in using humor.

17. Write a letter of gratitude to someone who showed you an act of kindness on the road .

18. Write about the last trip you took — from the perspective of yourself in the year 2600.

19. Write about a hike you loved doing using all five senses.

20. “Travel makes me feel _____.” Why?

21. Write about a trip you took last year from the perspective of your favorite book or movie character.

22. What is the biggest lesson that travel has taught you? Share a story that brings this to life.

23. Pretend that you were given an extra day on a trip you loved. What would that day have looked like?

24. Choose a trip you haven’t written about yet. Now choose a different time period, and write about the trip as if it happened in that time period.

25. In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about travel?

26. Think back to an interesting conversation you’ve had while traveling and begin your story with that dialogue.

27. Transport yourself to a beautiful beach you’ve visited. Suddenly, a message in a bottle washes up onto the shore. What does it say? How do you react?

28. Here is a road trip journal idea! Write about a road trip you went on, but have someone else from the trip be the narrator. Hint: If you traveled solo, have the car or an onlooker be the narrator.

29. Think of a time you went on a trip that took you out of your comfort zone. Write the end of the story, then the middle, then the beginning.

30. What is one piece of advice you’ve been told by a local while traveling? Have you applied it to your life? Why/why not?

31. If you were to write a travel memoir, what would the first chapter look like?

Bonus: Pair Your Journal Prompts With Self-Care

In my opinion, the best way to enjoy time spent journaling is by pairing it with other self-care activities.

In the video above, I share my top 10 favorite self-care tips and rituals for travelers — though they can also be enjoyed at home!

My recommendation:

Make a day of it! Use the journal prompts and the self-care rituals to create your own DIY retreat .

Want more travel-themed prompts?

Don’t forget to grab my free downloadable Inspired Storyteller Travel Journal — featuring inspiring quotes, writing tips, and 56 fun prompts to help you recount your favorite trip memories and write creatively. 

Do you have any travel journal prompts to add?

What are your favorite creative travel journal ideas, related posts:.

About Jessie Festa

Jessie Festa is a New York-based travel content creator who is passionate about empowering her audience to experience new places and live a life of adventure. She is the founder of the solo female travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and is editor-in-chief of Epicure & Culture , an online conscious tourism magazine. Along with writing, Jessie is a professional photographer and is the owner of NYC Photo Journeys , which offers New York photo tours, photo shoots, and wedding photography. Her work has appeared in publications like USA Today, CNN, Business Insider, Thrillist, and WestJet Magazine.

Hi, I’m Jessie on a journey!

I'm a conscious solo traveler on a mission to take you beyond the guidebook to inspire you to live your best life through travel. Come join me!

Want to live your best life through travel?

Subscribe for FREE access to my library of fun blogging worksheets and learn how to get paid to travel more!

Turn Your Travel Blog Into A Profitable Business

Subscribe to my email list to snag instant access to my library of workbooks, checklists, tutorials and other resources to help you earn more money -- and have more fun -- blogging. Oh, and it's totally FREE! :) //  Privacy Policy . 

Check your inbox for your welcome email + resource library password!

These prompts are just the inspiration I needed to capture my thoughts about travel. Not only do they tap into my travel memories, but they feed my creative spirit. Who says you have to actually go anywhere to be well-traveled? 😉

I have trouble keeping a journal, but have always want too – these are such good prompts ill have to give it another try!

Wow, what an incredible article! I’m so grateful to have come across this treasure trove of travel journal prompts and ideas. The suggestions provided here are truly inspiring and have sparked my wanderlust even more. From capturing the sensory details to reflecting on personal growth, these prompts cover every aspect of a fulfilling travel journal. The beautiful descriptions and practical tips have motivated me to start documenting my adventures with a renewed passion. Thank you for sharing such a valuable resource that will undoubtedly enhance my future travel experiences. Keep up the fantastic work!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Great Escape Publishing

Your Dreams Are Waiting

22 Travel Story Ideas To Get You Published

Posted December 1st, 2020 by Kurt Jacobson & filed under Travel Writing .

It can be hard to find ways to generate article topic ideas, so here’s a graphic to help you…

Ways to generate article topic ideas : The biggest tip? Just go for it. Yes, you’ve heard it before…but, really, I can’t emphasize it enough. You’ve got to bite the bullet. And, the sooner the better. To help you on your way, here are two top tips:

Roy Stevenson said that despite having 900 bylines to his name now, he’s probably only written about 500 articles. He just sells and resells the same pieces again and again. There’s an art to it, Roy told us.  You can’t sell and resell the same piece to competing markets.  But you can certainly spread the wealth by pitching something to a magazine on the west coast and then, a few months later, pitch the same story to a publication on the east.

Likewise, expert travel writer Steenie Harvey says that U.K., Australian, and New Zealand publications are just as hungry for stories, too.  So, when you’re out of options here in the States, you can always look overseas to sell your work.  And in some cases, you’ll benefit from the currency exchange.

Below, Kurt Jacobson looks at 22 topics that he’s written about so far to help give you some inspiration…

By Kurt Jacobson

Before attending The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop last year, I had only one article accepted for publication in 10 months of trying. I’d sent out queries but got no positive response.

After the Denver event, however, I became supercharged and had almost 40 articles published (or accepted to be published) in the next seven months! 

Here’s my list of 22 topics I’ve written about so far. Once you know where to look, you’ll find travel story ideas all around you…

#1: Write about what you already know.

Since I’d visited New Zealand several times, had bought a rental property in Gisborne, and had lots of experience and photos of the area, I started there. I queried an editor at GoNomad.com and he accepted.  

Where do you travel often? What places do you know well and have lots of photos of?

#2: Turn annual trips into article ideas.

I take fishing trips to Alaska every year, so I queried a publication that focuses on adventure travel and asked if they’d be interested in a story on do-it-yourself saltwater fishing in Alaska.  They accepted, and now my annual fishing trip is also a travel-writing trip.

Do you have an annual vacation spot? Take lots of photos and write about it. Some editor out there wants your story.

#3: Visit National and State Parks in your area.

There are many great attractions in the area where I live, so I decided to visit a few. C&O Canal Park and The Great Falls of the Potomac Park are literally right across from each other but in two different states — Maryland and Virginia. I’ve written about both.  

What national parks are near you? Go visit them. Take photos of signs and displays to help you remember what you saw and did. Write about it, and query several magazines and websites with your stories.

#4: Keep an eye out for programs advocating education, health, or recreation.

I wrote about C&O Canal’s Free Bike Program and my article was accepted by two different publications. I had to turn one down as it could only be published once. But it’s nice to know others want it. Maybe I can pitch something similar (or from a different angle) to the other publication later down the road.

#5: Always be ready to write – even if things don’t go as planned.

A snowstorm made for a change of travel plans after landing in Durango, Colorado on my way to Pagosa Springs. The roads were too icy to drive that night, so I hulled up at the Historic Strater Hotel. I had my trusty Canon camera, so I took some photos and sold my review to trip101.com.

#6: Choose your hotels wisely.

I go to New York City 3-4 times per year and typically stay in the best-value places I can find.  Now, instead, I always look for something interesting and unique. Something I can write about.

My review of The Evelyn Hotel also appeared on Trip101.com.

#7: Consider a vacation rental instead of a hotel.

The Maison Pignons, a Montreal vacation rental, has an amazing Bonsai garden out back. There are publications devoted solely to vacation rentals now in addition to travel magazines that take articles on vacation rentals. Use airbnb.com or vrbo.com to book one on your next trip, and then write about it.

#8: Find day-trips in your area. Tourists are always eager to learn about easy day-trips from specific cities.

What kind of day-trip possibilities do you have in your area? I wrote about a day-trip to Frederick, Maryland and sold it to a publication in Baltimore. Where can you go?

#9: Women entrepreneurs. 

Women are trendy right now. I wrote: Poppy Wines: Profile of a Woman Winemaker

and told the story about the changing winemaking profession that used to be almost exclusively male. 

You can find great stories about women pathfinders in tourism-related subjects and write about them for women’s publications. (Note: You don’t have to be a woman to write this type of article.)

#10: Write about local restaurants.

A food review of an interesting and historic DC eatery I love, Martin’s Tavern, was published on TravelPostMonthly.com. They don’t pay but if you like to eat, think about publications near you who might like reviews and then follow Kyle’s advice in the program for getting them published.

#11: Find a new approach to a popular destination.

Kodak once said the Maroon Bells Peaks were the most photographed place on earth. I wrote about a hike nearby to avoid the crowds. You can find a similar natural setting and write something other than the obvious . 

#12: Take advantage of your insider knowledge of your hometown.

Online travel websites love this type of seasonal/temporary information. I wrote about budget travel in Baltimore. People love to save money.

#13: Write about timely festivals.

Festivals are a great way to get an article published. I had photos and experience from previous visits to the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. You can sell them the following year. Some editors need the story six months ahead of an event.

#14: Write with a special interest group in mind (families, solo travelers, adventure travelers)

I wrote: From Wellington to Wairarapa For Families With Kids. What special interest group do you know a lot about?

#15: Offer sound travel advice.

I’ve been to Japan several times and, when I land at Narita airport, I usually take the two-hour bus into Tokyo. The Nikko Narita Hotel, however, is right next to the airport and offers a good night’s rest without the two-hour bus ride.

Look at what everyone is doing and find a better way to travel, pick a hotel, or attraction. Be creative and write about alternatives for other travelers. 

#16: Write about luxury resorts.

My story on Peppers Parehua in New Zealand was readily grabbed by an editor.

Find a special resort to visit and show readers why it’s worth choosing.

#17: Write about your hometown.

Try writing for the “City Guides” section of your hometown . They don’t often pay but it gives you a byline and credibility. Other publications might want this type of story also.

#18: Explore an undiscovered hotel. 

On an off-strip assignment for GoNomad.com, I profiled the Tahiti Village Resort Las Vegas

which provided me comped lodging. Make a case for staying off the beaten path. 

#19: Visit new or just opened attractions.

When something is new or up-and-coming, editors want it. I did a “site visit” on the Grand Junction, Colorado: Wine Country Inn while I was in town for other business. It sold right away.

#20: Write about your past.

Alaska Magazine has accepted two of my stories so far. I wrote about experiences from more than 20 years ago living and working in Alaska and didn’t need photos.

What kind of interesting jobs have you held, and where did you go? There are regional and special interest magazines out there that want your story. You can write about your life experiences and find a magazine that wants it.

#21: Use personal interviews to spice up your articles.

My article about the Ivy Hotel in Baltimore featured a story about the manager. Who can you interview for a story?

#22: Write about wildlife encounters.

I wrote: Three Young Coasties Meet a Musk Ox. This was a story about a wildlife encounter I had years ago in the wilds of Alaska that will appear in the February 2017 issue of Alaska Magazine. You’ve probably had wildlife encounters, both comical and frightening. There is a publication somewhere that wants your story.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

• 3 Hidden Smartphone Features To Help You Earn
• How to Write a Blog Post
• How to Sell Stock Photos Online
• The Power of Processing in Lightroom
• 5 Tips for Travel Writing Success in Your Hometown

©2024 Great Escape Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

6 examples of gorgeous travel writing

Inspiration to help your next travel blog, guidebook, or article stand out from the crowd.

We live on a wondrous, ever-changing planet— from alpine lakes and cloud forests to ancient cobblestoned cities.

The best travel writers can transport readers to these far-flung destinations, and to introduce them to new cultures and experiences. When done well, travel writing can be an insightful, thought-provoking and even life-changing genre of writing.

And with interactive content platforms, it’s possible for travel writers to create truly immersive reading experiences online. In this guide, we introduce six ideas — and examples of travel writing — to help you create beautiful, interactive travel stories.

Whether you're a beginner travel writer, a publisher, destination marketer, or freelance travel blogger, we've got plenty of inspiration to get you started.

What do the BBC, Tripadvisor, and Penguin have in common? They craft stunning, interactive web content with Shorthand. And so can you! Publish your first story for free — no code or web design skills required. Sign up now.

The features of great travel writing

The best travel writing is unique, but there are still some general guidelines you’ll want to follow to make your travel writing stand out from the pack. Here are some travel writing tips to help you compete with the best examples of the genre.

• Have a point of view. Great travel writers — from the travel books of Bill Bryson and John Steinbeck to the documentaries of Paul Theroux — all have very specific points of view that are difficult to copy. Find your voice, and your travel articles will truly sing.
• Take great photos. The best travel writing is visually immersive, using high resolution images and video to engage the reader’s senses. Even if you’re not creating a photo essay , modern travel writing relies of great visual assets.
• Use multimedia content where you can. If you can, create audio and video assets, too, and consider building out your story with a digital storytelling platform to use interactive features. Embed podcasts and clips to keep the reader engaged.
• Learn from the best. Keep track of longform feature stories in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and steal their techniques. (Good travel writers borrow, great travel writers steal, to butcher TS Eliot.)
• Create a beautiful web presence. We love the print Lonely Planet travel guides, but these days you need to produce stunningly engaging content on the web. Standards are high, but you’d be amazed what you can do with modern interactive content platforms.
• Provide a sense of adventure — even if you’re not strictly doing ‘adventure travel’. Whether you’re writing a first person travel memoir or writing about your backpacker’s trip through the Amazon, you want to keep your reader engaged with your travel experiences.
• Make it educational. Teach the reader something new about the world they’re exploring.
• Edit your work. The best travel writers kill their darlings and pay attention to details — hello, commas — knowing that this is how the best work is created.

Want to improve the efficiency of your writing process? Check out our list of the best writing tools .

Inspire readers and move them to action by exploring a location's unique history and culture. By focusing on just one place, your readers get the chance to experience it deeply through your words and imagery.

Intrepid Travel's Shorthand story 'Welcome to Olkola Country' is simple, yet effective. The highlight of the story is its elegant writing — a blend of reporting and personal narrative that explores the history, culture, and ecology of an ancestral land of the Olkola people in Australia. The story is elevated with thoughtful photos and videos, and ends with a call to action for the newly-inspired reader.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our roundup of ten stunning photo essay examples .

The right images can make a story feel polished and inspired.

2 . Time travel

Taking readers back through historical moments is a great way to achieve more depth in your stories.

In the story The Museum of Atari, Mario and Electronic Childhood Dreams , Channel News Asia uses Shorthand to create a stunning visual story about a little-known museum of retro video games in Singapore. The highlight of the story is an interactive scrollytelling timeline about the history of video games, which is created using the Shorthand Reveal feature and animates a pixel character as the reader scrolls.

Our Reveal section allows animations like this to be controlled by the reader's scrolling.

3 . Immerse your reader

When words and photos simply aren't enough to convey the complexity of a travel story, add another layer of reader engagement using various forms of media.

The Sydney Opera House story  A Guide to Dance Rites uses multimedia to bring indigenous culture to life. With elements like animation, slideshows, and embedded audio clips, readers can feel fully immersed in one of Australia's most traditional dance competitions.

Embed your own code to add further customisation to your story.

With Shorthand, remember that you always have the option to add custom HTML to add further customisations to your stories. See a list of our recommended third party tools in this support document .

4 . Just the highlights

Not every trip allows for the luxury of time. In order to get the point across, sometimes a quick and to-the-point listicle is all that's necessary to deliver a clear and time-efficient message.

Mansion Global's story 6 Cities, 6 Continents takes a quick jaunt around the world to some of the best cities to buy a dream vacation home. The destinations are all tied together by an interactive map that tracks a route between the cities — a creative use of the Shorthand Reveal section .

Interactive maps can help connect different locations in your story.

5 . Keep it practical

Travel stories don't always need to inspire wanderlust or transport readers to far-flung destinations. Some of the most effective and important travel stories simply provide practical advice — whether that's how to exchange currency, say "thank you" in a foreign language, or avoid danger.

Travel Weekly's story Traveling While Female explores how female travellers can stay safe, and uses data to stress the importance of improving women's safety abroad. By displaying the data as interactive graphics, Travel Weekly draws extra emphasis to key statistics.

Make your data memorable by giving it special emphasis.

6. Zoom out

When you've written a couple of beautiful travel stories, what's next?

Tie together your creative vision by consolidating your stories into a single landing page. You can use Shorthand to create a home for all of your stories, whether that's by using our Collection section or by including links in other section types.

For example, Luxury Travel nests all of their feature content within a Shorthand story. The page takes advantage of our media-rich sections to create a scrolling archive of their beautiful travel stories.

Consolidate your features in a single Shorthand story.

There are myriad ways to turn a Shorthand story into a landing page. Here's another example from Perth Now, which takes a simple, colourful approach.

There are many ways to customise a Shorthand story to serve as a landing page.

Creating a unique online travel story can seem like a daunting task, but Shorthand's many easy-to-use features exist to help make your stories exceptional. There are thousands of destinations waiting to be written about, and we can't wait to see where your stories take us next.

Publish your first story free with Shorthand

Craft sumptuous content at speed. No code required.

Travel Deeper: 15 Thought-Provoking Travel Journal Prompts

Note: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. More details are  here .

I kept a journal pretty religiously when I was in high school and college. (Chalk it up to all that teen angst I needed to process.) Unfortunately in my adult life, the consistency of my journaling habit has dropped off.

And while I hope to redevelop that daily muscle in my life, there is one time when I’m pretty good about it: travel.

I saw the incredible benefits that travel journaling brings while I was studying abroad in 2004—I wouldn’t have survived that semester without the ability to process all that I was experiencing emotionally, culturally, and spiritually. (And that time I thought I lost my study abroad journal in my 20s? I was crushed . Having my travel journal to look back on is the most profound keepsake I have of that semester.)

A really beneficial travel journal goes beyond noting what you did each day, though. It challenges you to dig deep, to process through your experiences, and reflect on your reactions to them .

Even if you’re not traveling cross-culturally and it’s just a fun vacation with friends, there’s opportunity for self-reflection when you’re out of your normal environment and spending all your time with new daily companions. It’s a chance to consider how you respond to challenging moments, or to spend time sitting still and thinking about what you want your daily life to look like back home.

