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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.

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typewriter with a piece of paper that says travel writer, a notepad and old fashioned pen and cup of coffee.

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

Travel writer Don George holding a glass of wine

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.

Great Travel Writing Examples from from the best travel writers. Beautiful travel narratives from that offer invaluable insights to better your own writing.

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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.

Travel Writing Examples!

Anthony bianco – travel writing examples.

Hey, I’m a versatile kind of chap! I write in all sorts of styles and formats, both online and in print. I’ve listed a few travel writing examples on this page to give you an idea!

I really enjoy travel writing and have undertaken a number of press trips and famils , blogger trips and travel influencer campaigns .

Some of the places where my work has appeared has included a number of publications and industries, including:

Airline In-flight Magazines

Travel Insurance Content

Best Travel Technology Apps | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Thought Leadership

Frommers Travel Writing | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Roadside Assistance

Travel Tips

Studying In Australia | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Visa Information

Working Holiday Visas Australia | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

I have a lot more where that came from.

I also have online content and SEO skills .

Give me a yell and contact me for more information!

Examples of Great Travelogue Writing to Inspire Your Next Adventure

‍“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta.

Ah, the joy and thrill of travel! Discovering new places, meeting strangers, and immersing yourself in unfamiliar cultures. But what’s the point of all this if you can’t capture the essence of your expedition in words? That’s where travelogue writing comes in.

Have you ever read a post that made you feel like you are experiencing the adventure alongside the writer? Well, that’s the power of a well-written travelogue.

It can transport your readers to far-off lands and make them feel right there with you. Add vivid descriptions, engaging anecdotes, and personal reflections, and voila! - You’ve got yourself some entertaining travel tales to share.

So, are you ready to unlock your inner travelogue writer?

Craft captivating tales that will leave your readers wishing for more. Let’s get started and master the art of travel writing!

Discover the Art of Travelogue Writing

From ancient Greece to modern-day blogs, travelogue writing has existed for centuries. It is a form of creative non-fiction that combines memories and factual data. But it’s not just about facts and statistics - a journey of self-expression, storytelling, and adventure.

Remember - it is your travel tale, not a guidebook!

Travelogue writing captures a location’s essence in conveying its beauty and complexity. The key is to immerse yourself in the culture and environment of the places you visit.

Tips for Crafting Engaging Travel Narratives

Once you’ve gathered your thoughts and experiences, it’s time to craft them into compelling narratives. Here are a few tips with examples to help you get started:

Start With a Strong Hook

A vivid description, intriguing anecdote, or thought-provoking question can do the trick. For instance, the following example firmly sets the scene for the travelogue.

“Ever wondered what it’s like to explore Tokyo’s bustling streets? To taste fresh sushi, see neon lights, and immerse yourself in tradition and innovation? That’s what I did on my recent trip to Japan.”

Create a Sense of Place

Use descriptive language to create a vivid image for your readers. The following passage skillfully portrays the same.

“The narrow streets of Marrakech were alive with color and sound. The scent of spices and grilled meats filled the air, and vibrant textiles hung from every stall. As I made my way through the bustling souk, I couldn’t help but feel swept up in the city’s energy.”

Show, Don’t Tell

Suppose you visited a beach and want to write a travelogue about it. Don’t write, “The beach was beautiful.” Instead, convey as shown in the given example.

“During sunset, the sun casts a warm glow over the white sand. The sound of waves filled the air as I dug my toes into the sand and breathed in the sea breeze.”

Now you know the difference. Use dialogue and sensory details to immerse your readers in your destination.

Include Personal Reflections

Share your thoughts and feelings. Connect your experiences to broader themes and ideas. For example,

“Standing atop the fort’s ancient ruins, I was amazed by the stunning views and intricate stonework. But as I gazed over, I reflected on the fragility of human achievement”.

Be Vulnerable

“Doubt crept in as I stood at the peak’s base. Could I make it to the top? But I pushed on and conquered my fear. The sight from the top was nothing short of spectacular”.

In the passage, the writer shares their fears and triumphs in a concise and relatable way.

Use Dialogue

Check out the following example. Here the writer uses dialogue to bring the woman to life and let her speak for herself. It adds depth and personality to your travelogue.

“An old lady chuckled as I haggled with a vendor over a silk scarf in Istanbul. She said, ‘You drive a hard bargain, but everything’s negotiable.’ We chatted about her travel stories as a young trader. ‘Those were the days,’ she sighed. ‘Now, I leave the traveling to the young ones like you.’”

Inspiring Travel Journal Entries to Ignite Your Wanderlust

Reading inspiring travel journals and memoirs is perfect for igniting your wanderlust. Here are a few examples to inspire your travelogue writing.

“Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert: A memoir of the author’s journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of balance and purpose. Vivid descriptions and inspiring encounters.

“A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle: A memoir of the author’s first year in a French village. Witty observations and charming anecdotes transport you to the countryside.

“On The Road” by Jack Kerouac: A classic novel of freedom and self-discovery, chronicling the adventures of two friends on a cross-country road trip.

“In A Sunburned Country” by Bill Bryson: A witty and informative travelogue about the author’s adventures in the land down under.

In ‘The Great Railway Bazaar,’ Paul Theroux invites us on a captivating train journey from London to Tokyo. Along the way, he explores the rich cultures and stunning landscapes.

Final Thoughts

Travelogue writing is a beautiful way to connect with your destinations on a deeper level and encourage others.

Take inspiration and learn from given epic travelogue writing examples.
Use your own words – dont copy from examples or websites.
Inject your feelings and make your stories conversational.

Unleash the beauty of your travel experiences through vivid descriptions and captivating storytelling. Make Text Mercato your partner in this expedition and become a master of the travelogues.

1. What travelogue writers can I look to for inspiration?

There are several great writers you can look for motivation. Here are some personal favourites:

Bill Bryson is a prolific travel writer with excellent humour and wit. His book, “A Walk in the Woods,” is a perfect engaging travelogue.
Paul Theroux is known for his deep cultural and historical insights.
Pico Iyer is known for introspective cultural pieces. For instance, his contemplative travelogue - “The Art of Stillness.”
Jan Morris writes beautifully descriptive travelogues with her lyrical and evocative style.

2. What are some common themes in engaging travelogue writing?

Cultural exploration: Write engaging travelogues by exploring the unique cultures of a place.
Adventure: Discover and write about exotic locations or thrilling activities.
Food and drink: Review local cuisine, which can be a cornerstone of local culture.
Personal growth: Focus on self-discovery as you travel to new destinations.

3. How can I apply the techniques of great travelogue writing to my work?

Have a keen eye for detail and a strong sense of narrative.
Take the time to observe the people, architecture, and landscapes around you.
Tell a compelling story and evoke emotions in your readers.
Use persuasive language to paint pictures and challenge conventional thinking.
Use humor - add some fun to your writing to engage the reader.

Give your readers a sense of closure .

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10 Travel Blog Writing Examples For Inspiration

Planning to be a travel writer? Don't start without looking at these 10 examples of exceptional travel writing! Plus, here's why you need a travel writing portfolio.

Shreya Bose

Written by Shreya Bose , edited by Protim Bhaumik , reviewed by Eric Hauch .

23. Feb 2023 , updated 30. Jun 2023

Preview image of 10 Travel Blog Writing Examples For Inspiration

Nothing opens our minds quite like travel, does it? However, not all of us are lucky enough to travel more than once or twice a year (if that) while juggling a 9-5, school/housework, kids/pets, and everything else in between.

But there are certain people who actually choose to live a life of travel. No, I am not talking about trust fund babies but about the travel blogger.

Giving up the secure desk job to pursue travel stories, writing them, and getting paid is not the life for everybody. But I won't be lying if I say quite a few of us secretly (or not-so-secretly) wish we could live that life.

If you're thinking of embarking on a "job" that takes you around the world, and you think you can write travel blogs that delight and educate every reader, this article is for you. To get started, have a look at these 10 travel blog writing examples. The individuals discussed in this blog post are living the life you want, and exploring their work is a good way to start your travel writing career before building your unique voice and brand.

10 Amazing travel bloggers & their work (to inspire you to write your first blog)

Elizabeth chorney-booth.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth is a Canadian writer exploring food, drink, travel, medical writing, and general interest topics. She is the weekly restaurant columnist for the Calgary Herald, a regular columnist on CBC Radio, and a weekly contributor to Canada.com 's travel section. Her work has appeared in multiple publications like the Globe and Mail, Culinaire, Bold Travel, Savour, Leap, OnBoard, and more.

Gwendolyn Richards

Gwendolyn Richards is a Calgary-based food and travel writer & photographer who loves patent shoes, bourbon, and burgers. She has also written and published a cookbook named Pucker. If you're looking to have travel adventures (of the stomach especially) in and around Calgary, her portfolio and blog are must-reads.

Jamie Carter

Jamie Carter combines travel blogging with writing about science, and his portfolio and blog showcase the coolest, most eclectic collection of articles and images you'll come across. His work has been published in Forbes, Travel+Leisure, Sky & Telescope, BBC Sky At Night, South China Morning Post, TechRadar, and WhenIsTheNextEclipse?

Jamie's blog: jamieacarter.com

Louise Goldsbury

Louise Goldsbury runs a famous travel blog that has won her the Best Travel Writer award at the National Travel Industry Awards twice. She has also been a 2022 finalist for the same. She writes as a freelance for The Australian, Escape, and Explore. She is also the Editor-at-large at Cruise & Travel magazine (Big Splash Media)

Louise's blog: louisegoldsbury.substack.com

Gina Rich is an award-winning freelance writer exploring topics around parenting, health, travel, and the natural world. She's also quite a coffee enthusiast, as her own travel blog will showcase.

Gina's blog: lovehopeandcoffee.com

Vicki Reeve

Vicki Reeve is a Cornwall/London-based freelance writer & editor who works on Departures International, Centurion, Compendium, and NetJets magazines, Vogue, Art Fund's Art Quarterly magazine, Elephant magazine, and Wylde (among others), and writes about Cornwall for the Mail on Sunday's travel section.

She is also a senior editor at Ultratravel magazine.

Salt in our Hair

Run by Hannah and Nick, two travel bloggers from the Netherlands, this award-winning blog has it all — travel stories, travel photography, travel tips, and even information for solo travelers.

By detailing their own travel adventures, Hannah and Nick provide helpful information and fun-laden itineraries for anyone looking to jet-set around the world.

This is a great travel blog example, encompassing everything from an adventure travel blog to laid-back travel ideas.

Hannah & Nick's blog: saltinourhair.com

The Blonde Abroad

Kiki has been traveling solo for years and collecting her experiences in her travel blog. She has visited over 70 countries and collates information specifically for solo female travelers. Of course, she also covers other categories like adventure travel, budget travel, couple travel, etc. But it's her tips for women traveling alone that really get her blog to stand out.

Kiki's blog: theblondeabroad.com

The Travel Book

Is it possible to travel while being environmentally conscious? The Travel Book says Yes!

It doesn't matter what your travel destination is, this blog will tell you how to have amazing trips without leaving too much of a negative impact on the ecology. This is a great resource if you're looking to travel internationally since those long plane rides are just the start of expanding our carbon footprint. Tips from Karoline and Rasmus (who run the blog) help you counteract that, without missing out on the most beautiful places on this planet.

Karoline and Rasmus' blog: thetravelbook.world

Be My Travel Muse

Much like Kiki, Kristin has also been traveling solo for over 9 years. Her tips about saving money and traveling safely without missing out on any adventures have led her blog to be one of the most popular ones in its niche. She attracts about five million readers per year, and I don't have to tell you how impressive that is.

Kristin's blog: bemytravelmuse.com

Now that you've seen some top-shelf travel blog writing examples, let's move on to a related question.

Are you planning to create a travel writing portfolio?

You've obviously noticed that the first few examples are portfolios rather than blogs. I included them on purpose because these portfolios actually provide a more comprehensive view of the writer's work at one glance than a blog would. In a blog, you'd have to click through different sections or scroll around to find actual articles.

