travel story writing ideas

31 Travel Journal Prompts + Creative Travel Journal Ideas

Looking for travel journal prompts and creative travel journal ideas ?

Then you’re in the right place! 

Especially right now as travel is limited and people are searching for ways to travel at home, such as through relaxing staycations , keeping a travel journal can be a great way to relive your favorite trip memories. 

Moreover, it can keep travel alive, allow you to explore the world from home, and help you stay curious. 

Keep reading for a list of fun journal writing prompts related to travel as well as tips for creating something tangible that truly helps you feel inspired. 

Table of Contents

Downloadable Travel Journal PDF

Before we dive into the post, though, I want to offer you the chance to grab my free printable travel journal . 

The trip journal includes 56 prompts in total. 

This inspiring printable and fillable journal is great for exercising your creativity while traveling from home as you remember your favorite trips. 

Grab it, and then feel free to message me on Instagram ( @jessieonajourney ) to let me know which travel journal writing prompts were your favorite and why.

I plan to update the journal in the future — and you’ll get any revisions I make — so your feedback is appreciated!

What Is A Travel Journal?

A travel journal is a place where you can document your trip memories, whether you’re spending 7 days in Cancun , going on a solo USA road trip , off completing the world’s best hiking trails , or something else.

These can be paper or digital, bound or looseleaf, thin or thick. And— when it comes to how to write in a travel journal — it can include just text or a variety of mediums.

The point is, it offers a way to record what happens to you on the road — though you’re welcome to take your entries and give them a fictional twist for fun! 

Choosing Your Travel Journal

I may be a little biased, but if you’re looking for the best travel journal with prompts, I recommend grabbing my free printable journal here . 

Because I made it fillable, you can also use it as a travel journal online!

Additionally, there are loads of inspiring options online if you’d prefer to purchase one. A quick note that the below journal links are affiliate links. 

On Amazon, I love this vegan leather option as well as this mindful travel journal .

Additionally, I’m a huge fan of the travel journals at Modcloth. Click here and search “journals” to view their latest collection.

Creative Travel Journal Ideas

Wondering how to be creative in your journal?

First of all, remember that a journal doesn’t just have to be writing. Use markers, paints, stickers, glitter, and even momentos from your travels to really bring the text to life. 

Of course, don’t forget about travel-themed accents, too, like stamps, tickets, postcards, and maps — you can even cut out sections of a map to showcase your favorite destinations. 

If you’re artistic, you might also consider bullet journaling and other techniques to make your journal more visual. 

In terms of keeping your travel writing fresh, having details to pull from can be a huge help.

When possible, try to experience a place with all five senses so you have more to draw from later. I personally like to take notes right after any experience I think I may write about later. 

Keep in mind, being fully present in this way is also just an overall healthy practice. 

If you’re having trouble remembering details, try to sit in silence and do a visualization. Personally, when I do this exercise I aim to not only see myself in a place, but to put myself back in the place so that I am seeing the scene through my own eyes. 

Feeling writer’s block?

Sometimes all that it takes is a change of scenery to get inspired again. Try going for a walk or trying a new cafe to see if that helps.

If not, put the journal away, give yourself some mental space, and pick it back up tomorrow. 

And if you’re proud of what you’ve written, feel free to post it on social media, share it in an email with friends or, of course, keep it to yourself. 

How To Keep A Travel Journal: Quick Tips 

As an avid journaler myself, these are some of my personal tips for having fun, feeling creative, and staying inspired while writing.

As with travel tips and trip styles, everyone has their own process when it comes to journaling, and something that works for me may not work for you. Feel free to try out this advice, keep what works, and let go of what doesn’t.

Overall, the goal is that you get something beneficial out of these pages.

Tip #1: Journal when you feel most creative.

For instance, you might choose some mindful ways to start your day and have completing daily journal prompts be one of your morning rituals. 

However, if you find you feel more creative in the afternoon or evening, plan your writing for then.

Tip #2: Don’t edit as you write.

Allow your first draft to be all about getting your ideas and thoughts down onto the paper and getting into a creative flow state.

You can always tweak things later.

Tip #3: Remember the power of lists.

This is one of my favorite trip journal ideas!

Writing in lists can be helpful when you’re:

• having trouble getting started
• wondering what things to put in a travel journal
• feeling like your sentences just aren’t flowing together

This way, you can at least get your ideas down and edit them together in a cohesive manner later on.

Tip #4: Write stories.

While this isn’t mandatory, those who are curious how to write a travel journal that’s worth reading should consider writing your thoughts as stories instead of in a stream-of-conscious fashion. 

To write a story, make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. Actually, if you really want to do it right, you should also consider character, plot, setting, and tension.

For a lesson in storytelling, make sure to check out this video on how to improve your creative storytelling skills for more engaging writing:

Tip #5: Go beyond text.

Wondering what to put in a travel journal?

Realize there is no right or wrong answer to this question!

Keep it text-based, or add paintings, drawings, stickers, momentos from your trip, and more. 

Personally, I’ve started writing out my journal entries and then drawing them to add some additional creativity and really bring the pages to life. 

The Best Travel Journal Apps

Prefer a digital journal option over paper? 

There is an app for that! 

I’ve talked about my favorite travel safety apps before, but here are a few of my favorite apps for keeping a travel journal:

Travel Diaries .  This free app allows you to create both public and private journals. The layouts are customizable, and you can easily add text, photos, and even maps. 

One really neat feature of this app:

You can turn your travel diary into a physical creation to be shipped to your home!

Day One Journal . This is another great travel journal app that makes it simple to record your memories using photos, videos, drawings, and even audio recordings. 

The “On This Day” feature allows you to go back in time to revisit your favorite trip moments, while automatic backups ensure your content never gets lost. 

Unique app feature:

You can handwrite in your journal using your finger or Apple Pencil. 

This travel app has both free and paid premium versions. 

Polarsteps . Dubbed “the personal travel log in your pocket,” Polarsteps is an app that helps you plan your trips as well as record them along the way in a visually-appealing manner.

In fact, this app puts an emphasis on adding experiences to maps and using video to document, so you can really bring your trips back to life later on. 

A feature I love:

You can turn your travel memories into a stunning hardcover book to keep!

Unique Travel Journal Examples

Looking for some travel journal inspiration?

Here are some mood boards with journal examples to help get your creative juices flowing.

These are also helpful if you’re wanting to learn how to make a travel journal.

By the way:

Check out the bottom right photo in the top collage if you’re looking for travel journal layout ideas.

Travel Writing Prompts – Quick Picker 

If you’re like me and often feel indecisive when choosing a prompt, I’ve got a fun little tool that can help:

The above video moves through the list of writing prompts quickly.

To use it as a quick picker, press play, turn your gaze down, and then stop the video at a random moment.

Then, voilà , you’ve got your travel writing prompt chosen for you! 

31 Travel Journal Prompts

Whether you’re physically traveling or at home dreaming of the road, use these travel prompts for your journal.

I love these prompts for when I’m feeling stuck and am searching for things to write in a travel journal:

1. Remember a time when you met people while traveling that felt like family. Describe your time with them in great detail.

2. Write a postcard to a friend from a place you’ve loved visiting.

3. Think about a problem that exists in travel. Now, invent a solution to the problem. Hey, could this journal help you come up with your next million-dollar idea?

4. If you could go on a trip with anyone, dead or alive, who would you go with? Where would you go and what would you do?

5. Share a time you were lost or that you lost something while traveling. 

6. How has travel changed or shaped you? Note: This is one of my favorite self-discovery journal prompts!

7. Start your travel story with the following: “It was a dark and stormy night…”

8. What is the first vacation memory that comes to mind? Come up with your memory in 10 seconds or less!

9. Think back to the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to. Now, describe it using all five senses.

10. Write about a multi-destination trip — from the perspective of your backpack.

11. What is a sticky situation you’ve gotten out of on the road? Hint: Allow this to also be a reminder of your strength!

12. What is a fear you’ve overcome while traveling? How?

13. Take your story from the previous prompt about overcoming a fear while traveling and rewrite it from the perspective of an onlooker.

14. What has been your craziest transportation experience?

15. Write a review of the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in.

16. Write a review of the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed in using humor.

17. Write a letter of gratitude to someone who showed you an act of kindness on the road .

18. Write about the last trip you took — from the perspective of yourself in the year 2600.

19. Write about a hike you loved doing using all five senses.

20. “Travel makes me feel _____.” Why?

21. Write about a trip you took last year from the perspective of your favorite book or movie character.

22. What is the biggest lesson that travel has taught you? Share a story that brings this to life.

23. Pretend that you were given an extra day on a trip you loved. What would that day have looked like?

24. Choose a trip you haven’t written about yet. Now choose a different time period, and write about the trip as if it happened in that time period.

25. In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about travel?

26. Think back to an interesting conversation you’ve had while traveling and begin your story with that dialogue.

27. Transport yourself to a beautiful beach you’ve visited. Suddenly, a message in a bottle washes up onto the shore. What does it say? How do you react?

28. Here is a road trip journal idea! Write about a road trip you went on, but have someone else from the trip be the narrator. Hint: If you traveled solo, have the car or an onlooker be the narrator.

29. Think of a time you went on a trip that took you out of your comfort zone. Write the end of the story, then the middle, then the beginning.

30. What is one piece of advice you’ve been told by a local while traveling? Have you applied it to your life? Why/why not?

31. If you were to write a travel memoir, what would the first chapter look like?

Bonus: Pair Your Journal Prompts With Self-Care

In my opinion, the best way to enjoy time spent journaling is by pairing it with other self-care activities.

In the video above, I share my top 10 favorite self-care tips and rituals for travelers — though they can also be enjoyed at home!

My recommendation:

Make a day of it! Use the journal prompts and the self-care rituals to create your own DIY retreat .

Want more travel-themed prompts?

Don’t forget to grab my free downloadable Inspired Storyteller Travel Journal — featuring inspiring quotes, writing tips, and 56 fun prompts to help you recount your favorite trip memories and write creatively. 

Do you have any travel journal prompts to add?

What are your favorite creative travel journal ideas, related posts:.

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These prompts are just the inspiration I needed to capture my thoughts about travel. Not only do they tap into my travel memories, but they feed my creative spirit. Who says you have to actually go anywhere to be well-traveled? 😉

I have trouble keeping a journal, but have always want too – these are such good prompts ill have to give it another try!

Wow, what an incredible article! I’m so grateful to have come across this treasure trove of travel journal prompts and ideas. The suggestions provided here are truly inspiring and have sparked my wanderlust even more. From capturing the sensory details to reflecting on personal growth, these prompts cover every aspect of a fulfilling travel journal. The beautiful descriptions and practical tips have motivated me to start documenting my adventures with a renewed passion. Thank you for sharing such a valuable resource that will undoubtedly enhance my future travel experiences. Keep up the fantastic work!

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TRAVEL WITH MERAKI

Make Moments Matter

Get Inspired With These 50 Travel Journal Prompts

Travel Journal Writing Prompts

Struggling with ideas for your Travel Diary? Try these travel journal prompts to get you inspired and create amazing memories from your adventures and destinations!

There are so many reasons you should try writing a travel journal for your next vacation. Keeping a travel journal is a fantastic way to prepare for a trip, help you stay organized during a holiday and to keep those amazing travel memories alive long after your adventure has finished. 

Trying to come up with ideas on what to write about can be hard work though…especially if you are tired after a day of sightseeing! It can also be hard to know where to start as you have often seen and done so much in a day of travel !

Create a travel journal you are going to treasure for many years to come with the travel prompts below. They will help you capture all the sights, feelings and experiences you have that make your trip worth remembering.  

Table of Contents

Travel Journal Prompts

So, what do you write in a travel journal?

It’s normal to feel a little stuck with writing. Usually just starting is the hardest part and once you begin writing you will find the ideas flow easily.

Using journal prompts like the ones below is a great way to get stop the writing block. 

If you use your travel diary to help plan your adventure then it’s a great idea to get into the habit of journaling before you leave. 

Travel Prompts For Before The Trip

• What are your expectations of this destination or experience?
• What is on your destination bucket list? And why do you want to see or experience these things? 
• What part of this trip have you enjoyed planning for the most?
• Have there been any pre-trip disasters? 
• Why did you choose this adventure or destination?
• Are you worried about anything?
• What advice have you read or been given about your destination?
• What are you most excited about? ( it could be food to try or a tour you have booked).
• What has been your favorite vacation/adventure ever? 
• What  souvenir do you want to bring home?
• What do you want to learn on this adventure?
• How have you saved up for this trip?
• What are some interesting facts you have researched about your destination?

To really make the most of travel journaling it is a good idea to create a habit. Maybe get up half an hour early to write about your day before, or make sure you leave some time at the end of the day to journal. Try to journal every day as it is amazing how quickly you can forget all those small details.  Try the below journal prompts to inspire you while you are traveling. 