Whether you’re looking for study abroad journal prompts for students or some simple journaling ideas for your next vacation, I’ve compiled this short list of travel journal writing prompts for self-reflection to get you thinking more deeply about various aspects of travel and yourself.

I don’t think you need a lot—in fact, you might choose just one (see the second list) and use it daily. I’ve included 15 so that you have enough to choose from without it being overwhelming. Print it out, take a screen shot on your phone, or better yet, physically write the list in the back of your journal so you always have them available (sans technology).

These trip reflection questions will hopefully prompt you to write through the challenging and frustrating moments that travel sometimes brings, as well as dig deeper to reflect on the joyful and life-changing moments.

Self-Reflection Journal Prompts

• What are my initial feelings about being here: curiosity, frustration, joy, awe, sadness?
• What smell(s) have stuck out to me?
• What was a challenging experience I had? Why did I respond the way I did? What did I learn about my personality, values, or home culture through this?
• What has sparked my curiosity? What has fascinated me here?
• Describe a memorable interaction or conversation I’ve had with someone who lives here. (What were they like? What did I learn about this place or culture? Why did the interaction stand out to me? What do I want to remember about them?)
• What sound(s) have stuck out to me?
• What is something that has surprised me about this place/culture?
• What is different about me while on this trip (positive or negative—am I more adaptable, irritable, spontaneous, disorganized, peaceful)? Why do I think that is?
• What were my expectations about this place? How is the trip comparing with my expectations?
• One quality I really appreciate about someone I’m traveling with is….
• What will I be glad to leave behind from this trip?
• Is there anything I want to do more or less of when I get home?

Recommended Reading: How to Deal with Frustrating Travel Experiences

Daily Travel Journal Prompt

• What’s my Kodak Moment from today—that experience, image, or feeling I don’t want to forget?
• If I had to describe today in one word, what would it be? Why?
• If I had to tell a 5-minute story about one thing that happened today, what would it be about? (Credit for this idea goes to storyteller Matthew Dicks. I highly recommend his TEDx Talk on this topic—check it out below.)

Travel Photographer | FAA Certified Drone Pilot

Naomi is the coffee-loving, crazy-about-Latin-America writer and photographer behind everything here. She's guided by curiosity and a belief that every place has a story to tell–whether it’s through the intricate details of nature, history that has shaped a culture, or the people who call a place home. Learn More

52 Travel Journal Prompts That Will Inspire You

Sharing is caring:

52 Creative Travel Journal Prompts

Are wondering what to write in a travel journal? Here are 52 travel journal prompts to inspire you!

I used to keep SUPER detailed travel journals, which are great to look back on, but time-consuming to actually keep up with. Now I make shorter bullet-point lists at the end of every day when I’m traveling, and make notes on my phone throughout the day to capture my thoughts.

No matter how you decide to document your trip, you will be glad you did it! It’s so fun to be able to look back on your memories and re-live your memories.

You also never know who else will enjoy your travel journals one day… I loved reading my grandmother’s travel journals decades later and I’m so glad I have them!

So here are 52 travel journal ideas to get your creativity flowing.

Related:  15 Creative Travel Bullet Journal Ideas

Best Travel Journals

While you can use any notebook for travel journaling (or even use your phone!) there are a lot of cool dedicated travel journals/planners out there which I love!

Here are two great options for travel planners that also have a lot of space for journaling:

This Erin Condren travel planner is small and easily fits in your purse, but contains tons of pages for planning AND journaling! Document every aspect of your trip with this travel journal.

This spiral-bound travel planner and journal is another great option for both keeping the details of your trip organized, and journaling all your travel memories as you go. 

If you’re just looking for a blank notebook to use as a travel journal, you can’t go wrong with a classic Moleskine notebook which is what I personally use for my travels!

And without further ado, here are the 52 travel journal prompts for you to use!

Pre-Trip Travel Journal Prompts

Before your trip and even on the way to your destination, writing about these travel journal prompts will allow you to document your anticipation for your adventure.

• What are you most excited about?
• Is there anything you are nervous or worried about?
• Why did you choose this particular destination?
• How much did you pack for this trip?
• What is the first thing you’ll do when you arrive?
• What’s on the itinerary for your trip?
• Have you had any pre-trip disasters?
• What are some interesting facts about your destination?
• How are you feeling on the way there?

Journal Prompts While Traveling

Capture your feelings and experiences while traveling forever with these journal prompts to be answered during your trip. I recommend setting aside a small amount of time every morning or evening to write about your day while it’s still fresh on your mind! 

• What were your first impressions of your destination?
• How did you feel when you first arrived?
• Was anything different from how you expected it to be?
• Make a list of what you did today..
• What has surprised you so far?
• What were the highlights of today?
• What about the lowlights of today?
• Is there anything you’re missing from home?
• What’s a conversation you overheard today?
• How do you feel about where you’re staying?
• What was the best thing you ate today?
• Did anything go wrong today?
• Make a list of the scents, sounds, and sights you experience.
• What have you learned about your destination?
• Did anything funny happen today?
• What are you reading/listening to?
• What emotions are you currently feeling?

Post-Trip Travel Journal Prompts

Reflect on your trip and share your memories with these post-travel journal ideas.

• Would you visit this destination again?
• What would you change if you could re-do your trip?
• What are some lessons you learned from your trip?
• Did you have any travel disasters?
• What were the funniest moments from your trip?
• What was the best meal you ate on your trip?
• Did you bring home any souvenirs?
• What were your favorite things about the destination?
• What are some things you wish you had packed?
• Did you feel let down by anything?
• Make a list of the best and worst moments from your trip.
• What is one thing you wish you had gotten to do but didn’t?
• What is one thing you did but wish you hadn’t?
• How do you feel about being home?

General Travel Journal Prompts

Even when you aren’t traveling, you can always write about past trips, or dream about future trips! Here are some general travel prompts to get your creativity flowing.

• What’s on your travel bucket list?
• What are your favorite travel memories?
• Make a list of the best and worst trips you’ve ever taken.
• Who are the most interesting people you’ve met while traveling?
• What is one time you got lost while traveling?
• If money was no concern, where would you go?
• What is a time you went out of your comfort zone while traveling?
• What are the funniest travel moments you’ve had?
• What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
• Are there any places you have no interest in traveling to?
• What are the best meals you’ve ever had while traveling?
• What are the best and worst places you’ve stayed while traveling?

Related: 37 January Bullet Journal Ideas to Inspire You

More Ways to Document Your Travels

These are the best travel journal prompts to inspire your creativity!

In addition to keeping a travel journal, you might also consider starting a travel blog to document your travels. (You can even make money from travel blogging!)

I have a whole series on starting a travel blog, which you can navigate through below:

• How to Start a Travel Blog for Beginners
• Travel Blog Names: How to Choose One + Ideas
• How to Make Money with a Travel Blog
• 6 Best WordPress Themes for Travel Blogs
• 50 Travel Blog Post Ideas
• Travel Blog Income Report Roundup

Hopefully you found these travel journal prompts helpful. Happy travels! 🙂

Save it to Pinterest:

About Denise Cruz

Denise is a marketing executive who escaped corporate to travel the world… twice. A Brazilian native living in the U.S., she’s lived in 4 countries and visited 35+ others. After side-hustling her way to financial independence, she curates solo destination guides, slow travel tips, and travel blogging advice on Wander Her Way. When she’s not on the road, you can find her in Miami with her dog Finnegan.

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.

Subscribe to our newsletter to follow along with our travels and to receive tips and new content via email!

We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

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.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

21 Creative Travel Journal Ideas & Prompts for Your Next Trip

February 29, 2024

Journaling is a great way to make the most of any trip. Here are some of our favourite creative travel journal ideas.

Travel Journal Ideas

Photos and videos aren’t the only ways to capture your travels. A travel diary can help you enjoy the trip you’re on and help you relive all those memories once you’re home. After all, how often do you look back through your phone’s photos?

I’ll be honest. Completing a travel bullet journal is something I often dream about more than I manage to complete, particularly when travelling with young children. But over the years, the travel journals I have managed to complete have brought me great joy and prompted my ageing brain to remember sights, smells and tastes more vividly than ever.

So, don’t get hung up on making it pretty and perfect. Just concentrate on enjoying your trip and use these travel journal ideas to deepen that enjoyment. Don’t let them turn into one more burden or chore to complete!

What is a Travel Journal?

A travel journal is whatever you want it to be, baby! Or in more standard talk:

A travel journal is a personal, written account that documents an individual’s experiences, observations, and emotions during their journeys. It serves as a dedicated space for recording details such as daily activities, cultural encounters, and reflections on the places visited.

Typically, travel journals include a mix of narratives, anecdotes, and practical information. Whether handwritten or digital, a travel journal is a valuable tool for preserving travel memories, fostering self-reflection, and creating a tangible record of one’s explorations and discoveries around the world.

Although, don’t think you need to write reams. We’ve plenty of creative travel journal ideas if writing doesn’t happen to be your thing. We’re all about the easy way to fill those travel journal pages.

Where to Find the Perfect Travel Journal

The romantic in me says that the best travel journal is found on the road. But the practical side of me knows that it’s easier if you pick one up before you go.

In my experience, you want a book that will stay flat when you fold it open and ideally have a tie or piece of elastic to hold it together again, to stop things falling out.

I also like travel journals with a space for a pen as that makes it more likely that you will actually have a pen with you when the time comes to write. In my experience, the best way to make sure that something happens is to remove as many obstacles as possible.

Personally, I prefer blank pages but I know that many prefer grids or lines. And I’ve never got to grips with a digital journal but if they work for you, then great!

A hard cover can protect from the bumps and bruises of life on the road but, then again, a soft cover is lighter to carry around.

Here are some lovely travel journal examples you can find on Amazon:

• Vegan Leather Beechmore Travel Journal
• Adventure Travel Journal with Prompts
• Moleskine Hardcover Travel Journal

Note: if you buy through any of the links on this page, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Why Bother Keeping a Travel Journal in the First Place?

Firstly, because it’s fun! However, keeping a travel journal also has a number of other benefits.

Such as…

Memory Enhancement:

• According to a study published in the journal Memory, the act of writing helps to consolidate and enhance memory. By documenting your experiences, in your own travel journal, you’re more likely to remember details of your journey. And that fits with what I learned when I was studying Neuroscience at Cambridge.

Stress Reduction:

• A study by the American Psychological Association suggests that expressive writing can help reduce stress and promote overall well-being. Journaling about your travel experiences allows you to process emotions and relive positive moments.

Increased Cultural Awareness:

• Research conducted by the Cultural Intelligence Center indicates that keeping a travel journal can contribute to the development of cultural intelligence. Writing about local customs, traditions, and interactions with residents fosters a deeper understanding of different cultures.

Reflection and Personal Growth:

• Psychologist James W. Pennebaker’s research on expressive writing reveals that reflecting on experiences through writing can lead to personal growth and self-discovery. A travel journal provides a space for introspection and learning.

Enhanced Creativity:

• Again, the busy American Psychological Association suggests that engaging in creative activities, such as writing, can boost cognitive function and creativity. Documenting your travels in a journal encourages creative expression.

Capturing Details:

• Studies on eyewitness testimony indicate that people tend to forget details over time. Keeping a travel journal helps in preserving the specifics of your experiences, ensuring a more accurate recollection later on. Not that we hope you’ll end up in court. More, that we hope you’ll remember the highlights of your trip.

Improved Communication Skills:

• Journaling encourages the practice of effective communication. Documenting your thoughts and experiences helps refine your ability to articulate ideas and stories.

Digital Detox and Mindfulness:

• A study by the Pew Research Center found that 85% of adults in the United States use the internet. Keeping a physical travel journal offers a break from screens, fostering mindfulness and a deeper connection with your surroundings. Little details can bring about a big sense of calm.

Goal Setting and Achievement:

• Again, the good old American Psychological Association notes that setting and achieving small goals, such as completing a journal entry each day, can boost motivation and self-esteem. A travel journal provides a structured way to set and accomplish writing goals.

Legacy and Sharing:

• According to a study by Ancestry.com, 77% of adults believe it’s important to preserve their family history. A travel journal can serve as a legacy, allowing future generations to gain insights into your experiences and perspectives.

So, how about that? Not just a pretty page after all.

21 Gorgeous and Creative Travel Journal Ideas

OK, let’s get to the fun part! Creative travel journal ideas!

Collect Ticket Stubs

Ticket stubs may not seem so glamorous at the time but they’re one of those travel journal ideas that’s quick and easy to do, with great rewards later on. If you find yourself too busy on the trip, just shove (ahem, collect) them as you go along in one envelope. Once you’re home, you can then arrange them in a scrapbook or bullet journal along with notes and photos.

Carry Some Lightweight Supplies

It’s easier to keep up with your travel diary if you have the right tools with you. No-one needs to carry about an entire artist’s briefcase but a few pens, pencils and a roll or two of washi tape can help make it manageable.

Not sure what washi tape is? It’s like sellotape only comes with a pattern and is much more forgiving when unrolling and using it. You can pick up some washi tape here . It’s a great option to make sure things don’t always fall out along the way.

Brush up on Some Writing Tips

A travel diary shouldn’t feel like homework. But it will be more rewarding to write and definitely more pleasurable to read if you brush up on some writing techniques before you go.

We run a range of writing courses to get you started, including:

• Freelance Writing Masterclass
• Write Better, Write Now
• The Writing Boost

So, whether it’s a quick weekend away or a road trip journal that spans several months, you’ll feel more confident about what goes into your own travel log.

Pick up Some Postcards

This is one of my favourite creative travel journal ideas.

Now, we’re not talking about standard tourist postcards here (although, obviously, that’s fine if that’s what you want to do. It’s your travel diary, right?!)

We’re talking about flyers and postcards for art galleries, live music, exhibitions and special events. Business cards from cafes. Anything you saw and enjoyed and which gave you a taste of the place.

Collect the Cash

Spend more than a few days in a destination and the local money soon becomes a background event that you stop noticing. But when you’re back home, it’s a connection to the place.

So, if you can spare some of the lower denomination notes, it’s a great idea to tape a few into your travel journal.

Keep the Maps

You know those maps that are folded back and forth, torn, soggy and scribbled over? Keep them! It’s amazing how quickly you forget the detail of a place but a scribbled note and the white fluff along a folded map seam brings it back right away. New places, new maps.

Make the Food to Go

At the risk of sounding like a hoarder, look out for sweet wrapper, chopstick wrappers, beer labels and more that really fit the local food you had in a destination.

I always look out for local flavours in particular, so this method of scrapbooking (sounds better than hoarding) works well for me.

Flower Press Stress

Sometimes, pressing flowers or leaves works wonders. And, sometimes, it just makes a mess. This is one of those travel journal ideas that you need to do just right: ideally with a big patch of sellophane rather than just a strip of washi tape.

Be careful, though. Some countries, most notably New Zealand and Australia, are very strict about flowers and seeds crossing their borders. Probably best to avoid this if you plan on heading there.

Sketch Skills

Small sketches and beautiful drawings can really bring a travel diary to life. If you can draw, that is.

If not, never fear. While we can’t all be the best at everything, we can all master a few basic techniques.

It’s a good idea to just relax and have a go.

Learn the Lingo

As everyone knows, with a few local phrases, you’ll get a better reception wherever you go. Yet, with age, it’s alarming how quickly that knowledge fades.

Write down those phrases while they’re fresh! It’s a fun way to nurture those brain cells.

Stick in Those Lists

Have you used a packing list? A leaving the house checklist? A bucket list? To-do list? If so, stick them in! They’ll be surprisingly interesting to look at come the end of your trip. Don’t let your trip planning go to waste!

And if you don’t? Check out our collection of packing lists and pre-travel checklists here .

Use Some Travel Journal Writing Prompts

When inspiration fails, fall back on these. Don’t worry if you feel cheesy. No-one has to read this but you.

Travel Journal Prompts Before You Go

• Outline your expectations and goals for the upcoming journey. What do you hope to achieve or experience during this trip?
• Share your pre-trip excitement and any pre-travel rituals or preparations you engage in before embarking on a new adventure.
• Detail the research you’ve conducted about the destination, including its culture, history, and notable attractions. What aspects are you most eager to explore?
• Reflect on any pre-trip concerns or uncertainties. How do you plan to address them or prepare for potential challenges?
• Describe the anticipation you feel about trying the local cuisine. Are there specific dishes you’re looking forward to sampling?
• Outline your itinerary and the key activities you have planned for each day. What landmarks or attractions are a must-see for you?
• Consider the local customs and etiquette of the destination. How do you plan to respect and engage with the local culture?
• Share your thoughts on the packing process. What essentials are you making sure to bring, and what strategies are you using to pack efficiently?
• Reflect on any language barriers you might encounter. Have you learned a few basic phrases or expressions in the local language to enhance your experience?
• Write about your overall mindset and emotions as you approach the trip. What are your hopes, fears, and anticipations for the upcoming adventure?

Travel Journal Prompts For on the Road

1. Describe your initial impressions upon arriving at your destination. 2. What local cuisine or dish did you sample, and how would you rate your experience? 3. Reflect on a memorable encounter with a local resident or fellow traveller. 4. Share a moment when you stepped out of your comfort zone during your journey. 5. Detail the sights, sounds, and scents of a particular place that left a lasting impression on you. 6. Write about a unique cultural tradition or festival you experienced during your travels. 7. Describe a hidden gem or off-the-beaten-track location you discovered. 8. Share a humorous or unexpected anecdote from your trip. 9. Reflect on a challenging situation you encountered and how you overcame it. 10. Write about a place that surpassed your expectations and why. 11. Document a day spent exploring nature, whether it’s a hike, day at the beach, or wildlife encounter. 12. Discuss the impact of local art, music, or architecture on your overall experience. 13. Capture the essence of a local market or shopping district you visited. 14. Reflect on how the local history and heritage influenced your perception of the destination. 15. Write about a moment of tranquillity or relaxation during your journey. 16. Share your thoughts on the transportation methods you used and any interesting experiences. 17. Describe a sunrise or sunset that left you in awe. 18. Document a day focused on immersive cultural experiences, such as workshops or language classes. 19. Write about a place you’d love to revisit and explore further in the future. 20. Reflect on the personal growth or insights gained from your travel experiences.