In a portfolio, it's all right there on the front page. Moreover, if you're planning to write about travel for magazines, editorials, and other third-party publications, you need a portfolio. Clients usually don't have the patience to scan through your blog to find relevant articles. Additionally, if you're a professional writer of any kind, you're expected to have an updated portfolio that can be sent out in a second. Failure to meet this expectation immediately demotes you from their list of potential candidates.

Moreover, clients may not end up actually reading/viewing your best work if they are left to scroll by themselves. On the other hand, you can curate your portfolio so that your best work shows up first, and you get to your best professional foot forward.

Ok, so... how do I create a travel writing portfolio?

There are an overwhelming number of portfolio builders available today. You've probably already heard of some — Squarespace, WordPress, Clippings, etc. They're all excellent options, depending on your profession, requirement, and professional seniority.

Before creating my own writer portfolio, I went through quite a few of these tools before choosing Authory. I'm not saying you should choose it too (but you should if you're a writer), but just telling you why it stood out to me over the other, more established, name-brand portfolio makers .

Automatic importing of ALL your bylined content from ANY digital source you enter. You enter the source website, and Authory finds all your bylined pieces and imports them into its database. You can import from an unlimited number of sources. Moreover, Authory won't just import all existing content from each source, but all pieces published in the future as well. You never have to copy-paste/manually upload any of your bylined pieces to your portfolio ever again. You can, of course, manually upload, non-bylined content if you want.
All imported content is permanently backed up, in the ORIGINAL format (text/media) rather than screenshots.
All imported content is downloadable as high-res PDFs or exportable as HTML files. No lock-in period.
Multiple, low-effort customization options to make your portfolio visually appealing and easily navigable.
Email notifications every time a new article is imported by Authory.
In-built search engine optimization and responsive design so your portfolio looks good on mobile screens and shows up on search engine results.
In-built analytics that provides real numbers on content performance (engagement, readership) across the web and popular social media sites every 30 days.
Allows creation of newsletters with a couple of clicks. Post setup, Authory will automatically send your newly published content to subscribers.
Widgets to display your portfolio on other sites, such as your personal website (if you have one).

If you're someone who reads reviews before making a purchase, I've got you covered. Check out these testimonials from Authory users:

today i've looked at 100+ applications for freelance writing projects. tons say something like, "I'm qualified but can't share my ghostwritten samples." just use @Authory to do this. hiring managers need to see your best samples! not an ad, just trying to make my life easier 😆 — Jimmy Daly (@jimmy_daly) February 15, 2023

Epic tool I recently discovered 👇 With @Authory , podcasters, influencers, journalists, businesses and personal brands can create a professional portfolio that highlights their best articles, stories, episodes and other written content including PR. https://t.co/LWXZFauvgR — Adel (@AdeldMeyer) February 15, 2023

I just started using @Authory , it looks great, let's you organize your content super easily and can automatically import all your pieces from the web. It also keeps a backup of everything in case one of your articles is ever taken down. ~8-10 bucks a month 🙌 — Historian turned techie👩‍🎓👩‍💻 (@christina_haaa) February 9, 2023

Emma Wilkinson

I do still love Authory - I do nothing just sit back and let it collate all my work (and tell me interesting things about stats etc) and I now have 1.4k articles on there 👍If you want a bit of a longer free trial to have a go yourself try this link https://t.co/IbHfEk3FDO https://t.co/RDYq2D8dKP — Emmajourno (@Emmajourno) February 7, 2023

Is it any wonder that Authory is chosen by 6X Emmy winner David Pogue , Steven Levy, Editor at Large, WIRED , Brian Fung, a Technology Reporter at CNN , and other industry stalwarts to create their portfolio?

Get started with Authory for free today!

Seasoned writer & editor working with B2B & B2C content since 2017. Writes about music on weekends. Trying to overcome caffeine addiction.

The ultimate guide to creating a successful writing portfolio.

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12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know

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.

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What You Should Know About Travel Writing

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

Travel writing is a form of creative nonfiction in which the narrator's encounters with foreign places serve as the dominant subject. Also called travel literature .

"All travel writing—because it is writing—is made in the sense of being constructed, says Peter Hulme, "but travel writing cannot be made up without losing its designation" (quoted by Tim Youngs in The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing , 2013).

Notable contemporary travel writers in English include Paul Theroux, Susan Orlean, Bill Bryson , Pico Iyer, Rory MacLean, Mary Morris, Dennison Berwick, Jan Morris, Tony Horwitz, Jeffrey Tayler, and Tom Miller, among countless others.

Examples of Travel Writing

"By the Railway Side" by Alice Meynell
Lists and Anaphora in Bill Bryson's "Neither Here Nor There"
Lists in William Least Heat-Moon's Place Description
"London From a Distance" by Ford Madox Ford
"Niagara Falls" by Rupert Brooke
"Nights in London" by Thomas Burke
"Of Trave," by Francis Bacon
"Of Travel" by Owen Felltham
"Rochester" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Observations About Travel Writing

Authors, journalists, and others have attempted to describe travel writing, which is more difficult to do than you might think. However, these excerpts explain that travel writing—at a minimum—requires a sense of curiosity, awareness, and fun.

Thomas Swick

"The best writers in the field [of travel writing] bring to it an indefatigable curiosity, a fierce intelligence that enables them to interpret, and a generous heart that allows them to connect. Without resorting to invention , they make ample use of their imaginations. . . . "The travel book itself has a similar grab bag quality. It incorporates the characters and plot line of a novel, the descriptive power of poetry, the substance of a history lesson, the discursiveness of an essay , and the—often inadvertent—self-revelation of a memoir . It revels in the particular while occasionally illuminating the universal. It colors and shapes and fills in gaps. Because it results from displacement, it is frequently funny. It takes readers for a spin (and shows them, usually, how lucky they are). It humanizes the alien. More often than not it celebrates the unsung. It uncovers truths that are stranger than fiction. It gives eyewitness proof of life’s infinite possibilities." ("Not a Tourist." The Wilson Quarterly , Winter 2010)

Casey Blanton

"There exists at the center of travel books like [Graham] Greene's Journey Without Maps or [V.S.] Naipaul's An Area of Darkness a mediating consciousness that monitors the journey, judges, thinks, confesses, changes, and even grows. This narrator , so central to what we have come to expect in modern travel writing , is a relatively new ingredient in travel literature, but it is one that irrevocably changed the genre . . . . "Freed from strictly chronological , fact-driven narratives , nearly all contemporary travel writers include their own dreams and memories of childhood as well as chunks of historical data and synopses of other travel books. Self reflexivity and instability, both as theme and style , offer the writer a way to show the effects of his or her own presence in a foreign country and to expose the arbitrariness of truth and the absence of norms." ( Travel Writing: The Self and the World . Routledge, 2002)

Frances Mayes

"Some travel writers can become serious to the point of lapsing into good ol' American puritanism. . . . What nonsense! I have traveled much in Concord. Good travel writing can be as much about having a good time as about eating grubs and chasing drug lords. . . . [T]ravel is for learning, for fun, for escape, for personal quests, for challenge, for exploration, for opening the imagination to other lives and languages." (Introduction to The Best American Travel Writing 2002 . Houghton, 2002)

Travel Writers on Travel Writing

In the past, travel writing was considered to be nothing more than the detailing of specific routes to various destinations. Today, however, travel writing has become much more. Read on to find out what famous travel writers such as V.S. Naipaul and Paul Theroux say about the profession.

V.S. Naipaul

"My books have to be called ' travel writing ,' but that can be misleading because in the old days travel writing was essentially done by men describing the routes they were taking. . . . What I do is quite different. I travel on a theme . I travel to make an inquiry. I am not a journalist. I am taking with me the gifts of sympathy, observation, and curiosity that I developed as an imaginative writer. The books I write now, these inquiries, are really constructed narratives." (Interview with Ahmed Rashid, "Death of the Novel." The Observer , Feb. 25, 1996)

Paul Theroux

- "Most travel narratives—perhaps all of them, the classics anyway—describe the miseries and splendors of going from one remote place to another. The quest, the getting there, the difficulty of the road is the story; the journey, not the arrival, matters, and most of the time the traveler—the traveler’s mood, especially—is the subject of the whole business. I have made a career out of this sort of slogging and self-portraiture, travel writing as diffused autobiography ; and so have many others in the old, laborious look-at-me way that informs travel writing ." (Paul Theroux, "The Soul of the South." Smithsonian Magazine , July-August 2014) - "Most visitors to coastal Maine know it in the summer. In the nature of visitation, people show up in the season. The snow and ice are a bleak memory now on the long warm days of early summer, but it seems to me that to understand a place best, the visitor needs to see figures in a landscape in all seasons. Maine is a joy in the summer. But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter. You see that the population is actually quite small, the roads are empty, some of the restaurants are closed, the houses of the summer people are dark, their driveways unplowed. But Maine out of season is unmistakably a great destination: hospitable, good-humored, plenty of elbow room, short days, dark nights of crackling ice crystals. "Winter is a season of recovery and preparation. Boats are repaired, traps fixed, nets mended. “I need the winter to rest my body,” my friend the lobsterman told me, speaking of how he suspended his lobstering in December and did not resume until April. . . ." ("The Wicked Coast." The Atlantic , June 2011)

Susan Orlean

- "To be honest, I view all stories as journeys. Journeys are the essential text of the human experience—the journey from birth to death, from innocence to wisdom, from ignorance to knowledge, from where we start to where we end. There is almost no piece of important writing—the Bible, the Odyssey , Chaucer, Ulysses —that isn't explicitly or implicitly the story of a journey. Even when I don't actually go anywhere for a particular story, the way I report is to immerse myself in something I usually know very little about, and what I experience is the journey toward a grasp of what I've seen." (Susan Orlean, Introduction to My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere . Random House, 2004) - "When I went to Scotland for a friend's wedding last summer, I didn't plan on firing a gun. Getting into a fistfight, maybe; hurling insults about badly dressed bridesmaids, of course; but I didn't expect to shoot or get shot at. The wedding was taking place in a medieval castle in a speck of a village called Biggar. There was not a lot to do in Biggar, but the caretaker of the castle had skeet-shooting gear, and the male guests announced that before the rehearsal dinner they were going to give it a go. The women were advised to knit or shop or something. I don't know if any of us women actually wanted to join them, but we didn't want to be left out, so we insisted on coming along. . . ." (Opening paragraph of "Shooting Party." The New Yorker , September 29, 1999)

Jonathan Raban

- "As a literary form, travel writing is a notoriously raffish open house where different genres are likely to end up in the bed. It accommodates the private diary , the essay , the short story, the prose poem, the rough note and polished table talk with indiscriminate hospitality. It freely mixes narrative and discursive writing." ( For Love & Money: Writing - Reading - Travelling 1968-1987 . Picador, 1988)
- "Travel in its purest form requires no certain destination, no fixed itinerary, no advance reservation and no return ticket, for you are trying to launch yourself onto the haphazard drift of things, and put yourself in the way of whatever changes the journey may throw up. It's when you miss the one flight of the week, when the expected friend fails to show, when the pre-booked hotel reveals itself as a collection of steel joists stuck into a ravaged hillside, when a stranger asks you to share the cost of a hired car to a town whose name you've never heard, that you begin to travel in earnest." ("Why Travel?" Driving Home: An American Journey . Pantheon, 2011)
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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

Traditional evening scene from Kyoto, Japan

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.

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Write a Good Travel Essay. Please.

Kathleen Boardman

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

Editor’s Note: We know that many of you are looking for help writing travel experience essays for school or simply writing about a trip for your friends or family. To inspire you and help you write your next trip essay—whether it’s an essay about a trip with family or simply a way to remember your best trip ever (so far)—we enlisted the help of Professor Kathleen Boardman, whose decades of teaching have helped many college students learn the fine art of autobiography and life writing. Here’s advice on how to turn a simple “my best trip” essay into a story that will inspire others to explore the world.

Welcome home! Now that you’re back from your trip, you’d like to share it with others in a travel essay. You’re a good writer and a good editor of your work, but you’ve never tried travel writing before. As your potential reader, I have some advice and some requests for you as you write your travel experience essay.

Trip Essays: What to Avoid

Please don’t tell me everything about your trip. I don’t want to know your travel schedule or the names of all the castles or restaurants you visited. I don’t care about the plane trip that got you there (unless, of course, that trip is the story).

