My Favorite Travel Journal Ideas (Creative Formats & Prompts)

Discovering creative travel journal ideas can truly elevate your travel experience, allowing you to capture memories and emotions that might otherwise fade with time.

A carefully constructed travel journal is not only a personal reminder, but can also be an invaluable resource for later journeys or to share your explorations with others.

In this blog post, we will cover various unique and engaging ways to document your travels. From scrapbooking and bullet journals to art journals and multimedia recordings, there’s a method that caters to every traveler’s preferences and style.

So whether you’re looking forward to a short upcoming trip or planning an extended journey across the globe, let these inspiring travel journal ideas guide you in creating a meaningful record of your experiences that will last a lifetime.

What is a Travel Journal? And How Do I Start?

One of the best ways to preserve your travel memories is by creating a travel journal. This creative outlet allows you to document your experiences, reflect on the places you’ve visited, and capture those special moments that make each trip unique.

Whether you’re an experienced traveler or just starting on your adventures, keeping a travel journal can help bring more meaning and depth to your journeys.

A travel journal doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it should be a fun outlet for self-expression.

Here are some ideas for making your own:

• Choose a format that suits your style: You might prefer writing in a notebook, creating a travel bullet journal, using an app on your phone, or even recording voice memos. Experiment with different formats until you find one that works best for you.

• Include photos and mementos: Don’t forget to add pictures from your travels along with tickets, postcards, maps, and other souvenirs that will help jog memories when looking back at the journal later. This is my favorite step in the process!

• Create prompts for yourself: If writing doesn’t come naturally coming up with travel journal ideas can feel intimidating. If that’s you, you can always use prompts to guide what information about each day’s activities should go into the journal. A simple one: “What new experiences did I encounter today?” This can be used to spur meaningful recollections about the day’s activities. But don’t worry, I’ve included 25 more awesome prompts below!

• Add personal touches: Customize your journal by adding drawings, stickers, or even creating a unique cover. This will make your travel journal feel more personal and special to you.

Focus on having a good time and savoring the journey when keeping your travel journal.

There’s no need to stress about making it flawless. Instead, concentrate on recording your experiences in an authentic way that brings pleasure and value to YOUR experience.

Creative and Personal Travel Journal Ideas

Writing down your experiences in a travel diary is an excellent way to remember and cherish the moments you’ve had while on vacation. And there is so much space for creativity and unique travel journal ideas out there. Here are some of my favorites!

1. Organize Your Thoughts with a Scrapbook

A scrapbook is an excellent way to organize your thoughts and memories from your travels. By assembling different keepsakes such as images, tickets, postcards, and other trinkets from your travels, you can make a physical representation of your journey that will help you preserve the details for years to come.

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your travel scrapbooking experience:

• Choose a theme: Before starting your scrapbook, decide on a central theme or concept that will guide its design. Choose a concept or theme that reflects the destination, activities are undertaken on the trip, and emotions felt during it.

• Select materials: Gather all necessary supplies such as scissors, glue sticks, tape runners/adhesives (here’s a list of best adhesives for scrapbooking), pens/markers for journaling, and embellishments like stickers or washi tapes. Choose papers in colors and patterns that complement your chosen theme.

• Create layouts: Plan each page layout by arranging photos and memorabilia before gluing them down permanently. Consider using templates (free digital templates available here) if you need inspiration or guidance.

• Add journaling elements: Don’t forget to include captions describing where each photo was taken or what it represents. This adds context to both the images themselves but also helps jog memory when looking back at the travel diary later on. You can also include quotes, song lyrics, words in a local language, or anecdotes that capture the essence of your trip.

• Embellish: Add finishing touches to each page with stickers, stamps, washi tape, and other decorative elements. This will help give your scrapbook a polished and cohesive look.

A well-crafted travel scrapbook not only serves as a beautiful keepsake but also provides an opportunity for reflection on personal growth experienced during the journey. Plus, it’s always fun to share these memories with friends and family who may have been part of the adventure.

2. Write Down Your Experiences in a Travel Diary

Recording the details of your journey in a travel diary is an effective way to capture and remember the sights, sounds, and smells that you experience each day.

Writing in a diary about your travels can be an opportunity to consider how the experiences have impacted you as an individual.

