How to Make a Travel Journal? Tips & Supplies || The Travel Tester
During my travels, I’ve always kept a travel journal – but they always have been different in style. If you ask me how to make a travel journal, I’d say that the only limit is your own imagination.
You can organise your journals by destination (country, or city), by itinerary or for by date, for example in weekly or daily logs, the possibilities are endless.
There are some tips and supplies that might help you get started on your first travel journal. Today I share them with you!
TIP: For a complete list of our favourite travel journals, have a look at the bottom of this article!
HOW DO I MAKE A TRAVEL JOURNAL?
WHAT IS A TRAVEL JOURNAL?
TYPES OF TRAVEL JOURNALS
Let’s start at the beginning and go over what makes a travel journal. There are just so many different types! It really depends on how you would like to use your own journal to decide the best one for you!
Perhaps you first think of a simple lined notebook where you write down your travel stories, but there are so many other ways to keep your memories from on the road.
Just to name a few:
1. TRAVEL SKETCHBOOK
You don’t have to be a master artist to have fun with a travel sketchbook. Just take a notebook with blank pages and start drawing (or painting!) what you see. You can use pen, pencil, markers, crayons, watercolours or other paint, whatever you like!
There are some great travel journals specifically made for making watercolour drawings, such as the Tumuarta journal and the Seawhite journal.
Here are some other journals with blank pages perfect for sketching: the Moleskine Passion Journal and this personalized monogrammed leather journal.
Bookishly sells cute A5 (6×8″/15x21cm) travel journals with vintage world map covers featuring an inspirational quote on Etsy. The books have 244 blank pages, you can choose gift wrap, they have free UK delivery AND even upgrade to a “Journal for Life”, where you can send them a photo of a full travel journal and they send you a new one free of charge!
TRAVEL WITHOUT LEAVING HOME?
You don’t always need to be physically on the road to enjoy the beauty of destinations from all around the world!
From vintage travel posters to beautifully displayed souvenirs and home decor items inspired by your favourite places and from travel journals and crafts to exploring world recipes, music and dance.
With our creative articles you’ll get some fresh ideas on how to bring the world closer to the comforts of your own home.
2. TRAVEL SCRAPBOOK
If you aren’t a fan of drawing or painting, then perhaps making collages in a travel scrapbook is more your thing.
Nothing calms me down faster than ripping inspiring images and words out of magazines and flyers, or collecting little scrapbook items such as ticket stubs, napkins, packaging, etc. Simply arrange them in a nice way, add some text or embellishments like washi tape and you’ve got a great page!
I love using Project Life as a scrapbook, this is a system by Becky Higgins where you slide cards and photos into plastic pockets. It’s not widely available anymore, but I still love it.
Another great book to use for scrapbooking is The Adventure Book, which comes in two sizes.
3. TRAVEL NOTEBOOK
Ok, I kind of already mentioned it in the intro, but some traditional travel notebook ideas / travel diary examples couldn’t miss in this first roundup.
You can choose lined, dotted or blank paper and write down anything you want to remember from your trip.
Of course you can combine it with elements of the above, for example by adding little doodles, papers, perhaps flowers or feathers, or any other flat trinkets you collect.
The Robrasim refillable leather travelers notebook has a mix of different paper types (and also a handy pocket)
Wayfaren on Etsy sells Weekender travel journals, which measure 6×8.5″ (about 15×21.5cm) and feature 28 lined pages (56 front and back) with a pre-printed box for location and date. The covers come in ivory and navy.
My favourite dotted journal is the Leuchtturm1917.
4. TRAVEL LOGBOOK
If you love to write, but don’t feel like you have the time or energy to fill entire pages with text whilst on the road, a travel logbook might be something for you.
Just write down short little things that stood out about your day, so you won’t forget them. Think about what you did and who you met, what the weather was like, what you saw, heard, smelled, felt or tasted. Use all your senses!
The Everywhere You Go journal by Compendium let’s you take a quick snapshot of a place.
The Trip Passport by Letterfolk is a small, 48-page pocket-sized journal. Each entry page is accompanied by a blank page and there is space to record the date, location, who you went with, first impressions, sights, wildlife and more! It measures 3.5×5.5″ (about 9x14cm), roughly the size of a travel passport.
WANT TO BE A TRAVEL BLOGGER?
There is a lot that goes into running a profitable blog and there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes than you might not realize at first.
I’ve been blogging since 2006 and have a ton of tips to share! From brainstorming ideas to creating content all year round and from posting on social media to maintaining your website, tracking what’s working, networking at events and eventually working with brands…
5. FRIENDS TRAVEL JOURNALS
Another cool idea might be to start a friends journal. What is a travel journal for friends? Let me tell you!