Journal Prompts While Traveling

• What was the first thing you noticed/felt when you reached your destination
• What was the most amazing thing you did today?
• What was the worst thing that happened today?
• Did you try something new?
• What made you smile, laugh, cry?
• What did you eat?
• What people did you meet today?
• Did something go wrong today? ( Travel disasters can sometimes end up as funny stories later on)
• What are clear things you remember feeling, seeing, touching, smelling or hearing? Evoking senses is a fantastic way to bring back memories when you reread your travel journal.
• What are you missing about home?
• What cultural experiences have you had today?
• How did you feel waking up in a new place?
• Describe the place you are in detail ( add smells, tastes, sounds, and feelings as well as what you see)
• Write down some interesting facts or history about your destination
• What makes this place similar or very different from where you are from?
• Did something put you outside of your comfort zone? Why? How did you feel?
• What is happening in the news at your destination? Are you seeing/feeling/being affected by this while you travel?
• How did an experience, person or site make you feel today?
• What music are you listening too?
• What books/magazines are you reading?
• Did you learn any new words or phrases today? How did you learn them? Where did you use them?

Writing in your travel journal at the end of your adventure is the perfect way to reflect. You could journal on the flight home, or wait until you are already home and unpacking to see what your lasting memories and emotions are about a vacation. Below are some holiday journal prompts to help. 

Post Vacation Writing Prompts

• Would you visit again? Or change something in your itinerary if you could go back?
• Did you learn anything?
• How would you describe what you did and saw to a friend or someone that was thinking of traveling to the same destination?
• What was your favorite…. ( could add food, tour, place to visit, experience, person you met.)
• Recall something funny that happened on your trip.
• What were the highlights of your adventure?
• What were some low points of your trip?
• How did your trip differ/live up to your expectations?
• Did your adventure change you or help you grow in any way?
• Where do you want to go next? Why?
• What  souvenir did you bring home?
• What item did you wish you had packed? Or things you realized you didn’t need to pack!
• What is one thing you didn’t get to do but wish you had?
• What is one thing you did do but wish you hadn’t?
• Is there a new food, or tradition from the trip that you are going to bring into your everyday life?
• How did you feel coming home from your adventure?

Want these as a printable to take with you on your adventure? Download your FREE travel Journal Prompts HERE

Travel Journal With Prompts

Want to make it even easier? Why not buy a travel diary that already has travel writing prompts?

Here are some travel journals with prompts we love!

Travel with Meraki – Remember, when you are wondering what to record in a travel journal to not just stick with the facts ( I went here, it was hot today). Add lots of descriptions using all your senses! As well as what you saw, you want to remember the smells, textures, and sounds of a destination. Be sure to also write how all these things made you FEEL !

Travel Quotes To Use In Your Travel Journal

Quotes About Journeys

Vacation Quotes For Families

The Best Travel Quotes

PIN FOR LATER!

Holiday Journal Prompts

Sharing is caring!

38 Travel Writing Prompts for Travel Writers

Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or stressing about the headline for your next travel writing pitch, we’ve got your back!

You should always check out the publication’s you’re pitching to get a feel for the style of their headlines for your best chance at success (and do some SEO research if it’s your own site), but here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing…

Itineraries

[3] Days in [City] for [Nature] Lovers

The Perfect Long Weekend for a Romantic Trip to [City]

Itineraries for Kids of Every Age in [City]

How to See the Best of [City] in [2] Days

[7] [Movie] Filming Locations to Visit in [City]

1st Person Narratives

How I [Found Myself Again After Divorce] in [City]

How I [Explored My Roots] in [City]

Exploring my Hometown as a Travel Writer

My Search for [the Perfect Beach] in [City]

The Quest to Save [the Oneida Language] in [City]

Searching for [The Wolves of Nearly Extinct Fruit Dove]

Off the Beaten Path

[7] Restaurants Only Locals Know in [City]

Live Like a Local in [City]

Get Lost: Why I Ditched the Map in [City]

The Longest-Operating [Hotel] in [City]

Packing Lists

[12] Must-Pack Items for a Trip to [City]

The Carry-On Capsule Wardrobe for [City]

Packing for [3] Climates in One Carry-on

[9] Summertime Packing Must-Haves

Where to Find Black History in [City/State]

Where to Find the Best Coffee in [City]

Summer Arts Guide to [City/State]

The 5 Best Things to do in [City] When It’s Snowing

Anniversaries/Debuts

New [Art]-Themed Hotel Opens in [City]

See the [Exhibit Name] at [Museum Name] Before it Closes

[City] Celebrates It’s Centennial with Fun-Packed Weekend

Annual Festivals/Events

Don’t Miss This Year’s [Festival/Event Name] in [City]

How to Attend the [Festival/Event Name] on a Budget

5 Hotels That Put You Near the Action at the [Festival/Event Name]

Holidays/Seasonal

Travel Hacks for Making the Most of Christmas in [City]

Experience [Holiday] in [City]

Celebrate New Year’s in Style in [City]

A Black History Road Trip Across [State]

It’s Leaf-Peeping Season in [State]! Where to Find the Best Colors

Summer Fun in [City]

An Inside Look at [City/Resort/Activity]

Live Like [a Celebrity] at [Resort]

[7] Cities Where Vegans Eat Like Kings

Ready to take your travel writing to the next level? Join our Travel Writers Café for weekly calls-for-submission from editors, trainings, travel writing retreats , networking with other writers and more.

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65+ Travel Journal Prompts to Inspire Your Wanderlust

Posted on Last updated: January 22, 2024

When writing a travel story, following some travel journal prompts can be helpful to get the creative juices flowing. Here is a list with journal prompt ideas I compiled to get you started.

There are also quite a few journals you can buy that already have travel writing prompts in them. You can see all journals with prompts further down in this article.

Bucket List Journal Prompts

Travel experience writing prompts, inspirational journal prompts, holiday journal prompts, hiking journal prompts, travel journal prompts for kids, top travel journals for kids, the adventure book travel journal, clever fox travel journals, oakdene personalised travel journals, moleskine travel journal, duncan & stone travel journal, everywhere you go travel journal, promptly travel journal, axel & ash travel journals, onelinevoyage travel journal, luckies travel journal, travel without leaving home, which book to read, our favourite travel journals, our favourite travel notebook covers, travel journals for kids, discover unique travel gear & gifts.

LIST OF TRAVEL JOURNAL WRITING PROMPTS

OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL JOURNALS WITH PROMPTS Full list at the bottom of this post! The Adventure Book ( Original , Ultimate and Europe Edition) Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal Duncan & Stone Travel Journal Compendium Everywhere You Go: Guided Travel Journal Promptly Journals X Kelli Murray Clever Fox Travel Journal Axel & Ash Life’s a Road Trip Journal Luckies Scratch Off Travelogue

• What are the Top 100 destinations you would like to visit?
• What are the destinations you would like to visit in your own country?
• What are the destinations you would like to visit in your own town/city?
• What is your ultimate travel dream?
• What are some destinations you would once like to return to?

You don’t always need to be physically on the road to enjoy the beauty of destinations from all around the world!

From vintage travel posters to beautifully displayed souvenirs and home decor items inspired by your favourite places and from travel journals and crafts to exploring world recipes, music and dance.

With our creative articles you’ll get some fresh ideas on how to bring the world closer to the comforts of your own home.

• Which amazing world dishes did you try across the globe?
• Create a “6-word story”: write down a single travel experience in just 6 words
• (When visiting a country) What is similar and what is different to home?
• What is a memorable conversation you had with a local?
• What is a memorable conversation you had with another traveller?
• Did anything go wrong on your trip? What did you learn from that?
• What were things you were grateful for on your trip?
• What is a phrase you learned in a foreign language?
• What were local people wearing in the place you visited? Draw it!
• What was the strangest transportation device on your trip?
• What was unique about the accommodation you stayed at?

• What calls you to adventure?
• What memorable insights did you have on your trip?
• What are your favourite travel quotes?
• What makes you happy on the road?
• What did you most miss from home?
• If your trip would be turned into a book or movie, what would the title be?

• What is your favourite travel playlist / song?
• What was the most useful item you’ve packed? why?
• What was the most useless item you’ve packed? why?
• Which books did you read on your holiday?
• What souvenir(s) did you bring home from the trip?
• What is a dish from your trip that you will try to recreate at home?

• Which colours stood out to you during your hike?
• What elements of landscape did you encounter (hill, rocks, waterfall, etc.)
• (if you stayed overnight) Which constellations did you spot? Can you draw them?
• Which flowers did you see? Can you draw them or can you add a pressed flower? (of course only if it’s allowed to pick flowers in the area you hiked, and there were plenty of them)
• What smells did you come across on your hike?
• Did you recognize any trees, plants or wild herbs on your hike?
• What noises did you hear on your hike?
• What did the clouds look like on your hike? Can you draw it?
• Could you recognize any bird sounds on your hike?
• Did you find any animal tracks on your hike?
• What did walking in silence do to you?
• Did you come up with any interesting thoughts or ideas during your hike?
• What were you most grateful for on your hike?
• Did you have any mental or physical challenges on your hike?
• If you had to describe your hike to someone who’s never been out in nature, what would you write?
• How did being outdoors make you feel?

• Where have you been?
• Who did you travel with?
• What were your top 3 activities? Why?
• What was your least favourite activity? Why?
• What is one weird thing you ate?
• What is one weird thing you smelled?
• What is one weird thing you saw?
• What is one weird thing you touched?
• What is one weird thing you heard?
• What kind of transportation did you ride?
• Did you make any friends? Who?
• Which stuffed animal did you bring?
• Which books did you read?
• Did you bring a souvenir home? What is it?
• Which animals did you see?
• Did you try any new food? What was it and did you like it?
• What was the funniest thing that happened on the trip?
• What is one thing you learned on your trip?
• Can you name 3 facts of the place you visited?
• Design a sticker/postcard/t-shirt of the place you visited
• Did you see any art on your trip? Can you describe/draw it?
• Would you like to visit this place again or not? Why?
• Where would you like to travel next?

Full list at the bottom of this post!

• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal ( RED / BLUE / YELLOW )
• Lonely Planet Kids My Travel Journal
• The Ultimate Travel Journal For Kids
• Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids
• Here I Go!: A Kid’s Travel Journal

The Travel Tester loves to review books that teach you something about yourself or the world around us.

From travel guides and stories to books about business and self-development and from cultural stories to cook books from kitchens around the world… if it looks interesting to us, we’ll test it!

No matter where you’re going, with our reviews you’ll know exactly what to read next!

TRAVEL JOURNAL WITH PROMPTS

I believe that the best travel journal with prompts is The Adventure Book by fellow Dutchie Nicole Nagelgast. These stunning and high-quality journals have a spot for every independent country in the world for you to fill, plus a bunch of cool prompts for you to do, collect, or experience while traveling.

You can get the Adventure Book in the 288-page, 8×9.5″ (20.5×24,5cm) Ultimate Traveler’s Edition , the 220-page, 4.9×7.8″ (19.7×12.5cm) Original Edition and the 200-page, 4.9×7.8″ (19.7×12.5cm) Europe Edition .

I’m also a big fan of the journals from Clever Fox. They come with prompts, stickers, checklists, a pocket, pen loop, ribbon bookmarks and elastic closure. You can choose between a 100+ page Travel Journal , Bucket List Journal and Camping Journal . They measure 5.8×8.3″ (14.7x21cm).

Oakdene Designs has a whole bunch of travel journals with prompts that you can also personalize. Check out their 80-page (40 double-sided printed) Travel Journal , Motorhome Journal , Caravan Journal , Hiking Journal , Road Bike Journal , Camping Journal and this special Wooden Adventure Journal . They measure 5.9×8.3″ (15x21cm)

Beside the general travel journal by Moleskine, they also have a 400-page traveller’s journal in collaboration with National Geographic ! This hardcover, high-quality travel diary comes in a decorative box and includes a 12 month subscription to National Geographic, 2 ribbon bookmarks, themed stickers and tabbed sections to guide your note taking. There is space for travel planning and inspiration plus pages that can be transformed into a scrapbook of your trips. It measures 5×8.25″ (12.7x21cm).

I love the aesthetic of the 100-page Duncan & Stone Travel Journal ! You can personalize this travel organizer by writing down your bucket list & special memories from 15 trips. Fill out basic details, favorite memories, & photos from each trip to remember the specifics that made the trip unforgettable. The journal is linen-bound hardcover with an embossed title. It measures 7.75×9.25″ (19.7×23.5cm).

Compendium has the 112-page Everywhere You Go: Guided Travel Journal . This guided journal holds unexpected prompts to help inspire thoughtful reflections from any travel adventure. It includes breakout spreads with uplifting quotes to help frame your thoughts and experiences, along with space for packing lists, notes, addresses, and things you want to remember. Features foil stamping on a soft cover and a ribbon marker. Printed with soy and metallic inks. It measures 5.75×8.5″ (14.6×21.6cm).