Travel Journal Prompts for Once You Get Back

• Reflect on the overall experience of your journey. Did it meet, exceed, or differ from your initial expectations?
• Capture the emotions you feel upon returning home. What aspects of your routine are you excited to resume, and what do you miss from your travels?
• Share your favourite moments from the trip and how they contributed to your overall satisfaction.
• Write about any unexpected discoveries or surprises that occurred during your travels.
• Reflect on the impact of the journey on your perspective and personal growth. In what ways do you feel changed or enriched?
• Describe the local cuisine that left a lasting impression on you. Are there any dishes you wish you could recreate at home?
• Outline any challenges you faced during the trip and how you successfully navigated them.
• Consider how the cultural experiences have influenced your worldview. What lessons or insights will you carry forward from your travels?
• Share your thoughts on the souvenirs or mementoes you brought back. Do they hold special meaning or memories?
• Write about your plans for future travels. Are there destinations you’re now eager to explore based on this recent experience?

We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of creative ways to catalogue different places and, more importantly, what they meant to you.

For all we’ve talked about the benefits of travel journaling, the important thing is that it’s fun. Don’t let your travel journal become a chore. Like all goals and tools, it’s just a way to help you fall even more in love with life.

Journal entries should make you think or make you smile. And that’s enough.

Why not bookmark this article on creative travel journal ideas on Pinterest for later?

More on Preparing for Your Next Trip

• The Only International Travel Checklist You Need
• Printable Holiday Packing List PDF: The Only Checklist You Need
• The 21 Best Souvenir Ideas for 2024
• 27 Long Haul Flight Essentials and a Flight Checklist for You
• The Best Flight Booking Hacks For Savvy Travellers
• The 10 Travel Skills Every One of Us Should Know
• The 50 Best Travel Websites and Travel Resources
• The best travel journal ideas for kids

Why not pin these creative travel journal ideas on Pinterest for later?

The Best Travel Quotes

• 150+ Best Short Travel Quotes for Instagram
• The Best Family Travel Quotes
• Powerful Quotes for Travelling Alone 
• The Best Hiking Quotes and Instagram Captions to Love the Great Outdoors
• The Best Sunset Captions, Sunset Lyrics and Sunset Quotes

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

40 Creative Travel Journal Ideas & Writing Prompts to Save Your Best Travel Memories

Last updated on January 17th, 2024 at 05:47 am

It’s so easy to let our travel photos get buried in our camera roll or to say “I’ll remember this night forever” and forget the details that made it so special just a few months later. That’s where keeping a travel journal becomes such an important part of your trip! These travel journal ideas & writing prompts will make you fall in love with trips all over again and keep your favorite memories alive.

Travel journaling is therapeutic, fun, and provokes self-reflection and creativity. While we travel, we can be pretty busy – exploring different places, sleeping on planes, meeting new people. But just because you’re busy during your trip doesn’t mean you can’t keep a travel journal!

Keeping a travel journal is even more rewarding when you can make it personal with mementos (and other travel journal ideas I’m sharing below!)

And if you’re just here for the prompts, you can jump to the bottom of the post or download the free ‘Where She Goes’ Travel Journal Prompts list from The Travel Library .

Email address

Let’s get into everything there is to know about travel journaling and the creative ways you can go about your trip memory-keeping.

Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure !

All About Travel Journaling: What It Is, How To Do It, & Should You Keep A Travel Journal?

Keeping a travel journal is simply about recording memories from a trip. You can even keep track of and plan future trips in a travel journal (which I, as someone in love with lists, do often!)

There’s no one way to journal about travels. You could write during or after your trip, keep a travel bullet journal, track you running bucket list, save travel tips for your next trip – the important thing is to be creative and reflective!

Travel journaling is an amazing tool to see how travel has influenced us to grow as a person, from conquering fears to gaining self-confidence.

It can be used to beat the lonely times of solo travel or try to escape the post-trip blues by reliving those memories just made.

While we travel, there are so many highs, lows, emotions, funny moments and more that we say we will never forget. But to really never forget them, we have to reflect on them and document them! That’s where keeping a travel journal comes in handy.

The Best Travel Journals

There are lots of different options for travel journals. You could use a plain basic notebook or write in a travel diary with printed prompts and exercises. So, how do you know which one to choose?

The truth is, you can go through a lot of travel journals. Maybe you’ll get the chance to experience multiple different kinds! If you are naturally more creative, choose a mostly blank travel journal to which you can add personal touches.

If you struggle with what to write about, opt for journals with prompts built into them (or scroll down to the prompts below and download the list!)

Two travel journals that are both cute and interactive are the Wander Always Journal and the Page A Day Journal . These have prompts and activities within them, so there’s a bit less room for creativity. But, it also makes the process easier and faster with these bonuses.

Another travel journal that is perfect for those wanting a more sleek and clean look is the WNDRD Trip Planning Journal . As it says in the name, you can use this notebook for journaling and for trip planning with the specially printed planner pages.

Travel journals can also be great sentimental gifts for friends and family (or for yourself – I won’t tell!)

Travel Journal Apps

Everything has an app these days, right? Travel journaling can even be done on your phone! Some apps for travel journaling include:

• Travel Diaries

There’s also a sweet app called Journi, where you can create photo albums with diary entries and track your trip on a map. Then you can print or share these mini albums! You can group your photos while traveling or after so that they are easy to find. This way won’t be lost in your camera roll!

Creative Travel Journal Ideas

If you want to do more than just write in your travel journal, then there are many ways to make it special and personalized!

These unique travel journal ideas are meant to get you thinking about how to make your love for travel or the travels themselves come alive.

Look for inspiration everywhere. Maybe you have a ton of extra coins lying around from your trip to Italy . Or you saved those flowers you picked near the coast of France and they are now dried. These can all be accessories used to bring your travel memories back to life in your journal!

Photo Pocket

The first travel journal idea is to add a photo pocket to the back or front of your journal. This is a super simple way to create a little storage of your photos without having to spend time doing a complete album!

Simply take a piece of cardstock or stiff paper and cut it into a rectangle large enough to hold your photos. You can even create a scoop like mind so they peek out.

Then add adhesive to the bottom and sides and attach it to wherever there is a sturdy spot on your journal. Voila, you have a place to put all those photos instead of letting them get buried in your phone!

Scrapbook Layout

While the first idea to making your travel journal more creative was a simple way to include photos in your journal, this version takes a bit more time and creativity.

In your travel journal, you can either leave space on the pages as you write or write and layout photos at the same time to create a commemorative mini travel scrapbook.

You’ll need small adhesive, scissors, and some creative juices flowing to transform blank pages into something beautiful.

Decorating your travel journal is another way to give it more personality and bring out the fun of your trips.

You can opt for inexpensive sheets of stickers or find specific decals you fall in love with to tell the story of your trip!

Good places to buy unique stickers and decals are Etsy , Amazon , and Society6 .

Here are some of my favorites for an aesthetic travel journal cover and pages!

• Go Travel Decal
• Trip Planning Stickers
• Vintage Vinyl Stickers
• Gold & Black Aesthetic Travel Stickers

Add Your Own Art

Take the design of your travel journal to the next level by channeling your inner artist. Use paint to decorate the outside. Doodle your favorite places on the pages or the cover to bring you back to a place.

Whatever artistic addition you can make to your travel journal, the more personal to and reflective of you it will be.

Preserving Tickets, Passes, & Other Mundane Mementos

One of the best travel journal ideas is to preserve all of the extra bits from your trip – things like train tickets, museum passes, and local maps – to add to your writing entries.

They may seem useless after your trip, but these tokens of your travels are the real elements that bring your memories to life. Seeing a word can help you imagine a place, but physically touching your metro pass or gallery ticket takes you right back to the moment you used it.

Tape these small papers to page corners, stuff them in the photo pocket, or even use them as little bookmarks to organize your journal.

Choose Something to Collect

Make your travel journal completely unique by sticking with a theme. This idea for travel journals will take some time to execute throughout your travels, but it can be a special way to remember each place you’ve been to.

Whether it is stamps, postcards, or boarding passes, build up a consistent collection of them from wherever you travel.

Then when it comes time to assemble your journal, you have a cute consistent theme and a visually appealing diary to document every place you have been.

Travel Journal Prompts for Reflection & Memory-Keeping

Travel journal prompts are ways to combat writer’s block and inspire creativity. To make these prompts easier to reference, you can download the free printable of ‘Where She Goes’ Travel Journal Prompts from The Travel Library, where you’ll also have access to resources like my girl’s packing list and Lightroom photo presets.

The Journey

• What was the journey like to be here? What happened on the way to your destination?
• Did you learn anything new on the journey?
• Who did you meet while traveling to this place?
• What was your favorite part of the journey?
• Did you reach here by car, plane, train?
• Was it a long journey? How did you feel once you reached your destination?
• What songs did you listen to on the way that take you back to this trip?

The Destination

• Describe your current surroundings.
• How does this place make you feel?
• Why did you want to be here? Did you want to be here?
• What surprised you most about this place?
• Who are you traveling with?
• What have you learned about this place since arriving?
• What’s a funny story you would tell your friend about this trip?
• Where did you explore off-the-beaten-path?
• Did you try any unique foods?
• How would you describe this place to a friend or family member?
• Name one thing you never want to forget about this place.
• What is a memory you’ll cherish forever from this trip?
• Did you enjoy your trip? If not, why?
• What did you learn about yourself after visiting this place?
• What could have gone better?
• How do you feel after leaving? Would you return?
• Name three things you are grateful for from this trip.
• Describe your favorite photo from this trip.

General Memory-Keeping

• Write about the first travel memory that comes to mind.
• Doodle a monument or favorite place you have visited that made you want to pinch yourself.
• Describe your first travel experience. What were you feeling? Scared? Excited? Anxious?
• Make a list of all the people you’ve met while traveling.
• What’s one thing you would change about travel?
• What’s one thing you want to do better while traveling?
• Where’s your favorite place to travel with family? Describe it in vivid detail.
• Describe a place you’ve visited through using all five senses.
• If you could choose one place you’ve been to stay forever, which one would it be?

Final Tips for Travel Journaling

Hopefully with all these travel journal ideas and writing prompts, you feel more comfortable and excited to document your travels! Here are some extra tips to make travel journaling work for you:

• Keep your travel journal with you as you are on the go. This may seem obvious, but when you think about it, we don’t want to pause our day to go write about what’s happening that very second. Instead, have your journal with you to doodle your surroundings or write down specific feelings you have at the moment. You can elaborate later!
• Write down keywords to escape writer’s block. If you have trouble getting started, jot down a few words that come to mind when you are looking at a prompt. Often when writing, we get overwhelmed by what the finished product should look like that we can’t even start! Start as small as keywords and as your ideas come in the writing will flow.
• Use every sense for details. An easy way to get more creative and describe a moment well is to think about it from the perspective of all five senses you experienced with. What sounds did you hear, things do you see, flavors did you taste?

Let me know what you think of these travel journal ideas, prompts, & tips with a comment!

Save this guide to Pinterest for later reference!

The more memories we make, the more important it is to jot them down so we have them forever. Tell me if you’re excited about travel journaling like me!

Michela is a travel writer and photographer living in northern Italy. She is passionate about helping people make the most of their travels by sharing advice gained from her personal experiences, off-the-beaten-path destinations and memorable itineraries. Browse her top articles or have her help you plan your itinerary to your dream destination!

Find me on: Web | Facebook

You may also enjoy:

Vienna on a budget: 10 money-saving travel tips, leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Website URL

Sign me up for the newsletter & access to resources from The Travel Library!

JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP

Check this out

• The Travel Library
• Privacy Policy

BUY ME A COFFEE

I love creating free resources for your travels and personally responding to your questions over chat and email.

Planning a trip to Italy?

Looking for Something?

Travel Journal Prompts: 120 Ideas to Help You Document Your Next Trip

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: September 21, 2022  - Last updated: December 26, 2023

Categories Travel , Inspiration , Writing

It’s always a good idea to keep a travel journal. It’s a way to document your trip and ensure you don’t forget it later. But it’s also a good way to remember what you saw, who you met, and how you felt.

Take a travel journal with you when you travel, and use these travel journal prompts to guide your writing:

Travel Reflections and Experiences

Preparing for travel.

• How often do you go away?
• What do you want to accomplish while you’re away?
• When was the last time you took a trip, where did you go, and why did you choose that destination?
• Did it meet your expectations? If not, how could it have been better? If so, what made the trip an enjoyable travel experience for you?
• Did this trip help bring about other changes in your life (new job, new friends, etc.)? In what way?
• What would you like to do or see on your trip?
• How do you prepare for a trip?
• How do you prefer to spend your time on the plane or train?
• What’s your favorite way to pass the time on a bus or car ride?

During the Journey

• What’s the best thing about traveling?
• What’s the most exciting thing about traveling to another country?
• What do you like to do when you travel?
• What would make this trip perfect for you?
• Do you’ve any fears about going on this trip?
• How do you feel about taking risks when traveling?
• What are your expectations for the trip?
• What would be the worst thing that could happen to you on this trip?
• How long do you plan to stay in each place you visit?
• Are there any rules or guidelines to ensure your trip is safe and fun?
• What was the first word that came to your mind when you exited the plane?

Cultural Observations and Encounters

• What interesting facts did you find out about your destination?
• How are the people different from those in your home country?
• Describe a typical day of your life here.
• Describe the weather.
• Describe the first person you met on your trip.
• Describe the people in this country (or city) compared to your home country (or country). In what ways are they different/the same? Do they seem open or closed to foreign travelers?
• What do you think of the food culture here – are there dishes that are particularly interesting (or less so)? Or the other way around – do they all seem pretty much the same to you?
• What’s something you don’t understand about people from other cultures?
• Describe a place you’ve visited that wasn’t what you expected
• Describe something you saw in nature that made you stop and wonder
• Describe a place that makes your heart happy when you think of it
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in person (not online)
• Describe a time when you felt safe.
• Describe a time when you were scared on a trip.

Personal Feelings and Experiences

• Do you miss home at all? If so, how do you feel about home (and why)?
• What’s one place you’d recommend visiting?
• What did you learn from a stranger on your trip?
• Did anything go wrong on your trip? If so, how did it affect your travel experience, and how did you feel about it?
• What are your favorite travel destinations?
• Who travels with you? Is it a partner, family member, or friend?
• What do you discover about your travel companion(s) as you travel together?
• Do you prefer to travel alone or with friends/family? And why?
• Do you prefer public transportation or renting a car when traveling between cities? And why?
• What makes the place you traveled to similar or different from home?
• What’s the strangest thing that happened to you on your trip?
• How would you describe this place to a friend or family member?
• What songs did you hear along the way remind you of this trip?
• When did you step out of your comfort zone on a trip?
• What are the top three things that made this trip memorable for you?
• In what ways did this trip change your life?
• What was the biggest challenge during the trip, and how did you overcome it?
• What was the most surprising thing about the trip?
• What did you find out about yourself during the trip?
• What do you wish you’d done differently on this trip?
• What would it be and why if you could return to one specific trip moment?
• What was your favorite day on this trip, and why?
• Who or what inspired you the most on this trip? Why do they inspire you so much? (This could be a person or an object).
• What activities, sights, sounds, and smells do you experience when you travel?
• Do you feel relaxed, tense, or somewhere in between?
• What would the first chapter look like if you wrote a travel memoir?
• Describe a place you’ve visited that wasn’t what you expected.
• Describe something you saw in nature that made you stop and wonder.
• Describe a place that makes your heart happy when you think of it.
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in person (not online).

You can use any of the travel journal prompts for your travel journal. You can choose one journal prompt or more travel writing prompts for your travel journal. The best travel journal prompts are the ones you choose for yourself.

Why You Should Keep a Travel Journal

A travel journal is a great way to record what you saw and did, your experiences, and the people you met. It’s also an excellent way to remind yourself of the times in your life that are important to you.

Writing down events in your journal helps you remember them later. When you write something down, it solidifies in your travel memory so that later, when someone asks you about your road trip or you want to relive some of those memories, you’ve all those moments fresh in your mind. And if you write down how you felt during those experiences, you can better frame things for future trips!

Keeping a journal during your trip abroad can also be helpful when you need to explain things to friends or family back home. You may not always have time to write an email explaining what happened while they were away! But if they read your journal after returning from their travels, they can understand all the details immediately.

Creative Travel Journal Ideas

Your travel journal can be anything you want it to be.

One of the best things about a travel journal is that it can be as creative as you want. For example, if you’re going on a trip and want to add something special to your journal entry , you can get some bus tickets and receipts.

You can also include business cards from hotels or restaurants. Anything that helps it feel like a natural part of your trip is excellent!

That’s not all – you can also use postcards or other souvenirs to decorate your page. If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can also draw a picture of what you saw or scribble between the lines of your letters. Don’t overdo it, though – you don’t want anything to distract you from being able to read what you’ve written! If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our travels (and from observing the journals of others), it’s that when traveling, it’s best to keep things simple!

Kids Travel Journal

When you travel with your children, they’ll probably be grateful if you get them to keep their travel diary early on. Even if they can’t write yet, they can use some of the travel journal writing prompts above and draw creative travel journal ideas instead of writing.

This way, they can record their favorite trip memories, and you’ll be amazed at how many little details they can remember compared to adults. Children are very efficient at turning a simple prompt into an excellent journal idea.

Related Articles

Exploring Beyond Borders: Why Culture Is an Integral Part of Travel

What Is Your Favorite Travel Destination and Why

365 Journal Prompts to Help You Reflect, Grow, and Connect: A Year of Self-Discovery

59 Art Journal Prompts to Help You Express Yourself Creatively

• New? Start Here
• Try For Free

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!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Posts:

Advertiser Disclosure

This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate your support!

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Travel Tips, Tricks, & Hacks — Straight To Your Inbox

No spam, only the goods. And we would never share your info with anyone.