I have a friend who, when I return from a trip, never asks me, “How was your trip?” She knows that I would give her a long, rambling answer: “… and then … and then … and then.” So instead, she says, “Tell me about one thing that really stood out for you.” That’s what I’d like you to do in this travel essay you’re writing.

The Power of Compelling Scenes

One or two “snapshots” are enough—but make them great. Many good writers jump right into the middle of their account with a vivid written “snapshot” of an important scene. Then, having aroused their readers’ interest or curiosity, they fill in the story or background. I think this technique works great for travel writing; at least, I would rather enjoy a vivid snapshot than read through a day-to-day summary of somebody’s travel journal.

Write About a Trip Using Vivid Descriptions

Take your time. Tell a story. So what if you saw things that were “incredible,” did things that were “amazing,” observed actions that you thought “weird”? These words don’t mean anything to me unless you show me, in a story or a vivid description, the experience that made you want to use those adjectives.

I’d like to see the place, the people, or the journey through your eyes, not someone else’s. Please don’t rewrite someone else’s account of visiting the place. Please don’t try to imitate a travel guide or travelogue or someone’s blog or Facebook entry. You are not writing a real travel essay unless you are describing, as clearly and honestly as possible, yourself in the place you visited. What did you see, hear, taste, say? Don’t worry if your “take” on your experience doesn’t match what everyone else says about it. (I’ve already read what THEY have to say.)

The Importance of Self-Editing Your Trip Essay

Don’t give me your first draft to read. Instead, set it aside and then reread it. Reread it again. Where might I need more explanation? What parts of your account are likely to confuse me? (After all, I wasn’t there.) Where might you be wasting my time by repeating or rambling on about something you’ve already told me?

Make me feel, make me laugh, help me learn something. But don’t overdo it: Please don’t preach to me about broadening my horizons or understanding other cultures. Instead, let me in on your feelings, your change of heart and mind, even your fear and uncertainty, as you confronted something you’d never experienced before. If you can, surprise me with something I didn’t know or couldn’t have suspected.

You Can Do It: Turning Your Trip into a Great Travel Experience Essay

I hope you will take yourself seriously as a traveler and as a writer. Through what—and how—you write about just a small portion of your travel experience, show me that you are an interesting, thoughtful, observant person. I will come back to you, begging for more of your travel essays.

Take Notes in a Cute Journal

Keep track of all the crucial details- and even the ones you might forget, in a durable and refillable journal.

More from SmarterTravel:

Genealogy Travel: How to Find Your Family Tree
The Essential International Packing List
9 DIY Ways to Upgrade Economy Class

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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

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.

Travel journal examples and how to get the most out of a travel journal

A travel journal: your new best friend.

Travel journal examples can spark ideas for your own journal. This matters a great deal because a travel journal can be one of your most helpful travel — make that life — tools. It can serve myriad purposes from recording your thoughts, emotions (an important aspect many overlook) and experiences to being a repository of creative ideas and even artwork. You can use it as a scrapbook, planning tool, contact book, organizer, reference book (for vital information such as passport numbers, hotel addresses, places to visit, etc.) and even a place to hide certain valuables.

It’s simple enough to put information into your travel journal. The hard part is being able to find or extract that information easily later on. But don’t worry. I’ll show you travel journal examples, techniques, hacks and tips for that and more based on decades trying a wide variety of travel journals and approaches. You’ll find these useful whether you’re an old pro at journaling or even if you’ve never used a travel journal before. And be sure to read all the way through this article since the Additional Resources section at the end is loaded with inspiring and helpful travel journal examples and ideas.

Getting started

The first and most important thing to remember is that there is no one right way to set up your travel journal. In fact, I’ve found that the best approach is to just start with something and learn as you go. My first travel journal was basically a daily diary: “Today I did this, etc.” Now, however, I use it in a very different matter. But it all comes down to this: What is the purpose of your travel journal?

Two typical entries from my first travel journal on my first trip to Europe in high school. I have upped my travel journal game a bit since then, or so I hope.

This is such an important question because it will guide what kind of notebook/journal/sketchbook you use, how you organize it and how you interact with it. If you’re just starting out, you may not even know your purpose other than to record your experiences. That’s fine. Start there. Then refine over time.

For me, I see my travel journal as a collection tool for travel drawing and notes where I gather ideas, sketches, some to-do’s, trip details and anything else that interests me. But the main difference between this and most journals is that as a tool, I want to use my journal after I return. Not just for nostalgic reminisces on my trip, but to glean from it what I’ve learned, gained and become. I’ll explain this more momentarily.

Picking the right journal

Again, I’m not sure there is a universal “right” travel journal. Your goal is to find what works for you. You can start by determining if you want a blank notebook or a travel journal that comes with prompts, quotes, organizing categories, etc. Here’s a helpful list of 17 travel journals to give you a sense of travel journal examples and possibilities. Mostly, consider if you want to do travel drawing or even painting in your travel journal. If so, you’ll want thicker paper that won’t warp with the water or bleed through with ink. You likely will want blank pages, as opposed to lines, grids or dots.

Just as there’s no right or wrong size (just what works for you), so too is the orientation up to you. As you can see here, I sketched holding the journal in a portrait orientation (left page) but wrote (right page, partial) using a landscape orientation. Both work.

If you want to use it as a form of a scrapbook, get one with pockets or that is expandable enough for when you’ve doubled the thickness with all those tickets, stamps, samples of currency, bottle labels and other elements you’ve glued to the pages.

Buying a nice looking or feeling notebook or journal can be motivating. But getting too nice of a notebook to use can be intimidating: You’ll be afraid to do any travel drawing or mess it up. Thus, I suggest starting somewhere in the middle. Find a journal or notebook that will hold up well (hard covers help in this regard), but isn’t so expensive you’ll only want to use it on special occasions.

Even fancy patterns on your pages can be fun. I tend to prefer blank pages, but sometimes I’ll try different patterns just to mix things up.

Your travel journal is more of a workhorse than a show pony (though sometimes a bit of that too later on). You’ll get far more out of one you use all the time, where you write, do travel drawing or urban sketching, doodle and record with the intent that only you will ever see it. If you choose to show it to others later, fine. But don’t make that your main goal, at least as a beginner, or you’ll never get the most out of your journal.

How will you use your travel journal?

Back to purpose, you can choose to have a general-use journal or one devoted only to your trips (or to a particular trip). I have done both, and there are pros and cons to each. A journal for all situations allows you to connect everything you do so that if a great work idea hits you on a trip, you can reference back to a meeting about that, etc. You can also find things easier in some ways since your whole life, trip or home/work, is laid out in a chronological fashion in one book.

Here’s a recent journal of mine that I use daily, as well as for trips. You can see the basic outline for this article here that I wrote on the plane on a business trip. How do I know it was on a trip? From the notation that the sketch was done from a photo in the airplane’s magazine somewhere between Baltimore (BWI) and Seattle (SEA)

A really popular approach these days to general journals is the Bullet Journal . Many people swear by this way of organizing their journal and their life. I love many of the ideas found in bullet journaling. But I choose not to follow that approach completely. Why? Bullet journaling is primarily intended as a productivity tool. I personally don’t find it helpful in that regard because, for example, tracking all my calendar events and moment-by-moment to-do’s in a journal slows me down.

Combine digital and analog

Instead, I use a combination of Outlook, Trello , Evernote and Scrivener (the latter two for organizing ideas and writing projects or content) on my phone and computer. The main reason for tracking tasks digitally is that they roll over automatically. I don’t have to constantly move them manually from one day, week or month to-do list to the next.

But the main reason I don’t use the bullet journal methodology for my travel journal is that when I travel, productivity is not my goal. Exploration and discovery are. I use my travel journal to capture what I learn as I explore the world around me and the world within me wherever I go.

On a trip, I’m less interested in productivity than in explaining why this sketch was hard to do well.

In the last few years, I’ve taken up sketching and even watercolors, so for me, I now maintain a separate travel journal for each major trip. I use one that has thicker watercolor paper, so on a three-week trip, I can pretty much fill up the whole book. But for shorter trips, I do use my day-to-day journal. And I’ve even done both: Used my day-to-day journal to record words and a smaller sketchbook for travel drawing or watercolors. Again, no right or wrong way to do this. Just start with an approach and build from there.

Organizing your travel journal

What follows is how I organize my travel journal. It’s the same way I do my day-to-day journal but with some additional pages in the end for travel-specific information. My purpose, remember, is to capture ideas, information and experiences and then to be able to use these later. For that reason, the most helpful part of my journal is the index. I’ll explain that in a moment along with travel journal examples, but here’s what else goes into my journal.

Starting with a brand new empty journal

The first thing I do with a new journal is to put my name, cell phone number and email address on the inside cover.

Next, if the journal doesn’t have a rear pocket, I make one or glue/tape in a small envelope that fits on the inside of the rear cover.

If you glue in your own, consider hiding a few large denomination bills, both dollars and the local currency, behind the envelope or anything else you tape or glue inside the covers. It’s a great place for hiding back-up money. It works because once you start using your travel journal regularly, you’ll find it is one of your most precious possessions. You’ll learn to guard it like your wallet, passport or phone.

These are just some of the many travel journals I’ve filled up over the years.

In addition to the pocket or envelope in your journal, consider bringing a quart or gallon-sized zip lock bag to hold all the small items you pick up along the way. I used to shove them into pockets in my carry-on bag, but having a single location now keeps them from getting lost or mangled. And it keeps my travel journal from looking like George Costanza’s wallet on Seinfeld . This same bag can hold a glue stick, paper clips or anything else you want for adding items to your journal.

Start in the front and work back

I track everything chronologically noting the date at the top of each day’s entry. If it spans multiple pages, I’ll write “(cont.)” after the date on later spreads so I know to keep looking for the start of that day when I review the entry later.

I work in this chronological fashion for recording most of my entries because I find it flows better to write the item down right away and then figure out how to classify it later. I set up indexes in the back for classifying and locating the entry. But that comes as a review step, not a creative or collecting function.

What to write

Starting at the front section of the travel journal, I may use the very first page as a title page if the journal is devoted to a single trip. Otherwise, I skip over that page and then start with the date of the start of the trip and then just keep going from there. Here are the types of content I write/draw along with some of my travel journal examples:

Sometimes, I’ll devote a whole page or spread to nothing but sketches.

General thoughts . These make up the majority of my journal and are what you’d expect in any journal.
Sketches . I’m still just a beginner, but I’ve committed to one sketch per day, at home or on a trip. Sometimes they are involved. Others (most of the time), are just a quick gesture. But the discipline helps improve my skill.
A daily log . At the end of each day, I do a very quick list of summary activities, where I went, who I met, what I did. I actually note it like this: “(Log 11/27/19 – Wed.):” so that I can see at a glance what were log entries versus other ideas. For logs, the shorter the better. Here’s where bullet journal techniques can help: Record a few words as a bullet rather than full sentences. At the end of every daily log, I also record two specific items in addition log entries themselves, gratitude points and what I’ve read or watched.
Gratitude points : I jot down what I call a Goodness Journal (abbreviated as GJ) entry. This is the highlight of my day for which I am most grateful. On trips, this can often end up being multiple points.
Read/Watched : The second additional component is what I call Read/Watched (R/W) where I list any books I’ve read that day or any movies, programs, concerts, etc. that I watched. It can include podcasts and anything else you want to track. Before I started doing this, I’d get to the end of the year and couldn’t recall all the books I’d read. Now I can just by referring back to these entries.
Insights and Ideas . Most of my journal at home is filled with these. On trips, these happen more on plane, train or bus rides than every single day. But they could happen any time which is why I keep a pocket-sized travel journal with me or at least a note card or my phone so I can write the idea down immediately.
Quotes . These can be formal written ones I encounter or snippets of conversations I overhear. As a writer, I want to always be gathering dialog examples or clever turns of phrases.
To-dos. Yes, I said I record these digitally for the daily tasks. But sometimes on trips, you have opportunities for dreaming and planning. I mark all to-do’s with a checkbox I can fill in later. I like the bullet journal way they do this as well (a dot instead of a box).