The 88-page Promptly journal is filled with custom prompts and also has plenty of space for your own additions. This minimalist notebook comes has a linen hardcover with gold embossing and comes in deep blue, powdered blue and solid grey. Some of the sections included in the journal are: a brief itinerary, memorable moments, highlights, transportation, accommodations, food, mishaps, travel companions, and a place to paste in mementoes & photos. It measures 5.5×8.25″ (14x21cm).

The beautifully designed “ Life’s a Road Trip ” and “ Swept Away by Wanderlust ” journals by Axel & Ash both feature quirky questions, fun writing prompts, ‘to-do’ notes, list pages to remember the favourites and a bucket list to fill out along the way. They measure 7.1×8.1″ (18×20.5cm).

The 72-page faux leather travel journal from OneLineVoyage on Etsy features customizable content on recycled paper, document storing space and an elastic diary band strap. This diary has pre-printed prompts that make it extra fun to fill out. It measures 6.5×8.6″ inches) (17x22cm)

The 64-page Travelogue by Luckies of London is a travel journal with notepad pages, as well as 8 miniature scratch maps, each representing different regions of the world. Simply scratch off where you’ve been! This journal also includes a checklist and travel tips. It measures 6.7×8.8″ (17×22.4cm)

Letterfolk Travel Journal

In the 48-page Trip Passport by Letterfolk, you can easily collect your travel experiences. This small, pocket-sized journal includes 20 entry pages to record details from each trip taken, as well as 8 bonus pages that include checklists, bucket lists, and other fun activities and information. Each entry page is accompanied by a blank page for notes, memories, or affixing mementos like photos or receipts and there is space to record the date, location, who you went with, first impressions, sights, wildlife and more! It measures 3.5×5.5″ (8.9x14cm) – roughly the size of a travel passport.

• The Adventure Book – Original Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• The Adventure Book – Europe Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• The Adventure Book – Ultimate Traveler’s Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• Moleskine Passion Journal Travel (blank paper)
• Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal (tabbed sections + prompts)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – London (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – Paris (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – New York (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – Hong Kong (pocket)
• Duncan & Stone Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Everywhere You Go: Guided Travel Journal (prompts)
• Promptly Journals X Kelli Murray (prompts + scrapbook)
• Robrasim Refillable Leather Travelers Notebook (mixed papers + pockets)
• Clever Fox Bucket List Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Clever Fox Camping Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Clever Fox Travel Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Axel & Ash Life’s a Road Trip Journal (prompts)
• Axel & Ash Swept Away by Wanderlust (prompts)
• Field Notes: National Parks Series (pocket, graph paper)
• Bookishly Travel Journals (blank pages)
• Wayfaren Travel Journal (lined paper)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Motorhome Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Caravan Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Wooden Journal (lined pages)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Hiking Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Road Bike Journal (prompts)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Wooden Adventure Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Camping Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• CamperVanStore Bamboo Travel Journal (lined paper + pen)
• Personalized Monogrammed Leather Travel Journal (blank pages)
• OneLineVoyage Faux Leather Travel Journal (prompts)
• Luckies Scratch Off Travelogue (prompts + scratch maps)
• Letterfolk Trip Passport (pocket + prompts)
• Galen Leather – Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Covers
• Galen Leather – Moleskine Covers
• Galen Leather – Field Notes Covers
• Galen Leather – Traveler’s Notebook Covers
• I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – RED
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – BLUE
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – YELLOW
• Kids’ Travel Specialty Journal
• Lonely Planet Kids The Travel Activity Book
• Travel Journal for Kids

GET YOUR JOURNALING SUPPLIES

Compile your own travel journal kit with these items:

• colouring pencils
• felt tip pens (love these from Stabilo and Paper Mate )
• pens (love this Fisher space pen , the PILOT Rolling Ball Gel Pens and the Stabilo sensor pens )
• highlighters
• sharpie markers and pens
• hole puncher
• cutting mat
• glue stick / glue roller
• stamps ( wooden travel stamps or silicone travel stamps )
• stickers (for example: travel sticker set , planner stickers , world landmark stickers , passport stamp stickers , US state stickers , travel around the world stickers , US national park stickers , outdoor stickers )
• magnetic page markers
• origami paper
• scrapbook paper
• pressed flowers
• pressed leaves
• scrapbook feathers
• polaroids ( fujifilm instax mini camera, film and printer here )
• digital printables ( travel stationary and country flags )
• project life album
• project life pocket pages ( type 1 / type 2 )
• project life lined cards
• more project life items

In The Travel Tester shop, you will find our favourite travel products and original gift ideas.

Whether you’re looking for the best travel gear, gadgets, electronics, packing solutions, clothing, shoes, travel books, health- or beauty products… we’ve made a personal selection for you!

We’ve also included our favourite tech items used to create this blog, as well as material that can help you in your self-development, such as interesting books and courses.

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

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.

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

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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33 Terrific Travel Journal Ideas, Tips + Prompts!

Looking for the best travel journal ideas to help you remember your next trip–plus some prompts to help you think of what to write?

You’ve come to the right place!

As a lifelong lover of both journaling and travel, I have experimented with all kinds of travel journals over the years, ranging from the time-consuming to the simple, from the unique to the very basic.

I absolutely love the travel journaling system that I use now (more on that below), but depending on your habits and writing style, there is no limit to the number of ways to preserve your travel memories on the written page.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

This guide to travel journal ideas and prompts covers everything from the physical kind of travel diary to use, to tips on journaling effectively, to travel journaling prompts to help you get your writing started.

Remember, though, that the #1 rule of travel journaling is that there are no rules!

Anything that helps you preserve the intense memories of your travel experiences counts.

That being said: here are some of the best travel journal ideas out there!

Table of Contents

Terrific Travel Journal Ideas

Travel journaling tips, inspiring travel journal prompts, planning a trip.

While there are plenty of beautiful travel journals on the market, don’t feel like you need one to keep a memorable travel diary!

I’ve kept travel journals in everything from a $0.99 composition notebook to elaborate leather-bound notebooks to the Notes app in my phone, and I can confidently say that the best travel journals come from the heart–the physical place you put them is the least important function.

That being said, if you are looking for beautiful travel journal examples, I highly recommend these!

One Line a Day Journal

This is my current favorite travel journaling system, and I’ve been using it for nearly 5 years now!

Here’s the format: each page in this diary has a date at the top (say, August 17), and 5 small sections to write 1-2 sentences below it.

For 5 years, keep a daily journal of a memorable moment, and at the end, you’ll be able to look back and, on a single page, see what you did on all your August 17ths.

While this isn’t specifically a travel journal, I absolutely adore using it as one: the tracking of time through both days and years simultaneously is incredible, and the short time commitment is perfect for my lifestyle that already includes lots of writing.

I do still try to keep a long-form travel journal once a week or so, too, but I love my One Line a Day Journal so much that I recently bought two more, just to ensure I have the next decade covered if they stop making them!

Page A Day Travel Journal

Looking for something formatted for you, but with more of a travel theme and more of a long-form approach?

The Page A Day Travel Journal is perfect for that!

In addition to space to write about your day, there are spaces to note your destination and event the weather.

Classic Leather-Bound Journal

What reading-and-writing nerd among us hasn’t dreamed of owning a leather-bound journal to track their travels in?

I have always enjoyed this journal style and have owned a few in my life!

There are tons of similar ones on the market these days, given how popular they are, but I love the compass detail and great reviews on this one .

Postcards To Yourself

Looking for more unique travel journal ideas?

Consider sending postcards to yourself from the road!

In many destinations, you can mail yourself (or someone else) a postcard right from the souvenir shop where you purchase it–so bring a pen along, write some quick thoughts about your day, and drop it in the mail.

By the time you get home, you’ll have a collection of memories delivered right to your front door that you can save forever.

Travel Checklist Journal

If you’re the kind of traveler who wants to make sure they don’t forget a thing, the Travel Checklist Journal is the perfect choice!

With daily prompts covering everything from the restaurants you ate at that day to your most memorable moment of the day, it’s an in-depth log of your adventures.

I’ll be honest: I could never keep up with this much travel journaling on a daily basis.

But, some people absolutely can!

If you find yourself not sure what to put in some sections, though, don’t worry about it–better to skip a prompt than make your journal feel like work instead of fun.

Bullet Journal

A classic bullet journal like this makes a fantastic travel journal idea!

In addition to writing, consider including drawings, hand-drawn maps, charts, and more.

Standard Notebook

You don’t need anything fancy to keep a beautiful, memorable travel journal!

Anything from a simple composition notebook to the back of a receipt will do in a pinch, and I would never recommend putting off writing because you don’t have the “perfect” vessel to store your memories in.

If you’re looking for a fairly standard, lined notebook that is durable without including much formatting to get in the way of your creativity, though, I love these notebooks .

I’ve owned them in various colors and designs for years, going out of my way to replace my old ones with the same brand when they get full.

Buy one on the road!

While I definitely recommend keeping a travel journal from hour one (airports and train stations are great places to write!), there’s also something special about buying a diary on the road.

If you find a journal you love while you’re traveling, consider picking it up and journaling there from then on.

On Your Computer or Phone

I’ll admit, I’m very biased toward analog travel diary ideas–it’s just my style!

But if you prefer typing to writing, or you just don’t want the hassle of carrying a physical journal on the road, you can easily keep a detailed travel journal on your phone or laptop!

Evernote is a fantastic app for journaling on your phone, though a basic Notes app works fine too.

A Word document or Google Doc can work as well.

Alternatively, you can type and send emails to yourself and store them in a certain folder in your inbox!

There is no wrong way to keep a travel journal–whatever works for you, is more than fine.

That being said, based on my personal experience of keeping travel journals over the years, here’s my best advice for preserving your memories!

Try to write as often as possible.

Here’s the sad truth: you will forget much of your vacation.

Even if you remember the basics such as where you went, what you did, and who you were with, the passing years will steal the sensory details from your memory, jumble the order of events, and soften the edges of your stories, making it hard to recapture the emotions of your travel experience.

While some of that is the inevitable result of living a full, exciting life packed with beautiful memories, a travel journal can absolutely help preserve those experiences for you for decades to come.

The period of time that I was worst at keeping a travel journal– the first year of our full-time travels –is also the one where memories have faded the most.

It’s my #1 travel regret that I didn’t keep a detailed travel journal that year!

Imperfection is better than procrastination.

Don’t have time to write pages and pages?

Can’t find the right words to capture exactly how you felt seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time?

Don’t worry about it: a couple of sentences jotted down that afternoon while waiting for your coffee to arrive will capture your emotions far better than waiting weeks to find the right words.

Write what you can’t see.

Photographs and videos can do a lot to preserve visual and even auditory memory–but they can’t capture scents, or the feeling of the humidity lingering in the air, or how soft the dog you stopped to pet was, or the expression on the waiter’s face as you managed to order lunch in a language that you barely speak.

These kinds of recollections, paired with photos and videos, are invaluable for helping place you back in that moment of travel, even years after it has passed.

You don’t have to be a “good” writer.

Forget the English essays of your youth: whether you consider yourself a skilled writer or not, you can absolutely keep the world’s most perfect travel journal for yourself.

Because travel journaling is nothing but a conversation with your memory, and you know exactly how to talk to yourself!

It doesn’t matter if you wouldn’t want to publish it as a memoir or that other people wouldn’t understand what you’re trying to say, because you’re the only audience!

Trust me, as a professional writer of sorts, the things that I write publicly–even in more personal blog posts like this –are not nearly as unguarded as the conversations I have with myself when preserving my own travel memories.

Don’t edit yourself.

This goes somewhat with what I wrote about being a “good” writer, but it’s a solid tip for travel journaling even if you’re a very confident one.

Each of us sees the world in a completely unique way and will use entirely different experiences and criteria to jog our memories.

If none of the travel journal prompts in this blog post speak to you, ignore them.

Write about literally anything you like–anything that speaks to how you experienced your day.

The uniqueness of how we each see the world is never more obvious to me than when I compare the things that Jeremy writes in his travel journal to what I write in mine–many times, we each remember things that the other person didn’t even notice!

Save more than words.

Ticket stubs, brochures, boarding passes, postcards, even foreign currency–anything small and tactile that you can tuck into your travel journal is a fantastic addition.

If you print out any photos along the way or purchase any of the cheesy-but-fun souvenir photos for sale around the world, those can be great components of a travel diary, too.

Full maps are often too big to save in a traditional travel journal, but you can save them separately–or cut out your favorite section(s) and place them in your journal!

Sadly, the ink on receipts tends to fade within a couple of years, but you can try storing a few memorable ones for a while as well.

Depending on your travel journaling style and how much you collect, you may want to tape these extra items to individual pages or keep them tucked into a separate pouch (cheap and fun cloth zip pouches can be found at souvenir markets across the world–maybe you can buy one along the way!).

For something more fun than basic tape, buy a few souvenir stickers along the way and use those to secure your mementos to the page!