• Bucket List
• Travel Tips
• Remote Work
• Gift Guides

Most Popular Stories

11 Proven Ways To Be A Responsible Traveler

We want to be responsible adults, responsible citizens, but what about responsible travelers? Are there things we can do that protect us and those around

7 Literary Cities for the Book Lover

We read books to learn new skills, understand our world better, and get lost in the incredible stories of authors from all walks of life. 

14 Tips for Anyone Traveling Alone

In these challenging times, our schedules are out of whack and we are itching to explore. You may find that significant others and close friends

13 Unique Gift Ideas For Father’s Day

Our fathers hold a special place in our hearts. Whether you’re able to spend this Father’s Day with yours or not, we hope to help

Travel More, Remember Better.

• Journo Travel Journal
• Currency Converter
• Become An Insider
• Digital Nomad Secrets
• Remote Work Wealth Club
• Travel Hacker's Toolkit
• Travel Fund Challenge
• Insider Adventures
• Shop Travel Goods
• TERMS & CONDITIONS
• PRIVACY POLICY

How to Write a Travelogue: 8 Tips To Write Better Travel Stories

As I wrote in a previous article , a travelogue is a truthful account of an individual’s experiences traveling, usually told in the past tense and in the first person. In that article, I focused on how travelogues compared to modern travel books. In this article, I will offer tips on how to write a captivating travelogue. You will learn how to avoid writing a traditional (and boring) “Dear Diary” travelogue and craft a modern and compelling travel story. 

What does a travelogue contain?

A travelogue contains vivid descriptions of the place you’re traveling in, descriptions of the subjective experiences of visiting a place (your thoughts, blunders, fears), informed commentary about a place (its history and culture), and accounts of your interactions with local people. Above all, a travelogue must tell a story.

A travelogue is not academic writing, so you need not make a formal argument and present evidence—keep formal language at bay. A travelogue is not a write-up for a tourism board or a marketing agency, so don’t try to “sell” the destination to your readers. A travelogue is not a guidebook or a blog post, so you need not be helpful, list “the top 10 best restaurants,” or offer practical travel tips or suggestions.

Rather, a travelogue is a creative narrative of your experiences traveling. 

Tell one specific story

Traditionally, travelogues were mundane accounts of what a person saw, did, and ate while traveling. But try to avoid giving a “Dear Diary” account of your travels. You will bore your readers if you write a step-by-step report of what you did, ate, and saw.

Instead, a travelogue will be more effective if it focuses on one interesting story from your travels. A destination is not a story. Neither is simply traveling from point A to point B.

Now that you’ve returned from your travels and want to write an essay or an article about your trip, review your notes and reflect on your experiences. Does a particular story stand out? Is there an experience that you can’t stop telling people about? Did you have a haunting, transformative, or enlightening experience? Did something bad or unexpected happen? If so, it might be a good candidate to write about.

Be descriptive

Now that you have your travel story in mind, think about the setting. 

Details and descriptions are essential in travel writing. They will make your writing and story more vivid. What sounds, scents, tastes, and textures did you experience? 

Give your readers a sense of what it is like to be there. Transport your reader to that specific time and place.

Be forthcoming

A travelogue is special because it gives us a glimpse of a foreign place, but it does so through the lens of the writer. We want to know your specific take on things. 

We are all human. We all think, have opinions, and get scared. What did you feel? Did your experience stir up old memories? Were you frightened? Did you embarrass yourself? Was there a misunderstanding? What did you learn?

Be honest with your own flaws, biases, and assumptions. Give your reader subjective and emotional insight.

Be engaging

We travel (and read travel stories) to engage with and learn about other cultures. And our best travel stories almost always involve interactions with local people you’ve met.

So, while it is good that your reader gets a glimpse into the subjective world of the author, we will want to hear other voices in your story too. 

What conversations did you have with the locals? Did anyone tell you something interesting, alarming, or enlightening? Who did you meet? Who were they? What did they look like? Did they have a particular manner of speaking? A distinctive feature?

Be informed

The point of a travelogue is to entertain, but sometimes it is good to inform. Sprinkle relevant information into your story.

Is there historical or cultural details that will help your reader understand why something is so? Did a local person reveal something interesting about the politics or history of a place?

How do you start a travelogue?

If a travelogue is a narrative account of your travels, then consider starting the travelogue with an inciting incident. Begin your travel story with something that will draw your reader in. Highlight a problem, conflict, struggle, or tension that will propel your story along. 

As Seth Kugel says, the best travels stories are when things go wrong.

For example, you can begin your travelogue by stating your quest or mission, and then complicating that with an obstacle that gets in the way. Or, you can start with an intrigue, curious statement, declaration, or observation. You can start  in media res , and then fill in the story later. 

The trick is to hook your reader.

How do you end a travelogue?

Like any story, a memorable travelogue will offer a resolution. Consider ending your story with a transformation or a resolution, a return to the beginning, a moral, a message, or a revelation. 

You want to give your reader a sense of closure, that the specific story has ended.

Tips to write a better travelogue

• Tell a specific story
• Describe the outer world using vivid descriptions
• Reveal the inner world (your thoughts, mistakes, missteps, blunders, excitements, etc.)
• Provide informed commentary (historical, political, cultural, etc.)
• Talk to locals and describe your interactions with them
• Use a conversational tone and avoid fancy/big words, marketing jargon, and guidebook speak
• Begin with an intrigue, something going wrong, or a compelling or captivating moment
• End with a resolution, a moral, a message, or a revelation

Do you have any other tips on how to write a better travelogue?

Last Updated on 29 November 2020 by Travel Writing World

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)

Travel Writing World

With an emphasis on travel books and long-form travel literature, host Jeremy Bassetti talks with the world’s most inspiring travel writers about their work and about the business and craft of travel writing in this award-winning podcast and website. In addition to the podcast, the site also features travel writer profiles, book reviews, and articles.

You may also like

Must-have tools and apps for travel writers, evernote for writers, journalists, and bloggers, how to create a sense of place in..., protected: resource library, travel books to celebrate hispanic heritage month, history in travel writing.

What I want to know is how to write your thoughts? In Italics so the readers knows that’s your thoughts or constantly writing “I remember thinking…” “I thought to myself”. I prefer just writing my thoughts as italics but is this the accepted way? Will an editor hate it and want me to rewrite is what I’m asking.

You’re talking about “internal dialog.” Do a google search to see what others think, but here is my take. Italics and quotes are both accepted forms. There is also a third way: don’t use italics, quotes, or thought/dialog tags at all. While this depends on the point of view of the work, I’m assuming that that you’re writing in the first-person present or past if you’re writing a travelogue. Why not use italics, quotation marks, or tags if you’re writing in the first-person? It will be implied that the narrator who says “I” or “me” is the one doing the thinking. So, instead of writing Why did the man steal my purse , I thought… You could simply write: Why did the man steal my purse? as it will be implied that the narrator is the one having the thought.

Just finished my travelogue book

Great. What is it about?

Just starting up and very much enjoyed this article.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Traveling Tulls

Eco-Travel in Retirement – Nature and Sustainable Luxury Travel

101 Travel Journal Ideas & Creative Prompts to make journaling fun

My mother insisted we keep a journal on our childhood trips. I love looking through those travel logs, seeing my little girl handwriting and reading the entries. But even with Mom’s urging, my entries all grow shorter as the trip progressed. Fifty some years and many trips later, I’ve returned to keeping journals, but have come up with journal prompts and fun travel journal ideas to keep up my enthusiasm throughout the trip .

This post includes affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking on one of these links. Unless noted, we have not received products for review. We suggest items we have enjoyed and hope you will too.

A travel journal is one of the best souvenirs you can bring home. In it you capture feelings and travel memories as they happen. Opening that journal years later will transport you back to that trip and let you savor the experience all over again. But that is IF you are diligent in keeping your journal. Many of us begin with enthusiasm, only to drop off as the week goes on. It’s not easy to begin writing at the end of a long day of touring.

Table of Contents

Find a style and create a schedule to keep you on track.

Travel journal ideas: the medium.

Consider a format that works best for you. Some enjoy the traditional travel diary, but some are more comfortable using technology for their notes. A video diary might be the best travel journal for you!

Journaling with technology – platforms and apps

A plus for using technology for journaling is luggage space. You already have your phone, so there’s nothing more to pack!

Mobile device apps for journaling

• note taking apps . Tried and true apps like Evernote , OneNote, or Google Keep , are easy to use for your personal journal entries. If you use these at home, you’ll feel comfortable using them on the road.
• We recommend: Polarsteps – tracks your trip on a map with images and brief captions. This app has a private option which is great. Travel photo books can be created after your trip. (We haven’t tried the photo books so cannot comment on quality.)
• another popular and well-reviewed app is Journi’s Travel Blog which also allows for a printed book after the trip.
• itinerary based apps . These allow you to upload information ahead of time re. flights, hotels, etc. and you’ll get notifications if there’s a change in plans. These are great for staying organized on a long trip . Some of these will allow you to add notes, eg., journal-like comments as you travel.

Blogging platforms for journaling

• Set up a simple blog – WordPress.com, blogger, etc. offer free blog options. It’s easier than you might think to set up your blog, and you can easily share with friends and family. Again, try this at home before you go. (Be forewarned… this website started as a way to keep in touch with family on a trip to Egypt in 2012 …)

I try to write on my WordPress itinerary blog at the end of each day. If I’m really tired, I dictate my thoughts from my phone. Fortunately, these late-night ramblings go into the private blog until I’ve had a chance to review and correct any mistakes. (The transcription of the dictation is often strange, so enjoy a laugh, but remember to edit.) I also carry a notebook, for quick entries and information. The important thing is to try to preserve those memories. More on that later!

Paper travel journals

Some people just prefer the feel of paper and pen. And most of us know it’s smart to carry paper documentation in case phone batteries die, or there’s no internet available.

There are many options for buying a travel diary . The benefits of a printed journal is that the pages are preformatted and often include pages for contact info, itinerary, etc.. It’s easy to just pick up the journal and begin to write.

But consider designing your own travel journal. Creating a trip journal is a great option for filling those exciting weeks before your trip. Your journal can be as detailed or as freewheeling as you like it. With your own self-created book, you will not end up with empty pages reminding you when you hadn’t the time or inclination to write every day.

How to set up your own travel journal

• Choose a notebook. Use one you have at home or buy something special. To save space I use either a Field Notes book for a short trip, or a Leuchtturm 1917 A6 notebook for a longer, more important adventure. Both of these are small enough to fit easily into my bag. But if space isn’t a problem, choose a larger traveler’s notebook or similar.
• Outline the pages you’d like to include. Suggestions: index page, itinerary, contact info, a world map, etc.
• If you plan to keep a travel diary in your book, designate blank pages ahead of time. Note any travel prompts you think you’d like to write about on a back page to refer to as you go. Leave space for travel photos you can add later.
• Decorate as much or as little as you choose! I’m not artistic, so I personalize my journal with washi tape and 1-2 stickers before the trip and add any cute stamps or stickers I come across while traveling.

Keep going: strategies to encourage journaling

Ok. So, you’ve got the journal. Now how to stay motivated to write in it?

Add some lists, prompts, and fun activity pages to your book. Some of these ideas only require checkmarks or quick dashed off notes. But knowing you need to check off that place, or write what you had for supper, will keep you coming back to the journal.

If you’re artistic, bring sketching materials, use paint, and fill your pages with images. No room for colored pencils and paints? A multi-colored pen takes up little space and will brighten your pages.

If you’re a collector, adding ticket stubs or postcards is a great way to preserve a memory. Bring along a glue stick if there’s room in your luggage. These little details will be fun to see in years to come.

101 Travel Journal Prompts

Some people are naturally creative. They need no suggestions for their evening journaling. But for most of us, it’s helpful to have some writing prompts to get us started. Here are some of my favorites:

Important information for your journal’s front pages

Be sure to share your travel plans with a family member before leaving home!

• Your travel itinerary
• Transportation and Flight details
• Accommodations with address and contact information
• Booked tours and guides with contact information

Travel Planning and Brainstorming Lists

• Your packing list and pre-trip to-do list
• Your destination bucket list? What are you most excited about doing or seeing?
• Foods and drinks you want to try
• Travel budget & ongoing expenses
• Souvenirs you plan to buy and for who (leave room for spontaneous purchases)
• Books (or movies) about your destination.
• Some basic words in the language – please, thank you, etc.
• Cultural customs to understand and respect.
• What advice have you read or been given about your destination?
• Inspirational quotes: your favorites or something you hear and want to remember.
• Plan a playlist for your trip.

Travel journal prompts: on your way

These are great prompts to work on during those never-ending days before the trip, or on the flight.

• Facts about your destination
• What are your expectations of the destination or experience?
• What made you choose this destination?
• What part of this trip have you enjoyed planning for the most?
• Have there been any pre-trip disasters? 
• Is there anything about the trip that worries you or makes you anxious?
• What do you want to learn on this adventure?
• How will you prioritize your health while you are traveling?
• Make a list of things you can do for self-care while on the trip.
• What an essential thing you pack that you will never travel without?

Daily prompts for your travel journal

• Gratitude pages (or add a bit of gratitude to every day’s entry)
• How did you travel to your destination?
• What was your first reaction upon arrival in this new place- joy, surprise, disappointment?
• What did you do today?
• What will be your favorite memory of this day?
• What was the most amazing thing you did today?
• Did anything embarrassing happen today?
• What made you laugh today? Or was there something that made you cry?
• Was there an uncomfortable or difficult moment today? How did you handle it? 
• Did you try something new today? If you’re on a big trip, you could designate a whole page in the journal for new experiences!
• What’s the biggest challenge about being in this destination?
• What did you eat today? Did you try a local delicacy?
• Are you maintaining a balanced diet? How does it make you feel?
• Did you meet some interesting people today? What did you talk about? If you think you’d like to keep up with them, make a note of their contact information or tuck business cards into your journal.
• Did anything go wrong today? How was it resolved and how did you react?
• What cultural experience did you experience today? How did it impact you?
• What makes this place similar or different from your home?
• Is your destination being affected by any current events? How is it impacting your trip
• Do a self-check. Are you feeling relaxed and happy or tired and stressed?
• What exercise did you get today? How many steps have you logged? 
• Did you take time for self-care today? How will you prioritize yourself tomorrow?
• What did you do today that energized you? What drained your energy?
• What did you wear today? Make a list of what you packed and check items off as you wear them. See what can be left at home next trip.
• Make a timeline of your day.
• What local traditions might you like to adopt at home.
• Consider the environment at your destination? Is there a problem with litter or smog? What is being done to fix this.
• What challenges are the local people facing?
• How do the locals live? What’s the top industry?
• Make a prompt based on your hobbies, e.g. Wines you’ve tasted, art museums you’re visiting…
• What’s working for you on this trip? Do you like the pace of travel? The people you’re with?
• Describe your hotel/accommodation as if you were reviewing it for Travel and Leisure
• Make a list of the interesting animals and wildlife you see on the trip. This is one of my favorite things to keep track of in my journal.
• Travel stats: distance traveled, weather, etc.
• What can’t you wait to share with your friends back home?
• What music have you listened to today?

Some creative travel journal ideas to keep things fun

• Describe where you are in right now using as many of your senses as you can.
• Draw a famous landmark you saw today.
• Sketch the inside of your hotel room or the view out the window.
• Share a story or legend about your destination.
• If you were to write a book about this trip, what would the title be?
• Draw a map of your travels.
• Make a rainbow or an ABC page – (these is a fun travel journal ideas if you’re traveling with kids!) Note things you see of every color in the rainbow (or every color of the alphabet), take pictures, or sketch what you saw.
• Make a photography (or wildlife) BINGO game .

Travel reflections

• What advice do you have for others who visit here?
• What is something special to do here that isn’t in the tour guide?
• What was the most memorable meal from the trip?
• What were the favorite places you visited during the trip?
• Make a list of all the places you stayed.
• Words you’ve learned in the local language. Or regional expressions!
• What is the biggest lesson that this trip taught you? 
• Am you any different when you travel? Do you have more or less – energy, creativity, irritability, etc.?
• What is something you did that you are proud of?
• What local traditions resonated with you most?
• What about life here is better than life at home?
• What are you most grateful for about this trip?
• Was there a moment that impacted you more than you expected?
• What do you miss most from home?
• Do you think this trip will change your life for the better? Will tourism help the community you’re visiting? 
• Could you live in this foreign country? Would you like to?
• What advice have you been told by a local while on this trip? Can you apply it to your life?

Travel journal prompts: after the trip

Some ideas to reflect on during your flight home.

• What is something new you learned from this trip?
• Is there anything about this trip that didn’t meet your expectations?
• What was the highlight of your trip?
• What was the worst thing that happened on your trip?
• Would you visit here again?
• Is there anything you would do differently next time you visit? Experiences you missed or style of travel?
• Has your perception of the destination changed because of this trip?
• Has this trip inspired you to make changes in your life at home?
• What did you wish you’d pack and what could have been left at home?
• What has been the most rewarding travel experience of your life?
• If you could go on a trip with anyone, who would you go with and where would you go? 
• What is a fear you’ve overcome while traveling? How?
• What have you learned about travel that will impact how you travel next and how?
• How has your travel (past and present) changed you? 
• Did this trip challenge your limits physically or put you out of your comfort zone? Will you make changes on your next vacation?
• Where do you plan to go next?

BINGO – A fun idea for your travel journal – photography, wildlife sightings, etc.

One of our favorite travel journal pages is the bingo page. You’ll probably remember this from the road trips we took as kids where we checked off signs or other roadside things to make BINGO.

As we love to take pictures when we travel, I make a photography game. This can be an individual challenge or a competition among traveling companions. Though in my travel I’m usually doing this solo, the benefit of the photography game is that it encourages me to look at my surroundings in a deeper way. As my game ‘card’ get filled up, I find myself focusing on finding that elusive image. This is a creative and fun idea to include in your own journal.