I had a gentleman in China demonstrate his woodblock stamps by stamping some examples in my journal. You can paste in stamps, tickets, receipts, postcards or any other artifacts from your trip onto your journal pages as you go (if you remember to bring some glue or paste).

Descriptions . These are either quick notes on what I’m seeing, hearing, tasting or tasting, or longer ways to capture the details of a place. See Look Closely for details on how to do this as a way to learn to see details better or to write better based on your travels. I also make sure to write down the names of places, people, food, local expressions and anything else I want to write about later. Don’t assume you’ll remember it or can look it up later. Write it down.
Miscellaneous . I’ve had artists draw in my journal, had people stamp it (see photo above), record different colors of beverages spilled or intentionally dripped on it and a wealth of other things added. Be open to how you can use your journal. Or for fun, try this exercise: Come up with as many ways as you can think of to use your travel journal on your next trip.

The back of the journal

The front of the journal is used for a chronological input of information each day (or whenever you choose). The goal there is to record the idea, insight, drawing or information just like in a diary. The back of the journal is where you’ll organize it all for later retrieval.

Working from the last page backwards, I set up a series of index or topic pages (see the list below) where I record anything related to that topic either verbatim (if I have the time and forethought to write it down there such as contact info or a quote I came across) or as a page number reference and summary line from the front of the journal (hence the reason these back-of-the-journal pages are called Index Pages).

For me, I find that most index sections only require one page (e.g. for Contacts or Travel Details) but I leave two pages for Ideas or Vocabulary since they tend to have more entries. I write small (some would say ridiculously small), so if you don’t, you may want to leave more room.

Review your entries and record them for easier retrieval

I don’t assign page numbers as I write in the front of the journal. Instead, I jot down a page number later, maybe daily, maybe weekly, as I review my journal. Writing down the page number during the review phase shows me which pages have been indexed. No page number indicates it still needs to be indexed. As I review each page, I also code the entries themselves on the journal pages by highlighting the topic or assigning a word or letter to let me know what it is. For example, if there’s a quote, I will write “Quote” and circle it right before the quote. For blog ideas, I’ll write “blog” and circle that, etc. If an idea that has distinct merit, I’ll draw a star next to it. Particular project ideas get a corresponding code, e.g. if it’s about my book on Hidden Travel, I’ll write “HT” and circle that. The whole point is to make it easier to spot the entry when you’re reviewing the page later.

Here you can (hopefully) see how I’ve written and circled page numbers at the top and put a box around the word “Quote” on the left page and “Visual appeal article” on the right page. Then, on the Quotes index page, I’ll write “108” and circle it with a quick notation like, “E.B. White on saving/savoring the world.” On the Ideas index page, I’ll write “109” and circle it with the notation, “Visual Appeal article questions.”

In case you’re wondering why the index/topic pages go in the back and not in the front like a table of contents, it’s because I often add topics as I progress through the journal. Working from the back gives me room to add new pages whereas if I’d started from the front and I didn’t guess correctly, I’d be out of room before running into my journal entries.

Travel journal examples of Pre-Trip Items

Some of my index/topic pages get filled in (or at least started) before my trip either as planning or to load my travel journal with important information to have on my trip. Here are some travel journal examples of the key sections.

Here’s a travel journal example of a shot list from my China trip journal. I tend to write pretty small in the back section of a journal! The whited out area was my passport number in code. Writing key information on pages with other entries makes it even less obvious this is something valuable.

Vocabulary. On trips to countries where I’m learning the language, I’ll add new vocabulary words here usually starting long before the trip. These are key words to practice, as well as new ones I pick up as I travel.
Shot list . When planning my trip, as a photographer, I make a list of specific places, scenes, techniques I want to try or even times of day I want to shoot. Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Making Awesome Travel Photos for more on this and other travel photo techniques. In addition, as I review guidebooks or articles, I’ll add interesting places to this list. Even if you’re not a photographer, you can make a list of “must see” places or “must do” experiences or activities. Writing them down really helps because it makes it so easy to find all these in one place rather than hunting through a guidebook or other pages on your trip.
Themes and Moments . This is yet another pre-trip fill-in page. I try to come up with a theme or quest for each trip. Writing down ideas about that or defining it really adds to the anticipation of the trip. On this page, I’ll also jot down ideas for creating magic or defining moments for others on the trip. This includes ideas for the activities or contact info for places or people that will be part of the activity.

Travel journal examples of elements to add as you travel

Here are some typical index/topic pages in the back of my travel journal that get filled in as I go:

Contact information . I keep a separate page to record the names, email addresses, etc. of people I meet along the way. If, in a hurry, I just write down a name and email address in the front-of-the-book journaling section. I’ll later record the page number and contact name on the page here so all I can find all my contacts in one place later.
Ideas . This becomes a catchall for any creative ideas I’ve had. I normally start with the page number(s) followed by a brief summary such as “27 – 29: Dining room chair design” or “73: Article on architecture styles in Morocco.”

Here’s a specific travel journal example, the Ideas Index Page from my China trip journal. I had started the page on the left as a vocabulary list but made room from more ideas when I ran out of space on the page on the right.

Books and Movies . This too is a catchall for any form of entertainment I want to read. I constantly get book and movie (and even song or podcast) recommendations as I travel that I add here with an open check box. I also record books I’ve finished to this list noting those with a checked box.
Quotes . As noted above, these may be written quotes I come across or snippets of dialog I pick up. I either write the quote here directly or reference the journal page where I wrote the quote with a reminder such as “53-quote from Leipzig waitress on timing.”

You can do a trip highlights page on the flight home, but sometimes it helps to record a summary of details in the midst of your trip of things that stand out to you.

To-do’s. I said I like to keep my travel journal free from productivity and time management, but I always have big-picture to-do activities that arise on a trip. I’ll record these as I go in the journal section, but for longer-term ones I don’t want to lose track of, I sometimes add a to-do index as well in the back of the journal. This can also be a great place to record future planning ideas for things you want to accomplish after your trip.
Trip highlights . I’ll normally note the big moments in the journal section as they occur. But often on the flight home, I like to review these and capture them all in one place with the page reference and a brief notation. I may also add in additional ones at this point because sometimes, you don’t realize how powerful or meaningful a moment was at the time.

When your journal is full

Eventually, you’ll fill up your journal with entries. You’ll then review and have every page numbered with key entries noted in your index pages. Then what?

I use Scrivener (for writing projects) and Evernote (for others) as software/apps to track ideas over time. Thus, when I finish a journal, I go copy the content from my index pages into one of these digital programs.

There are several reasons for this. First, it helps to have all your ideas over time in one place so you can view them easier. Second, with the online tools, I can tag content by subject making retrieval later much easier. Most of us focus our efforts on having ideas and maybe writing them down. But those ideas won’t serve you well if you can’t find them later. Finally, putting everything into one place helps me see patterns and related ideas which, in turn, sparks new ideas.

It all relates to the concept of Collect, Connect and Share. If all you’re doing is collecting, you’re missing out on the main value of your journal.

Make a copy

This may be overkill to some, but my journals are precious repositories of life. I would hate to lose them. I could dictate the contents and transcribe that, but I don’t have that kind of time. Instead, Evernote comes to the rescue.

The Evernote app has a photo function. I open the app and take pictures of every spread or page of my journal. I save the results as an Evernote file and can even tag it by date, country or other criteria. It then resides on the cloud (and I also do a back-up on a drive at home). That way, if the original gets lost, I know that all those memories are secure.

Let’s review

Here’s a summary of the key points:

Know the purpose for your journal
Choose the type of journal based on your intended purpose.
Start with something that’s not too nice so that you’re not afraid to mark it up.
Keep daily entries in the front and a list of index pages in the back of the journal.
Periodically review your journal entries. As you do, number each page and record that page number and a brief reminder on the appropriate index page.
At the end of each journal, photograph each page and save to a secure location. Then enter the index information into whatever tool you use for tracking all of your ideas over time.

Additional resources and travel journal examples

Here are other resources and travel journal examples to both inspire and help you get the most out of your travel journal:

A helpful article with visuals of different travel journal examples
Writer and artist Austin Kleon’s comments on notebooks
Travel journal examples (and notebooks) of author Robert MacFarlane
Some additional travel journal examples and notebook types
The Sketchbook Projec t, one of my favorite places to visit in Brooklyn, NY and a great source of inspiration for sketchbooks. If you’re looking for a single place for travel journal examples, it is this one. Here are just a few screen shots of some random travel journal examples I looked up by Julia Yellow . There are thousands of such journals at this site.

If you really enjoy the travel drawing aspect of a travel journal, you might want to connect with the whole Urban Sketchers movement and see travel journal examples that include urban sketching. Here’s an example of an urban sketch by Stephanie Bower . I took some of her architectural sketching courses online at Bluprint and they were excellent.

Parting thoughts

Finally, if you want even more travel journal examples and information, be sure to read Lavinia Spalding’s excellent book on the subject, Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler. Here’s one of many great quotes from the book:

“If we’re committed to honest investigation, the travel journal can be a cornerstone of growth and a catalyst for great work, providing a safe container for astonishing discoveries and the life lessons we take away from them. We write words in an empty book, and an inanimate object is transformed into a living, breathing memoir. In turn, as we write, the journal transforms us. It allows us to instantly process impressions, which leads to a more examined layer of consciousness in both the present and the future. It’s a relationship, and let me tell you, it’s no cheap one-night stand.”

You might want to consider writing that quote down in your travel journal. Either in the daily entries or on the quotes index page. Or however you want to do it. It’s your travel journal and the possibilities are endless.

Thanks Steve! Informative and creative. Your sketching is lovely, too! Merry Christmas to you and the fam

Thanks, Alan. I was just editing a section in my upcoming book, “Hidden Travel,” on the subject of sketching and the advice I was given by Gabriel Campinario, founder of Urban Sketchers. He told me to never apologize or say, “Oh, I’m just a beginner” when someone compliments your sketching because no matter how bad you think it is, it is still better than that of the 99% of the population who never attempts to draw. So I will leave it at, “Thank you!”

[…] I mainly get inspiration from a Reddit group called Journaling, and also I get a few ideas on making travel journals. Despite it being fun to do having a physical notebook, at times it can be difficult to finish them […]

You’ve inspired me to resume creating tiny travel journals, with scrapbook like additions. I use photo double sided stickies, not glue. Someone asked what do I do with these? As if creating isn’t pleasurable. I often use them as primary sources to create photobooks. Along with my Bird lists.🐦😁.

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How to Write a Captivating Travelogue [With Examples]

Craft unforgettable travel stories! This guide dives deep into how to create a captivating travelogue.

You are standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon as the sun dips below the horizon, the sky painted in strokes of pink and orange. You’re overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of nature’s beauty—a sight so stirring that you’re compelled to share it with the world.

This urge to document and express the essence of your travels is the heartbeat of a travelogue. Travelogues are more than just personal diaries or photo albums; they are a way to transport readers across the globe and into the heart of a traveler’s experience.

Travelogue writing combines the art of storytelling with the informative aspects of travel writing, allowing writers to explore the world and their experiences in it through a deeply personal lens.

From the lush, verdant jungles of the Amazon to the bustling, aromatic streets of Marrakech, travelogues capture the spirit of these locales, offering readers a taste of the world from the comfort of their own homes.

Hook Readers with a Captivating Travel Anecdote

Consider the moment when you first stepped onto the cobblestone streets of a centuries-old city, the air tinged with the scent of freshly baked bread and blooming flowers.

As you weave through the narrative of your travelogue, draw on these vivid sensory details to paint a picture so real that your readers can almost feel the sun on their faces and the cobblestones beneath their feet. This sensory immersion is the secret to crafting a captivating introduction that hooks your readers from the first paragraph.

Defining Travelogues and Their Historical Significance

A travelogue is essentially a bridge between an adventure journal and a cultural analysis, chronicling a journey while reflecting on the broader significance of the experience.

Historically, travelogues served as crucial tools for sharing knowledge about unexplored territories, cultures, and peoples, often influencing trade routes and exploration trends. They preserve the past and inform the future, making them invaluable both as historical documents and as sources of inspiration.