Avoid spiral notebooks.

If you want a very inexpensive place to save your memories, opt for a composition notebook over a spiral one–trust me.

Between the spirals being pulled out of place from being moved around so much during your adventures to the fact that they’ll scratch up anything they’re stored near (like your laptop, for example), they’re just not worth the trouble.

I learned this lesson the hard way and will never use a spiral notebook (without a cover, that is) for anything while traveling again!

Always keep your travel journal in your carry-on.

I’ll admit, I’ve broken this rule before, but it’s terrifying checking your travel journal–especially when, like my current one, it contains years worth of irreplaceable memories.

Much better to keep careful watch over it in your carry-on/hand luggage!

Wondering what exactly to write down in your travel diary?

These travel journal writing prompts will get you started!

Choose any of these travel journal topic examples from below and expand upon it in detail, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself jotting down details of memories that would otherwise be lost to time.

As always, the point of travel writing prompts like this isn’t to limit what you write–it’s to provide a jumping-off point.

If you find yourself veering off in a different direction after a few sentences, just roll with it!

What did you do today that you’ve never done before?

Make a list of everything you bought today, from food items to metro tickets.

Describe the most memorable person you interacted with today.

What was your favorite thing you ate today?

What new thing did you learn today? How did you learn it?

Describe your morning routine in detail: what was different from home?

What was your most memorable form of transport today?

What animals did you see or interact with today?

What was the weather like? How did it impact your day?

What were you wearing today? How did it impact your day?

Did you use any words in a language you don’t speak today? What were they?

What’s the big news where you are right now? Is it the same as at home?

What’s the funniest thing that happened today?

What’s the most memorable thing that you physically touched today?

What did you eat for breakfast?

Look up, and describe everything that you see in detail.

If you took a tour: describe your tour guide, including their name!

What did you do today that you didn’t expect to do before your trip?

What’s an interesting story or legend from your destination?

Describe your route from where you’re staying to your first destination of the day.

What’s your favorite word to say in the language of your destination?

What was your least favorite moment of the day?

What was the most surprising thing you saw today?

What interesting conversation did you overhear today?

None of these travel journal ideas or prompts speak to you?

Have something different in mind?

There’s no wrong way to keep a travel diary–whatever feels right when you’re on the road, that’s the best travel journal for you.

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About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

1 thought on “33 Terrific Travel Journal Ideas, Tips + Prompts!”

Thanks for posting this up , this is a very informative article surely.

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Writer’s Block? Over 100 Travel Writing Prompts, Titles & Topics

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100+ Travel Writing Prompts, Titles or Topics that You can Write on your Blog

Do you ever hit a wall? Suffering from writer’s block?  Or have so many travel stories to tell you don’t even know where to start?  I’ve been reading great travel content produced by travel bloggers, freelance writers and journalist to get a bit of inspiration.  I thought I’d share over one hundred travel prompts, titles or topics that you can write about on your travel blog or travel section of your beauty or lifestyle blog. I scanned my very popular Pinterest Board – Travel Blogs and Travel Bloggers to Follow    to see what jumped out at me.  Here are a few suggestions for writing prompts if YOU have writer’s block.  Please let me know if you used one of these prompts and I will link back to your post as an example of how it was used!

Attractions/Festivals/Events

• The Most Amazing Museum in ______
•  Incredible Street Art we found in  ______
• Great Playgrounds in _________
• Fastest Roller-coaster in ________
• 10 Rides you don’t Want to miss at ________
• 5 Amusement Parks in the State/Province of _______
•  Amusement Park every Teen wants to Visit
• Eight of the Best Kiddie Rides at ______
•  10 Tips to make your Visit to _______Easier
•  Write about sacred places (churches, synagogues, shrines, mosques, temples)
•  Best Foods at (football, baseball, amusemant) ______ Park
• 5 Characters you want to meet at _________
•  10 Rides to take with your Toddler
•  Freaky Fish you don’t want to miss at _______ Aquarium
•  Write about the  summer festivals , concerts or fall fairs
•  Write about the historic part of your city (buildings, streets, schools)
•  5 Plays you don’t want to miss on Broadway
• 7 Bars to Catch Great Live Music in _______
• 5 Comedy Bars you need to LOL in_______
•  Christmas Markets in ________

Itinerary or Guides

• 24 Hours in ____________
• 48 Hours to see these 10 Things
• 48 Hours to Eat your way through ________
• 48 Hours in ______’ s Capital City
• 3 Days in/5 Days in/ 1 Week in/ 3 months in ________
• How to Spend ___ Days in _________
• Things to do to become a local in __________
• First Time Traveller’s Guide to __________
• Guide to National Monuments in _____________
• Guide to best Italian/French/Pizza Restaurants in __________
• Guide to Kid-Friendly Restaurants in
• Guide to adventures/museums/park in ______ for Families
• Guide to ________ for beach lovers
• Guide to Festivals in _____________
• Guide to best Restaurants in __________
• Guide to Seeing the (City)  using public transport

Province or State

• Welcome to my Provincial/State — things you need to know
• Write about all the symbols that represent your province or state (flag, bird, food, coat of arms)
• The ____ Provincial/State Parks in _____
• Write about the  tourist attractions in the biggest city  in your province/state
• Best Place to Shop until you Drop in ___________
• All the ‘FIRSTS’ in this amazing city
• This EVENT changed the history of ______ country/province/state/city
• Write about a  military monument or event
• Best Instagram Pictures to take in __________
•  Video you need to see from my trip to ________

Food Related:

• Write about your  favourite place to eat : ice cream, poutine, pie, burgers (pick your poison)
• 10 Regional Wines you need to Try from
• 6 Ways to Order Coffee in ___________
• 10 of the Best Foods I ate in _________
• If you go to ________ Try these 5 Foods
• Did you know ______comes from ____ and other food trivia
•  Write about what national foods your country is famous for (pasta, poutine, burgers, chocolate, coffee)
•  Traveling with allergies and dietary restrictions
•  Where do you find the best gluten-free/vegan/vegetarian meals
• Best Place to Have a Beer/Coffee/Dessert/Tapas
• Best Place to Listen to Live Music
• Best Street food in ___________
• What to do when you get Food Poisoning in a Foreign Land
• Write about a particular region (The North Atlantic, Central America, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Northwest, New England, The Deep South, The Great White North)
• Exploring Authentic _____
• Watching (a sporting event) _________ like a National
• Visit _____ Where _________ film was shot
• Write about  great authors  and where they are from
•  Great Movies That were Located in _________
• Best Subway/Metro/Tube stops in  Toronto/New York/Montreal/Paris/London
• 5 of the Greats band from ___________ & The Cities Where they came from
• Why the (Mississippi. Hudson, Thompson, Fraser, Mackenzie, Seine, Rhone, Rhine, Nile) is the greatest river in ___________
• Top 5 cities to visit in ____ (your) country
• Best airports to fly into when you got this ______(country)
• Great RVing or camping tips in ______ (your country)
• Write about the longest, fastest, biggest anything
• Wildest music festival in ________
• Tips to Survive a 3 day Festival in _________
• Where to stay/eat when you go to _____ Film Festival
• Never ever do this in __________ (customs or manners or code of conducts that you should adhere to)
• Best Place to take a Selfie in ___________
• 10 Sunsets you don’t want to miss
• The time I saw a _____ (bear, lion, snake, alligator) in the wild
• I Travel Because …

Tips and tricks

• Solo Travel 101
• Couples Travel 101
• Girls Road Trip Tips
• How to Travel with Babies & Toddlers
•  Keeping your Teens engaged when Traveling
• Fun Games for Long Car Rides
• How to pack the perfect Kids Fun Bag for Travel
• Gift Ideas for the Traveler in your Life
• What is your destination bucket list
• How to pack a suitcase/knapsack/carry-on
• What  apps do you use for traveling
• What  travel books do you swear  by to Guide you
• What to do when you’ve been robbed
• Share your worst travel and best travel experience
• Why out trip to ____ will be my fondest family memory
•  What I’d do differently on a trip to ______
• Why I choose to go to ____
• My first time on a plane/train/bus/
• How to Save money for that Epic Trip
• How to Travel with you pet
• Family Travel with Seniors
• My favourite hiking gear/walking shoes/sunglasses/quick-dry clothing
• I will NEVER go (here) if I could go (there) instead
• 25 Lessons I’ve learned on the road
• 10 phrases you should know in Spanish, French, Danish, German, Italian, Chinese

I love to travel and there are so many amazing stories to read, see and listen to.  Many bloggers use different media to share their journeys.  Whether you want to write a blog post, publish a story, document a video or record a podcast, I hope you will get a bit of inspiration.  I know I will be going back every once in a while to overcome my writers’ block.

Margarita Ibbott is a seasoned multi-generational travel blogger.  Her love of family travel began when she was very young.  She still remembers the epic road trip her parents took with her immediate family,  her grandmother, and uncle in the 1970s.  You can find out more about her travels with her family, her mom, and her blogger friends at DownshiftingPRO.com .    Follow her on  Instagram  and  Facebook  too!

Margarita Ibbott

Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.

• Margarita Ibbott https://www.downshiftingpro.com/author/2margaritarogers-com/ 21 Jaw-Dropping Retreats: Trafalgar's Exotic Accommodations Worldwide
• Margarita Ibbott https://www.downshiftingpro.com/author/2margaritarogers-com/ 26 Foods to Savour - ABCs of Culinary Tourism
• Margarita Ibbott https://www.downshiftingpro.com/author/2margaritarogers-com/ 15 Banff Adventures & Indigenous Experiences: Your QuickGuide!
• Margarita Ibbott https://www.downshiftingpro.com/author/2margaritarogers-com/ 12 Unforgettable Nature Activities to Experience in Cape May, NJ!

3 thoughts on “Writer’s Block? Over 100 Travel Writing Prompts, Titles & Topics”

Informative post of amazing list , It’s really help

thank you so much for sharing It

An intelligent and helpful work.Thanks for sharing! I am a writer and your title and topics are way too good.They will definitely help me and others.

Thank you for sharing such a fantastic list! I will definitely use some of the prompts that you suggested.

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40 Creative Travel Journal Ideas & Writing Prompts to Save Your Best Travel Memories

Last Updated on January 17, 2024 by Michela

It’s so easy to let our travel photos get buried in our camera roll or to say “I’ll remember this night forever” and forget the details that made it so special just a few months later. That’s where keeping a travel journal becomes such an important part of your trip! These travel journal ideas & writing prompts will make you fall in love with trips all over again and keep your favorite memories alive.

Travel journaling is therapeutic, fun, and provokes self-reflection and creativity. While we travel, we can be pretty busy – exploring different places, sleeping on planes, meeting new people. But just because you’re busy during your trip doesn’t mean you can’t keep a travel journal!

Keeping a travel journal is even more rewarding when you can make it personal with mementos (and other travel journal ideas I’m sharing below!)

And if you’re just here for the prompts, you can jump to the bottom of the post or download the free ‘Where She Goes’ Travel Journal Prompts list from The Travel Library .

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Let’s get into everything there is to know about travel journaling and the creative ways you can go about your trip memory-keeping.

Some of these links are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure !

All About Travel Journaling: What It Is, How To Do It, & Should You Keep A Travel Journal?

Keeping a travel journal is simply about recording memories from a trip. You can even keep track of and plan future trips in a travel journal (which I, as someone in love with lists, do often!)

There’s no one way to journal about travels. You could write during or after your trip, keep a travel bullet journal, track you running bucket list, save travel tips for your next trip – the important thing is to be creative and reflective!

Travel journaling is an amazing tool to see how travel has influenced us to grow as a person, from conquering fears to gaining self-confidence.

It can be used to beat the lonely times of solo travel or try to escape the post-trip blues by reliving those memories just made.

While we travel, there are so many highs, lows, emotions, funny moments and more that we say we will never forget. But to really never forget them, we have to reflect on them and document them! That’s where keeping a travel journal comes in handy.

The Best Travel Journals

There are lots of different options for travel journals. You could use a plain basic notebook or write in a travel diary with printed prompts and exercises. So, how do you know which one to choose?

The truth is, you can go through a lot of travel journals. Maybe you’ll get the chance to experience multiple different kinds! If you are naturally more creative, choose a mostly blank travel journal to which you can add personal touches.

If you struggle with what to write about, opt for journals with prompts built into them (or scroll down to the prompts below and download the list!)

Two travel journals that are both cute and interactive are the Wander Always Journal and the Page A Day Journal . These have prompts and activities within them, so there’s a bit less room for creativity. But, it also makes the process easier and faster with these bonuses.

Another travel journal that is perfect for those wanting a more sleek and clean look is the WNDRD Trip Planning Journal . As it says in the name, you can use this notebook for journaling and for trip planning with the specially printed planner pages.

Travel journals can also be great sentimental gifts for friends and family (or for yourself – I won’t tell!)