Create your own photography challenge

• simple things – sunsets, hotel room, or food
• artistic ideas – black & white, close-ups, or low light
• things that elicits a feeling – funny signs or something scary.
• randomize the list (we have our list in excel which has a randomize option but you can do it manually just by mixing up your list)
• create ‘bingo’ cards in your journal, with 5 or 6 squares across and down.
• write the list, as randomized, on as many ‘cards’ as there are participants. (everyone’s card should be different)
• at the end of each day, or when you’ve got some downtime, fill in the boxes where you’ve captured images. See who gets bingo first!

If you’re not a photographer, you can do this with highway sightings or whatever. On our recent safari we made grids of animals and birds we hoped to see.

Travel Journal Ideas – make it easy, make it personal

Whatever medium you choose, make it something that you’ll enjoy, that will add to the trip, and not become a burden. Keep it close, so you can note things in it when there’s quiet time. Air travel is a great time to work on it.

I hope I’ve given you suggestions that will make keeping a travel journal easy and relevant. Remember, this journal is for you. Have fun!

For more suggestions, Megan from Cullessense has a great list of travel journal ideas .

Do you keep a travel log when you travel? What do you do to keep your interest from flagging? We’d love to add your suggestions into our next travel diary!

This post is part of our Travel 101 series of posts that will prepare you for your trip.

Amy Tull and Team

• Into the Wild: Planning Multigenerational Trips in National Parks
• Nature and Birding in Costa Rica: a World of Strange & Wonderful Beauty
• How to Survive a Long Flight: be comfortable even in Economy Seats (2024)
• Best Time to Travel to Machu Picchu, Peru: a traveler’s guide (2024)

Amy, a writer on responsible bucket list travel, is your reliable source for insightful travel advice. With a career background in libraries, and a degree in biology and mathematics, Amy's approach to travel is rooted in meticulous research and planning, and her commitment to eco-conscious adventures.

Amy’s dedication to sustainable travel practices, including efficient packing techniques, ensures that every adventure leaves a positive impact on both the environment and the traveler's well-being. Trust Amy to guide you towards meaningful and eco-friendly travel, making the most of your retirement years.

A lifelong New England resident, Amy is also the source for insider tips on travel in the Northeastern U.S.

• Travel Dress Styling: Build Mix & Match Outfits With One Dress
• Capture Memories: Why Book Flytographer, the Vacation Photographers 2024
• Carry On London: Travel Light with our London Packing List (2024)
• 101 Unique Things to Do in Boston: an insider guide to hidden gems

Share this:

30 thoughts on “ 101 Travel Journal Ideas & Creative Prompts to make journaling fun ”

Love the Photo Bingo Challenge! I’ll definitely be adding this to my own travel journals

Wrote a similar post not long time ago. Wish I was more organized when writing my journal

I’ve never been successful at keeping a regular journal. But I so enjoy making my own travel journal that I keep at it.

I need to do more of this! If only to remember for when I come to writing blog posts and knowing what the heck that photo is of! Inspired! Alison

Yes!! I use excerpts from my journal if we make a photo book after the trip. It’s interesting sometimes to read things that we’d completely forgotten.

Great post! I made a paper journal last year but got addicted to putting so much into it that it got too heavy to carry!

Ha ha! I love that! We do tend to accumulate as we travel, don’t we?

Yes it’s terrible!!

I do a mix of several things (paper notebook, notes on phone, journaling on my tablet with keyboard) and yet, I am not always successful at getting it all down so I can write about it later. The best laid plans… One thing I do that helps me is that I take more photos than you might think necessary of things like signs explaining the site we are seeing or of menus in restaurants. This helps with reference later.

I am going to start doing this! Will come in very useful when I am trying to recall details of when I was “there”!

I do keep a paper travel notebook, but it’s very basic, more my thoughts and impressions on the road rather than a journal. You have given me some great ideas to make more of my on the road notes – thank you.

Great! Let me know if you come up with other good ideas!

Wow! a lot of interesting ideas. Thanks for sharing!

This is something I majorly struggle with when traveling. I like that you included the various mediums because sometimes I feel like “journaling” is more paper. Thank you. I am going to try some of these strategies during my next big trip.

I struggle too. I really, really try to get down thoughts at the end of each day, but sometimes I’m just too tired. That’s why I like having easy options in my journal to just jot something down quick.

I really love journaling. But with no success. I would follow yours. Thanks a lot!

I think as travel bloggers we are all biased by the fact that we enjoy writing. I finished a full notebook on my last trip, while for some people in my group, keeping a journal ment only to write what they ate and what they saw. And… I am a classy journalist (?), only paper, and then once I am back I write on the blog a less chaotic version of it. Love this type of posts! Thanks for sharing =)

That’s amazing! I do a great job most days but there are times when I lag behind and just jot down a few things. I wish I wrote down what I ate!

Some great ideas here Amy. We take a lot of photos and videos but I am afraid I have never bee ngreat about taking detailed notes. I like your idea of dictating them. Even though mine would likely be rambling musings it would help sort things out later on.

I love this post – I really struggle with journalling, I always go on and off. Lots of great ideas – I am going to try some out for my NY resolutions next year 🙂

When I first started travelling I kept paper journals. But the photos were in a separate place. I finally decided I wanted to bring the words and pics together and created a blog to do that. We still create a planning journal that capture all of our travel plans, things to see and do, photo ideas, contacts and more. Some good ideas here for blog topics.

That’s how this blog got started too! But, like you, I still carry a small notebook.

I do love to have a travel journal and it has to be a new one for every trip. I love that photo bingo idea, thats cool!

I create a travel journal as a planning guide before we travel listing what we must do and what is optional. Then comes the photos. I download the pics at the end of every day under the rightly named folder. That makes it easier later when we are writing blogs. I also tried the voice recording in our Australia trip at every destination. Thanks for the tips. 🙂

I love, love, love this post! I always bring a journal with me and recently spent about 2 hours journaling in the Rodin sculpture garden in Paris. One of my favorite prompts is “Has this trip inspired you to make changes in your life at home?” which, to me, is sort of the essence of traveling. I’ll definitely use some of these on my next trip.

Thanks Amber! What a wonderful place to journal!

• Pingback: Artistic Travel for Your Next Vacation - Trendingbird
• Pingback: Carry On London: Travel Light with our London Packing List - Traveling Tulls

I love these! I always keep a travel journal, but it’s mostly unorganized. I wish I had these questions during earlier travels so I could keep these travel memories alive in better detail. Great list!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from traveling tulls.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 21, 2017

12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Martin Cavannagh

Head of Content at Reedsy, Martin has spent over eight years helping writers turn their ambitions into reality. As a voice in the indie publishing space, he has written for a number of outlets and spoken at conferences, including the 2024 Writers Summit at the London Book Fair.

So, you want to be a travel writer?

There are plenty of reality doses out there already, so we’re going to focus on the positives, and what you can do to maximize your chances of travel writing professionally. One of the first steps: you should absolutely know your markets, and what types of travel writing are popular in them. In today’s competitive market, this knowledge can both help you structure your article  and target the right audience.

In this post, we break down modern travel writing into three distinct categories: freelance journalism , blogging, and book writing. Then we identify the prevalent types of travel writing each category is known for, to give you an initial sort of compass in the industry.

Freelance Travel Journalism

The truth is this: the travel sections in major publications (New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal) are slimmer now, so competition will be tall. But there are other outlets. Local newspapers are sometimes open to travel pitches from freelancers. Certain websites pay for travel articles, while magazines can be great for targeting niche audiences.

So what are the common types of freelance travel journalism?

Destination articles

Here, the game’s in the name: destination articles tell readers about a place they might want to travel one day. One of the most standard type of travel stories, these pieces act as the armchair reader’s bird-eye view of a place. Useful or interesting facts pepper the writing. History, points of interest, natural scenery, trendy spots: a destination article can touch upon them all within the framework of a broad narrative.

Where the average article gives readers a sense of the destination, the best of the best convinces readers that this is a destination they want, nay, need to visit. As such, though some destination articles are written in first person, the focus is rarely on the writer. Instead, the destination is the star of the show.

For examples of destination articles, check out:

• Besalú, the most interesting Spanish village you probably don’t know (LA Times)
• In Indonesia (Washington Post)
• 36 Hours In The Finger Lakes Region of New York (New York Times)

Special-interest articles

Special-interest articles are offshoots of destination articles. Instead of taking the reader on a tour of an entire country or city, these pieces cover one particular aspect of the destination. This kind of writing can cover anything from art in Colombia, ghost towns in the U.S., trekking in Patagonia, alpaca farms in Australia, motorbiking in Brazil, railroads in France, volunteering in Tanzania — you get the gist.

Since special-interest articles are narrower in topic, many writers tailor them for niche magazines or websites. Before you start pitching, we recommend flipping through the Writer’s Handbook , one of the most useful guides to the freelance publishing market, to see which publications fit your target audience.

For a taste of some special-interest articles, see:

• Exploring Portugal — From Pork To Port (epicurious.com)
• This Unsung Corner of Spain is Home to Fabulous Food (Washington Post)
• Karsts of China's Getu River region attract rock climbers, other travelers (CNN Travel)

Holiday and special events

Holiday and special events travel articles ask writers to write about a destination before the event takes place. The biggest global events are magnets for this type of travel writing, such as the World Cup, the Olympics, the World Expo, fashion weeks, and film festivals. Depending on the publication, regional events work just as well.

Want to see what special events pieces look like? Have a read through these:

• This summer’s solar eclipse is southern Illinois’ chance to shine (Chicago Tribune)
• How To Plan A Trip To The 2016 Rio Olympics (Travel & Leisure)

You’ll recognize a round-up article when you see one, as it’ll go, “40 best beaches in West Europe,” or, perhaps, “20 of the greatest walks in the world!” It’s a classic tool in any magazine or newspaper writer’s toolbox, taking a bunch of destinations and grouping them all under one common thread.

Ultimately, a clear motif makes this type of article a breeze to read, as they’re a play on the ubiquitous List Format. But, OK, before you jump at this excuse to sacrifice your belly at 99 food trucks in New York City, remember that your premise should be original, not to mention practical. What’s tough is coming up with X ways to do Y in the first place, as that demands you put in the travel and research to produce a thorough write-up.

Want even more examples of round-up articles? Here you go:

• 12 new art exhibits to see this summer (Smithsonian)
• 21 ways to see America for cheap (Huffington Post)
• 41 places to go in 2011 (New York Times)

Personal essays

Publishers are experiencing something of a personal essay fatigue , so the market for more might be scarce these days. However, quality trumps all, and a good personal travel essay is just plain good writing in disguise: something that possesses a strong voice while showing insight, growth, and backstory.

Just don’t make it a diary entry. In an interview with The Atlantic , travel writer Paul Theroux said: “The main shortcut is to leave out boring things. People write about getting sick, they write about tummy trouble. They write about waiting. They write three pages about how long it took them to get a visa. I’m not interested in the boring parts. Everyone has tummy trouble. Everyone waits in line. I don’t want to hear about it.”

Here’s a jumping-off point for personal travel essays:

• Taking the Great American Roadtrip (Smithsonian)

Have a burning opinion to share? Sometimes publications end up giving op-eds to staff, but there are always open calls for opinion pieces.

Travel op-eds are much rarer than political opinion pieces, but there’s a pattern to the ones that make the cut: good persuasive writing. If you can come at a topic from a unique angle (and argue your case clearly) then you may be able to publish your opinion.

If you’re in the mood for travel op-ed articles, see:

• The West Coast Is The Best Coast For Food In America (Food & Wine)
• Why Climate Change Is Actually Relevant To Travel (Conde Nast)

Travel Blogging

When typing “travel blog” into Google returns 295 million results, we can guess it’s a fairly competitive market.

Here’s the plus side: bloggers get to write what they want and go where they please. When it comes to blog posts, there are no editors, no gatekeepers. Only you and the “PUBLISH” button.

We won’t go revisit the types of travel writing we covered earlier (such as the roundup format). Instead, we’ll explore some of the other formats bloggers use to tell their travel stories. Since the rules of travel blogging are next to non-existent, our tally below is by no means definitive. And, again, our best advice is to note what your favorite bloggers do on their blogs.

Already running a successful travel blog? You might consider turning it into a full-length book !

How-to articles are already fairly popular in magazines, but they’re positively omnipresent in the travel blogging world. Blogs provide a direct communication platform, allowing trust to build up quicker with the readers. As a result, for the search query, “How to travel Europe on a budget,” six out of the top ten results are posts from trusted independent blogs.

A How-To article is the most standard form of advice column a travel blogger can produce. It’s intrinsically useful, promising that it’ll teach something by article’s end. A blogger’s challenge is delivering fully on that promise.

How to read more How-To articles? We got you covered:

• How To Start A Travel Blog (Nomadic Matt)
• How To Travel Solo To A Party Destination (Adventurous Kate)
• How to Visit Penang’s Kek Lok Si Temple (Migrationology)

Itineraries

Itineraries reveal the schedule that the writer took at a given destination, city-by-city or sight-by-sight. They’re meant for the traveler who’s embarking on a similar trip and needs a template. Typically, you’ll find that an itinerary post is an easy place for you to slip in recommendations, anything from the accommodation you used or the restaurants you tried.

You can use itinerary posts to reinforce your blog’s brand. For instance, an itinerary posted on a blog focused around budget travel will probably maximize cost-saving chances.

For more itineraries, see:

• My Trip To Japan (A Complete Japan Itinerary)
• Backpacking Vietnam on a budget: 2-3 Weeks Itinerary + Tips

Longform posts

Longform travel blogging tells a travel story through extended narrative content, as it takes a week’s worth of adventure and shapes it into a story. Longform blog posts about travel often end up being creative nonfiction : a way to present nonfiction — factually accurate prose about real people and events — in a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner.

Photography can add another dimension to the form, as Emmanuel Nataf (our co-founder!) shows on his travel blog . And Reedsy's very own Arielle provides a glimpse into why she prefers longform travel writing on her blog, Steps, a Travel Journal :

My favourite kinds of stories are the ones that give you a real sense of place. That’s why I enjoy longform travel blogging: I get to describe the character of a place through the experiences I encountered there.

If you want to dip your toe into the sea of longform posts, you can also read:

• The Cow Head Taco Philosopher King of Oaxaca (Legal Nomads)
• The Best Worst Museum In The World

When it comes to writing a book, you can take all the challenges about travel writing from above and magnify it times 2,000. If you’re asking readers to commit to you for more than 100 pages, you’d best make sure that your book is worth their while.

As far as examples go, travel writing’s boomed in the mainstream book market recently. But there’s much more to it than Eat, Pray, Love and its descendants.

Travelogues

In travelogues, authors record their adventures in a way that illustrates or sheds insight upon the place itself. Travelogues possess a storied past, from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letters in 1763 to Mark Twain’s 1867 The Innocents Abroad , which paved the way for the sort of comic travelogues that Bill Bryson’s perfected today.

Up for some travelogues? Check out:

• Notes From A Small Island , by Bill Bryson
• In Patagonia , by Bruce Chatwin
• Travels with Charley In Search of America , by John Steinbeck

Travel memoirs

Nowadays, travel memoirs are practically synonymous with Elizabeth Gilbert’s wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love and Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling Wild , both of which were recently adapted into Hollywood blockbusters.

That said, be aware that you’ll need a pretty exceptional personal story for your memoir to compete in today’s market . If you’re still set on writing or self-publishing a travel memoir, it’s tricky to balance personal backstory and travel for 400 pages, so think about taking on a professional for a second pair of eyes.

Did you know? You can find Nicki Richesin , a top Bloomsbury editor who’s edited for Cheryl Strayed, on our marketplace.

In addition to Eat, Pray, Love and Wild , you can read:

• Under the Tuscan Sun , by Frances Mayes
• Coasting , by Jonathan Raban
• Wind, Sand, and Stars , by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

As Oscar Wilde said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always keep something sensational to read in the train.” But these days, people are replacing diaries with travel guides — the ubiquitous Lonely Planet becoming one of the more common sights on transit.

Travel writing in guidebooks is straightforward, informative, and fact-filled. In addition, a certain amount of responsibility comes with the job. Lonely Planet alone is read by millions of travelers worldwide.

General Tips and Guidelines

As we mentioned before, the trick to producing great travel writing is ultimately simply writing well . To that extent, you should make sure to follow all the guidelines of good writing — not least, spell-checking your article before submitting or publishing it anywhere. You don’t want an editor or reader to see it while it stilll reads lik edis.

Also, keep in mind the tone, style, and vibe of the publication and platform (and by extension, your audience). A story about a moon-rock could go into a kid's magazine or it could go into Scientific America .

Finally, some category-specific tips:

• If you’re freelance writing, always check submission guidelines. Publications may accept only pitches or they may welcome articles “on spec” (pre-written articles). Some sources only take travel articles that were written within 6 months of the trip.
• If you’re blogging, brand your website (same advice if you’re an author who’s building a homepage ).
• If you’re writing a book, get a professional editor! An unedited book is an unwieldy thing, and professional eyes provide direction, continuity, and assonance. ( Layout designers can be important if you’re publishing a travel photography book, in the meanwhile.)

Travel writing isn't a cinch. In fact, it's a long and often hard grind. But by figuring out what type of travel writing you want to try your hand at, you're taking the crucial first step.

7 responses

Amanda Turner says:

20/03/2018 – 16:20

Thank you, this was very helpful. Here's one of mine: http://vagabondingwithkids.com/every-mothers-guide-to-piranha-fishing-in-the-amazon/

Travalerie says:

24/05/2018 – 18:42

I landed on this page Googling for one thing and coming up with another. Haha! But what I found instead was helpful as I'm devouring as much as I can on travel writing. A few months ago, I started a new travel business, revamped my website including a new blog, and am in the process of writing, writing, writing. I took 2 trips this year so far and wrote what seemed like a mini-novella. Burning out in the process. I know I can do better. But I had no idea what I was writing could be re-worked to fit a certain category of travel writing -- which is what I found helpful in this post above. Thanks https://www.travalerie.com/blog

Surya Thakur says:

04/03/2019 – 12:39

Very good information. Lucky me I discovered your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later! KuLLuHuLLs

David Bishop says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Thanks for this good article. I'm in my third year on the road and recently started my senior solo adventure travel website. I think my site has some pretty good stuff, of course. Take a look and tell me what you think. www.davidhunterbishop.com

Iris C. Permuy says:

23/05/2019 – 18:03

Thank you very much for all of these useful pieces of advice. I will make sure to implement them all on my travel blog, which is a combination of travel and gastronomy and uses the memoir and itinerary types, apart from recipes. Come check it out if you feel like it! I am more than open, eager for some professional feedback :)

Serissa says:

26/10/2019 – 14:53

This post is the perfect diving board for aspiring travel writers. I plan to link to this page from my travel blog if that is alright! ?? The link on my website will appear as "[title of this post] by Reedsy Blog". I assume this is alright, but if not, please email me directly to let me know! Thanks so much!