The Benefits of Writing Travelogues

Writing a travelogue is a deeply enriching practice that promotes personal growth by encouraging reflection on and articulated experiences. It allows you to share your journey with others, fostering a connection with readers who share your curiosity about the world.

Moreover, a well-crafted travelogue can inspire others to explore, step out of their comfort zones, and appreciate cultures and places unfamiliar to them.

Types of Travelogues

Travelogues come in various forms, each offering a unique perspective on the world:

– Narrative Travelogues: These focus on the personal journey, rich in emotional depth and character development.

– Historical Travelogues: These delve into the history of the destinations, connecting past events with present experiences.

– Food-focused Travelogues: Explore destinations through the lens of local cuisine, offering a taste of regional flavors and culinary traditions.

– Photographic Travelogues: These emphasize visual storytelling, with photos conveying the story as much as words.

Guide Outline

This guide will cover several key aspects of travelogue writing:

Finding Inspiration: How to choose captivating subjects and themes based on your travels.
Crafting Your Narrative: Techniques for structuring your story and keeping readers engaged.
Using Descriptive Language: Tips for using vivid language to bring your travels to life.
Incorporating Practical Tips: How to blend useful travel tips with engaging storytelling for a well-rounded travelogue.

Your Inner Travel Writer: Inspiration and Planning

Embarking on the journey of writing a travelogue begins long before you pen the first word. It starts with a spark of inspiration and is followed by careful planning. Whether you’re reflecting on a recent adventure or preparing for a future escapade, the process of crafting a compelling travelogue is as thrilling as the journey itself.

Finding Your Muse in Travel

Inspiration is the cornerstone of all creative writing, and travelogues are no exception. Your muse can be anything from a breathtaking landscape to an intriguing local you meet along the way. To capture the essence of your travels, you need to be both present and reflective, observing not just the sights but the sensations, emotions, and stories behind them.

Experiencing Fully: Be truly present during your travels. Engage with locals, try new foods, participate in traditional activities, and soak up the atmosphere. Each of these experiences offers unique insights and anecdotes that can serve as the foundation for your travelogue.

Documenting Experiences: Carry a journal or a digital recorder to jot down impressions and details you might otherwise forget. Photos can also serve as powerful reminders of your experiences and can help jog your memory when you begin writing.

Planning Your Travelogue

Once you have gathered ample inspiration, the next step is to plan the structure and content of your travelogue. This involves deciding on the angle, the narrative style, and the key experiences you want to highlight.

Choosing a Theme: Depending on your journey and interests, you might focus your travelogue on a specific theme such as adventure, culture, cuisine, or history. For example, if culinary experiences deeply impacted you, a food-focused travelogue could be an exciting angle to explore, providing samples of a travelogue that would delight food enthusiasts.

Mapping Out the Structure: Plan how you will unfold your story. A chronological approach, where you narrate your experiences in the order they occurred, is straightforward and easy to follow. Alternatively, you might choose a thematic structure, grouping experiences based on different aspects of the culture or environment you explored.

Crafting a Compelling Introduction

how to craft a compelling travelogue introduction

The beginning of your travelogue should captivate your readers and draw them into your world. Start with a strong, evocative opening that sets the tone for the rest of your narrative.

Use a Captivating Hook: An intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a vivid description of a memorable moment can serve as great hooks. For example, describing the chaotic beauty of a bustling street market or the serene elation of reaching the top of a mountain can immediately engage your readers.

Integrating Descriptive and Reflective Writing

To truly resonate with your audience, your travelogue should blend vivid descriptions with personal reflections. This mix not only paints a picture of the destination but also conveys your personal journey and growth throughout your travels.

Descriptive Writing: Use sensory details to bring scenes to life. Describe what you saw, heard, smelled, touched, and tasted to help your readers experience the destination as vividly as you did.

Reflective Writing: Share how your experiences changed you or challenged your perceptions. Reflective writing can deepen the emotional impact of your travelogue, making it more than just an account of where you went and what you did—it becomes a journey of personal transformation.

Incorporating Practical Tips

While the primary focus of a travelogue is to share your personal experiences, including practical tips can add value for your readers, making it easier for them to imagine planning a similar trip. Tips on navigating local transportation, must-visit spots, or local customs can be both informative and engaging, enhancing the usefulness of your travelogue.

Finding Inspiration

how to find inspiration to write a travelogue

The first step to writing a compelling travelogue is gathering inspiration. This can be achieved through various brainstorming techniques, such as creating mind maps that connect different aspects of your travels—from the sensory experiences to the emotions they evoked. Looking through travel photos can also reignite memories and highlight moments that might have slipped your mind.

Digging into your own travel experiences and zooming in on specific moments that left a mark on you can provide a rich foundation for your narrative. Perhaps it was a conversation with a local artisan or the serene quiet of a mountain trail at dawn—these experiences, when detailed, can captivate readers.

Many travelogue writers also draw inspiration from established figures in the genre. For example, reading Bill Bryson’s witty accounts in “Notes from a Small Island” or the poetic explorations of Pico Iyer in “The Art of Stillness” can ignite your creative spark. These authors show how personal perspectives can transform the depiction of a destination.

The power of unexpected encounters and cultural immersion cannot be overstated. These experiences often provide the most authentic and engaging content for a travelogue, offering readers insights into the locale and its people that go beyond typical tourist experiences.

Choosing a focus and understanding your target audience is crucial. Whether your travelogue caters to solo travelers, families on adventures, or history enthusiasts, the content should reflect the interests and needs of your readers. For instance, a travelogue focusing on solo travel might emphasize self-discovery and independence, while one on family travel could highlight activities suitable for all ages.

Deciding on the narrative structure is another significant step. You might opt for a chronological layout, which is straightforward and follows the natural progression of your journey. Alternatively, a thematic approach can focus on specific aspects of the culture, such as culinary experiences or local festivals, regardless of when they occurred during your travels.

Researching the destination’s history, culture, and geography enriches your narrative, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the location. This research can also uncover unique details that add a touch of local flavor—like mentioning a lesser-known local myth or a favorite street food dish.

Creating a rough outline is essential for organizing your thoughts and ensuring a coherent flow of your narrative. Identify key moments and potential anecdotes that you want to include. This outline will serve as your roadmap, guiding you as you weave your experiences into a narrative that captures the essence of your travels and resonates with your audience.

Mastering the Art of Storytelling

how to master the art of storytelling in travelogues

Creating a travelogue that captivates and entertains requires more than just recounting the events of your journey; it demands the mastery of storytelling. This craft involves weaving your observations, experiences, and reflections into a narrative that not only informs but also engages and inspires your readers. Here’s how to elevate your travelogue from a simple trip report to a compelling story.

Setting the Scene

Every great story begins with a strong setting, and in travelogues, your destinations provide natural backdrops. To set the scene effectively, immerse your readers in the environment. Describe the bustling markets, serene landscapes, or the chaotic beauty of urban life with rich, sensory details. Consider the aromatic scents of street food, the cacophony of city sounds, or the vivid colors of a sunset. This not only paints a vivid picture but also sets the emotional tone of your narrative.

Developing a Narrative Arc

Like any good story, a travelogue benefits from a narrative arc that includes a beginning, middle, and end. This structure helps keep your readers engaged.

– Beginning: Introduce the key themes of your travelogue. Start with an intriguing hook—a compelling moment or a unique observation that sets the tone for the journey. This could be a dramatic scene or a reflective encounter that hints at the personal transformations to come.

– Middle: This is where the bulk of your travel experiences unfold. Present challenges you faced, interactions with locals, and personal revelations. Ensure that each segment contributes to the overall theme and adds depth to your narrative. Use anecdotes and personal stories to illustrate larger points about the culture and your experiences.

– End: Conclude your narrative on a reflective note. What did you learn from your travels? How have these experiences changed you? This section should resonate with your readers, leaving them with something to ponder or inspiring them to embark on their own adventures.

Character Development

In travelogues, you are a character in your own story, and how you develop over the course of your narrative can be deeply compelling. Reflect on your own transformations throughout the journey—how you overcame fears, adapted to new cultures, or discovered aspects of yourself. Additionally, bring to life the characters you meet along the way. From a wise local guide to a group of fellow travelers, these individuals can enrich your story, providing diverse perspectives and contributing to your journey’s educational and emotional layers.

Incorporating Dialogue

Dialogue can vivify your travelogue, turning it from a monologue into a lively narrative. Include conversations you had with locals or other travelers. These exchanges can reveal insights into the local culture or illustrate your personal growth. When used effectively, dialogue enhances the authenticity of your experiences and makes your story more relatable and engaging.

Reflective Insights

What sets travelogues apart from simple travel guides or blogs is the depth of personal insight. Throughout your narrative, incorporate reflections that connect your experiences to broader themes—be it cultural understanding, human connectivity, or personal identity. Share how these reflections impacted your view of the world or influenced your future decisions. This introspection not only deepens the narrative but also connects with readers on an intellectual and emotional level.

Visual and Sensory Language

Engage your readers’ senses by using descriptive, sensory language that brings your experiences to life. Instead of merely stating that you visited a historic site, describe the texture of the ancient stones, the sound of the crowd around you, or the intense heat of the afternoon sun. This type of writing helps readers visualize the scene and feel the emotions and sensations you experienced.

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

End your travelogue with a strong, impactful conclusion that wraps up your story beautifully and leaves your audience satisfied yet wanting more. Reflect on the journey, summarize key insights, and perhaps tease future adventures. This not only provides closure but also reinforces the emotional and thematic impacts of your narrative.

By mastering these elements of storytelling, your travelogue will transcend the ordinary, offering readers a window into not only your travels but also your heart and mind as a traveler. This connection is the ultimate achievement of any travel writer, turning simple journeys into unforgettable stories.

Finding Your Voice and Perspective

In travelogue writing, choosing the right voice and perspective is critical to connect authentically with your readers.

Deciding between a first-person or third-person narrative sets the tone for how personal or detached the story feels. A first-person narrative brings readers into the heart of your personal experiences, imbued with your emotions and insights, making it ideal for sharing personal journeys and introspections.

In contrast, a third-person perspective offers a broader, more observational angle, useful for a more neutral or wide-reaching narrative.

Your writing style should be a reflection of your personality. If your interactions are often infused with humor, let your travelogue crackle with wit.

If you ponder deeply on experiences, your writing might be more reflective and insightful. Regardless of the style, maintaining honesty and authenticity is crucial. Authentic travel writing resonates with readers because it feels genuine and trustworthy, showcasing both the highs and the lows of travel, and providing a truthful representation of your experiences.

Building a Compelling Narrative

how to build a compelling travelogue narrative

A strong opening is essential to captivate your audience from the outset. Begin with a surprising detail or pose an intriguing question that sets the stage for your adventure, enticing readers to dive deeper into your journey. For example, starting with a peculiar custom you encountered or a breathtaking view that left you speechless can effectively hook your audience.

To keep your readers engaged, your travelogue should have a clear narrative arc comprising a beginning, middle, and end. Start by setting the scene and introducing the main themes, then move into the body where the core of your experiences unfolds—include conflicts, moments of tension, and their resolutions to build a dynamic narrative.

Perhaps you faced a challenging hike or navigated a misunderstanding due to a language barrier; these experiences add depth to your story.

Throughout your narrative, showcase your personal growth and transformation. Reflect on how the trip changed you, what lessons you learned, and how your perspectives shifted. This not only enriches the narrative but also adds a layer of depth that can inspire and impact your readers, making your travelogue not just a recount of events but a journey of personal evolution.

Describing the Journey: The Power of Sensory Details

Effective travelogue writing transports readers to the destination through the power of descriptive language. By engaging all five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—you allow your audience to experience the place vicariously. Each sensory detail you include builds a vivid, multi-dimensional picture of the landscapes, architecture, and local people.

Visual Details: Start with what you see, the most immediate form of sensory information. Describe the vibrant colors of a bustling market, the stark lines of modern architecture against an ancient landscape, or the expressive faces of local people. Use similes to compare and contrast what’s unfamiliar to your readers with what might be more recognizable, like comparing the red sand dunes to waves on a crimson sea.