Travel Journal Apps

Everything has an app these days, right? Travel journaling can even be done on your phone! Some apps for travel journaling include:

• Travel Diaries

There’s also a sweet app called Journi, where you can create photo albums with diary entries and track your trip on a map. Then you can print or share these mini albums! You can group your photos while traveling or after so that they are easy to find. This way won’t be lost in your camera roll!

Creative Travel Journal Ideas

If you want to do more than just write in your travel journal, then there are many ways to make it special and personalized!

These unique travel journal ideas are meant to get you thinking about how to make your love for travel or the travels themselves come alive.

Look for inspiration everywhere. Maybe you have a ton of extra coins lying around from your trip to Italy . Or you saved those flowers you picked near the coast of France and they are now dried. These can all be accessories used to bring your travel memories back to life in your journal!

Photo Pocket

The first travel journal idea is to add a photo pocket to the back or front of your journal. This is a super simple way to create a little storage of your photos without having to spend time doing a complete album!

Simply take a piece of cardstock or stiff paper and cut it into a rectangle large enough to hold your photos. You can even create a scoop like mind so they peek out.

Then add adhesive to the bottom and sides and attach it to wherever there is a sturdy spot on your journal. Voila, you have a place to put all those photos instead of letting them get buried in your phone!

Scrapbook Layout

While the first idea to making your travel journal more creative was a simple way to include photos in your journal, this version takes a bit more time and creativity.

In your travel journal, you can either leave space on the pages as you write or write and layout photos at the same time to create a commemorative mini travel scrapbook.

You’ll need small adhesive, scissors, and some creative juices flowing to transform blank pages into something beautiful.

Decorating your travel journal is another way to give it more personality and bring out the fun of your trips.

You can opt for inexpensive sheets of stickers or find specific decals you fall in love with to tell the story of your trip!

Good places to buy unique stickers and decals are Etsy , Amazon , and Society6 .

Here are some of my favorites for an aesthetic travel journal cover and pages!

• Go Travel Decal
• Trip Planning Stickers
• Vintage Vinyl Stickers
• Gold & Black Aesthetic Travel Stickers

Add Your Own Art

Take the design of your travel journal to the next level by channeling your inner artist. Use paint to decorate the outside. Doodle your favorite places on the pages or the cover to bring you back to a place.

Whatever artistic addition you can make to your travel journal, the more personal to and reflective of you it will be.

Preserving Tickets, Passes, & Other Mundane Mementos

One of the best travel journal ideas is to preserve all of the extra bits from your trip – things like train tickets, museum passes, and local maps – to add to your writing entries.

They may seem useless after your trip, but these tokens of your travels are the real elements that bring your memories to life. Seeing a word can help you imagine a place, but physically touching your metro pass or gallery ticket takes you right back to the moment you used it.

Tape these small papers to page corners, stuff them in the photo pocket, or even use them as little bookmarks to organize your journal.

Choose Something to Collect

Make your travel journal completely unique by sticking with a theme. This idea for travel journals will take some time to execute throughout your travels, but it can be a special way to remember each place you’ve been to.

Whether it is stamps, postcards, or boarding passes, build up a consistent collection of them from wherever you travel.

Then when it comes time to assemble your journal, you have a cute consistent theme and a visually appealing diary to document every place you have been.

Travel Journal Prompts for Reflection & Memory-Keeping

Travel journal prompts are ways to combat writer’s block and inspire creativity. To make these prompts easier to reference, you can download the free printable of ‘Where She Goes’ Travel Journal Prompts from The Travel Library, where you’ll also have access to resources like my girl’s packing list and Lightroom photo presets.

The Journey

• What was the journey like to be here? What happened on the way to your destination?
• Did you learn anything new on the journey?
• Who did you meet while traveling to this place?
• What was your favorite part of the journey?
• Did you reach here by car, plane, train?
• Was it a long journey? How did you feel once you reached your destination?
• What songs did you listen to on the way that take you back to this trip?

The Destination

• Describe your current surroundings.
• How does this place make you feel?
• Why did you want to be here? Did you want to be here?
• What surprised you most about this place?
• Who are you traveling with?
• What have you learned about this place since arriving?
• What’s a funny story you would tell your friend about this trip?
• Where did you explore off-the-beaten-path?
• Did you try any unique foods?
• How would you describe this place to a friend or family member?
• Name one thing you never want to forget about this place.
• What is a memory you’ll cherish forever from this trip?
• Did you enjoy your trip? If not, why?
• What did you learn about yourself after visiting this place?
• What could have gone better?
• How do you feel after leaving? Would you return?
• Name three things you are grateful for from this trip.
• Describe your favorite photo from this trip.

General Memory-Keeping

• Write about the first travel memory that comes to mind.
• Doodle a monument or favorite place you have visited that made you want to pinch yourself.
• Describe your first travel experience. What were you feeling? Scared? Excited? Anxious?
• Make a list of all the people you’ve met while traveling.
• What’s one thing you would change about travel?
• What’s one thing you want to do better while traveling?
• Where’s your favorite place to travel with family? Describe it in vivid detail.
• Describe a place you’ve visited through using all five senses.
• If you could choose one place you’ve been to stay forever, which one would it be?

Final Tips for Travel Journaling

Hopefully with all these travel journal ideas and writing prompts, you feel more comfortable and excited to document your travels! Here are some extra tips to make travel journaling work for you:

• Keep your travel journal with you as you are on the go. This may seem obvious, but when you think about it, we don’t want to pause our day to go write about what’s happening that very second. Instead, have your journal with you to doodle your surroundings or write down specific feelings you have at the moment. You can elaborate later!
• Write down keywords to escape writer’s block. If you have trouble getting started, jot down a few words that come to mind when you are looking at a prompt. Often when writing, we get overwhelmed by what the finished product should look like that we can’t even start! Start as small as keywords and as your ideas come in the writing will flow.
• Use every sense for details. An easy way to get more creative and describe a moment well is to think about it from the perspective of all five senses you experienced with. What sounds did you hear, things do you see, flavors did you taste?

Let me know what you think of these travel journal ideas, prompts, & tips with a comment!

Save this guide to Pinterest for later reference!

The more memories we make, the more important it is to jot them down so we have them forever. Tell me if you’re excited about travel journaling like me!

Michela is a travel writer and photographer living in northern Italy. She is passionate about helping people make the most of their travels by sharing advice gained from her personal experiences, off-the-beaten-path destinations and time-saving quick itineraries. Browse her top articles or have her help you plan your itinerary to your dream destination!

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150 Time Travel Writing Prompts

Welcome to a thrilling exploration of the imagination, where the boundaries of time blur and the past, present, and future intertwine. Time travel has long captivated the human mind, serving as a cornerstone of countless stories that allow us to ponder the "what ifs" of history and the endless possibilities of tomorrow. Whether it's to right a wrong, witness a pivotal moment in time, or simply to satiate our curiosity about the unknown, the concept of moving through time offers a fertile ground for creativity and speculation. In this article, we embark on a journey through 150 time travel writing prompts, each a gateway to a unique story waiting to be told. These prompts are designed to inspire writers, storytellers, and dreamers alike to craft their own adventures across the fabric of time. From mysterious artifacts that hold the key to jumping through the ages, to paradoxical encounters that challenge the essence of reality, prepare to unleash your imagination and explore the infinite possibilities that time travel holds.

Okay, here are 150 time travel writing prompts

After buying a quirky antique clock, you discover it has the power to transport you to the time it displays.

You inherit a watch that freezes time for everyone but you for one hour a day.

During a solar eclipse, you find yourself suddenly transported to the same place, but 300 years in the past.

You're a scientist who successfully creates a time machine, only to find out your partner wants to use it to change history for personal gain.

A medieval peasant accidentally travels to the modern era, mistaking technology for magic.

You discover an old diary in your attic with entries dating to the future. Following its guidance, you start changing the present.

A mysterious figure offers you a chance to revisit one moment in your life, but you must sacrifice your most cherished memory.

While exploring an ancient ruin, you step on a hidden platform that sends you back to the civilization at its peak.

You can travel to any point in time, but only within the confines of a photograph.

After a near-death experience, you wake up in a parallel universe where history took a different path.

A time traveler needs your help to prevent a catastrophic event in the future but doing so might erase your existence.

You're part of a time-traveling tourist company, but on a trip, you and your group get stranded in a historical era.

An app on your phone randomly transports you to different points in time for 24 hours each day.

You're a detective who solves cold cases with the help of a time machine, witnessing the crimes firsthand.

A watchmaker in the 1800s invents a watch that counts down to significant moments in the wearer's life, including their travel through time.

You find a door in your basement that leads to the same house, but each time you enter, it's a different era.

After attending a mysterious yard sale, you find that each item you purchased allows you to visit the era it's from.

You discover that famous historical figures were actually time travelers, and you're one of them.

A child's imaginary friend turns out to be a time traveler stuck in the present, looking for a way back.

You find a library book that transports you into the world and time of the story you're reading.

A secret society of time travelers recruits you to help them fix small anomalies that threaten to change the course of history.

Every time you fall asleep, you wake up in a different time period.

You accidentally send a text message to a number from the past, starting an unlikely friendship across time.

A scientist discovers that certain melodies played on an ancient instrument open portals to the past.

You receive a mysterious package containing items from different centuries, each leading you to a new adventure in time.

A time traveler from the future warns you about an impending disaster. You have one week to prevent it.

You find a map that leads to a hidden room in your house, where a machine allows you to witness historical events as a ghostly observer.

A history teacher discovers they can transport their class back in time to witness the events they are teaching.

You wake up to find that your town has been transported 500 years into the past, with all its modern inhabitants.

A journal from the future falls into your hands, detailing your life and events yet to come. You decide to change the narrative.

After a lightning strike, you gain the ability to touch objects and see their history.

A time travel experiment goes wrong, scattering a group of scientists across different eras.

You discover that famous monuments are actually time portals guarded by a secret organization.

A watchmaker creates a device that can rewind a day, but with each use, something changes in the fabric of reality.

You're a lawyer tasked with defending clients in historical trials using modern knowledge and laws.

A smartphone app predicts the user's future by sending them brief glimpses into it.

An artist finds they can enter the worlds of their paintings, each representing a different period in history.

A couple in a long-distance relationship discovers a portal that connects their two cities across time.

You find an old camera that takes pictures of the past instead of the present.

A mysterious fog rolls into town, and those who walk into it find themselves in the same place, but at different times.

A theme park where visitors can experience different eras first-hand hides a dark secret about its operations.

You're given a mission to deliver a message to a historical figure, knowing it could alter the present.

A group of archaeologists uncover a device in ancient ruins that allows them to witness the civilization's last days.

A scientist creates a mirror that reflects not your current self but you in different periods of your life, revealing how choices you make can change your future.

You accidentally discover that your family heirloom, a seemingly ordinary piece of jewelry, holds the key to time travel.

A tattoo artist realizes that the tattoos they create enable the wearer to relive the memories associated with the tattoo's design.

While playing a vintage board game, you and your friends are transported into the game's setting, needing to win the game to return to the present.

A character discovers they can travel through time by reading historical texts out loud, becoming part of the story.

A mysterious disease is spreading through time, affecting both past and future generations, and it's up to you to find the cure.

You're part of a cleanup crew that fixes time travelers' mistakes, ensuring the timeline remains intact.

A secret passage in an old castle leads not to another room, but to another time in the castle's history.

You receive a letter from your future self, warning you of a pivotal event happening soon in your life.

A character can see the potential futures of anyone they touch, but altering these futures comes with great risks.

You find an old radio that can tune into broadcasts from the past, uncovering secrets and forgotten histories.

An ancient book is discovered that allows its reader to live out the lives of people in the past, but at the cost of their own time.

A character invents a device that can send objects back in time but learns that even the smallest change can have dramatic consequences.

You're sent back in time to document an undiscovered historical event, but you must not interfere or be detected.

A character finds a way to send messages to their past self, attempting to fix their life's regrets.

A museum exhibit on time travel turns out to be real, offering visitors a one-way trip to the past.

A character realizes that their dreams are memories from their past lives, leading them on a journey to discover their true identity across centuries.

You win a mysterious lottery ticket that allows you to revisit any one day in your past, with the chance to change it.

In a world where time travel is common, you're a detective solving crimes that span across centuries.

A character discovers an old, dust-covered piano that transports them to the era of the song they play.

You're a librarian for a secret library that houses books from the future, managing knowledge that could change the world.

After a mysterious storm, you find that your town now exists in two different times simultaneously.

A character receives a package with items from their future self, including a list of instructions to prevent a global catastrophe.

You find an ancient artifact that allows you to swap lives with someone from the past for 24 hours.

A character discovers they can travel through time using old maps, but each journey comes with unpredictable dangers.

During a school field trip to a museum, you and your classmates accidentally activate a time machine, scattering the group across different historical periods.

A character realizes that their family home is a hub for time travelers, leading to unexpected reunions and conflicts.