One of the pros of the method is that you can fill out a travel diary regularly while you’re on the go. You won’t need a huge setup of paper and glue sticks for this.

To get started with writing down your travel experiences in a diary, follow these simple steps:

• Pick the right journal: Choose a notebook that feels comfortable for you — that you can make into your OWN journal. Whether it’s lined or unlined pages, hardcover or softcover, make sure it’s something durable enough to withstand being tossed around in your luggage. (Here are some popular options for travel journals.)

• Create daily entries: Dedicate time every day during your trip to write about what happened – from exciting adventures like zip-lining through rainforests to quiet moments spent people-watching at cafes. Record not only what you saw, but also the emotions it evoked. If doing it daily feels overwhelming, you can experiment with doing it every other day or once a week. Whatever makes sense for your trip.

• Add personal touches: Personalize your diary by including photos, ticket stubs, postcards, or even pressed flowers from places visited along the way. These small mementos will bring back memories when flipping through the pages later on. It doesn’t have to be as intricate as a scrapbook, but even stapling in a ticket can be a fun way to add a little something to your travel diary.

• Incorporate quotes and local phrases: Include interesting quotes from locals or fellow travelers that resonated with you during conversations throughout the journey. Jotting down common phrases in foreign languages can be both fun and educational.

Writing a travel diary can be therapeutic and help you process your experiences, making it an essential part of any trip. Plus, when you return home, you’ll have a unique keepsake that tells the story of your adventures in your own words.

If writing isn’t your thing but you still want to document your journey somehow, consider trying out Day One, a digital journaling app that allows users to create entries with text, photos, and even audio recordings.

3. Make an Art Journal

One of the most creative and personal ways to document your travels is by creating an art journal.

This type of travel journal allows you to express yourself through sketches, paintings, and drawings inspired by the places you visit on your adventures. Not only does this method help you uniquely capture memories, but it also encourages mindfulness and helps improve your artistic skills.

You can find some beautiful travel journal examples on Pinterest – here are some great art journal examples to help you get inspired.

And to get started with your art journal, follow these simple steps:

• Gather Your Supplies: You’ll need a sketchbook or notebook with blank pages (preferably acid-free), pencils or pens for drawing, watercolors or colored pencils for adding color, and any other materials that inspire you (e.g., collage elements like magazine clippings). There’s a lot of room for creativity here! But also if you only have two pencils, don’t think this method can’t work for you. You can create an art journal with anything you have on hand!

• Create a Routine: Set aside time each day during your trip to work on your art journal. Schedule a regular moment to create your art journal – whether it’s starting the day with some coffee and sketching, after an eventful day winding down, or in a cafe during an afternoon ice cream break.

• Inspiration Is Everywhere: Look around at the scenery, architecture, and people – anything can serve as inspiration for a sketch or painting. Don’t be afraid to explore new ideas and methods.Also don’t feel pressure to have a “concept.” One of the great things about art journaling is that it’s a form of non-verbal expression. So let the visual inspiration guide you.

• Add Personal Touches: If you want, you can also include written descriptions alongside your artwork describing what inspired each piece or how it made you feel while creating it.

If you’re new to art journals and need some guidance on techniques and ideas, Skillshare offers several online courses tackling various aspects of art journaling. Additionally, “The Artist’s Journey: A Creative Visual Memoir” by Danny Gregory is an excellent book that showcases the author’s travel art journal and provides tips on how to create your own.

Capturing your travel memories in an art journal can be a unique and creative way to preserve them. It allows you to explore your creativity while capturing memories in a way that photographs alone cannot achieve. So grab your supplies, find inspiration in the world around you, and start creating.

4. Create Travel Vlogs

If you’re looking for a more dynamic way to capture your travel experiences, consider documenting your adventures through video or audio recordings.

Travel vlogs are becoming increasingly popular as they offer viewers a glimpse into the life of a traveler. You can make a travel vlog of your road trip, international trip, or even weekend getaway to the next town over.

To create your own travel vlog, simply record videos throughout your trip using a smartphone or camera, then edit the footage together to tell the story of your adventure. if you want to, you can even upload these videos on platforms like YouTube or Instagram for others to see.