Auditory Details: Next, incorporate what you hear. The rhythmic chants of street vendors, the cacophony of city traffic, or the serene silence of a mountain peak at dawn all add a layer of depth. Personification can bring sounds to life, such as “the old city walls whispered stories of ancient times.”

Olfactory and Gustatory Details: Smell and taste can be evocative senses that trigger deep memories. Describe the aromatic blend of spices wafting from a food stall or the salty breeze of a coastal town. Metaphors can effectively convey flavors and smells, likening them to familiar sensations to evoke a strong reaction from the reader.

Tactile Details: Lastly, consider what you touch or feel. The roughness of aged stone carvings, the comforting warmth of the sun as you walk through a deserted beach, or the brisk chill of mountain air can powerfully convey the atmosphere.

Including these evocative details captures the essence of the destination and makes your narrative immersive. Literary devices like similes, metaphors, and personification not only create vivid imagery but also enhance the emotional resonance of your descriptions, making the scenes and experiences stick with your readers long after they’ve finished reading.

Beyond the Narrative: Practical Tips for Enriching Your Travelogue

practical tips for enhancing your travelogue

While the narrative spine of your travelogue carries the story, the flesh and bones are often built from practical insights and richer details that engage readers on another level. Here’s how to enhance your travel writing by incorporating specific tips and examples that bring authenticity and utility to your readers.

Integrating Cultural Insights

To deepen the connection between your narrative and the reader, incorporate specific cultural insights that paint a more vivid picture of each destination. For example, when writing about Kyoto, Japan, don’t just mention the beauty of the cherry blossoms at Maruyama Park during hanami (flower viewing). Discuss the cultural significance of hanami, and maybe include a quote from a local explaining personal or historical perspectives. This not only provides color but also offers readers a glimpse into the Japanese way of life.

Highlighting Local Experts

Referencing local guides or experts can add a layer of depth to your travelogue. While exploring the backstreets of Marrakech, Morocco, mention how a local historian like Fatima Zohra Rghioui helped uncover lesser-known facts about the city’s ancient medina. This approach not only enriches your narrative but also lends credibility to your descriptions.

Showcasing Culinary Delights

Food is a universal connector and exploring local cuisine can significantly enrich your travelogue. While describing the culinary scene in Naples, Italy, you could talk about learning to make authentic Neapolitan pizza with a renowned chef like Enzo Coccia. Share the sensory details of the ingredients, the process, and even the taste of the pizza straight from the oven. Such specifics invite the reader to experience the culture gastronomically.

Using Dynamic Photography

Visuals can dramatically enhance how your readers engage with your travelogue. If discussing the vibrant markets of Istanbul, Turkey, don’t just describe the riot of colors; show it through dynamic photographs. Collaborating with travel photographers who specialize in capturing the essence of a place, like Murad Osmann, famous for his “Follow Me To” series, can provide compelling visuals that complement your written words.

Including Travel Tips

Readers often appreciate practical travel tips that make your narrative both engaging and useful. While recounting a trek through the Himalayas in Nepal, offer advice on the best times to visit, recommended gear lists, and potential health precautions, citing advice from seasoned trekkers like Tim Macartney-Snape. This type of information helps readers plan their own adventures and makes your travelogue a valuable resource.

Engaging with Technology

Today, discussing mobile apps and resources can be incredibly helpful. For example, when detailing a road trip across the Australian Outback, mention apps like WikiCamps Australia, which helps locate camping sites and amenities. Suggesting technology that enhances travel experiences shows that your guide is modern and practical.

Personal Anecdotes and Encounters

Finally, weaving in personal anecdotes involving specific people or events can greatly enrich your narrative. If you had a memorable encounter with a street artist in Paris, France, like the renowned portrait painter Olivier Binet, describe the scene, the conversation, and the portrait’s impact on your perception of art.

By including these specific names, places, and practical tips, your travelogue transcends mere storytelling. It becomes a treasure trove of insights and utilities, making it not only a source of inspiration but also a guide for others who might follow in your footsteps.

Enhancing Your Story with Multimedia

Today in the age of digital storytelling, integrating multimedia elements can significantly enrich your travelogue. High-quality photos and videos capture the essence of your destinations and bring your narratives to life.

When writing about the sun-drenched beaches of Bali, include vibrant photos of the sunset over the ocean, or embed a video clip showing the intricate dance of a traditional Balinese performance. Each visual should serve the story, providing a richer, more immersive experience.

Captions are important—they should add context, explain the significance of the image, or share interesting facts about the visual content.

For example, a photo of a bustling night market might include a caption about local dishes to try. These multimedia elements not only decorate your narrative but deepen the reader’s engagement, making your travelogue a multi-sensory journey.

Enhancing Readability: Formatting and Style

Focus on clarity and simplicity in your writing to ensure your travelogue is as accessible as it is engaging. Use concise language that conveys your experiences without overwhelming your readers.

Break up text with subheadings that guide readers through your narrative, and employ bullet points or numbered lists for easy-to-digest tips or highlights. Always proofread your work to maintain professionalism and credibility by avoiding grammatical mistakes and typos.

Adding Value for Travelers: Practical Information

Include essential logistical details to transform your travelogue from a simple recount of your journey into a valuable resource. Information on transportation options, like whether to take the tram or a taxi in Istanbul or recommendations for accommodations, such as eco-friendly hotels in Costa Rica, can be immensely helpful.

Share insights into local customs and etiquette, which are invaluable for travelers wanting to respect cultural norms. For instance, explaining the proper way to greet someone in Japan can enhance a visitor’s interaction with locals.

Highlight unique sights and experiences that stray from the beaten path, like a hidden gem café in Paris known only to locals or a rare hiking trail in New Zealand that offers breathtaking views.

Budget-friendly travel advice also adds tremendous value, offering suggestions for experiencing a destination without breaking the bank, such as free museum days or affordable street food options.

The Ultimate Guide: Sharing Your Travels and Inspiring the World

the ultimate guide for making a travelogue

Travelogues play a pivotal role in fostering cultural understanding and connecting people from various backgrounds through shared experiences. They offer more than just travel tips; they provide insights into the cultural tapestry of destinations and encourage empathy and global awareness.

This guide has outlined key steps to create captivating travelogues—from finding your unique voice and crafting a compelling narrative to enhancing your story with multimedia and offering practical information. As you embark on your journey as a travel writer, remember to draw on personal experiences, vivid descriptions, and valuable insights to engage and inspire your readers.

We encourage you to document your adventures and share your stories. Whether through blogs, social media, or travel books, your travelogues can contribute to a greater understanding of the world. Connect with other travelers, exchange stories, and continue to explore the endless possibilities that travel writing offers. Let your journey inspire others to discover new places, cultures, and perspectives.

Bonus Section: Travelogue Examples for Inspiration

To inspire your own travelogue writing, let’s explore several exemplary works that embody various styles and focuses, each illustrating the principles discussed in this guide.

Historical Travelogue: “In Patagonia” by Bruce Chatwin

Chatwin’s travelogue brilliantly explores the rich historical tapestry of Patagonia. It blends fascinating accounts of past explorers with the stories of local inhabitants, showcasing a deep engagement with the region’s history and myths. This book exemplifies how effectively a travelogue can transport readers across time, providing a vivid sense of place through meticulous historical research and narrative flair.

Food-Focused Travelogue: “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert

While not exclusively about food, the segments of Gilbert’s journey through Italy provide a succulent culinary exploration. Her descriptions of tasting Italian delicacies are both lush and evocative, offering readers a taste of local flavors while highlighting her personal emotional journey. Gilbert’s ability to intertwine food with self-exploration and renewal shows how culinary experiences can serve as a powerful narrative device in travel writing.

Humorous Travelogue: “Neither Here Nor There” by Bill Bryson

Bryson’s travelogue through Europe is a prime example of how humor can enhance travel writing. His witty observations and self-deprecating humor provide a light-hearted yet insightful look at the quirks and idiosyncrasies of various cultures. Bryson demonstrates how humor can not only entertain but also disarm and connect with the reader, making the travel experiences more relatable.

Solo Travelogue: “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed

Strayed’s account of her solo hike across the Pacific Crest Trail is a profound exploration of personal growth and self-discovery. Through vivid landscapes and brutal honesty about her physical and emotional challenges, “Wild” illustrates the transformative power of travel and solitude. This travelogue is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the profound impact of venturing alone.

Now that you’ve seen how diverse and dynamic travelogues can be, it’s time to take your inspiration and turn it into action.

Start planning your next adventure, whether it’s a journey to a far-off land or a deeper exploration of local culture.

As you travel, remember the elements that make a great travelogue: vivid descriptions, personal reflection, and a narrative that draws the reader into your experience.

Grab your notebook or camera, and set out to create a travelogue that not only captures the essence of your journey but also shares your unique perspective with the world. Write, share, inspire—your next great adventure awaits!

What are the essential qualities of a good travelogue?

A good travelogue captivates with an engaging narrative, offers vivid descriptions that transport readers, and provides practical information that enhances the travel experience.

How do I choose a topic for my travelogue?

Begin with brainstorming techniques like mind mapping or reflecting on memorable aspects of your travel. Focus on areas where you have a personal connection or unique insights that can captivate your audience.

What are some common mistakes to avoid while writing a travelogue?

Avoid clichés and overly generic descriptions that don’t add value. Ensure your travelogue has a clear focus and purpose, keeping it engaging and informative without drifting into irrelevance.

How can I incorporate humor and personal anecdotes into my travelogue?

Use self-deprecating humor and share relatable experiences that resonate with your readers. This approach can make your narrative more engaging and personable.

Where can I find inspiration from other travel writers?

Look for inspiration in travel blogs like Nomadic Matt, books by authors like Paul Theroux, and online resources such as the travel section of The New York Times.

How can I promote my travelogue once it’s written?

Share your work on social media platforms, participate in travel forums, and engage with online travel communities. These channels offer great opportunities to reach a wider audience and connect with like-minded individuals.

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The art of travel writing: How to turn your notes into a story

Travel writing is one of the most misunderstood, and romanticised, jobs on the planet. That’s where this three-part Masterclass series comes in. To shine a light into its dimly lit corners, correct a few misconceptions about travel writing (and writers) and hopefully inspire you to write about your travels.

As I see it, travel writing is the lovechild of journalism and creative writing. Of course there are as many ways to write as there are travel writers, but the best stories have a spark that makes you just want to keep reading.

Before we get onto crafting a travel story, remember that great travel writing is great writing, period (as they say in America). It’s clear, every word pulls its weight and it takes you somewhere (and not just to a destination).

The “Big Five” of travel writing

Hanging out on Lord Howe Island.

There are five common kinds of travel story that can help you make sense of your travel notes, each with a built-in structure:

Lists and “roundups”. These showcase a selection of experiences or destinations sharing a common theme. Quirky, odd-numbered lists such as “21 reasons you should live in Berlin” and “29 Insta-worthy places to go” are increasingly popular, particularly online, but the Top 10 is a classic that never goes out of style.
City guides and hotel reviews. These stories are usually short and written to a template set by the publication such as “48 hours in…” or a “Three-minute guide to…”.
Journey stories. If your trip takes you from A to B, whether by road or camel train, on foot or by cargo ship, the journey is your structure. That is, you can write about it roughly from start to finish, condensing some bits and expanding on others to create interest. A word of warning: diary-style stories are generally easy to write, but can be boring to read unless there’s a reason you’re writing in a day-by-day format.
Stories with sub-heads. Sub-headings help you structure a longer feature, organising your ideas into clusters. Breakout boxes are also handy, a good place for information that might otherwise break the flow of the main story.
How-to stories: Don’t forget destination-less travel stories such as “How to” and stories based on issues or travel trends.