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

29/10/2019 – 10:11

We'd be absolutely delighted if you shared this article on your blog :)

Comments are currently closed.

Continue reading

Recommended posts from the Reedsy Blog

How to Introduce a Character: 8 Tips To Hook Readers In

Introducing characters is an art, and these eight tips and examples will help you master it.

450+ Powerful Adjectives to Describe a Person (With Examples)

Want a handy list to help you bring your characters to life? Discover words that describe physical attributes, dispositions, and emotions.

How to Plot a Novel Like a NYT Bestselling Author

Need to plot your novel? Follow these 7 steps from New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt.

How to Write an Autobiography: The Story of Your Life

Want to write your autobiography but aren’t sure where to start? This step-by-step guide will take you from opening lines to publishing it for everyone to read.

What is the Climax of a Story? Examples & Tips

The climax is perhaps a story's most crucial moment, but many writers struggle to stick the landing. Let's see what makes for a great story climax.

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

The Masterclasses 2023: 10 travel writing tips from our experts

From establishing a niche to tackling writer’s block, the autumn series of The Masterclasses saw 12 of the UK’s leading travel journalists share the tips and tricks behind their success.

The Masterclasses by National Geographic Traveller (UK) returned in September 2023 with a brand-new series of insightful, hour-long online sessions curated for aspiring travel writers and photographers.  

Leaving no stone unturned, the expert panel of travel writers explored everything from penning that all-important opening line to forming good relationships with editors. Throughout the three sessions, they shared a wealth of inside knowledge — offering up advice that will prove invaluable to anyone hoping to make travel writing a full-time career.  

These are their 10 top tips on getting your story published, navigating the industry and using structure to elevate your travel writing.  

1. Know your reader

“I would say the number one mistake freelance writers make when pitching is they don’t understand the audience of the title. The best thing you can do if you’re really interested in writing for a publication is to go out and buy yourself the magazine and familiarise yourself with the content, the tone and the kinds of things that the readership might find of interest.”   — Alicia Miller, Pitching and getting published  

2. Be patient

“If you’re really interested in something, then there will be an audience out there for that story. It’s just about finding the right home for it. Don’t get discouraged — and believe in your idea! Because if you find it interesting, other people will too.” — Daniel Stables, Pitching and getting published  

3. Win over commissioning editors

“When I first started freelancing, editors didn’t know who I was. One way of showcasing my knowledge was deeply researching a destination and including a taste of that in the pitch. Make it concise, but also show that you have knowledge about the destination. If I was working with a new editor for the first time, I would always include links to previous work, or somehow demonstrate my expertise in the subject.” — Qin Xie, Pitching and getting published

4. Utilise social media

“Dinosaurs like me may absolutely despise it, but the reality is that if you’re a travel writer and you have no presence on social media, you have no presence.” — Tharik Hussain, How to be a savvy travel writer in 2023  

5. Know today’s travel writing landscape  

“Perhaps 10 years ago, 20 years ago, travel writing came from a person’s appreciation of a destination. Now what we’re looking at is trying to capitalise on what other people in the big internet landscape are looking for… Travel writing is kind of evolving away from being that destination-led 'this was my experience, and this is how you can recreate it' and it’s turning to using travel as a sort of lifestyle trend.” — Cathy Adams, How to be a savvy travel writer in 2023  

6. Find a niche  

“Editors, increasingly, are looking for people either based in a destination or people who know a place really well and really understand the culture. And so, a couple of benefits of having a niche are that it helps editors find you: they can remember what your patch is. And then, on a personal level, I find it really satisfying to find those stories that take you to the deeper levels of a destination. You have to have a really genuine passion for the place because it’s a bit like writing a book: you still have to find it interesting after 50,000 words.” —   Zoey Goto, How to be a savvy travel writer in 2023  

7. Find the right working environment

“Usually, I’ll find some travel writing from a writer I really like, and I’ll kind of read over their pieces just to get in the right frame of mind. I’ll usually listen to some quite amped-up music — usually the same playlist I use for running — because it kind of gets you in the mood to do things. For actual writing, I’m a big fan of white noise. Having narrowed it down over several years, I think my favourite type of white noise is the tumble dryer; there’s a whole tumble dryer playlist on Spotify that I am really dedicated to.” — Georgia Stephens, How to structure your storytelling  

8. Write as though talking to a friend

“You don’t have to use highfalutin prose to make an intro work. Often, it’s the simple stuff. Good journalism is a bit like talking to a friend. Just tell me what’s happening… And in the same way that your friends wouldn’t when you tell them about your travels, [the reader] won’t listen to more than two sentences of description. With the greatest of respect, no one cares.” — James Stewart, How to structure your storytelling  

9. Make the most of quotes

“Quotes are a way to deliver information to your reader from a different perspective — and it’s so much more powerful coming from someone else other than you. It’s definitely important to use quotes, especially when you’re writing about communities that you may not be a part of. Allowing people to tell their stories in their own words as much as possible, is so important.” — Katherine Gallardo, How to structure your storytelling  

10. Don't be afraid of writer's block

“As someone who has come to this relatively recently, I would say that even the best writers struggle to write sometimes. Everybody gets writer’s block, even published authors. Just don’t beat yourself up. If it’s not coming, it’s not coming. Just come back to it another day.” — Georgia Stephens, How to structure your storytelling  

Related Topics

• ADVENTURE TRAVEL
• TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
• STORYTELLING

You May Also Like

A Croatian coastal odyssey: why road-tripping from Split to Dubrovnik is easier than ever

Four culinary experiences to try in Hokkaido

Become a subscriber and support our award-winning editorial features, videos, photography, and much more..

For as little as $2/mo.

How new flights to Akureyri are opening up northern Iceland

The essential guide to Switzerland

10 best things to do in Switzerland

An insider's guide to Denver, Colorado's wildly creative capital

A guide to Hamburg, north Germany's fiercely independent maritime hub

• Best of the World
• Environment
• Paid Content

History & Culture

• History & Culture
• Out of Eden Walk
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

16 Travel-Writing Prompts

SHARON’S BLOG Are you a homebody or do you love to gallivant? To gallivant is to travel, wander, or globetrot. Does that sound like you?

Whatever you happen to be, you can use these 16 writing prompts to become an armchair traveler and see the world right from where you are. You might even be inspired to plan a real-life trip!

Suitable for 5th – 12th graders.

1. You’ve just landed in exotic Bora Bora . Send a postcard home to your family. What do you say? 2. Around the world in 180 days? You’ll need a packing list. What will you bring? 3. You’re backpacking across mountainous Nepal . What’s in your backpack? 4. You and your mission team just landed in Haiti. Make a list of all the items lost between America and Haiti and what you hope to find there. 5. You’re going on a 5-country tour of Europe: France, Italy, England, Germany, and Austria. What do you eat? What’s in your food journal? 6. You’re traveling to Mexico, but you don’t speak any Spanish. Describe your interaction with locals. How will you ask about food and other necessities? 7. Write a letter home to your best friend describing what you miss about home. 8. You’re getting ready to take historic Route 66 cross-country (USA). What advice does your mom or dad give you? 9. You’re going to be on a long flight. What books will you load on your tablet or bring with you? What music will you load on your music player? 10. You want one kind of a vacation and your family wants another. Make a list of things to say to them to convince them to go where you want to go. 11. You are taking a cruise to Alaska and the Arctic Circle. List the things you hope to see there and what you hope you do not see. 12. You’re taking a cruise with your best friend, but when you arrive at the ship you find it’s a senior citizen cruise. Describe your first day. 13. Describe getting lost while visiting the island of Buton . 14. You just got home. Make a list of all the things you’ll miss from your trip. 15. You’re traveling to see your grandma. You’re a new driver and your mom is letting you do the driving. Describe your anticipation. 16. En route to your destination, your flight is cancelled and you are stuck in the airport for 34 hours. Write a journal entry describing the situation.

Something extra for moms and teachers: If you are planning a trip this summer, use this fun printable travel journal ! 

Explore our fun writing prompts for your middle school students here. >>

Your teens will enjoy these engaging prompts. >>

Find more prompts geared for both age groups here. >>

Prompt by Gina Glenn. Copyright © 2017 by Sharon Watson

Looking for something?

Sharon’s Blog

Grading Essays Made Easy

Homeschool Life

Miscellaneous

Proofreading Tips

Writing Prompts

Writing/Teaching Tips

Middle school prompts

Description

High school prompts

Download free samples of our courses    here. Dismiss

Discover more from Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

100 Travel Ebook Ideas You Can Start Writing Today

Travel is one of the hottest and most exciting niches out there, bursting with lucrative opportunities for you.  

Whether you’re a travel blogger seeking an extra income stream, a digital nomad with incredible stories to share, or an aspiring ‘authorpreneur’ ready to make your mark – the travel world is your playground.  And eBooks are your golden ticket to sharing your travel wisdom and expertise with the world.  

From the town you call home to the farthest corners of the globe, people are always on the hunt for new places to explore. They crave the inside scoop on both hidden gems and popular Instagrammable destinations. If you can help travelers explore smarter, cheaper and get more out of their vacations, there’s an eager audience waiting for you.  

But in a crowded travel eBook market, how do you stand out? Well, it all starts with a brilliant idea.  So, here are 100 awesome travel ebook ideas you can get started on today, wherever you are – or wherever you’ve been – in the world. 

The Travel & Ebook Markets 

Both travel and eBooks remain big business. Globally, the online travel market is forecast to reach over $658bn in 2024 and continue to rise to nearly $808bn by 2028. 

Since that pandemic dip in 2020/21, the market has increased steadily as people regain their desire to see the world. 

When it comes to eBooks, the market is also healthy, with the value projected to reach around $22bn this year: 

What this means for you is that if you can find a great eBook idea that taps into the right travel sub-niche, you could be on your way to success as a self-published author. 

100 Travel Ebook Ideas 

To get you started, we’ve listed 100 great ideas for your first (or next) travel eBook . We’ve divided our list into categories, so you can find the right fit for you.  

These ideas are meant as jumping-off points to give you some inspiration. Feel free to give them your own spin to create something unique in the travel space. We’ve also left gaps, so you can fill in your own destination. 

When planning your eBook, think about your relationship with travel and how you can use it to add value to other travelers. That might be in-depth knowledge of a place or some awesome hacks to help people pack for a trip or stay connected on the road. 

Before we start, don’t forget that where you live is an interesting destination for other people. So, if you’re wondering if you can find success in the travel niche from home – you can! 

In fact, giving people an insider’s or local’s look at a particular place is a great way to show off your expertise and build a community as a travel content creator . 

With that, let’s hit the road… 

Travel style  

This first section is all about how people travel, as much as the actual destination. It’s also about trip planning. So, if you’ve got experience putting trips together, you can use this as the basis for an eBook. 

As you’ll see from our list, this section covers a wide range of options. This includes the sizable “workation” or digital nomad niches.  

If you’re reading this from a beach or sidewalk café somewhere enjoying the perks of a digital nomadic lifestyle, you can make extra money helping others do the same. 

This section also draws on your expertise in a certain type of travel, such as solo adventures or traveling with young children. 

Ebook topic ideas: 

• Top hacks for trip planning on a budget 
• A solo traveler’s guide to… 
• How to travel the world with young children 
• The best gap year ideas (for over-30s, etc.) 
• 5* luxury travel in… (South East Asia, Central America, etc.) 
• Adventure travel for nervous newbies 
• Ideas for volunteering overseas 
• How to get the most out of your digital nomad visa 
• Plan the perfect workation 
• How to make money (legally) during your travels 
• How to teach English as a second language overseas 
• How to see… on $50 a day (pick a typically expensive destination) 
• Top tips for staying safe as a solo traveler 
• The ultimate guide to packing for a round-the-world trip 
• Stay connected while off the beaten track (travel tech hacks) 
• Make your next trip more eco-friendly  
• Avoid these mistakes when visiting… 
• Best locations for budget travel 
• Stay healthy while traveling to…  
• Top round-the-world itineraries for… (based on budget, length of trip, etc.) 

Destinations  

This section puts the place first, helping people to get more out of travel to a part of the world. You might focus on a region, country, city or even a street (such as Bourbon Street or the Las Vegas Strip).  

As well as things to see, you can look at accommodation and side trips. Remember that lots of destinations have been well covered, so if you want to focus on one of these, you’ll need to find a fresh angle.  

You might also find success doing a deep dive into a lesser-known destination. Travel lovers are always looking for someplace new to explore.  

Shine a light on a place that doesn’t get many tourists and you can become the go-to expert on this destination. 

• Best hotels / B&Bs in… 
• A guide to homestays in… 
• Spend a week in… (a 7-day itinerary) 
• Best LGBTQ+-friendly destinations 
• Best child-friendly destinations 
• Best dive bars in…   
• Cool side trips from… 
• Experience… like a local  
• What to do in… (when it rains) 
• Get off the beaten track in… 
• First-timer’s guide to…  
• 48 hours in…. 
• The 50 best things to do in… 
• See… for free (a guide to the best no-cost activities in a place) 
• Social/cultural etiquette in… 
• Historical… (a guide to a destination through its history) 
• Undiscovered… (new spin on a familiar location, like Las Vegas’ Arts District) 
• The best cafés in… 
• Enjoying summer destinations in winter (and vice versa) 
• The ultimate guide to… (Mardi Gras, Pride Month, Oktoberfest, etc.) 

Need inspiration? Check out Marielena Travels on Whop – she’s a content creator who celebrates all things related to Guatemala: 

Activities/interests

This section focuses on what people do when they’re away from home. Whether a hobby or a lifestyle, your eBook can help travelers to enjoy what they love. 

This can be a great sub-niche as it offers plenty of content opportunities and the chance to build a focused community . Of course, it helps to share the interest, so you can offer real value and personal insight. 

Your eBook can focus on any level of expertise, from people just getting into yoga or photography, etc., all the way to seasoned snowboarders or wine experts looking for their next adventure. 

• The best budget yoga retreats 
• A guide to the best skiing (and apres ski) in… 
• A foodie’s guide to…. 
• The best street food in… 
• A guide to film/TV locations in… 
• A literary tour of… 
• The best independent bookstores in… 
• How to plan a creative writing retreat 
• An art-lover’s guide to… 
• Essential music festivals  
• A wine-lover’s guide to… 
• The best places for wildlife photography 
• Great stargazing/astronomy locations 
• Luxury spas in… 
• Plan a wellness retreat in… 
• Coolest snowboarding locations 
• A guide to the best art galleries/museums in… 
• The best adrenaline sports locations 
• The best surfing locations 
• Climb your first mountain (everything from locations to packing for the trip) 

Sometimes, the journey can be the destination. So, this section is all about getting to places and getting around while you’re there.  

This may not be as cool as finding the best bars or street food but it’s an essential part of travel. It can also be a giant hassle, so if you can make the journey smoother, you’ll find an audience. 

This topic has the potential to be quite dry, so think of ways to make it more exciting. It might be a quirky tone, cool photography or combining it with another topic. 

First-hand accounts of notable journeys or experiences are valuable. So, if you’ve traveled on the Trans-Siberian Express or are an expert on car-free travel, think about turning that into an eBook and other travel content. 

 Ebook topic ideas: 

• Plan the ultimate road trip in… 
• A self-guided walking tour of… 
• See… by public transport 
• Hacks for stress-free long-haul flights 
• See… without a car (focus on car-heavy destinations, like LA) 
• Plan your first RV trip 
• How to get upgraded/bumped to first class (for free) 
• Conquer your fear of flying 
• Polar exploration/cruises (Antarctica / Arctic) 
• Road trips without a car (Route 66 by Greyhound, etc.) 
• See… by train (tips on the best routes, etc.) 
• Guide to overland border crossings 
• Plan your first backpacking trip 
• Hiking… (by country or region) 
• Cycling… (by country or region) 
• See… by motorbike 
• Personal account of… (The Ghan, Thai sleeper train, Halong Bay cruise, etc.) 
• The best stopover/layover tours 
• Tips for finding cheap travel deals (flights, tours, etc.) 
• Guide to budget airlines/regional travel 

Specialty travel

Our final category basically includes everything we haven’t already covered. This section aims to get you thinking beyond the obvious to look at all the types of travel and travelers out there. 

Some of these ideas are quite niche, so will have a limited audience. However, they do offer an opportunity to become an expert and build an audience in a less-served area of travel. 

This section is also about jumping on trends, such as unplugged travel, as well as evergreen topics like specialty trip planning (e.g. destination weddings and staycations). 

• A guide to glamping in… 
• Accessible… (a guide to destinations for people with impairments) 
• Celebrate… like a local (a guide to local festivals and events) 
• Live the nomadic life (for people who want to live on the road) 
• The best hostels for over-30s in… 
• Stay social while traveling solo (tips on safely meeting others overseas) 
• Plan a bachelor/ette weekend to remember in… 
• Plan the perfect romantic getaway in… 
• Plan the perfect staycation (vacationing at home) 
• A guide to traveling with your pet in… 
• The ultimate guide to destination weddings in… 
• Plan a 5* honeymoon on a budget 
• Taking your first trip with a child (for new parents) 
• A vegan’s / celiacs guide to… (traveling with dietary restrictions) 
• How to handle homesickness while on a round-the-world trip 
• Traveling with elderly relatives 
• The best cultural exchange programs 
• Unplugged/digital detox travel (traveling without mobile devices) 
•  Off-grid travel 
• Novel places to stay (treehouses, ice hotels, castles, etc.) 

