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One of the best travel tips I was given before taking my life on the road is a really simple one: write everything down. No matter where you go or what you do on your adventures, having a travel notebook close by to jot down an idea or doodle a scene will help make your memories more clear. The best travel journal is one you'll want to take wherever the wanderlust leads.
A travel journal is good for more than just copying down itineraries or packing lists for the next road trip. Writing down your experiences will help you remember the fantastic flavors of dinner in New York or the way the wind felt on your first morning in the backcountry. However you use it, a travel notebook is a guaranteed way to make the most of your adventures. These affordable options are a great gift for you or the traveler in your life.
Benefits of Journaling + How to Travel Journal
First, let's talk about what experts say about travel and journaling. According to a study conducted by Chun Chu Chen (an Assistant Professor of hospitality business management at Washington State University) and researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Texas A&M University, frequent travel had a positive effect on life satisfaction.
Commit to those travel plans you're eager to take!
You probably see many influencers or bloggers talk about the health benefits of journaling your thoughts and emotions. Experts say that it can improve memory! While journaling, you'll be able to write about memories you may forget one day. It's also been said to reduce stress! It sounds like journaling on your vacation will boost your mood, plus your memory will remain sharp.
And remember, your travel journal isn't going to be published (unless you want it to be). So write enough to help kickstart your new travel blog, or write (or draw) just enough to remember the places you've seen and the people you met.
Best Travel Journals
$33- Moleskine Passion Journal, Travel, Hard Cover
Moleskine's vegan leather cover is well known among writers for its quality and texture. Ernest Hemingway was even rumored to carry one around in his day. As part of the Moleskine Voyageur line, this travel planner holds up the renowned brand's reputation as a source of quality writing supplies. Lined with a world map and accompanied by small icon stickers, the blank pages in this notebook won't stay empty for long.
$20- Minimalist4Life REAL Leather Travel Notebook
Compared to the hardback of the Moleskine Passion notebook, the Minimalist4Life trip journal offers a high-quality, genuine leather softcover. Additionally, the size of this book is small enough to fit into a back pocket, so it can travel wherever you go.
This notebook has a few other attributes that go along with the convenient size. There is a pen loop to keep your writing implement in place, and the sustainably sourced paper is perforated in case you need to rip out notes or to-do lists. How handy is that?
$16- Everywhere You Go: A Guided Travel Journal by Compendium
If you are not sure what to fill a blank notebook with but you're interested in preserving your travel memories, this compendium notebook is for you. Think of it like a written scrapbook: prompts and questions are on-page to help you order your thoughts, with plenty of space to record them. Use this notebook to make a bucket list and then go and travel to it.
$10- Letterfolk Trip Passport Journal - Pocket-sized Experience Book
Similar to the Everywhere You Go journal, the Letterfolk trip notebook is a written keepsake of everything your travels have shown you. From checklists to blocks for illustrating your mood, this journal gives you a way to revisit your favorite trips time and time again (as the best travel journals should).
This little Letterfolk notebook is almost no larger than a ticket stub and actually about the dimensions of a passport. The convenient size is invaluable to have at dinners, on train rides, or out in the woods. Remind yourself that "I was here" long after the tour has ended.
$8- Minimalism Art, Premium Hard Cover Notebook
Minimalism Art is a design company from San Francisco that may have created your next travel diary. The hardback leatherette cover of this dotted notebook is similar to the Moleskine travel journal (but for a fraction of the price). Outside the cover, an elastic band prevents the pages from being ruffled when loose in a backpack or suitcase. Note-taking in the book is a clean and simple process: fill the pages with whatever your experiences deliver.
No matter what sort of paper you're picking up, your travel journal is going to be essential packing for your next trip. Stash it in your carry-on or add one to your Amazon wishlist— just don't hit the road without one!
This post was originally published on October 29, 2021.
READ MORE: Travel Blankets: 5 Cozy Choices for Backpacking, Jet-Setting, and Road Tripping