RELATED: MUCH MORE THAN A DESERT – A TRIP INTO THE SAHARA

Finding story angles

The sixth kind of travel story is a feature, which requires an angle or theme. That is, you have to know what the story is about . Finding good angles comes with practice, but here are a few ways to nose them out:

Know who you’re writing for . Getting to know the publication and its readers can help you know what they want to know. What interests them? What can you tell them about this destination?
“How was your trip?” What’s the first thing you told your friends and family members, or posted on Facebook, after your last trip? It could be something that surprised you, something you loved, something that happened to you, even something you know people back home might find interesting. Whatever it is, it could become the backbone of your story or at the very least the hook you start it with.
Just write. Sometimes the best way to find out what your story is about is to start writing and see where that takes you. Other times it helps to write down all the main ideas you want to include in a kind of mind-map. Different stories often require different strategies.
Mind-travel back. Read through your notes, look at your photos, take some time to think about the trip and jot down any themes or highlights you might be able to string together into a story.
Narrow your focus. Don’t try to cover too much in one story. Instead of writing about the San Francisco food scene, for instance, write about the foods unique to San Francisco (like fortune cookies; who knew they were invented in San Francisco’s Chinatown?).

Once upon a time: The hook

A woman sitting near a lake in Sierra Nevada

Hiking in the Sierra Nevada.

The next most important part of the story is how it starts. This is where you “hook” the reader and make her want to keep reading, so it pays to spend more time crafting that first sentence or two.

Fortunately, travel writing has a few road-tested hooks. The most common way to start a story is to drop the reader in the middle of the action: “I’m standing naked on the rooftop of a Bangkok hotel with no idea how I got here” (or something).

The hook can also introduce the main idea of your story or make an observation about the place or about travel, or life, in general. It can be controversial or confessional. You can even ask a question or start with a quote. Or find some totally new way to start a story that no one has ever tried before.

RELATED: IMPROVING ANIMAL WELFARE IN EGYPT

From travel diary to travel story

Now for the main course: building a story. To do this, you need a structure, a framework on which to hang the various points and ideas you want to share about the place. Do this successfully and you create a story that’s bigger than the sum of its parts, one that will take your reader on a ride.

Travel diaries are a fantastic raw material, but a travel story requires you to do more than say what you did each day. Otherwise it’s like giving someone some flour, sugar and butter and a couple of eggs and saying, “Here’s a cake”.

You need to group things together and lift out details, make decisions about what to focus on and what to leave out, to make your story glimmer with interest.

A few tips to help you organise your story into a cohesive whole:

Be selective. You can’t write about everything that happened, everything you saw, every fascinating person you met. You need to be selective, and be brutal: include only the highlights, the most memorable experiences, the best encounters and leave out the rest –or put those into other stories later.
More ideas, less description . A popular misconception about travel writing is that it has to be full of adjectives and colourful descriptions. It’s really about ideas and insights, well communicated. One of my favourite writing quotes is: “Words are the carriage, not the queen.”
“ Up-down” writing. Too much detail gets claustrophobic, but too much overview makes a story feel distant. The trick is to alternate between the two, zooming in on details or a moment in time, then zooming out to the big picture, to keep the story moving.
Avoid clichés. Travel writing has more than its fair share of phases that have worn out their welcome. You know the ones, but two to avoid at all costs are “paradise” and “a land of contrasts”.
Be yourself. One of the trickiest balancing acts in writing is knowing how much of yourself to put into a story. Too little and the story is soul-less. Too much and it can sound self-indulgent. As in life, aim for the middle way…

RELATED: IT TAKES A VILLAGE. THE CHANGING FACE OF TOURISM IN RURAL VIETNAM

Bring it home

Canoeing in Canada.

A good story ending ensures you don’t leave your readers dangling at the cliff-edge of the second last paragraph. You’ve brought them this far, after all.

A few ways to end your story:

Refer back to the beginning; this neatly completes the loop or narrative
Sum up the main points, in a way you haven’t yet used in the story
Mention something you’ve learned from the trip: a conclusion or insight that came from your experiences
Share a “moment in time” as you did in the hook, only this time your intention is not to lead the reader into the story but to leave her with a lasting image or feeling.

Remember that all writing is a process and good writing takes practise, discipline and time. Be prepared to write bad drafts; we all do. The secret to good writing is good rewriting, as American essayist EB White once said; that is, knowing what doesn’t work and fixing it, again and again, until it does.

The best travel stories aren’t just about what you, the travel writer, did or what a place looked like. They take us to the heart of that place, to its true essence. They make us feel something and inspire us to travel and to look at the world, and life, differently.

In the words of Pico Iyer, one of my favourite travel writers, “Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.”

Some of the best stories come from the road. Make your own on a small group adventure with Intrepid – explore our range of trips now .

All photos by Louise Southerden.

Feeling inspired?

Louise Southerden

Louise Southerden has been a professional travel writer and author for more than 20 years and is passionate about travel that makes the world a better place. She’s also an author and award-winner; in fact, in 2019 she won the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ Travel Writer of the Year award – for the fifth time. To follow her adventures in simple, sustainable living, see No Impact Girl .

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Are your travel blog posts struggling to take off? Read these travel article examples to inspire your writing

Travel article examples - Shows a stack of books on a beach

Some people travel the world and make a living out of it. Others write travel blogs to increase traffic to their brand’s website. Whatever reason leads you to share your experiences exploring the globe, here are our favourite travel article examples to inspire your writing.

Why you need a blog on your travel site

Travel content can take many different forms. From brochures that line the shelves of travel agents to website destination pages and social media posts, finding the right words is essential when selling destinations or experiences. People look forward to holidays; they work hard to save their pennies and annual leave to enjoy time in a different country or place.

‘Nothing will help your travel company stand out from the crowd like quality content’, says Search Engine Journal and good travel content includes copywriting that makes these once-in-a-lifetime trips seem worthwhile. It tells its readers exactly what to expect and why they will love it.

shows an image of snow on the roads - travel article examples

While over 80% of holidaymakers head to the web to start planning their holidays, 33% of travellers use travel blogs for travel advice. For travel agents, publishing the right travel content puts you at the advantage of increased website traffic. Businesses that blog experience up to twice as much traffic as those that don’t.

Gaining authority in search is a competitive sport. Google needs to trust that you can deliver exceptional content to users. A well-informed blog that provides extra information, a little entertainment, and click-worthy quotes or stats goes a long way. By writing SEO-optimised travel articles , you can get search engines on your side, increase your site’s authority, and, with the right words, guarantee more business.

Are you struggling to drive traffic to your travel website?

Our favourite travel article examples, thomas cook.

Thomas Cook uses their travel blog to share destination highlights, itineraries and places to visit in many of the locations where they host their package holidays. In this sample travel article, Thomas Cook writes about the ‘Top 5 hidden gems in the Algarve’. Here’s what they do well:

It’s structured with subheadings, varying sentence lengths and short paragraphs.
It offers ‘top tips’ segments to provide insider information tailored to its consumers.
It knows its audience. Phrases such as ‘Instagrammable beach’ appeal to the young women likely to be considering booking a girl’s trip to Portugal.
It takes you on a journey. Illustrative and colourful, the description of each attraction leads you on a path through the intricacies and experiences on offer.

shows an image of a beach in the Algarve Portugal

L’Hotel, a well-known luxury hotel in Paris, use its blog to provide potential customers with travel blogs that cover niche topics, including history and the various influences of the hotel. In this blog, L’Hotel looks at the famous guests who have visited their hotel – and shares their favourite quotes from one of the most famous residents, Oscar Wilde, who stayed there many times. This is what this travel blog writing example does well:

It provides a unique perspective while delving into the hotel’s history which is likely to appeal to tourists visiting Paris.
It’s well-structured with clear headings and is organised logically to flow well.
It’s written in a conversational, authentic tone that conveys the hotel’s values in an accessible and digestible format.
It signposts a clear call-to-action that allows readers to share their favourite moments of the hotel with them, including reviews and photos.

shows a sepia image of a travel advertisement

Condé Nast Traveler

Condé Nast is well-known for their glossy, editorial-style articles that share the world’s most unique and wonderful experiences. They’re descriptive, they’re detailed, and they are excellent examples of storytelling. The writer delves into Egypt’s past through local stories in this travel article example. Here is what it does well:

It zooms in on detailed snapshots of place and time, offering immersive accounts of time spent in Egypt.
It’s personal. This article is written in the first-person narrative, and it contains insight into the writer’s individual experiences while advising on what to expect and how to handle certain situations.
It’s written in-depth. Although long, the article doesn’t lack attention-seeking snippets of information.
It features stunning imagery taken by the author, illustrating the picturesque locations described in the copy.

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Hays Travel

Independent Travel Agent Hays Travel uses its blog to suggest holidays its audience may enjoy based on interests, the seasons and the attractions they offer. In this travel blog writing example, Hays Travel shares their top destinations to visit for the best Christmas markets. This is what they did well:

It provides vivid and engaging descriptions of each Christmas market, giving readers a sense of what to expect in terms of atmosphere, activities, and unique offerings at each location.
It covers a diverse range of Christmas markets in different European cities, catering to a wide audience with varying travel preferences.
It offers practical information, such as the dates when the markets take place, unique attractions, and tips on what to do at each location. This information is helpful for travellers planning their trips and looking for recommendations.
It adds a personal touch to the descriptions, such as mentioning specific dishes, traditions, and unique features of each market.

shows a screen shot of a Christmas market

Would you like to rank for the best travel keywords?

The ultimate travel company.

The Ultimate Travel Company are an independent travel agent that uses its knowledge of destinations across the globe to create tailor-made holidays and tours. In this sample travel article, the brand shares insight into the time they spent discovering Estonia. Here is what they did well:

It provides practical information such as how to navigate Tallinn on foot, the location of the markets and the best hotels to stay in.
It shares recommendations for excursions and activities that can be enjoyed in Estonia based on the writer’s personal experiences. These are unbiased and given in detail.
It’s descriptive and illustrative in its narrative while also being organised efficiently to flow smoothly.
The blog supplies particular itineraries for travel in Estonia, including the option to pair the trip with a visit to Helsinki for a twin-city break.

shows an image of trees next to a lake - Travel article examples

easyJet – the nation’s favourite budget airline. Known for its super cheap flights across Europe, the brand shares frequent travel articles on its blog, the Traveller. In this particular travel article, easyJet shares its take on the most beautiful islands in Europe. This is what they did well:

The highly immersive article uses great adjectives to help readers visualise the place. Our favourites include notebook scribbling, tottering, tumbling, and svelte.
It’s well-structured, using sub-headings for each of the islands it discusses, and ‘must-see’ pull-out quotes add a little intrigue.
Call to action is used well in each section, allowing readers to head straight to the booking page for package holidays and flights.
It’s long and in-depth. It’s not a listicle confined to 500 words; this blog offers plenty of holiday recommendations to suit a variety of tastes.

shows an image of the Northern lights - best travel article examples

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways provide river cruises on some of Europe’s most famous rivers. Sailing through multiple countries at a time or docking in one particular spot for the duration of a holiday, holidaymakers can explore sites and relax in great company. With many options, their blog shares details of various trips and itineraries with its readers to help them choose. This is what we can learn from this travel article example:

It’s practical. This blog offers in-depth information on what to expect on one of their cruise routes on the Rhine.
It highlights attractions and sites guests can enjoy on their travels.
It used vivid language to describe the routes taken, crafting illustrative imagery in readers’ heads.
It includes customer testimonials and case studies to share their experiences on the boat.

shows an image of a boat on the rhine river

Radisson Hotels

This European hotel chain uses its blog to sell its hotels’ destinations. In this particular travel article example, Radisson Hotels relies on sensory storytelling to share their take on a holiday in Venice. This is what they did well:

It puts their hotel in the front seat. Evolving the story around a stay at their canal-side location shows readers how they can craft the most memorable stay.
It uses sensory words to immerse the reader in a detailed experience, from sharing their favourite food experiences to attractions that will ignite sound, taste and smell.
It includes valuable links to book the attractions it mentions and provides readers with practical advice, including the best times to visit.

shows an image of Venice in the background with some text

Be My Travel Muse

A slightly different kind of travel blog to many others on this list, Be My Travel Muse is an independent blog that reviews and shares tips, advice and stories from travelling. In this blog post, the writer shares their experiences in Paris as a solo traveller. Here is what this travel blog post example does well:

It provides actionable advice based on personal experiences to help keep solo travellers safe. It doesn’t assume that you know anything, so it’s easy to understand and digest with clear explanations.
It offers a fresh viewpoint on a city commonly dubbed the ‘city of love’.
It’s conversational and personal. The writing style makes it feel like you’re receiving advice from a friend.
It is accompanied by striking original imagery that helps readers visualise what is being explained or explored in the text.