You participate in a time travel experiment that sends you back one day, but you're stuck in a loop, reliving the day until you can solve a specific problem.

An antique store sells items that allow their owners to witness the past of the object, revealing secrets and stories.

You're chosen to test a new virtual reality game that simulates historical events, only to find yourself actually transported to those times.

A character discovers that their dreams are actually windows into their past lives, leading them on a quest to discover their soul's journey through time.

A scientist working on a time travel project accidentally brings a historical figure to the present, causing a cultural and temporal shock.

You find a door in an old, abandoned house that leads to the past, but each visit changes the present in unexpected ways.

A character is cursed to live their life backwards, experiencing time from death to birth, and must find a way to break the curse.

You receive a mysterious book that writes itself, detailing the history of the future, and you're part of its story.

A time traveler becomes stranded in the past, starting a new life and influencing history in ways they didn't anticipate.

An experimental drug allows you to experience the memories of your ancestors, uncovering family secrets and historical mysteries.

You discover a series of letters in an old attic that correspond with someone from the future, forging a relationship that transcends time.

A character finds they can travel through time but only within the confines of their own lifespan, prompting a journey of self-discovery and change.

During a historic lunar eclipse, you find yourself switching places with someone from the past, living their life while they live yours.

A character becomes a guardian of time, tasked with ensuring that historical events unfold as they should, facing moral dilemmas along the way.

You stumble upon an ancient society hidden in modern times, where time travel is used to preserve their way of life.

A character invents a device that can pause time, but they learn that manipulating time comes with unforeseen consequences.

You find a diary that predicts future events and decide to use it to change outcomes, only to realize each change affects your own life.

A time traveler starts a service for people to send messages to their past selves, but complications arise when messages alter the future.

You're a historian who discovers that key historical events were influenced by time travelers, challenging your understanding of history.

A character finds a way to attend their own past and future funerals, learning how they are remembered and how they can change their legacy.

During an archaeological dig, you uncover a device that transports you to the civilization you're studying, offering a firsthand look at history.

A character is tasked with retrieving artifacts from the past without altering the timeline, a mission that proves to be increasingly complex.

You discover that famous artworks contain hidden messages intended for time travelers, leading you on a quest to decode them.

A character develops the ability to fast forward and rewind their life at will, exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of such power.

You wake up in a world where time travel is a normal part of life, but you're the only one who realizes the timeline is being manipulated.

A character is sent back in time to prevent a disaster, only to fall in love and face the dilemma of saving the future or preserving their new life.

You find an old film projector that shows movies of your future, prompting you to change your present to alter the outcomes.

A character discovers they can switch places with their ancestors, experiencing life through their eyes and impacting their family's history.

You're invited to a time traveler's convention that goes awry, stranding attendees in various timelines and sparking a race to return to the present.

A character realizes that their seemingly mundane job is crucial to maintaining the balance of time, embarking on a mission to protect the timeline.

A character creates a time capsule as a child, only to discover it has become a portal to their past when they open it as an adult.

You are part of a team that manages "time tourism," ensuring that tourists from the future do not alter the past.

A character discovers that their new house is built on a site that intersects with a time rift, causing different eras to seep into the present.

You find a mysterious plant that, when consumed, allows you to visit the era it was last blooming in.

A character receives a puzzle box that, once solved, offers them a glimpse into their future, prompting them to change their present.

You're a journalist who discovers a secret society of time travelers and decides to expose them, but you're torn when you learn their mission.

A character finds an old pair of glasses that allows them to see historical events unfold in front of them wherever they are.

You discover that your pet cat has the ability to walk through time, leading you on unexpected adventures.

A character accidentally erases themselves from the timeline and must navigate a world where no one remembers them to fix it.

You find a hidden chamber in an ancient pyramid that transports you to the time when the pyramids were being built.

A character uses time travel to escape a life of hardship, only to learn that every era has its own challenges.

You're an artist who discovers that your paintings can alter the timeline, depicting events that change the future.

A character becomes a mentor to a younger version of themselves, guiding them through life's challenges without revealing their identity.

You inherit an old trunk that contains items from the future, each with a story that leads you on a time-traveling quest.

A character is caught in a time loop, reliving a specific day, and must solve a mystery to break free.

You discover an ancient civilization that was capable of time travel, uncovering their technology and the reasons for their disappearance.

A character is given the chance to change a regrettable moment in their past, only to find that the consequences are not what they expected.

You're a time-traveling thief who steals from the wealthy in different eras, but your latest heist might change the course of history.

A character develops a method to send messages through time, altering the lives of their ancestors and descendants.

You find a hidden room in your home that allows you to observe your past selves, learning from your mistakes and triumphs.

A character discovers they can navigate through time using music, with each song transporting them to the era it was popular.

You come across a mysterious shop that sells souvenirs from the future, each item revealing glimpses of what's to come.

A character finds a way to attend historical events as an invisible observer, documenting unseen moments of history.

You're a scientist who discovers that certain chemicals can induce time travel, but each trip comes with unpredictable side effects.

A character becomes entangled in a time paradox where they must ensure their own birth by influencing their parents' past.

You accidentally receive a phone call from the past, leading to a friendship that transcends time.

A character stumbles upon a time traveler's lost journal, using it as a guide to navigate the dangers of the past.

You find an old typewriter that can rewrite history, but altering events leads to unintended consequences.

A character is tasked with collecting artifacts from different eras, only to discover each item affects the timeline in mysterious ways.

You're a member of a time-traveling search and rescue team, saving people who have accidentally been sent to the wrong era.

A character discovers that their family lineage includes time travelers, inheriting the responsibility to protect the timeline.

You invent a machine that can project historical events as holograms, but the projections start altering reality.

A character finds a way to bring historical figures to the present for interviews, sparking global fascination and controversy.

You're part of a future society where time travel is used to learn from past mistakes, but a mission goes awry, threatening your existence.

A character has the power to fast-forward through unpleasant events in their life, only to realize they're missing out on valuable lessons.

You discover an online forum where time travelers exchange tips and advice, leading you on your own time-traveling adventures.

A character realizes they can alter their own memories by traveling to the past, facing the dilemma of what's worth remembering or forgetting.

You find a mysterious clock that not only tells the time but also shows glimpses of your future.

A character is chosen to be part of a time-travel experiment aimed at creating a perfect society, but moral conflicts arise.

You stumble upon a hidden civilization that has mastered time travel, but they forbid interaction with the outside world.

A character can transfer their consciousness through time, living through different bodies and eras.

You discover a secret society that manipulates historical events to maintain a utopian future, and you're invited to join them.

A character accidentally discovers the date of their own death through time travel and attempts to change their fate.

You find a book that can transport you to its setting and time period, living out the story as a character within its pages.

A character creates a device that allows them to experience alternate versions of their life, exploring what could have been.

You're tasked with preserving artifacts from doomed timelines, ensuring their stories aren't lost to history.

A character uses time travel to solve historical mysteries, becoming a detective across the ages.

You discover that your dreams are actually visits to your past lives, revealing your soul's long journey through time.

A character finds a portal to a future where humanity has vanished, seeking clues to prevent this outcome in the present.

You're given a glimpse of the future and must decide whether to embrace destiny or fight to change it.

That’s all, folks!

As our journey through these 150 time travel writing prompts comes to a close, we stand at the threshold of countless untold stories, each brimming with potential. The prompts provided are but a starting point, a spark to ignite the creativity and curiosity within you. Time travel, with its complex paradoxes and boundless opportunities, offers a unique canvas for exploring the depths of human emotion, the intricacies of history, and the vastness of our potential futures. Whether you're drawn to the allure of ancient civilizations, the pivotal moments of history, or the speculative futures of humanity, these prompts encourage you to delve deeper, question the established, and imagine the unimaginable. So, grab your pen, keyboard, or voice recorder, and set forth on your own temporal adventures. Remember, in the realm of time travel, the only limits are those of your own creativity. Happy writing, and may your journey through time be as boundless and inspiring as the universe itself.

150 Cozy Mystery Writing Prompts

150 space opera writing prompts.

Not Your Usual Time Travel Story Ideas (2024)

Looking for unusual time travel story ideas and writing prompts? You’ve come to the right place!

Read on for ideas like a world where time flows differently in different regions, a person with an ability to travel in their dreams, and more!

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• S tory ideas

Picture prompts

The time travel trope.

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Related posts: Tragic Love Story Ideas (2023) The Most Enticing Forbidden Love Story Ideas (Updated in 2023) 40+ Sad Backstory Ideas for Your Character (2023) 17+ Enticing Soulmate Story Ideas (2023)

Time Travel Story Ideas & Writing Prompts

Time travel has long been a captivating concept in storytelling, transporting us to narratives of endless possibilities. Now, let’s explore some unique and unconventional story ideas!

Please note that the genders in these prompts and story ideas are just placeholders and do not mean to enforce any hurtful stereotypes nor offend anyone.

Story ideas

From unexpected time travelers to unconventional methods of traversing through time, embark on a thrilling, time-bending adventure with these exciting ideas.

• Lost Time A group of explorers stumbles upon an alien-made, time-traveling elevator that can transport them to different moments within their own lifetime, at the cost of reduced longevity.
• Reversed A scientist makes a mistake in their time travel machine, which sends them spiraling into an alternate reality where time operates in reverse.
• Past and Future Memories In a post apocalyptic world, a person finds that they can jump into the past as well as potential future memories of others. Then, they navigate through different people’s experiences in the hope of finding a way to undo the effect of the apocalypse.
• Time is Money In a world where time flows differently in different regions, a society formed where time travelers exist and time itself can be a commodity. (Originally appeared in my post The Most Mesmerizing Fantasy World Ideas (2023) )
• Chronicler of Lost History A person wakes up every day in a different time period, with no control over when or where they’ll end up next. As they try to find out why, they realize that their purpose is to witness and document crucial moments in history that have been erased from collective memory.
• Time-Traveling Detective In a time when time travel is possible, a time-traveling detective agency specializes in solving crimes and incidents that occur across different points in time.
• Network of Selves There’s a new invention that allows people to split their consciousness into multiple timelines, creating a network of parallel selves.
• Tour Across Time Time travel is a regulated industry, and a tour guide accidentally takes a group of tourists to a time period that never existed, causing a ripple effect that alters the course of history.
• Time-Traveling Companion There’s a peculiar type of animals that have the innate ability to traverse time. Once they form a unique bond with a human, the bond will allow that human to time travel along with said animal.

• The Time Capsule After unearthing a long-forgotten time capsule, a tight-knit group of friends is transported back to their younger selves. (A similar concept appeared in my post Beyond the Mundane: Captivating Slice of Life Story Ideas (2023) )
• The Time Thief A physicist accidentally creates a device that allows them to move between parallel universes. They exploit this power to commit crimes across dimensions, staying one step ahead of authorities.
• The Reversed Time Traveler A time traveler’s machine malfunctions, causing them to experience life in reverse. Frustrated by their reversed existence, they seek to disrupt the flow of time itself.
• Cheering Through Time An alien with the ability to explore different time periods gets stranded on earth and befriends a cheerleader. But as the two jump between time periods, they unwittingly start a chain of event that might spell catastrophe for both of their home planets.
• Happy Days Specific emotional triggers can create a quantum leap, launching individuals through time to a moment in the past or future when a similar emotional event occurred.

Here are some time travel picture prompts, because a picture speaks a thousand words! What kind of time travel prompt or story jumps out at you when looking at the picture prompts below?

The concept of time travel has fascinated storytellers for generations, offering endless possibilities and narrative intrigue, allowing writers to explore the complexities of cause and effect, challenge the boundaries of linear time, and delve into the profound impact of altering the past or glimpsing into the future.

In time travel stories, protagonists often find themselves in paradoxes and moral dilemmas as they attempt to correct past mistakes, change the course of history, or prevent catastrophic events where the smallest alteration can have far-reaching repercussions.

Time travel narratives also provide a fertile ground for exploring themes of identity, self-discovery, and the relentless march of time, prompting characters and readers alike to ponder the nature of free will and the fragility of existence.

If you need more story ideas and prompts, please browse our Story Ideas & Writing Prompts category!

Have any question or feedback? Feel free to contact me here . Until next time!

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101 Adventure Story Ideas Even Indiana Jones Would Love

Are you stuck in the mundane and looking for an escape into the thrilling world of adventure? Dive into this list of 101 Adventure Story Ideas that will ignite your creativity and transport you to places you've never imagined!

From treasure hunts in underwater worlds to journeys with Santa Claus, these story ideas cover every twist and turn, every thrill and chill, that an adventure enthusiast could desire.

Whether you're a seasoned writer looking to add more excitement to your repertoire or a novice eager to embark on your first literary journey, these ideas will inspire you to start writing today!

Adventure story ideas

1. The Quest for the Lost City: A young boy and his family embark on an exciting adventure to discover a strange city hidden beneath the ocean waters.

