What to Write in Your Travel Journals

Completing one of the Voyage Scribe Travel Writing Prompts, I was given reason to read through my old travel journals. I normally don’t read them after completing a journey, but I found doing so very useful in determining what to write about in my future travel journals.

The following are things I noticed in my travel journals that I was grateful to have written down. They were either things I found inspiring but have forgotten about, or that I am grateful to relive.

I hope that by reading what I have written about in my travel journals, and will continue writing about, you will find inspiration for what to write in your own.

1. Itineraries

I can’t count the number of times I forget every single thing that I did on a specific day, or names of the places I visited. This is especially true on trips packed with activities and sightseeing. I think this is the most basic use of a travel journal, and the purpose of travel journals for many people.

But if you’re a writer, and you’re trying to remember your trip on a deeper level, either for more writing inspiration or another purpose, you should be doing more than just writing about what you did on a specific day. While it’s important, I find myself disappointed in the journals where I simply give an overview of places I visited without any further details.

2. Details

Which brings me to the second thing I appreciated most in rereading my travel journals. I love reading about the little details. In the moment, I feel like I’ll never forget them, but time makes that impossible. Reading the details– the streets I walked on, the buildings I passed, the transportation I took, the rituals I had throughout the trip– these are the things that help me to relive my trips once more. Write about interesting conversations you had, about the tiny details you found the most interesting, what you found most stressful or frightening: your future self will thank you!

3. Emotions

It’s one thing to talk about what you did in a day, but it’s another to really remember what it felt like being in those places and doing those things. Write about the emotions you felt as you carried out your itinerary. Did they overwhelm or underwhelm you? Was there a strong emotion you felt visiting someplace, whether it be negative or positive? Remind yourself of what you found so profound on your trip; remind yourself of the little details.

4. Food

In a few of my travel journals, the main thing I wrote about was the food I ate. And I’m so thankful I did. Thanks to this, I can relive those delicious meals. I forgot about many of them, but reading about them, it’s almost as though I could taste them once again. And there were some really, really good ones! My travel journal from the summer of 2014 which I spent in southern France is mostly filled with details of the food I ate, and I’m so, so happy about that.

5. All the senses

Using all the senses– sight, sound, touch, smell– is also a great way to relive travels. My favorite travel journal entries were when I described one moment in great detail that used all my senses. These made me feel like I was back in that moment I wrote about. If you find yourself in a moment you are experiencing intensely, sit down and write about what all your senses are feeling.

I often find it tempting to just snap a picture to remind myself of the moment, but a travel journal entry will be much more effective at capturing the moment if done right. Pause and capture with your words everything that a picture can’t.

6. Information/ tourist facts

At the time of writing them, the facts I learn on tours or in museums seem so ingrained in my mind that I feel as though I’ll never forget them. But then time and other trips muddle my memories of those facts, which is why I was grateful to relearn new knowledge in my old travel journals.

7. Writing Ideas

I’ll often come up with a plot idea while wandering a medieval, cobblestone street, or a character idea as I people-watch on a busy town square or marketplace. These ideas go into my travel journal, and I’m always so grateful to find them again while rereading my old journals.

Not a writer? Use travel to inspire other types of ideas you may need in life!

8. People

I meet a lot of people while traveling. And honestly, I don’t remember them all. At least, I don’t think I do, until I read about someone I had once briefly encountered and remember them anew.

It doesn’t even have to be people you had an encounter with. Travel is a great opportunity to people-watch, so make sure to note any interesting observations!

9. Comparisons

Something I’ve noticed I do in my travel journals is write about the comparisons and contrasts I find. I write about the place I’m in and compare it to other places I’ve been, either home, or places that remind me of that place, or perhaps a place I had been in previously on the trip I’m currently on.

I find that these comparisons are more interesting to read, and they remind me of the first impressions I had of a place I visited.

10. Reflections

Travel is the perfect opportunity to reflect, when you’re away from “normal life” and seeing the world in a new way. Use these benefits to reflect on yourself and the world around you. And then write about it.

Some of the most life-changing moments I’ve had were when I was traveling, and it’s nice to read back and “meet” myself when I experienced those moments of epiphany.

---

Do you have any other things you like to write about in your travel journals? Let us know in the comments below!

And if you’re looking for more specific inspiration, check out this month’s writing prompt. I design these prompts to help you gain writing inspiration from past travels, but you can certainly use them to write about your current travels too!

[This article may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive commission at no extra cost to you. That being said, I would never recommend something I haven’t or wouldn’t use myself.]