Tips for Travel Ebook Success 

Now you’ve got some ideas for your eBook, here are a few top tips for bringing it to life and reaping the rewards: 

Plan your content 

Take time to plan out your eBook sections and content. Think about what you want to say and divide your ideas into easy-to-digest sections which flow. 

Look at other eBooks which are similar to yours to see what works and what you can do better. 

Also, don’t forget about design and proofreading. You want your eBook to be as professional as possible. There are lots of AI-based and other tools to help.  

Beware of relying on AI for writing and editing your eBook. As well as quality issues, you want to avoid generic content, especially in the travel niche where readers value personal experience. 

Use quality images 

People love seeing aspirational and inspirational photos in travel content. So, make sure yours pass the “Insta-worthy” test. 

Most smartphones have good photography capabilities so you don’t need to splash out on a fancy camera. However, you might want to check out photo editing software, such as Piscart or Adobe Express. 

Overall, while the travel niche is potentially lucrative, you need to make sure you stand out (for all the right reasons) in this crowded space. 

Build a community 

Travel eBooks usually complement other offerings, such as a blog , social media, and forums. Focus on building a community , which then lets you springboard into multiple revenue streams. 

Here’s an example from TravelCraft , which has built a subscription-based planning service right here on Whop. 

Find a Home for Your Travel Business on Whop 

Inspired to get started on your first (or next) awesome travel eBook? Great. But how do you turn that “million-dollar” idea into actual dollars? Welcome to Whop.

Here, you can create a like-minded community of travel buffs and sell your eBooks (and anything else) through your very own whop – your home on the internet. Your whop is as flexible and scalable as you want it to be… and it’s just a couple of clicks away. 

So, join our other entrepreneurs who are making their dreams come true by sharing their love of travel with the world – and raking in a tidy profit.  

Find your idea and get started selling on Whop today – your all-in-one travel platform for creating and growing your perfect online business.

Rob Truslove

Make your first dollar on the internet.

Start your business for free, no credit card required.

Related posts

The Best Place To Sell Digital Products in 2024

37 Best Digital Products to Sell on Etsy in 2024

100 Digital Nomad Business Ideas So You Can Earn While You Travel

How to Write a Travel Blog and Make Money Online

127+ Time Travel Story Ideas & Prompts For Creative Writers

What if you could go back in time and read this introduction before I wrote it? That’s the kind of mind-bending question time travel stories love to explore. It’s no wonder they’ve been popular since H.G. Wells penned “The Time Machine” in 1895.

Time travel isn’t just a sci-fi gimmick. It’s a powerful tool for storytellers. It lets us rewrite history, peek into the future, or create complex character arcs that span centuries. But with so many time travel tales out there, how do you come up with something new?

Don’t worry – I’ve got your back! This article is packed with fresh, inspiring time travel story ideas. Whether you’re writing a novel , screenplay , or short story, you’ll find concepts here to kickstart your creativity. From historical “what-ifs” to futuristic paradoxes, we’ll explore the full potential of temporal tales.

Ready to warp your imagination? Let’s go!

Tons of Time Travel Story Ideas

Historical adventures.

These stories allow characters to journey to significant historical events, interact with famous figures, and explore “what if” scenarios that alter or preserve key moments in history.

The Unwritten Symphony : A time traveler visits Vienna in 1827 to meet Ludwig van Beethoven, who is struggling with his hearing loss while trying to complete a symphony that could redefine classical music. As they help Beethoven find inspiration , they change the course of music history and influence future composers.

The Day Lincoln Lived : Traveling back to April 14, 1865, a historian prevents the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. As they explore how Lincoln’s survival impacts his plans for Reconstruction and the healing of a divided nation, they witness significant changes in American history.

The Fall of the Aztec Empire : Journeying to 1519, an anthropologist attempts to warn the Aztecs about Hernán Cortés’ arrival. As they face the challenges of convincing the Aztec leaders, they see how the survival of the empire impacts global history.

The Unburned Library : A scholar goes back to ancient Alexandria to save the Great Library from destruction. As they witness how the preservation of knowledge accelerates scientific progress, they see its influence on future generations of thinkers.

The Unseen Armistice : A diplomat prevents the outbreak of World War I by mediating peace between European powers in 1914. As they explore a world where the Great War never happens, they observe how political alliances, technological advancements, and cultural shifts develop differently.

The Unfinished Painting : Traveling to 1503, an art enthusiast assists Leonardo da Vinci in completing the Mona Lisa. As they discover the secrets behind the painting’s enigmatic smile, they see how its completion influences the art world and da Vinci’s legacy.

The Unfought Battle : Altering the outcome of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, a military strategist leads to a different ruler on the English throne. As they examine the cultural shifts and political changes that follow, they witness a transformed history.

The Unbroken Treaty : Preventing the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, a navigator changes the geopolitical landscape. As they explore the effects on colonization, trade routes, and relations between European powers, they see a new world order emerge.

The Unwritten Declaration : Visiting Philadelphia in 1776, a political philosopher influences the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, ensuring more inclusive rights from the start. As they consider how these changes impact the founding of the United States, they witness its future development.

The Uncrowned King : Traveling to 1483, a royal advisor prevents the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. As they witness how their survival changes the course of English history, they alter the Wars of the Roses and the rise of the Tudor dynasty.

The Unstoppable March : Joining Gandhi in 1930 during the Salt March, a peace activist uses foresight to prevent British retaliation. As they explore the impact of a more peaceful transition to independence, they see how India’s future and its role in the world are affected.

The Unseen Revolution : Going back to 1789, a political advisor influences the French Revolution’s leaders to adopt more moderate reforms, preventing the Reign of Terror. As they consider how these changes impact France’s development, they observe its influence on global revolutions.

The Unsunk Armada : Traveling to 1588, a naval strategist aids the Spanish Armada, leading to its victory over England. As they explore how this victory changes the balance of power in Europe, they see the future of the Spanish and British empires transformed.

The Unwritten Gospel : Meeting Jesus of Nazareth, a historian documents his teachings firsthand. As they consider how this firsthand account might alter the course of religious history, they witness the development of Christianity.

The Unfought Duel : Preventing the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804, a political ally preserves Hamilton’s life. As they explore how Hamilton’s continued influence shapes early American politics, they observe changes in the nation’s financial system.

Futuristic Explorations

These stories allow characters to go into the future and see new technological advancements and societal changes. They may explore the implications of dystopian or utopian futures and how they came to be.

The AI Overlords : In a future where AI governs society, a human rights activist navigates the ethical dilemmas of coexisting with machine rulers. As they uncover a hidden resistance movement, they must decide whether to join the fight for human autonomy or seek a peaceful coexistence.

The Last Green Oasis : An environmental scientist travels to a future Earth devastated by climate change, discovering a thriving green oasis amidst the desolation. As they investigate the oasis’s secrets, they face moral choices about whether to share its technology with the world or protect it from exploitation.

The Utopian Experiment : A sociologist visits a future society that claims to have achieved utopia. As they delve deeper, they uncover the hidden costs and sacrifices made to maintain this perfect world, challenging their beliefs about happiness and freedom.

The Time Capsule : A historian stumbles upon a time capsule from the future containing advanced technology. As they grapple with the decision to introduce these innovations to their present, they face unforeseen consequences that threaten to unravel the fabric of time.

The Genetic Divide : In a future where genetic engineering has created a divide between enhanced and unenhanced humans, a journalist investigates societal tensions and conflicts. As they uncover a conspiracy that could bridge the genetic gap, they must choose between exposing the truth and protecting their loved ones.

The Virtual Reality Escape : A gamer and programmer enters a future where virtual reality is indistinguishable from real life. As they become entangled in a virtual world, they struggle to maintain their identity and relationships in the face of digital addiction.

The Last Human Colony : An astronaut and engineer travels to a distant future where Earth’s last human colony struggles for survival on a new planet. As they work to ensure the colony’s future, they uncover secrets about the planet’s past inhabitants that could change everything.

The Solar Flare Crisis : In a future where a massive solar flare threatens to wipe out all digital technology, a scientist races against time to preserve knowledge and society. As they lead a team to build a digital ark, they face sabotage and betrayal from those who would see them fail.

The Time Traveler’s Guide to the Galaxy : A time travel enthusiast and guide operates in a future where time travel tourism is booming. As they navigate the risks of altering timelines, they encounter a mysterious traveler with a hidden agenda that could disrupt the entire industry.

The Rewilding Project : An ecologist returns to Earth in the future after humans have left to allow nature to reclaim it. As they lead the first expedition to explore the rewilded planet, they discover unexpected dangers and wonders that challenge their understanding of nature.

The Memory Market : In a future where memories can be bought and sold, a detective uncovers a conspiracy involving stolen identities. As they delve deeper, they must confront their own past and decide whether to risk everything to expose the truth.

The Quantum Leap : A physicist witnesses a future breakthrough in quantum computing that allows for instantaneous travel across the universe. As they explore new worlds, they face ethical dilemmas about the impact of colonization and the responsibility of discovery.

The Dystopian Rebellion : In a future where a totalitarian regime controls every aspect of life, a rebel leader fights for freedom. As they lead the underground movement, they must navigate betrayal and sacrifice to ignite a revolution.

The Utopian Downfall : A historian and writer visits a future utopia on the brink of collapse. As they uncover the events leading to its downfall, they must decide whether to intervene or let history take its course.

The Time Loop Society : In a future where society lives in a perpetual time loop, a scientist works to break the cycle. As they uncover the mysterious event that triggered the loop, they face the ultimate choice between personal happiness and the greater good.

Alternate Realities

These stories allow characters to explore parallel universes and experience the butterfly effect, where minor changes in the past lead to vastly different present realities.

The Unseen War : A soldier discovers a parallel universe where their country lost a major war. Faced with this alternate reality, they must decide whether to return to their own world or fight for a cause they once opposed.

The Divergent Path : A scientist invents a device that allows them to visit parallel universes. As they explore worlds where they made different life choices, they must confront the impact of these decisions on their identity and happiness.

The Altered Timeline : A historian accidentally changes a minor event in the past, creating a new timeline where a different civilization dominates the world. Exploring this altered reality, they must choose whether to restore the original timeline or embrace the new world.

The Parallel Family : A parent stumbles upon a universe where their family dynamics are completely different. Experiencing life with alternate versions of their loved ones, they must decide which reality they truly belong to.

The Forgotten Friendship : A time traveler inadvertently prevents a chance meeting that led to a lifelong friendship. In a world without their closest ally, they must find a way to restore the bond or accept a life without it.

The Alternate Revolution : A political activist discovers a universe where their movement succeeded in creating a new government. Exploring this reality, they must decide whether to bring these revolutionary ideas back to their own world.

The Unwritten Novel : An author finds themselves in a universe where their most famous work was never published. As they explore the consequences of this absence, they must decide whether to recreate the novel or pursue a new path.

The Lost Invention : An inventor discovers a parallel world where their groundbreaking invention was never created. In this reality, they must choose whether to introduce the invention and risk altering the course of history.

The Unmet Love : A romantic soul finds themselves in a universe where they never met their soulmate. Experiencing life without their partner, they must decide whether to seek them out or embrace a new love.

The Alternate Legacy : A descendant discovers a universe where their ancestor made a different choice, leading to a vastly different family legacy. As they explore this reality, they must decide whether to restore the original legacy or accept the new one.

The Unseen Disaster : A scientist prevents a minor environmental change, leading to a world where a major disaster never occurred. Exploring the consequences, they must choose whether to restore the original timeline or embrace the new reality.

The Parallel Career : A professional discovers a universe where they pursue a completely different career path. Experiencing life in this new role, they must decide whether to return to their original career or embrace the change.

The Unchallenged Leader : A political figure finds themselves in a universe where their rival never existed. In this new reality, they must decide whether to maintain their power or seek out new challenges.

The Alternate Childhood : An adult revisits a universe where their childhood was vastly different. As they explore the impact of these changes on their personality, they must decide whether to return to their original life or embrace the new one.

The Unseen Art : An artist discovers a parallel world where their artistic style is completely different. As they explore the impact of this change on their career, they must decide whether to adopt the new style or return to their original work.

Personal Journeys

These stories allow characters to use time travel for self-reflection and personal growth, as well as to explore family ties by meeting ancestors and uncovering family secrets.

The Regretful Reunion : A character travels back to a pivotal moment in their past to mend a broken friendship. As they navigate the emotional complexities of their younger self, they must decide whether to change their actions or accept the past as it is.

The Ancestral Quest : A character journeys back in time to meet their great-grandparents, uncovering hidden family secrets. As they learn about their ancestors’ struggles and triumphs, they gain a deeper understanding of their own identity and values.

The Second Chance : After a failed career, a character travels back to their first job interview, determined to make different choices. As they relive their early career days, they must confront the fears and insecurities that held them back.

The Lost Love : A character revisits a past relationship, hoping to understand why it ended. As they relive moments with their former partner, they must decide whether to change the outcome or find closure in the present.

The Family Heirloom : A character travels back to the origin of a cherished family heirloom, discovering its true significance. As they uncover the story behind the object, they learn valuable lessons about their family’s legacy.

The Unspoken Apology : A character returns to a moment when they hurt a loved one with harsh words. As they navigate the emotional landscape of their past, they must decide whether to apologize or let the experience shape their growth.

The Forgotten Dream : A character revisits their childhood dreams and aspirations, reigniting their passion for an abandoned hobby. As they explore their younger self’s ambitions, they must decide whether to pursue these dreams in the present.

The Family Reunion : A character travels back to a family gathering they never attended, meeting relatives they never knew. As they uncover the dynamics and secrets of their extended family, they gain insights into their own place within it.

The Unfinished Letter : A character finds an unsent letter they wrote in their youth and travels back to deliver it. As they confront their younger self’s emotions, they must decide whether to send the letter or leave it in the past.

The Sibling Bond : A character revisits a childhood rivalry with a sibling, seeking to understand its roots. As they relive their shared experiences, they must decide whether to mend the relationship or accept it as it is.

The Mentor’s Wisdom : A character travels back to meet a mentor who profoundly influenced their life. As they seek guidance from their younger self’s perspective, they must decide whether to follow the mentor’s advice or forge their own path.

The Parental Legacy : A character journeys back to their parents’ youth, witnessing pivotal moments in their lives. As they learn about their parents’ struggles and sacrifices, they gain a new appreciation for their upbringing.

The Unlived Life : A character explores a path they never took, experiencing an alternate version of their life. As they navigate this new reality, they must decide whether to embrace the changes or return to their original timeline.

The Healing Journey : A character revisits a traumatic event from their past, seeking closure and healing. As they confront their pain, they must decide whether to alter the event or accept it as part of their growth.

The Ancestor’s Choice : A character travels back to witness a critical decision made by an ancestor. As they observe the impact of this choice on their family’s history, they gain insights into their own decision-making process.

Time Travel Romance

These stories explore the complexities of love across time. Characters may fall in love with someone from another era or attempt to rekindle lost love by traveling back to important moments.

The Timeless Connection : A modern-day historian falls in love with a portrait from the 18th century. When they are mysteriously transported back in time, they meet the subject of the painting and face the challenges of a love that defies centuries.

The Lost Letter : A character discovers an unsent love letter from the past and travels back to deliver it. As they meet the letter’s intended recipient, they must decide whether to alter the course of history for the sake of love.

The Dance of Eras : A ballroom dancer from the present day finds themselves in a 1920s speakeasy, where they meet a charismatic partner. As they fall in love through dance, they must find a way to bridge the gap between their worlds.

The Revolutionary’s Heart : A character travels back to the American Revolution and falls for a passionate revolutionary. Amid the dangers of war, they must decide whether to stay in the past or return to their own time.

The Victorian Affair : A character from the future finds themselves in Victorian England, where they fall for a charming aristocrat. As they explore the constraints of societal norms, they must decide whether love is worth sacrificing their modern freedoms.

The Medieval Romance : A character is transported to a medieval kingdom, where they fall for a knight with a mysterious past. As they uncover secrets and face battles, they must decide whether to fight for their love or return to their own time.

The Jazz Age Serenade : A musician from the present day travels back to the 1920s and falls for a jazz singer. Immersed in the vibrant world of speakeasies and prohibition, they must find a way to bring their love into the future.

The Time-Traveling Artist : An artist falls in love with a muse from the Renaissance. As they travel back to capture their muse’s likeness, they must decide whether to remain in the past or return to their own time with their art.

The Ancient Love Story : A character travels back to ancient Greece and falls for a philosopher. As they explore the world of classical thought, they must decide whether to stay in the past or bring their newfound wisdom to the present.

The Pirate’s Heart : A character finds themselves on a pirate ship in the 17th century, where they fall for the enigmatic captain. Amid the dangers of the high seas, they must decide whether to stay with their love or return to their own time.

The Regency Romance : A character from the future is transported to Regency England, where they fall for a dashing duke. As they experience the complexities of courtship and society, they must decide whether to remain in the past or return to their own time.

The Lost Love Song : A character discovers a forgotten love song from the past and travels back to meet the composer. As they fall in love through music, they must decide whether to alter the course of history for the sake of their relationship.

The Time-Traveling Detective : A detective from the present day travels back to solve a mystery and falls for a witness from the past. As they work together to uncover the truth, they must decide whether to stay in the past or return to their own time.

The Renaissance Rendezvous : A character is transported to the Italian Renaissance, where they fall for a brilliant inventor. As they explore the world of art and science, they must decide whether to remain in the past or return to their own time.

The Colonial Courtship : A character travels back to colonial America and falls for a charming settler. While adjusting to the challenges of frontier life, they must decide whether to stay in the past or return to their own time.

Time Loop Dilemmas

These stories explore the intriguing concept of time loops, where characters are stuck repeating the same day or experiencing different outcomes based on their choices.

The Endless Monday : A character finds themselves reliving the same Monday over and over. As they navigate the monotony, they must uncover the lesson they need to learn to break free from the loop.

The Wedding Day Repeat : A bride or groom is stuck in a time loop on their wedding day. As they experience the day repeatedly, they must confront their doubts and fears about marriage to move forward.