2. A Flight of Discovery: Pilots discover an uncharted tropical island with a secret civilization that controls real life through ancient technology.

3. Treasure Hunters in Time: A team of treasure hunters stumble upon a time machine in an old dusty book, leading them to far-flung places and times.

4. Harry Potter's Christmas Adventure: Join Harry Potter on a special Christmas Eve journey through a fantasy world filled with new spells, secrets, and surprises.

5. The Video Game Reality: A group of college friends are sucked into a video game, facing challenges in an underwater world, a deserted island, and more.

6. The Plane Crash Survival: After a mysterious plane crash, a man wakes to find himself in a new world with strange creatures and unexplored lands.

7. The Sci-Fi Adventure: In a future world, an astronaut crash lands on an alien planet, where the line between science fiction and reality blurs.

8. A Hot Air Balloon Odyssey: A whimsical journey around the world in a hot air balloon, meeting extraordinary characters and visiting exotic locations.

9. Family's Treasure Map: A family finds a cryptic message leading to the same treasure that vanished centuries ago. What happens next is a thrilling chase.

10. The Witch's Curses: An ordinary person must break a series of witch curses in a fantasy world, using amazing fighting skills and wit.

11. Santa's Unexpected Journey: Join Santa Claus on an action-packed adventure as he faces challenges, makes new friends, and delivers gifts in unique ways.

12. A Good Adventure Story Writing Guide: A blog post comes to life, guiding an aspiring writer through various adventure writing prompts and exercises to enjoy writing.

13. The Young Girl's Dream: A little girl's dream takes her to magical realms, where she embarks on quests, solves puzzles, and learns life lessons.

14. The Time Machine's New Jacket: Customize a time machine with a new jacket of features, allowing characters to explore different times, worlds, and dimensions.

15. Real Life Adventure Stories: Write a collection of short stories based on real-life experiences, transforming ordinary events into extraordinary adventures.

16. The Destructive Meteor Shower's Secret: A series of meteor showers reveal cryptic messages and lead to the discovery of alien artifacts on Earth.

17. The Remote Control of Destiny: A mystical remote control allows a character to alter reality, leading to moral dilemmas, thrilling escapades, and unexpected twists.

18. Writing Adventure in Four Acts: A story within a story, where four different potential locations represent different stages of an author's life and creative journey.

19. The Quest for the Key Hidden Inside: A race to find a key hidden inside an ancient artifact, unlocking secrets, dangers, and rewards.

20. The Astronaut's Crash Landing on Christmas Eve: An astronaut crash lands back on Earth on Christmas Eve, leading to a heartfelt journey home.

21. Writing Prompts Come Alive: Each day, a new writing prompt from a mysterious dusty book becomes reality, taking the main character on a whirlwind adventure.

22. The Great Space Treasure Hunt: Space treasure hunters explore the galaxy, seeking riches and uncovering the mysteries of ancient civilizations.

23. Discover the New World: In a sci-fi setting, explorers discover a new world filled with challenges, wonders, and secrets that change their understanding of existence.

24. The Ideas Factory: In a world where ideas can be manufactured, stolen, and traded, an inventor embarks on an adventure to protect his most precious creation.

25. Two Children and the Magical Journey: Two children find a portal in their backyard, leading them to different worlds, each with unique lessons and magical experiences.

26. The Life-Changing Hot Air Balloon Ride: A life-changing adventure ensues when a character takes an unexpected hot air balloon ride, encountering wisdom and wonders.

27. The Deserted Island Mystery: Stranded on a deserted island, characters must solve mysteries, face challenges, and uncover the island's hidden secrets.

28. A Strange City in Another Dimension: Exploration of a strange city in another dimension, where physics, time, and society operate in mysterious ways.

29. The Cryptic Message from the Future: A cryptic message from the future sends characters on a quest to prevent a catastrophe, meeting intriguing characters along the way.

30. The Witch's School of Adventure Writing: A witch runs a school for adventure writing, where students learn through magical and real-world experiences.

31. The Action-Packed Life of an Ordinary Person: An ordinary person's life turns action-packed when they stumble upon a secret agency's plot and must stop it.

32. The Far-Flung Places of Fantasy: Characters travel to far-flung places in a fantasy world, each with unique customs, challenges, and treasures.

33. A Journey Through Exotic Locations with Santa Claus: Join Santa Claus as he takes a vacation, exploring exotic locations and learning about different cultures.

34. Adventure Genre School: A school that teaches the art of writing in the adventure genre, with real adventures as part of the curriculum.

35. The Treasure Hunters' Academy: A special academy for aspiring treasure hunters, teaching skills, ethics, and sending students on real treasure hunts.

36. The Time Machine Repairman: A repairman of time machines faces a moral dilemma when he discovers a plot to alter history for personal gain.

37. Underwater World Exploration: A team explores an uncharted underwater world, facing mysteries, mythical creatures, and the remnants of a lost civilization.

38. Astronaut's Creative Juices: An astronaut stranded on an alien planet uses his creative juices to survive, learn, and eventually escape.

39. A Young Boy's Adventure with Harry Potter: A young boy wins a contest to spend a day with Harry Potter, leading to unexpected adventures and magical lessons.

40. The Remote Control of Worlds: A remote control that allows the user to switch between parallel worlds, each with unique rules, dangers, and opportunities.

41. A Writer's Journey Through Stories: A writer gets lost in her own stories, each representing different aspects of her life, personality, and aspirations.

42. The Cryptic Message from the Dusty Book: An old dusty book in a library sends characters on a worldwide adventure through a series of cryptic messages.

43. A Family's Adventure in a Hot Air Balloon: A family wins a hot air balloon ride, turning into a magical journey through time, space, and imagination.

44. Two Children's Christmas Eve Adventure: Two children embark on a Christmas Eve adventure to save Santa's lost reindeer, meeting friends and foes along the way.

45. The Adventure Writing Championship: A competition where participants must write and live their own adventure stories, facing real challenges and rewards.

46. The Time Machine's New World: A malfunctioning time machine leads characters to a new world in a different timeline, full of unexpected twists and turns.

47. The Sci-Fi Writer's Life: A sci-fi writer's creations start to come to life, leading to a thrilling adventure to understand the phenomenon and control it.

48. The Quest for the Deserted Island's Treasure: A map to a deserted island's treasure leads characters on a perilous quest, facing rivals, dangers, and betrayals.

49. Santa Claus in the Future World: Santa Claus accidentally travels to a future world, where he must adapt, learn, and find a way back to his own time.

50. The Virtual Reality Adventure Writing Workshop: A virtual reality workshop where participants learn adventure writing by living their own creations.

51. The Ordinary Person's Extraordinary Life: An ordinary person discovers a journal that predicts the future, leading to adventures, moral dilemmas, and self-discovery.

52. The Little Girl's Time Machine: A little girl finds a pocket-sized time machine, taking her on adventures through history, learning valuable lessons.

53. The Treasure Hunters' Code: A group of ethical treasure hunters face off against ruthless rivals, following a code of conduct, and unraveling ancient mysteries.

54. A Story Within a Story: A writer's character takes control of the narrative, leading to a back-and-forth adventure where reality and fiction intertwine.

55. The Astronaut's Crash into a Fantasy World: An astronaut crash lands into a fantasy world, facing mythical challenges, magical allies, and a journey back home.

56. The Ocean Waters Mystery: An adventure on the high seas leads to the discovery of a sunken city, ancient prophecies, and the untold secrets of the ocean waters.

57. The Adventure Genre's Ultimate Guide: Write a meta-story exploring the elements, history, and variations of the adventure genre, with fictional examples.

58. The Amazing Fighting Skills Academy: A school that teaches amazing fighting skills, intertwined with honor, discipline, and a series of adventurous challenges.

59. The Short Stories Adventure Challenge: Characters must live through a series of short stories, each representing a challenge and a lesson in a grand quest.

60. A Man Wakes in Four Different Potential Locations: A man wakes each day in one of four different potential locations, unraveling a mystery that connects them all.

61. The New Jacket's Adventures: A magical new jacket grants its wearer different abilities and leads them on adventures, each connected to a larger plot.

62. The Story Starter's Real Life Adventures: A collection of story starters that become real adventures for those who read them, with each adventure teaching a life lesson.

63. The Family Finds a Portal: A family finds a portal in their basement, leading to different worlds and times, each with unique adventures and moral quandaries.

64. A Young Boy's Journey to Become Santa Claus: A young boy must undertake a magical journey to become the next Santa Claus, facing trials, lessons, and joys.

65. The Real Life Adventure Writing Workshop: A workshop that sends participants on real-life adventures, challenging them to write about their experiences.

66. The Tropical Island's Time Travel Mystery: Stranded on a tropical island, characters discover a time travel mystery, unraveling the island's secrets across different eras.

67. The Astronaut Crash Lands in a Strange City: An astronaut crash lands in a strange city where time behaves oddly, leading to a mind-bending adventure to escape.

68. The Most Readers' Adventure: Write an interactive story where most readers can influence the plot, characters, and outcomes through choices and feedback.

69. The Hot Air Balloon's Time Travels: A hot air balloon capable of time travel takes characters on historical adventures, meeting famous figures and witnessing key events.

70. A Deserted Island's Hidden World: Explorers discover a hidden world beneath a deserted island, filled with ancient technology, creatures, and secrets.

71. The Writing Adventure of a Lifetime: A young writer's life becomes a series of adventures as each writing prompt comes to life, building towards a grand climax.

72. The Far Flung Places of a Future World: In a future world, adventurers explore far flung places, uncovering new civilizations, wonders, and cosmic mysteries.

73. The College Friends' Amazing Fighting Skills Challenge: College friends participate in a tournament of amazing fighting skills, with deeper plots and secrets at play.

74. Two Children and the Destructive Meteor Shower: Two children must prevent a destructive meteor shower with the help of a mysterious scientist, time travel, and courage.

75. The Adventure of Writing and Living: A philosophical exploration of the adventure of writing, living, and the intertwining of the two, through narratives and reflections.

76. The Man Wakes to a New World Every Day: A man wakes to a new world every day, each with different rules, cultures, and challenges, seeking a way back home.

77. The Underwater World's Treasure Hunters: Treasure hunters explore an underwater world in search of legendary riches, facing sea monsters, pirates, and enigmas.

78. The Christmas Eve Hot Air Balloon Ride with Santa Claus: A magical Christmas Eve hot air balloon ride with Santa Claus, visiting different parts of the world.

79. The Ordinary Person's Adventure Writing Journey: An ordinary person embarks on a guided adventure writing journey, discovering hidden talents, dreams, and life purpose.

80. The Deserted Island's Time Capsule: Explorers find a time capsule on a deserted island, leading to a series of adventures unraveling historical mysteries and connections.

81. The Creative Juices of a Sci-Fi Writer: A sci-fi writer's creative juices lead to groundbreaking ideas, which attract the attention of mysterious forces, leading to adventure.

82. A Young Boy's Adventures in Four Different Potential Locations: A young boy experiences adventures in four different potential locations, each representing a season and life lesson.

83. The Astronaut's Crash and the Deserted Island: An astronaut crash lands on a deserted island in space, facing alien flora, fauna, and a struggle for survival.

84. A Family Finds Magic on Christmas Eve: A family finds a magical artifact on Christmas Eve, leading to adventures with elves, talking animals, and holiday magic.

85. Two Children and the Adventure Writing Quest: Two children discover a book that guides them on a quest to learn adventure writing, living through magical experiences.

86. The Short Stories of Ordinary People: A collection of short stories depicting the extraordinary adventures of ordinary people in everyday situations.

87. The Time Machine's Quest for Ideas: Characters use a time machine to gather ideas from history's greatest minds, leading to adventures, debates, and inspiration.

88. The Exotic Locations of a Future World Explorer: A travelogue of exotic locations in a future world, with adventures, discoveries, and reflections on humanity's progress.

89. The Treasure Hunters' New World Odyssey: Treasure hunters embark on an odyssey in a new world, facing unknown landscapes, creatures, cultures, and treasures.

90. The Sci-Fi Adventure of Two Children: Two children in a sci-fi setting embark on an adventure to save their world from a cosmic threat, using intelligence and courage.

91. The Journey to Discover Life's Meaning: Characters embark on a philosophical adventure to discover life's meaning, encountering wisdom, challenges, and enlightenment.

92. The Adventure of a Little Girl and a Dusty Book: A little girl finds an old dusty book that comes to life, taking her on adventures through different stories and times.

93. The Adventure Genre's Creative Juices: An exploration of the adventure genre, with interactive writing exercises to unleash the creative juices of aspiring writers.

94. The Blog Post's Guide to Adventure Writing Prompts: A living blog post that guides readers through adventure writing prompts, challenges, and interactive experiences.

95. The World's Most Action-Packed Hot Air Balloon Ride: An action-packed hot air balloon ride around the world, facing natural wonders, dangers, and thrilling escapades.

