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You just got a brand new travel journal but have no idea what to write! Prepare to be inspired with these creative travel journal prompts to help you document your travel memories and keep them alive long after you get home! These 100+ creative writing prompts for travel will get you inspired to write in no time!
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Sometimes we need something more than just the beautiful vacation photos and videos to really helps us preserve those precious travel memories we created with family and friends.
This is why travel journaling is perfect, with written words to help jog your memory and recall those little moments that might otherwise have gotten lost.
But what happens when you have writer’s block and don’t know where to start? Those fresh journal pages can be overwhelming if journaling is a new habit for you.
With this in mind, we have compiled some creative travel journal ideas that could be used while abroad or when you’re exploring a new place closer to home.
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The following prompts can help you think about your experiences and feelings, taking your travel writing well beyond a daily list of what you did.
But first, let’s cover the basics of travel journals!
Getting Started With Travel Journaling
Journaling can be a very therapeutic way to practice mindfulness on your travels, taking time out of your day to stop and reflect on the things you’ve done and the thoughts you’ve had during your life-changing journeys.
There are many ways to document your travels, from sketches and photos to blog posts (you can learn how to start your own travel blog like this).
Choosing a Journal
To find the best travel journal for you, it may take a little time to work out the best option for you.
Check out our travel journal examples with these comprehensive travel journaling ideas to help you choose the right type of journal and explore a few options you might not have considered before.
Knowing preferences like hard cover or soft cover, blank pages or lined pages will also help you choose.
The best part of using travel journal prompts like the ones we share below is the fact that even a simple notebook will work! No fancy travel journal is necessary.
You can also get travel journals with prompts already printed. Some of these are great if you are looking for a mindful travel journal, although they don’t allow you to be as creative as you would if using your own travel journal prompts.
In case you want a done for you version, here are some great picks:
Creative Travel Journal Prompts For Every Occasion
Creative writing prompts for travel journals can provide you with an outlet as well as help make those memories last a lifetime!
Using creative ideas for your own personal travel memoir can be used while abroad or when you’re exploring new places closer to home.
Here is some writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing in your own personal travel journal:
Story And Experience Prompts
Vacation writing prompts that explore your feelings and get deep into the story behind your adventures are what most people think of when they think about journalling. This is an incredible way to jog the memory when you read back through your travel journal in future.
Get started with simple stories such as a fun experience you had or more complex stories, like how you felt when you were almost mugged on the streets of London. (Let’s hope not…).
Travel stories can be both positive and negative experiences. Try to include at least one travel story for each travel destination.
Here are some story and feelings travel prompts to get you started:
- Share a travel story
- What was the first thing you noticed when you arrived?
- Describe someone who you met on your trip
- Document a difficult moment and how it made you feel
- What are your expectations of the destination or experience?
- What made you choose this destination?
- Is there anything about this trip that did not meet the hype?
- Is there an experience that deserves more hype?
- What is your favourite Souvenir from your trip and why?
- Is there anything you would do differently next time you visit?
- What are you most excited about doing or seeing?
- What is something you new you learnt?
- What is something you did that you are proud of?
- What is something you regret not doing or trying?
- What local traditions resonated with you most?
- Who travels with you – is it a partner, a family member or friend?
- How do they influence your travel experience and what impact does that have on who you are when travel?
- What are you most grateful for about this trip?
- What advice do you have for others who are visiting here?
- Is there something you find yourself doing every time you travel somewhere new?
- Is there an activity that impacted you on a deeper level than expected?
- Is there a travel destination you are dying to travel to but have not had the opportunity yet?
- Describe your day in the format of a letter to a best friend back home
- What things did you notice when you first arrived?
- What is your favourite memory of the entire trip?
- What was your least favourite moment of the trip?
- Would you visit here again?
- Describe the inside of your accommodation
- Think about the most beautiful place you visited and describe it with all 5 senses
- How did you feel about yourself when there?
- Were you more or less confident than usual?
- What is the one reason that makes this place special for you?
- Write about an adventure from your past
- How is the landscape different from where you live?
- Imagine you had an extra day on your vacation. How would you spend it?
- What was your most embarrassing travel moment?
- How did you travel to your destination (what kind of transport)
- What is the most memorable meal from the trip?
- What was the highlight of your trip?
- What is a place you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t been yet?
- What was the worst thing that happened on your travel trip?
- What do you miss most from home?
- What is something special to do or see here that isn’t on every tourist itinerary?
- How has visiting this place changed your perspective?
- If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?
- What were your biggest fears before starting this trip?
- Late night out or early rise for sightseeing – which option do you choose?
- Write a creative entry from the perspective of an object, such as your camera, your backpack or your car and how their trip experience would be were they alive.
- What new experiences made you feel most outside of your comfort zone?
- What is the biggest misconception you had about this destination before you visited?
Travel List Prompts
Not every entry in your trip journal needs to be set out in sentences or in a travel diary format. List journal prompts are an easy and fun way to document your trip in a skimmable way.
They are also very easy to write when you feel that dreaded writer’s block sneaking up on you.
You can write a list about almost anything. In fact, you could write only lists in your travel journal, such as using a bullet journal for travel or a simple lined notebook.