The Exam Day Dilemma : A student relives the day of an important exam, each time making different choices about how to prepare. As they explore various outcomes, they must discover the true purpose of the loop.

The Reunion Loop : A character attends a high school reunion and finds themselves repeating the night. As they reconnect with old friends and enemies, they must resolve past conflicts to escape the loop.

The First Date Cycle : A character is trapped in a loop on their first date with someone special. As they relive the date, they must learn to be authentic and vulnerable to break the cycle.

The Office Groundhog Day : An employee experiences the same workday repeatedly, facing different challenges and interactions with colleagues. They must discover the key to improving their work-life balance to escape.

The Birthday Paradox : A character relives their birthday, each time making different choices about how to celebrate. As they explore the significance of the day, they must confront their fears of aging and change.

The Concert Loop : A musician is stuck in a loop during a pivotal concert performance. As they relive the show, they must overcome stage fright and embrace their passion for music.

The Family Dinner Repeat : A character finds themselves repeating a tense family dinner. As they navigate the dynamics, they must learn to communicate openly and honestly to break free.

The Election Day Cycle : A politician relives election day, each time experiencing different outcomes based on their campaign choices. To escape the loop, they must confront their motivations and values.

The Vacation Paradox : A character is stuck in a loop during a vacation, each day offering new adventures and challenges. They must learn to appreciate the present moment to break the cycle.

The Job Interview Repeat : A job seeker experiences the same interview repeatedly, each time making different choices about how to present themselves. To escape, they must discover the key to self-confidence.

The Hospital Loop : A doctor relives a day in the hospital, facing different medical emergencies and ethical dilemmas. To break free, they must learn to balance empathy and professionalism.

The Festival Cycle : A character is trapped in a loop during a cultural festival, with each day offering new insights into their heritage. To escape the cycle, they must embrace their identity.

The Market Day Repeat : A vendor relives the same day at a bustling market, each time making different choices about their business. They must discover the importance of community and connection to break the loop.

Time Police and Enforcers

These stories explore the concept of time law enforcement and temporal outlaws, where characters navigate the challenges of maintaining or disrupting the timeline.

The Time Patrol : A dedicated officer in a time-traveling police force is tasked with preventing illegal alterations to history. As they chase a notorious time thief, they must confront their own past decisions and the moral complexities of their role.

The Temporal Fugitive : A former time cop becomes a fugitive after discovering corruption within the force. As they evade capture, they must gather evidence to expose the truth and clear their name.

The Paradox Enforcers : A team of enforcers specializes in fixing paradoxes caused by rogue time travelers. As they tackle a particularly complex case, they must work together to unravel the mystery and restore the timeline.

The Time Heist : A group of skilled thieves plans a heist across different time periods, aiming to steal valuable artifacts. As a time cop tracks their movements, they must outsmart the criminals and protect the timeline.

The Temporal Peacekeepers : In a future where time travel is common, a peacekeeping force mediates conflicts across eras. As they navigate a delicate negotiation, they must prevent a war that could alter history.

The Rogue Agent : A seasoned time cop goes rogue, using their knowledge to alter key events for personal gain. As their former partner pursues them, they must confront their motivations and the consequences of their actions.

The Time War : A rebel group fights against an oppressive regime that controls the timeline. As they launch attacks on key historical events, they must balance their desire for freedom with the potential for chaos.

The Temporal Conspiracy : A young recruit in the time police uncovers a conspiracy to manipulate history for profit. As they investigate, they must decide whom to trust and how far they will go to protect the timeline.

The Time Traveler’s Dilemma : A time cop faces a personal dilemma when they encounter a loved one from the past. As they struggle with their emotions, they must choose between duty and desire.

The Historical Guardians : A secret organization protects the timeline from those who would exploit it. As a new threat emerges, they must rally their forces to defend history from destruction.

The Temporal Double Agent : An undercover agent infiltrates a group of temporal outlaws, gathering intelligence to bring them down. As they gain the rebels’ trust, they must decide where their true loyalties lie.

The Time Enforcers’ Legacy : A retired time cop mentors a new generation of enforcers, passing on their knowledge and wisdom. As they face a new threat, they must confront their past mistakes and guide their protégés.

The Time Traveler’s Code : A group of ethical time travelers adheres to a strict code to protect history. As they encounter a rogue traveler, they must decide whether to uphold their principles or bend the rules.

The Temporal Refugees : A group of refugees from a war-torn future seeks asylum in the past. As time cops pursue them, they must navigate the challenges of survival and assimilation in a new era.

The Timekeeper’s Trial : A time cop stands trial for altering history, facing judgment from their peers. As they defend their actions, they must confront the moral and ethical implications of their choices.

Historical Mysteries

These stories have characters that use time travel to solve enigmas from the past or recover artifacts with hidden secrets.

The Pharaoh’s Secret: A time-traveling detective is sent to ancient Egypt to uncover the truth behind a pharaoh’s mysterious death. Navigating court intrigue, they must solve a mystery that has been lost to history.

The Vanished Manuscript: A scholar travels to the Middle Ages to find a lost manuscript with groundbreaking scientific knowledge. Facing rival factions, they must decipher its secrets before it disappears forever.

The Enigma of the Templars: A character journeys to the time of the Knights Templar to solve the mystery of their sudden disappearance. As they infiltrate the order, they uncover a conspiracy that could alter history.

The Lost City: An archaeologist travels back to the height of the Mayan civilization to discover the fate of a lost city. They must navigate jungle dangers and ancient politics to unravel the city’s secrets.

The Disappearing Duchess: A future detective travels to Victorian England to solve the mystery of a duchess who vanished without a trace. Delving into social circles, they uncover secrets buried for centuries.

The Cursed Crown: A character is tasked with retrieving a cursed crown from a notorious medieval king’s court. They must decide whether the curse is real or a clever ruse amidst treacherous politics.

The Alchemist’s Riddle: A time traveler ventures to the Renaissance to solve the mystery of an alchemist’s disappearance. They must unlock the secrets of the alchemist’s work before it falls into the wrong hands.

The Pirate’s Treasure: A character travels to the Golden Age of Piracy to locate a legendary treasure. Battling rival treasure hunters and treacherous seas, they must decipher clues left by a notorious pirate captain.

The Vanishing Violin: A musician journeys to the Baroque era to find a famous composer’s missing violin. Navigating the world of classical music, they must solve the puzzle before the instrument is lost forever.

The Witch’s Trial: A time-traveling investigator is sent to the Salem witch trials to uncover the truth behind the accusations. They must separate fact from fiction to bring justice to the innocent.

The Emperor’s Puzzle: A character travels to ancient China to solve the mystery of an emperor’s missing artifact. As they navigate the imperial court’s intricacies, they must piece together the puzzle before it leads to war.

The Disappearing Diplomat: A detective ventures to the early 20th century to solve the mystery of a diplomat who vanished during a peace conference. They must unravel political tensions and uncover the truth before history is altered.

The Viking’s Secret: A character travels back to the Viking Age to uncover the mystery of a legendary warrior’s burial site. Exploring Norse mythology, they must decipher the clues left by the warrior’s clan.

The Painter’s Muse: An art historian journeys to the 19th century to solve the mystery of a famous painter’s missing muse. They delve into the artist’s world to uncover the truth behind the muse’s disappearance.

The Timekeeper’s Artifact: A character is tasked with retrieving a mysterious artifact from the ancient world. Navigating the dangers of time travel, they must uncover the artifact’s secrets and its connection to a modern-day mystery.

Time Machine as a Commodity

These stories explore the concept of time travel as a commercial enterprise. Characters can purchase journeys to the past or future, leading to ethical dilemmas and unforeseen consequences.

The Time Travel Agency : A character invests in a time travel agency that offers trips to historical events. While running the business, they must confront ethical questions about altering the past for profit.

The Tourist’s Dilemma : A time tourist visits ancient Rome and accidentally disrupts a key event. Faced with the consequences, they must find a way to restore the timeline without revealing their true identity.

The Time Share : A character purchases a timeshare in the Renaissance, allowing them to experience life as a noble. While enjoying the luxuries of the past, they struggle to maintain their modern values.

The Temporal Cruise : A luxury cruise line offers voyages through time, with each stop at a different historical period. A passenger must adhere to strict rules to prevent altering history, but resisting temptation proves difficult.

The Ethical Traveler : A character works for a company that offers time travel experiences, ensuring clients follow ethical guidelines. When they encounter a client intent on changing history, they must decide whether to intervene.

The Historical Auction : A wealthy collector purchases time travel experiences at an auction, bidding on moments from history. As they explore their acquisitions, they must face the moral implications of their actions.

The Time Tourist’s Guide : A character writes a guidebook for time tourists, offering advice on how to handle different eras. As they gather material for their book, they must balance historical accuracy with the potential for unintended consequences.

The Temporal Resort : A resort offers guests the chance to experience different time periods, with themed accommodations and activities. As a guest, a character must deal with the challenges of living in a different era while adhering to the resort’s rules.

The Time Broker : A character brokers deals for clients seeking time travel experiences, matching them with specific historical events. While dealing with client demands, they must confront the ethical dilemmas of their work.

The Time Travel Lottery : A lottery offers winners the chance to travel to any time period of their choice. As a winner, a character must decide whether to pursue personal desires or use their journey for the greater good.

The Temporal Detective : A detective investigates crimes committed by time travelers, tracking down those who have altered history for personal gain. As they pursue their cases, they must tackle the complexities of time travel law.

The Time Traveler’s Club : A character joins an exclusive club for time travelers, where members share stories of their adventures. After hearing tales of ethical dilemmas and unintended consequences, they must decide whether to embark on their own journey.

The Historical Vacation : A character takes a vacation to a different time period, exploring the culture and customs of the era. While trying to fit in, they must adhere to strict rules to prevent altering history.

The Time Travel Entrepreneur : An entrepreneur develops a new time travel technology, offering affordable experiences to the masses. While running the business, they must confront the potential for exploitation and unintended consequences.

The Temporal Exchange : A character participates in a time exchange program, living in a different era while someone from that time visits the present. As they adjust to their new life, they must adhere to strict rules to prevent altering history.

Future Self Interactions

These stories explore the intriguing concept of characters interacting with their future selves, offering insights into life choices, potential outcomes, and the lasting impact of their actions on future generations.

The Unexpected Encounter : A character unexpectedly meets their future self, who is living a life they never imagined. As they learn about the choices that led to this future, they must decide whether to embrace or change their current path.

The Legacy Conversation : A character is visited by their future self, who reveals the impact of their actions on their descendants. As they grapple with the consequences, they must decide whether to alter their present behavior to create a better legacy.

The Career Crossroads : At a pivotal career decision, a character meets their future self, who has taken a different path. As they explore the outcomes of each choice, they must decide which path aligns with their true aspirations.

The Family Reunion : A character encounters their future self at a family gathering, witnessing the dynamics and relationships that have evolved over time. As they reflect on their role within the family, they must decide how to nurture these connections.

The Health Revelation : A character meets their future self, who reveals the long-term consequences of their current lifestyle choices. As they confront the reality of their future health, they must decide whether to make changes in the present.

The Artistic Journey : An aspiring artist meets their future self, who has achieved great success. As they learn about the struggles and sacrifices required, they must decide whether to pursue their passion or seek a different path.

The Environmental Impact : A character is visited by their future self, who reveals the environmental consequences of their actions. As they witness the state of the future world, they must decide how to contribute to a more sustainable present.

The Romantic Revelation : A character encounters their future self, who reveals the outcome of their current romantic relationship. As they explore the possibilities, they must decide whether to nurture or reconsider their partnership.

The Financial Forecast : A character meets their future self, who shares insights into the financial decisions that shaped their future. As they weigh the risks and rewards, they must decide how to manage their resources wisely.

The Community Leader : A character is visited by their future self, who has become a respected community leader. As they learn about the impact of their civic engagement, they must decide how to contribute to their community’s growth.

The Educational Path : A student meets their future self, who reveals the outcomes of their educational choices. As they explore the possibilities, they must decide which path aligns with their goals and values.

The Technological Innovator : A character encounters their future self, who has developed groundbreaking technology. As they learn about the challenges and successes, they must decide whether to pursue innovation or focus on other interests.

The Personal Growth Journey : A character meets their future self, who has achieved personal growth and fulfillment. As they learn about the steps taken to reach this state, they must decide how to prioritize their own development.

The Social Impact : A character is visited by their future self, who reveals the societal impact of their actions. As they witness the changes they have inspired, they must decide how to continue making a positive difference.

The Spiritual Awakening : A character encounters their future self, who has embarked on a spiritual journey. As they explore the path to enlightenment, they must decide how to integrate spirituality into their present life.

Cosmic Time Travel

These stories explore the vast possibilities of cosmic time travel. Characters journey through time and space, encountering alien civilizations and navigating time as a dimension with its own unique rules and inhabitants.

The Galactic Explorer : A character embarks on an intergalactic journey through time, visiting alien civilizations at different stages of development. As they learn about the diverse cultures and histories, they must decide how to use this knowledge to benefit their own world.

The Cosmic Cartographer : Tasked with mapping time as a dimension, a character discovers hidden pathways and cosmic phenomena. As they navigate this uncharted territory, they must confront the challenges of documenting a constantly shifting landscape.

The Alien Alliance : A character travels through time and space to broker peace between warring alien species. As they navigate the complexities of intergalactic diplomacy, they must find common ground to prevent a cosmic catastrophe.

The Temporal Navigator : A skilled navigator guides a spaceship through time as a dimension, encountering celestial beings that exist outside of time. As they learn the rules of this dimension, they must ensure the safe passage of their crew.

The Time Rift : A character discovers a rift in the fabric of time, leading to a parallel universe where time flows differently. As they explore this new reality, they must decide whether to close the rift or embrace the possibilities it offers.

The Cosmic Library : A character stumbles upon a library that contains the history of the universe, recorded by an ancient alien race. As they delve into the knowledge within, they must decide how to use this information to shape the future.

The Temporal Refuge : A character seeks refuge in a time dimension to escape a dying universe. As they encounter other refugees from across time and space, they must navigate the challenges of building a new society.

The Celestial Guide : An alien being guides a character through the complexities of time as a dimension, revealing its secrets and dangers. As they journey together, they must confront the moral implications of their discoveries.

The Time Wave : A character rides a cosmic wave that transports them through different eras and galaxies. As they experience the wonders and perils of the universe, they must learn to control the wave to return home.

The Intergalactic Historian : A historian travels through time and space to document the rise and fall of alien civilizations. As they uncover the patterns of history, they must decide how to share their findings with the galaxy.

The Cosmic Symphony : A musician travels through time as a dimension, encountering alien species that communicate through music. As they learn the universal language of sound, they must compose a symphony that unites the cosmos.

The Temporal Sanctuary : A character discovers a sanctuary where time stands still, inhabited by beings who have transcended time. As they explore this timeless realm, they must decide whether to stay or return to the flow of time.

The Alien Artifact : A character finds an ancient artifact that allows them to travel through time and space. As they uncover its origins and purpose, they must decide how to wield its power responsibly.

The Time Dimension Explorer : An explorer ventures into the dimension of time, encountering creatures that exist only within its boundaries. As they navigate this strange world, they must learn its rules to survive.

The Cosmic Reunion : A character travels through time and space to reunite with a lost loved one, encountering alien civilizations and cosmic wonders along the way. As they journey across the universe, they must confront the challenges of navigating time as a dimension.

Time Travel in Storytelling

Time travel has fascinated audiences for years, blending science fiction with deep philosophical questions.

It offers a unique way to explore the mysteries of time and existence, and it makes us rethink the very nature of reality.

Definition and Appeal

Time travel is the idea of moving between different points in time, much like traveling from one place to another. Time travel stories allow writers to explore themes like causality, destiny, and the human condition.

What makes time travel so appealing is its endless possibilities—whether it’s changing the past, seeing the future, or experiencing alternate realities.

These stories make audiences think about “what if” scenarios, challenging their views on reality and time.

Historical Context

The idea of time travel has come a long way since it first appeared in literature.

Early examples include Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle and Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward , where characters find themselves in different times through supernatural or futuristic means.

H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine further established time travel in literature and paved the way for countless stories about the impact of altering time.

Common Tropes and Themes

Time travel stories often use certain tropes and themes.

One of the most famous is the grandfather paradox , which deals with the consequences of changing the past—like potentially preventing your own existence.

Another popular trope is the alternate timeline or parallel universe , where changes in the past create different realities, allowing stories to explore themes of destiny and choice.

Then there’s the time loop , like in Groundhog Day , where characters relive the same day repeatedly, often leading to personal growth and self-discovery.

Your Time Travel Toolkit

Time travel stories are an open invitation to adventure—to explore new worlds, uncover hidden truths, and let your imagination soar.

As you dive into these story prompts, remember that this is just the beginning of your creative journey!

To help you along the way, download my free worksheet designed to help you build unforgettable characters.

And if you need a guiding hand, explore my coaching services to take your storytelling to the next level. The adventure of writing your next great story awaits. Are you ready to begin?

Filmmaker, Author, Actor and Story Consultant

Neil Chase is an award-winning, produced screenwriter, independent filmmaker, professional actor, and author of the horror-western novel Iron Dogs. His latest feature film is an apocalyptic thriller called Spin The Wheel.

Neil has been featured on Celtx, No Film School, Script Revolution, Raindance, The Write Practice, Lifewire, and MSN.com, and his work has won awards from Script Summit, ScreamFest, FilmQuest and Cinequest (among others).

Neil believes that all writers have the potential to create great work. His passion is helping writers find their voice and develop their skills so that they can create stories that are entertaining and meaningful. If you’re ready to take your writing to the next level, he's here to help!

Similar Posts

What is The Resolution in a Story? [& How Do You Write One?]

Save The Cat Beat Sheet For Screenwriters [+ FREE Template]

How to Find Your Writer’s Voice [5 Steps for Creative Writers]

How to Choose a Laptop for Writers in 2024 [9 Essential Tips]

How to Use a Character Development Worksheet [With Free Download!]

How To Write Flashbacks in Screenplays (With Examples!)

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.