I actually did this on my first solo world trip, where friends gifted me a journal to take with me. Instead of writing in it myself (I already kept up a digital journal in the form of a blog) – I let everyone that I met on the road write a message in the book for me!
That made the journal super unique and personalized. And it’s still amazing to read back and remember all these people.
6. THEMED TRAVEL JOURNALS
I also own a road trip journal, which I think is also such a fun idea! Usually on a road trip, you don’t have much time to keep up an extensive diary, so this pre-printed book is an easy way to keep track of all everything along the way you would like to remember.
Here you can find Axel & Ash Life’s a Road Trip Journal >
The Brand Clever Fox has a few fun themed journals, such as the Camping Journal and the Bucket List Journal >
7. LOCAL TRAVEL JOURNALS
You can really add a personal touch by choosing a journal that has a relation to the kind of trip that you are taking.
For example, you can buy a travel journal locally (like I did with the albums below, that I bought in Nepal and India from the market).
On markets across the world, you can also find amazing leather bound journals that right away give a whole explorer-vibe to your journal. You can also turn them into a personalized journal by having your name or the date engraved in the cover.
Here is a beautiful refillable handmade leather travelers notebook by the brand Robrasim >
Some great customizable travel notebooks are these from bamboo by Ruben & Jule of CamperVanStore on Etsy, this beautiful leather travel diary with a compass monogram by TealsPrairie on Etsy and the leather notebook covers by family-run business Galen Leather (their journal covers are compatible with Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917, Field Notes and Traveler’s Notebook – and they also sell refills)
HOW TO CHOOSE A TRAVEL JOURNAL?
After choosing your type of journal, there are a few other things to consider when selecting your perfect paper trip companion, such as:
JOURNAL SIZES
What size is a travel journal? Well, that depends on what you use it for! Personally, I am most happy with an A5 size when it comes to travel journals. The smaller ones I find hard to write in and don’t fit all my keepsakes, the bigger ones just take up too much space in my backpack.
Perhaps you only want to take quick notes, or want to travel real lightweight, then an A6 travel journal (with pockets) might be best for you. And if you only create your final travel notebook at home and want to go all-out, a bigger size, such as A4, or even larger, makes you happiest!
If you’re only creating a photo album of your trip, then you could for example also look into 1:1 sized albums, like the typical scrapbooks that are 12″ (30,48 cm) x 12″ or the 1.33:1 albums, for example 6″ (15,24 cm) x 8″ (20,32 cm).
I love this A5 Bullet Journal, also perfect for travel.
Here are some cute Field Notes books – National Parks-themed!
This leather cover fits a 6″ Field Notes notebook perfectly.
BINDING TYPES
The type of binding of a notebook is the material that is used to make the upper (front) and lower (back) covers of the journal, also taking into consideration how the pages are attached to the covers/back of the notebook.
For example, a saddle-stitch bind is when paper is folded with a staple or thread through the fold. PUR binding uses a paperboard or heavy cover stock to attach pages to the spine with glue (like in a paperback book). With spiral binding, there is a loop wire going through holes in the cover and pages (Nick hates these, as he’s left-handed and somehow always finds the wire in his way when writing), and with section sewn binding or coptic stitch binding, you get a flexible spine so you can lay the pages flat to work on.
As for the cover, you can choose between a hardcover or a more flexible, soft cover.
There are so many more types of binding that the ones I’ve just mentioned. Which do you prefer?
PAPER THICKNESS
Paper thickness is measured in weight, which varies from country to country. In the United States for example, you have “U.S. basis weight” (in pounds), where they look at a 500-sheet stack of the paper at its original, uncut “basic” size. But this can be confusing as a consumer, because different paper grades have different basic sizes, so even when the weight in pounds is higher, it doesn’t automatically mean the paper is thicker, because the basis size can be different.
It probably makes more sense to look at GSM (“grams per square meter“). The weight is now determined by one sheet of paper at a size of 1 meter by 1 meter, measured in grams. All different grades of paper are measured at the same size. So a higher GSM always means heavier paper.
For reference, the standard weight of most A4 copy paper for your printer is 20 lb. / 75 gsm.
If you don’t want your pens, markers or paint to bleed through the pages, the thickness of your paper definitely matters, so make sure to test this!
EXTRA JOURNAL FEATURES
Are there any other features you need when choosing your perfect travel journal? For example, I love notebooks with little pockets to keep my receipts and tickets. Or when they have a bookmark or pocket for a pen!
