Have you gone on a trip or are you going to do so soon? If you want to keep a unique memory of this stay combining texts, photos and souvenir objects, you absolutely must know how to make an original travel diary ! Fortunately, we are here for you...
To make an original travel diary , you must:
- Choose between paper or digital travel diary;
- Decorate it;
- Tell anecdotes and share emotions;
- Choose the best time of day;
- Be organized.
Here are our best inspiring ideas for making the coolest paper or digital travel diaries. Good reading !
How to make a paper travel diary?
Are you going on an adventure and want to play it classic and handwritten? Nothing better to treasure your memories of this stay than a paper travel journal! Here are our 5 tips for making an original, well-structured paper travel diary :
1) Choose your writing time of the day
First of all, know that for a travel story to be told well, you have to spend time on it and do it rigorously. This is why we advise you to choose your “inspiration moment” of the day. Some love to write on public transport, others before going to bed, the bravest get started when they get up after breakfast...the choice is yours! You are as free as the air but despite everything, establishing a certain rigor and a certain routine in the realization of this story will allow you to organize yourself as well as possible and not to miss the most important moments of your trip!
2) Decorate it!
A travel diary should not be limited to pure and simple writing. We recommend that you decorate it with physical elements that will have been part of your trip: a train ticket, a coin, entry to a show, a festival bracelet, a portion of a geographical map, a bank note from the country in question, any meaningful souvenir that would recall a significant moment of your trip!
In fact, to ensure that your notebook is full of material memories, we advise you to take with you the appropriate tools: felt-tip pens, colored pencils, scissors, glue or a roll of adhesive tape, among others.
Without forgetting art, of course, if you are one of those who have a drawing talent, do not hesitate to draw as much as possible in your travel notebook in order to make it as original and unique as possible. Ex: add icons, stars to give your opinion on this or that tourist place, "€" or "$" to remind you how cheap this restaurant was or on the contrary, a little too expensive... Finally , do you get the idea?
3) Make a plan
Now let’s get to the editorial style! Try to make a plan, for example dividing:
- discovered places;
- emotions and feelings;
- people met ;
- amusing and/or memorable anecdotes.
Start by describing the places and people, then talk about your emotions, ending with the most memorable anecdotes that you experienced at that precise moment. Making a plan avoids falling into a cluttered and chaotic narrative.
Here is an example :
"July 21: the weather is dry, hot, sunny. So I decided to explore the beach of Moledo, in the north of Portugal. Today, I'm playing solo, when I arrive, to my great surprise, the beach is not crowded, so I have the freedom to choose my place! (phew!) I feel relaxed, I observe the ocean and the infinite azure for a long time which always fascinates me After lying on the hot sand for a few minutes, a surfer stopped near me and asked me in broken English if I would mind looking after his dog for 15 minutes. I agreed, of course. This dog is completely crazy, I have fun throwing his ball as far as possible, and it seems that he has already adopted me, since he brings it back with the same energy and good humor every time... "
4) Let other people write
Allowing your travel companion or new friends you meet along the way to leave a little note in your travel diary will make the story much more vivid and will add to your memories one of the most important elements of travel: the people. who you are with at that moment.
5) The photos
Reserve the last pages of your travel notebook for your photographs! It is not a photo album, but rather a collage where images, reflections, memories and sensations mingle. What could be nicer than ending this travel story with beautiful souvenir photos?
If you like the Instagram style, don't hesitate to add the model of the camera with which you took your photos in order to enrich the captions of these travel photos with additional detail. Then, if you're really into the Instagram style , just add hashtags as captions. Ex: #emotions #memory #portugal #beach. Modernity and style guaranteed for your great travel diary!
How to make a travel diary easily online?
Are you more of a digital and pro-screen type? The option of travel writing on the internet is then made for you! Obviously, here, it will no longer be a question of bringing small notebooks, pencils or glue, but a digital device such as a tablet, a smartphone or a laptop.
As for structuring the travel story, the plan we gave you previously still works well, so take a look at it if you haven't already!
Two main options are available to you if you have chosen to create an online travel diary: the travel blog and simplified websites.
The Travel Blog: + and -
The “+’s”:
- Totally unique, personalized and customizable over time;
- Sharing with the general public on social networks;
- No limitation in the number of photos/videos;
- Possibility of monetizing it;
- Possibility of enlarging it and attaching all your travel stories to this blog.
THE "-" :
- You will have to devote a considerable amount of time to it if you wish to obtain a worthy result.
- Difficult to print
- Requires a good level of writing
Online platforms: + and -
If you type “ travel diary on the internet ” into a search engine, you will most likely come across sites such as: myatlas.com or memotrips.com (among others...). These sites allow you to create your travel diary online simply and “for free”. Be careful though, because although the registration and layout of your notebook is free, you may sometimes have to pay costs if you wish to print it and keep a physical souvenir, or share it on social networks. To avoid any disappointment, find out carefully about the site you choose before you start! So here are our advantages and disadvantages:
The “+’s”:
- Simplified structure;
- Often it is possible to choose between " reporter notebook " (journey completed) or "live notebook" (journey in progress);
- Ease of printing;
- Time saving ;
- Modern.
THE "-" :
- Lack of personality and customization
- Limiting the number of photos
- Sometimes impossible to share on social networks
- Immortalize and share your memories in an online travel diary
That's the end of our article, we hope that now you will know how to create an original travel diary , whether handwritten or completely digital and of course that your inspiration has been awakened by our advice!
Have a good trip, make your dreams come true and see you soon, dear readers!