5. Make Audio Journals

An alternative option to a travel vlog is recording an audio journal – essentially narrating stories from different stages of their travels into voice memos stored digitally within devices such as smartphones/tablets/laptops etcetera.

These files may later be shared via email/social media platforms if desired. But the primary purpose is probably to allow you to have easy access to the files when reminiscing past adventures.

Incorporating video or audio elements into your travel documentation allows for a richer storytelling experience that goes beyond traditional journaling methods.

Whether you choose to create captivating vlogs or intimate audio journals, these formats will help preserve cherished memories from each adventure with greater depth and authenticity than ever before.

My Favorite Travel Journal Prompts

To help you start filling those travel journal pages or recording narration for your travel blog, here are some of my travel journal prompts you can use in any travel journal format:

Frequently Asked Questions Travel Journal Ideas

What should I write in my travel journal?

In your travel journal, you can include notes on your daily experiences, emotions, people you meet, food and drink discoveries, cultural observations, as well as sketches or doodles of places visited. You can also add ticket stubs, postcards, or other memorabilia to make it more personalized.

How do you start a travel journal?

To start a travel journal:

1. Choose a journal: Select a journal that’s easy to carry and that you’ll enjoy using. Consider the size, cover, and paper quality.
2. Bring the essentials: Pack pens, pencils, markers, and stickers to add some fun and personality to your journal. You can also bring a glue stick or tape to attach mementos from your travels.
3. Set a goal: Decide on the purpose of your travel journal. Will you use it to record your experiences, keep track of your expenses, or collect recommendations from locals? Having a clear goal will make it easier to focus on what you want to write.
4. Record your journey: Write about your travels every day, or as often as you can. Describe your experiences, your thoughts and feelings, and any new things you learned. Use your senses to describe the places you visit and the people you meet.
5. Personalize it: Add some creativity to your journal by using different colors, drawings, and stickers. Take photos of your travels and include them in your journal. Your travel journal should be a reflection of your unique experiences and personality.

How do you make a cute travel journal?

To create an attractive travel journal:

Pick a visually appealing notebook with good-quality paper. Add colorful illustrations or stickers throughout the pages. Create themed layouts based on destinations visited. Incorporate washi tape borders around photos or souvenirs. Maintain consistent fonts/styles when writing entries. But most importantly, make it personal!

What should be the first page in a travel journal?

There are a few ways you could go with the first page. You can choose a more traditional route of including your name and contact information in case the travel journal gets lost. Or, you can go with something more creative. Write a poem that will serve as an epigraph to the journal. Or create a fun table of content. Or glue in your favorite picture from your trip. The sky is the limit with this one.

Wrapping Up & My Experience with Travel Journaling

So there you have it – some of the best travel journal ideas to get your imagination rolling for your next trip.

As we’ve seen, there are plenty of creative travel journal ideas to capture and reflect on your travels. From a traditional diary or scrapbook to an art journal or audio/video recordings, you can find the perfect way for yourself to document your adventures. Blank travel journals also make for amazing gifts for friends and family.

I’ve tried different formats over the years, from a simple diary to a multimedia journal with photos, sketches, and audio recordings. Each one has its own charm and captures a different aspect of my travels.

For example, when I traveled to Spain, I kept a food journal to document all the delicious meals I tried. I included descriptions of the dishes, the restaurants, and even the conversations I had with the chefs and waiters. This not only helped me remember the flavors and textures of the food but also gave me a deeper appreciation of Spanish culture and hospitality.

On another trip to Israel, I experimented with an audio journal.

Using an audio journal allowed me to capture the sounds and voices of the places I visited, and to describe them in a more immersive and vivid way. I recorded the calls to prayer from mosques, the chatter of vendors in markets, and the conversations with locals in cafes. I also included ambient sounds like birds singing in the park, the splashing of water, and the honking of horns in traffic. Listening to these recordings now brings back the memories and emotions of my trip in a unique and powerful way.

Through these experiences, I’ve learned that the most important thing is to find a format that suits your style and interests and to have fun with it. A travel journal should not feel like a chore or a duty, but rather a way to connect with your inner voice and creativity. But my journal has definitely become one of my favorite travel accessories I always take with me.

Whether you write, draw, paint, or record your travels, your journal will be a personal expression of your experiences, and a treasure to cherish for years to come.

Happy journaling and safe travels!