Great Rail Journeys

Great Rail Journeys is a train travel company spanning mainland Europe. Known for the Glacier Express and other picturesque trips, they’re a one-stop-shop for booking holidays by train. The brand shares its favourite sustainable winter holidays in this travel blog post example. Here is what they do well:

They write with their brand values in mind. Great Rail Journeys champions greener travel, and this blog has sustainability at its core.
It goes beyond their product offering and shows readers how to embody these values in every aspect of their holiday planning.
It offers unique ideas to inspire customers’ holiday itineraries, from local cuisines to try, to initiatives to support while travelling.

shows an image of snow fall on mountains - best travel article examples

Our top tips for good travel writing

Scrolling these travel blog examples should give you an idea of what makes a decent blog. But for some fairly defined advice, here are our top tips for good travel writing.

Find out about our travel copywriting service »

Get personal

Your travel copywriting needs to be personal. The words you write hold a lot of weight and need to form an intimate conversation with your reader. When read by your target customers, they need to feel like that travel blog was meant for them. If you strike the right chord, it’s a lot more persuasive.

“There is your audience. There is the language. There are the words that they use.” – Eugene Schwartz

How to write conversational copy?

Use your customer’s words, not industry jargon.
Involve the reader in your copy by breaking the fourth wall.
Don’t be afraid to break grammar rules.
And you can start sentences with conjunctions
Load up on personal pronouns.
Don’t try too hard to impress.

A blog that does this well? Read this travel article example by Ryanair.

Need a helping hand from the travel content experts?

Use high-quality visuals.

Great photos seal the deal when it comes to writing travel content. Without them, you’ll struggle to keep readers engaged and your blog traffic will find it hard to get off the ground. Include striking imagery in your blog that reels in your reader and compliments the words on the page. Check you have permission to use the images you source or opt for copyright-free imagery from sites like Unsplash.

A blog that does this well? Read this example of a travel article by Nomadic Matt.

Travel post example - Shows an inspirational travel quote

Take your readers on a journey

According to the Brand Shop , 55% of consumers are more likely to remember a story than a list of facts, and your travel blog should have a clear start, middle and end. Picture it like a gentle walk through a picturesque valley; you want your customers to feel like they’re walking through the vibrant location you describe in your blog. Hold their hand through areas that already flow into each other in the physical world and make them the main characters in the story. Tell them what they could do in their travels and why they’d enjoy it.

“What matters isn’t storytelling. What matters is telling a true story well.” – Ann Handley

Storytelling best practices:

Connect with the right audience
Align the narrative with your brand values
Be authentic and relatable.
Grab their attention with striking imagery
Provoke action at the end of the story

A blog that does this well? Read this travel article example by Wanderlust.

Immerse your readers in detail

The detail in your writing is essential. But we don’t mean explaining everything. We mean picking out details to make your story much more memorable. By being unique, and descriptive and expressing your brand’s personality in your writing, you’re offering readers something they can’t get anywhere else. And that’s important when travel blogs are available to browse in abundance online. Find ways to stand out in your writing, from your tone to the mental imagery you create. Think back to an advert that sticks in your head – for example, Go Compare. It was unusual, but it stuck out and because of that, the money comparison site is front of mind when people need that service.

A blog that does this well? Read this travel article example by Secret Escapes.

Keep it practical

“All the elements in an advertisement are primarily designed to do one thing and one thing only: get you to read the first sentence of the copy.” – Joseph Sugarman

The practicalities of blog writing are like the crucial pieces of furniture that make a place a home. Without them, it’s an uncomfortable experience you exit quickly and without further action. Although descriptive, your blog needs to provide customers with helpful information and details that will actually help them in their holiday planning. You can include:

Practical itinerary ideas and attractions to see while visiting
Any information that customers may need to know to keep themselves safe
Important advice on travel, eating out and places to stay
A clear call to action at the end of each section or page

A blog that does this well? Read this travel article example by Emirates Holidays.

Blog writing is a task to get right. Even when you’re equipped with all the tips needed to write well, finding great words doesn’t come naturally for everyone. And that’s even before you consider technical details like SEO. That’s where we come in. We’ve been writing great travel content for some of your favourite brands since before the iPhone. Our team are passionate about travel, and we know how to craft excellent copy that will resonate with your audience. The right words can sell a destination, and we’d love to help your travel blog take off. Get in touch. We can help.

Melissa Hawkins

For over five years, Melissa has worked with a variety of lifestyle brands to create compelling campaigns across multiple content formats. She has a particular interest in effective storytelling techniques and enjoys experimenting with tools and ideas to engage users with effective digital content.

Tips for Writing a Travel Memoir

Some of the world’s best literature exists in the form of travel memoirs. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods , Julia Child’s My Life in France , Jamie Zeppa’s Beyond the Sky and the Earth , and John Higham’s 360 Degrees Longitude are all examples of critically acclaimed and universally loved travel memoirs. What makes each of these memoirs so aspirational? Each contains a clever mix of vulnerability, connection, and exoticism.

To create a compelling travel memoir, you must be a great storyteller, first and foremost— and we can help with that. What follows is a list of tips to help you engage your reader with a spellbinding travel story.

Let’s get started.

Here’s a list of the 15 most riveting travel memoirs. Subscribe to receive this extra resource.

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Travel Writing Isn’t The Same As a Travel Memoir

Let’s draw an important distinction right away: A travel memoir is not the same as writing a guide book or a generic book on how to travel.

While the latter two may provide the travel-minded tourist hopeful with generic advice on what to see and do, the travel memoir is focused on the writer’s experience and takeaway. A travel memoir may appeal to the reader with wanderlust, but a love of and a desire to travel is not a requirement. The only true requirement for a travel memoir is a good story.

On the other hand, a reader isn’t likely to curl up with a non-narrative guide book.

Blogging, guide books, tutorials, and other forms of travel writing certainly have their place, but they aren’t the same as a memoir. A travel memoir isn’t just a list of experiences in a unique location. It’s a written documentation of the author’s awakening or evolution.

So, unless you’re being sponsored by the visitor’s bureau to write a marketing pamphlet on the destination, your travel memoir should be intimate, honest, and focused on the emotional takeaway.

Give Yourself Some Time

You can’t write a travel memoir while you’re actually on the journey. At best, you’re writing field notes or a travel journal. However, a memoir must have a deeper meaning that’s only evident after you’ve come to the end of your journey.

Before writing your memoir, you must take time to reflect on your travels and to contemplate your story’s overarching theme.

This past summer, I went on a month long adventure to the American West. Although I’d love to write about it one day, I’m still parsing through the experience and figuring out what I’ve learned. The best stories emerge after they’ve had an opportunity to breathe and you’ve gained much needed self-awareness.

To write with self-awareness, let it settle. Realize how the experience has changed you, and then write from that informed perspective.

You may not have it all figured out. Like me, you may be the type of writer who understands their thoughts while writing, but it’s still important for subconscious processing to give yourself space after an event and before writing.

Define Your Voice

When crafting a memoir of any type, you must define your voice.

Your voice is a combination of the following:

Your unique perspective
The type of language and cadence you use when writing your story
The way you choose to tell the story (i.e. humorous, relatable)

Many travel memoirists choose a voice that’s either friendly, self-deprecating, or conversational, however remember that you’re not bound to this type of voice. You can be aloof, formal, or matter-of-fact. Your voice will impact how the reader experiences your memoir, so choose a voice that carries the sentiment you’re hoping to convey.

We’ve tackled voice before. Check out this post for a thorough guide on finding your writer’s voice .

Focus on the Meaning

The most important part of your travel memoir is the takeaway, or the moral of the story. This advice applies to any memoir, by the way. Creating a travel log of what happened and when it happened is boring. It’s the literary equivalent to showing slide show pictures of your vacation.

But if you dig underneath the surface and discuss not only what happened but what you learned from what happened, you’ll forge a stronger connection with the reader.

Find the universal takeaway that any human over the age of 12 can understand. To do this effectively, you’ll need to take the reader on two separate but parallel journeys. Those two types of journeys involved in your travel memoir are the physical journey and the emotional one. It’s relatively easy to write about the events you experienced on your trip. It’s harder to write about what you learned from the trip.

The meaning of your book is tied to its theme. Whether you go with a popular memoir theme like self-discovery, coping with loss, or coming of age, your theme will help you connect with readers who identify with your struggles.

Pick and Choose the Right Stories

I’m one of those weirdos who believes there’s no such thing as a mundane story, just a mundane way of telling it. This is why it’s crucial to edit yourself and get edited by professional readers .

Without editing, you’re likely to prattle on and on about every event during your journey. And not just you— we’re all prone to rambling. This why we need editing.

When editing yourself, always keep the theme in mind. This will help you include the stories that support your theme and cut the stories that are nice, but ill-fitting. You must be a slave to theme. It’s that important.

Don’t try to tell the entire story blow by blow. Instead, piece together the story that fits in with your overall theme.

Don’t Make Yourself Look Too Good

Sometimes you’re going to sound like a jerk. You’re human. Your reader is human and they’ll understand. In fact, embracing your raw stupidity is what will make you endearing to the reader. It will also make your experience real and relatable which is the entire point of reading a travel memoir. Readers like to travel with you on your emotional journey, and hopefully observe your growth.

Unfortunately, self-preservation dictates that we try to look good at all times. Avoid that urge when writing your travel memoir. Or, at least, edit it out.

You must be willing to look foolish if this is ever going to work. When traveling to different places you’ve never been before, the reader won’t expect you to be completely prepared and perfect. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to offend people. You’re going to hate some of the food. You’re going to pack your preconceived stereotypes right next to your socks and undies. But you’re also going to connect with the reader because your honesty will be relatable.

Have an open mind when you hit the open road.

The story may not go as you’ve anticipated. You’ll be surprised and changed in ways that you never expected but that’s the gift of travel. To document how you’ve changed for the better, you’ve got to show the cringe-worthy before .

Titles Are Crucial

For a travel memoir, especially if you’re an unknown author, so much of your initial success will depend on a clear, catchy, or promising title. While I may not judge a book by it’s cover, I always judge a book by its title, and I suspect I’m not the only one.

J. Maarten Troost’s The Sex Lives of Cannibals wins my award for “Best Travel Memoir Title”. I purchased the book without even reading the first page just because it had a killer title (no pun intended).

That title was catchy, but your title need not be clever to be effective. Cheryl Strayed’s one word title, Wild, sets you up for the type of journey you’re about to take.

Then there’s the promising title, I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do) by Mark Greenside. The reader knows going in that the book will be about France and some rather misfortunate experiences.

Whether you choose a title that’s descriptive or intriguing, at the very least, make it memorable. It should be a title that your reader will remember when they’re recommending your memoir to friends.

Additional Resources

Before you go, check out these related posts:

How to Find Your Writer's Voice
Don't Make These 7 Mistakes When Penning Your Memoir
How to Write a Memoir That People Care About

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Great Travel Writing Examples from World Renowned Travel Writers
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It is a perfect example of how travel and nature writing intersect. One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake . In One More Croissant for the Road, the Guardian's food columnist Felicity Cloake embarks on a cycling trip around France to sniff out the delicacies that make the French nation the crème de la crème of European cuisine.
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Great Travel Writing Examples from World Renowned Travel Writers

11 Great Travel Writing Examples

Writing Example of a Travel Book Closing Paragraphs

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

Writing Example of a Travel Book Intro Paragraphs

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

Intro (Lede) Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Michele’s Lede Paragraph Travel Writing Example

Perry Garfinkel

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

Elaine Masters

Elaine’s Lede Example

Bret’s Lede Example

Middle Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Mariellen’s Middle Paragraph Example

Joe Baur’s Middle Paragraph Example

Samantha Shea

Samantha Shea’s Middle Paragraph Example

Final Paragraph Example of Great Travel Writing Articles

Cassie’s Final Paragraphs Example

Lydia Carey

Lydia’s Final Paragraphs Example

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