There are a few travel listicle journals you can buy, or use these prompts to make it your own.
Here are some simple travel listography ideas to include in your journal:
- What is on your bucket list for the destination?
- What foods have been your favourite?
- What things did you do today?
- Favourite attractions in a country or city
- Foods you want to try
- Drinks you want to try
- The places you stayed (hotels, campgrounds, resorts)
- Things you noticed outside your window
- Facts about the destination
- Road trip stops (or tour stops)
- Cost of common items i.e. cup of coffee, milk, burger etc
- Souvenirs you plan to buy and for who
- A this or that list i.e. Relaxing or adventure, budget or luxury etc
- Books about your destination
- Films about your destination
- Famous people from your destination
- Places or experiences you missed on this trip to try next time
- Words that you know or learnt in the local language
- All the items you purchased during your trip
- Plan your perfect road trip playlist
Travel Planning Journal Prompts
If you want to document the full picture of your trip, right down to what, where, when, who and how, you can add in some travel planning writing prompts to add in those little details.
This can be anything from your itinerary and bookings to your packing list. This is similar to the list journal prompts but specifically focused on your travel plans.
The first time I travelled overseas I documented every meal I ate and every movie I watched on the long haul flight over there. And I don’t regret that level of detail one bit!
Here are some travel planning journal prompt ideas:
- Your packing list
- Your travel itinerary
- Your flight details
- The accommodation you have booked
- Tours and experiences you have planned
- People you are meeting and when
Personal Growth Travel Journal Writing Prompts
Documenting growth is one of the most beautiful parts of journaling and a travel journal should be no different.
Not every journal entry must be about the day to day experiences you have while you are travelling.
Some of your entries can be reflections on the bigger picture – who you’ve become as a person, what growth you’ve experienced and how your perspective on the world has changed beyond just this trip.
Here are some reflective personal growth travel prompt ideas:
- Give your future self a piece of advice
- What is something you’ve learnt about yourself recently?
- What type of travel do you prefer?
- What is something you want to do but it scares you?
- How can you make a difference in the world once you are home?
- How have you changed since the last time you travelled?
- Do you think travel changes your life for the better?
- What have you learnt about travel that will impact how you travel next and how?
- If you could live in any country in the world, where would you live? Why?
- What is something you will never travel without again?
- How would have your friends described you from before you started travelling compared to today?
- What travel means to me
- What is the biggest lesson your travels have taught you?
- What has been the most rewarding travel experience of your life so far? What about it made it that way for you?
- What travel advice would you like to give your 20-year-old self?
- Write a letter of gratitude to someone who impacted your life greatly
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Travel Journal Prompts For Kids
Why should you have all the fun during your family vacations?
These fun travel journal prompts for kids are a fun way to have younger members of the family practice their writing skills and share their own unique perspectives.
Most kids have no idea what to write about when you give them their first travel journal and you may find yourself disappointed when the pages remain blank.
By adding travel prompts to each page or giving them a list of easy prompts they can use if they need help can be a great way to get them writing about their family travel.
Having their own travel journal is also a great way to keep kids entertained while in transit and travel journal questions can help them remember their travel experiences better.
These travel journal prompts for kids are perfect for younger travellers:
- What was your favourite activity?
- Where was your favourite place?
- What did you like best about this place?
- What food did you like most?
- Where do you want to go next?
- What is something you can’t wait to tell your friends about when you get back home?
- What do you know about this place?
- What was the coolest thing you saw?
- What can you see out the window of your plane/hotel/train?
- Who do you wish you could bring on your next trip?
- What is something different here that you do not have back home?
- What is something you miss from home?
- Would you visit this place again?
- What is your best memory of your whole trip?
- Describe where you are staying?
- What will you miss once you go home?
Travel Journal Prompts That Aren’t Writing
You don’t always have to write about your experiences for each day.
Sometimes there are better ways to describe what you did and what you saw than just words alone. Have you ever considered non-writing journal entries?
Instead of writing what you can see outside your window, draw it. Stick a photo in the spot. Add a postcard or a brochure from your day. Ticket stubs and coasters.
Non-written entries are a great way to fill in blank pages of your journal. There are many ways you can do new entries in your journal that aren’t creative writing.
Here are some non-writing travel journal prompt ideas:
- Draw a famous landmark you saw
- Sketch the inside of your hotel room or the view out the window
- Do a leaf rubbing
- Create your own mini comic strip that tells a travel story
- Do a travel collage that tells a story
- Hand draw a map of your journey or of the town you are staying in
- Share a private voice recording or upload a video online and create a QR code for your journal so you can scan and watch or listen in future
You might also like to include some quotes in your journal. Here are some quotes to inspire you:
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These fun journal prompts for travel help document those little moments in life. What makes them so special is how they transport us back to where we were during that moment. We hope these travel journal prompts have inspired you to start a travel journal for your next global (or local) adventure! If you have any other ideas that could be used as travel writing prompts please share them in the comments below.
And if you need more help getting started with travel journaling, make sure you check out our journal ideas to inspire you beyond your journal entry ideas.
Time to start writing in that blank journal! Do you always take a travel journal on your adventures?
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