Tips for extra features in a travel journal could also be page numbers, dividers or dedicated room to write dates. What extra features can you think of that you might need?
TIP! Unique is The Travelogue by Luckies. This 64 page notepad journal also has check lists, travel tips and 8 miniature scratch maps, each representing different regions of the world. You can simply scratch off where you’ve been!
WHAT SHOULD A TRAVEL JOURNAL INCLUDE?
I believe there should not be a hard rule on what a travel journal should include, as the beauty lies in the fact that you can so easily customize it to your specific taste and type of trip!
Besides the obvious elements such as date, location, some highlights of the day and perhaps additional information about the weather, people you’ve met, things you ate and activities you did, you can add anything to your travel journal or scrapbook that’s important to you.
If you are looking for some inspiring examples of things to add to your travel journal, make sure to check out our blog about creative travel journal ideas >
PROMPTS FOR TRAVEL JOURNALING
If you’re looking for a bit of travel journal inspiration, then check out this blog in which I’ve handpicked some fun travel journal prompts for you.
TRAVEL JOURNAL EXAMPLES
Perhaps you’re not so fond of writing – but you love to craft, draw or paint. That’s amazing! With the following inspirational accounts on Instagram, you’ll get plenty of travel journaling ideas that don’t involve writing:
HOW DO YOU START A BEGINNER TRAVEL JOURNAL?
So far, we’ve looked at: all the different types of travel journals (sketchbook, scrapbook, notebook, logbook, friends travel journal, themed journals, local journals, city journals and travel photo albums), how to choose a travel journal (by looking at size, binding types, page types, paper thickness and additional features such as pockets and bookmarks) and what to include in your travel journal.
I also shared writing tips, journalling prompts, and creative examples of travel journals without a strong focus on text.
Ideas enough, but how do you get started?
It depends a bit what type of travel journal you’re keeping, but my system for creating a (travel) scrapbook is as follows:
- I collect photos, notes and items while on the road (I keep them on a separate hard disk for the photos, my notes in a simple lined notebook or in my phone and the items in a plastic folder I can zip closed)
- At home, I organise my photos on my computer in folders by date and location, and I keep all loose items (brochures, ticket stubs, etc.) in a plastic folder in a box – for when I’m ready to start the scrapbook.
- Before I get started on the journal, I plan where all photos and notes are going to go in the album. If I’m working with project life, I already slide the loose items into the pockets they’re going to go and also write on little papers (that also slide into the pockets) which photos I want to put where – I keep these in a separate folder on my phone.
- When the planning is done, I print all the photos I want to use in the album.
- Then I write all the notes that go with the photos.
- If that’s all done, I collect all scrapbooking supplies (list follows below) and I cut, glue or write where necessary.
- And FINALLY – I embellish the pages with extra stickers, stamps or other decorations.
TRAVEL JOURNALING SUPPLIES
We’ve written an extensive article on all the travel journaling supplies we recommend, but here are a few that shouldn’t miss in your own travel journal kit:
TRAVEL JOURNAL DECORATION IDEAS
If you’re wondering ‘how can I decorate my travel journal?’ then I’ve got a handy list for you with some ideas for travel journal embellishments:
- travel photos / vintage photos
- polaroids (fujifilm instax mini camera, film and printer here)
- washi tape
- travel journal stickers (for example: travel sticker set, planner stickers, world landmark stickers, passport stamp stickers, US state stickers, travel around the world stickers, US national park stickers, outdoor stickers)
- stamps (big fan of these wooden travel stamps and silicone travel stamps)
- magnetic page markers
- some fun digital printables: travel stationary and country flags
- origami paper or scrapbook paper
- coins, sand, pressed flowers, pressed leaves or feathers
- paper ideas: drawings, rubbings, food / product packaging, food / product labels, menus, ticket stubs, postal stamps, receipts, maps, postcards, boarding passes, business cards, letters or notes from friends, written/printed local language, cuttings from (travel) magazines , brochures
- …what else can you come up with?
And there you have it! This is how I make a travel journal from scratch. I hope you found these DIY tips and inspiration helpful. For our favourite travel journals, please look below. And for a full list of travel scrapbooking supplies, check out this post!
WHICH BOOK TO READ?
The Travel Tester loves to review books that teach you something about yourself or the world around us.
From travel guides and stories to books about business and self-development and from cultural stories to cook books from kitchens around the world… if it looks interesting to us, we’ll test it!
No matter where you’re going, with our reviews you’ll know exactly what to read next!
PRACTICAL INFO
OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL JOURNALS
OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL NOTEBOOK COVERS
TRAVEL JOURNALS FOR KIDS
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT TRAVEL JOURNALLING
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