96. The Writing Prompts that Changed Lives: A series of writing prompts that not only inspire stories but change the lives of those who write them, with mystical connections.

97. The Treasure Hunters' Deserted Island Dilemma: Treasure hunters face dilemmas, moral quandaries, and surprises on a deserted island, leading to unexpected treasures.

98. The Time Traveling Hot Air Balloon's Adventure: A time-traveling hot air balloon takes its passengers on an adventure through time, facing history's challenges and joys.

99. The Young Writer's Journey to the Future World: A young writer travels to a future world, exploring innovations, civilizations, and ideas, while facing challenges and adventures.

100. The Writing Adventure of Creative Souls: Creative souls embark on a writing adventure to unlock their potential, face their fears, and discover the power of words.

101. The Adventure of Readers and Characters : A meta-adventure where readers and characters interact, influence each other, and explore the boundaries of storytelling.

The adventures are boundless, and the worlds are waiting to be explored. With these 101 adventure story ideas, your creative juices will never run dry, and your readers will be on the edge of their seats. Grab your pen, keyboard, or dusty old notebook, and start crafting the exciting adventure within your imagination.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adventure Story Ideas (FAQs)

What are adventure story ideas, and how can they ignite my creative juices.

Adventure story ideas are the sparks that can lead to thrilling tales of exploration, discovery, and excitement.

Whether it's treasure hunters seeking the same treasure, or an ordinary person exploring far-flung places, these ideas can flow like a destructive meteor shower of inspiration.

How Can I Create an Exciting Adventure with Real-Life Elements?

Mix your adventure story with real-life experiences. Imagine what happens next after a plane crashes on a deserted island.

Draw inspiration from the strange city you once visited or the tropical island vacation you enjoyed with college friends.

Can I Add Science Fiction Elements to My Adventure Writing?

Absolutely! Think of an astronaut crash in a future world or a time machine that controls real life. Science fiction adds a new layer to adventure stories, taking readers to exotic locations and unexplored galaxies.

Where Can I Find Writing Prompts for a Fantasy World Adventure?

Adventure writing prompts can be found in various blog post collections or even hidden like a key inside an old dusty book.

They can guide you to create a fantasy world filled with witch curses, magical creatures like Harry Potter, or even a Christmas Eve celebration in a realm of ice and fire.

How to Write an Adventure Story About a Young Boy?

Crafting a good adventure story about a young boy involves adding elements like fantastic fighting skills, a hot air balloon journey, or a mysterious, cryptic message leading to a secret treasure. Keep the characters lively and the journey filled with surprises.

What Makes a Story Starter Effective for Short Stories?

A story starter acts as the ignition for short stories. Whether it's when a family finds an old map or Santa Claus unexpectedly crashes into your living room, a strong starter can make the reader's journey as thrilling as a ride in a remote control flying car.

Are There Any Ideas to Write an Adventure with Video Game Themes?

Video game themes are rich in adventure possibilities. Imagine characters unlocking new world levels, battling foes in underwater worlds, or finding potential locations for secret bases.

This approach can appeal to most readers, especially those who enjoy gaming.

Can You Share Some Adventure Writing Tips for an Action Packed Sci-Fi Story?

An action-packed sci-fi story could feature pilots discovering a new world or an adventure to save the universe from a destructive meteor shower.

Don't forget to add a new jacket of technology, intriguing characters, and perhaps even a twist where the hero controls real life through a futuristic device.

How to Start Writing a Quest Involving a Little Girl and Her Family?

Start writing with an intriguing scenario. Perhaps a little girl and her family embark on a quest to find a lost artifact.

Introduce elements like stories of ancient legends, exploration of ocean waters, and the thrill of the unexpected. Let the journey unfold!

Can I Include My Own Life in Adventure Writing?

Your life experiences can enrich your adventure writing. Have you ever felt like a treasure hunter or explored four potential locations for a hidden gem?

Draw from those emotions and memories to create a tapestry of ideas that resonate with readers.

I help filmmakers sell their ideas, get more clients, and make more money.

101 Sizzling Subplot Ideas to Boost Your Main Story Arc

101 stop-motion ideas that will blow your mind.

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• Travel Story Ideas

Dreaming Up Travel Story Ideas: My Winning System for Generating Stories that Sell

By Roy Stevenson

I frequently receive emails from aspiring travel writers asking how I manage to generate so many travel story ideas.   I’ve had more than 1,000 articles published in the past ten years.  In a good week, I’ve pitched as many as five story ideas, and written up to six articles. “Where do you get so many ideas?” they ask.   Genius physicist Stephen Hawking said, “They come into my head while I’m asleep.”  I wish I could say something cool like that.   But alas, I’m not divinely gifted.  I have to work at it. The fact is I’m always looking for new story ideas.  I maintain a long list of potential stories in a ring binder and on my computer. If you want to boost your bylines, try my winning system.  These seven techniques can be used to constantly generate saleable ideas:

Which Destinations are Surfacing – or Resurfacing?

I’m always checking travel magazines and newspapers to see what new destinations are surfacing — or being rediscovered. Don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t steal other writer’s stories.  I just take the idea and turn it into a new story angle. Here’s how to do it: 

Take a story about an exciting new destination or tourist attraction that’s popping up regularly in the travel literature.  Figure out a unique story angle for this place for one of your regular magazines that you already write for.  If you don’t have a suitable outlet, search for more potential magazines to pitch.

Write About “Evergreen” Destinations

Some destinations are “evergreen” fodder for freelance travel writers.  You’ll notice numerous stories published about them every year.

For example, the small town of Leavenworth, Washington is frequently written about.  Every aspiring travel writer in the Pacific Northwest wants to write a story about this small town.  Here, the restaurants serve all foods German, the Pilsner and Hefeweizen beer are served in enormous steins, and the locals stroll around in Lederhosen, tooting alpine horns. It’s practically a rite of passage for Pacific Northwest writers to “do a Leavenworth piece”. My Leavenworth piece was about several new wine-tasting rooms on the town’s Main Street. It was published in Washington Tasting Room , a wine magazine.

Competing editors don’t want to miss out on any tourist hot spots that their rival publications are touting.  Look at evergreen destinations in your region.  Put a fresh spin on what to see or do and you’ll have a story idea editors will love.

Turn Your Favorite Destinations into Travel Story Ideas

One of my favorite destinations has always been the Columbia River Gorge. I’ve made several trips to this magic place and written countless articles about attractions on the Oregon and Washington sides of this magnificent gorge. Many of these stories ideas originated from their Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) press releases and newsletters. Likewise, I enjoy visiting Bellingham, Washington. I also stay updated on their new tourist attractions and events via their monthly newsletters. If you’re particularly keen on one destination and enjoy returning to it, contact its local  DMO media rep and ask him or her to send you their monthly newsletter and press updates on new tourist developments.

Resell Your Own Travel Stories

Periodically, I’ll flip through my portfolio of published articles, and brainstorm ways to resell my work.

Here's an example.   I’ve sold rehashed versions of my story about the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum at Hood River, Oregon, to

• an Australian jeep magazine
• a U.S. automobile magazine
• a US aviation magazine
• a U.K. military vehicle magazine
• a U.S. regional travel magazine, and
• a handful of other print publications

How do I go about reselling my stories ? I might resell one of my regional travel stories to a national or international publication, or vice-versa.

For example, I wrote a story about Paris’s Pere LaChaise Cemetery, originally published in Emirates in-flight magazine.  I resold it to a national U.S. publication called Renaissance. If you can find paying travel websites, consider re-selling your travel stories to them after they’ve finally run their course in print magazines.  I resold the Paris Pere LaChaise Cemetery story later to EuropeUpClose.com .

Two other techniques you can use to resell your stories:  •    Turn a profile story into a roundup piece, and •    Update your story using new research and sources

Look on The Internet, Duh!

The Internet is a potent source of travel story ideas. When I’m planning a trip to a destination and looking for saleable story ideas, I do extensive online research. I look for tourist attractions, tours, museums, resorts, restaurants and spas at the destination.  Then I match up the ideas with my regular magazine outlets.

For example, while planning a winter trip to Arizona, I pre-sold a dozen stories to some of my regular outlets and some new outlets, before I even made the trip. Here are a few examples of story ideas that eventuated from that press trip. From my research, I discovered . . . an enormous military aircraft storage area called “The Boneyard”. I sold this piece to Aviation History magazine. I discovered that Fort Huachuca, in southern Arizona, is the U.S. Army’s Intelligence Center. I sold a story about the Fort’s three communications museums to Popular Communications Magazine. While touring the Titan Missile Museum just outside of Tucson, I noticed several military vehicles on display. I sold that story to a U.K. military vehicles magazine called Military Machines International. From that same Arizona Fam trip, I sold a story about Apache Spirit Ranch, near Tombstone, to GoNomad.com . I sold another story about Tombstone’s silver mining history to Lost Treasure Magazine . I also sold another story about the White Sands Missile Range Museum & Missile Park to a U.K. publication called Space Flight.

You get the idea.  All these story ideas were derived from Internet research! While I’m doing this research I’m always looking for story ideas that interest me.  And I look for new magazines I could pitch.  I’ve uncovered dozens of travel stories by doing this. Instead of mindlessly surfing the Internet, put your time to good use and look for story ideas before your next trip.  You’ll be amazed at what you uncover.

Flip Through Your Photo Archives

One of my Golden Rules for travel writing is to take photographs of every attraction, no matter how inconsequential they might seem at the time. I’ve often raked up, and sold, new stories from flipping through my photographs after returning from a press trip. I currently have six sets of photographs sitting in my photo archives waiting to be transformed into paid articles.  For example, I have photos from several military museums just waiting to become a travel story. Your photo archive is a gold mine waiting to be discovered.

Get Travel Story Ideas On the Road

My preferred method for drumming up story ideas is to line them up in advance using the above research techniques.  Having advance assignments gives you substantial bargaining power when you’re requesting complimentary travel perks. However, always have your “story antennae” up when you’re on your press trip. I’ve never failed to discover lucrative paying articles while I’m at the destination. Sometimes I stumble across unanticipated attractions during my trip.  That’s when I swing into action.  I conduct interviews and take photographs as if I already have an assignment.  Then I pitch the story when I return home.

The Winning System

These are my seven favorite techniques for dreaming up travel story ideas . Occasionally a story will fall into my lap, like when a magazine editor contacts me with an assignment. But those are too infrequent to be counted on. Most success comes from sheer hard work.  If you want to generate travel story ideas consistently, try these techniques. Research your destinations in advance.  Resell your existing stories.  Plug in to the DMO community, and scan their newsletters and press releases for ideas.  Read travel magazines and websites to see what new and exciting destinations are appearing on the horizon. Use just one of these techniques and you’re sure to see some improvement.  Use ALL of these techniques and you’ll have a winning system that generates more travel story ideas than you ever imagined possible.

Break into Travel Writing with the Creative Pack

The Creative Pack includes 3 eBooks that are the starting point for every travel writer:  dreaming up unique story ideas that you can sell, finding the best writing niches for you based on your interests, passions and experience, and the art & craft of travel writing.  They’re the pieces of the puzzle that come before you ever write a query letter to sell your articles to magazine editors. 

If you're just getting started in travel writing, this group of resources will help you improve your craft , generate story ideas that sell , and develop your own unique and meaningful niche . 

These eBooks can be purchased separately, but when you buy the bundle you'll save more than 10% off individual prices!  Learn more here ...

You might like these articles, too . . .

Generate Story Ideas that Sell

Selling your story ideas can be easy if you know these six ways to generate stories that editors want.

Using Executive Summaries for Travel Writing Success

Using executive summaries when planning a big trip can make you a more successful travel writer. Here's the lowdown on how to create one and how to use it ...

Selling Story Ideas - 6 Tips for Travel Writers

Selling story ideas takes some experience to identify unique angles. Here are 6 tips to help you distinguish the good ones from the bad ...

Roy Stevenson is a professional travel writer and the author of www.PitchTravelWrite.com.  Over the past ten years, he’s had more than 1000 articles published in 200 magazines, trade and specialty journals, in-flights, on-boards, blogs and websites and has traveled on assignment around the U.S. and to dozens of international destinations.

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Books and Services

Elementary Assessments

50+ Fun Travel Writing Prompts

Spark discussion about interesting travels in your classroom using these fun travel writing prompts.

Not only do these writing prompts about travel reduce writer’s block, they allow students to express themselves, develop writing skills, reflect upon personal experiences, and share travel stories.

What’s more, these travel writing prompts encourage even the most reluctant writers to move their pens!

So pencil into your writer’s workshop block this week a few of these writing prompts about travel.

Travel Writing Prompts

1. Do you think it’s important for people to travel? Why or why not?

2. You’re going on a trip to the safari! What experiences do you hope to enjoy during your travels?

3. Write an email or series of text messages to your parents convincing them to take you to one of your favorite destinations.

4. Retell your most exciting holiday travel experience.

5. Tell about your favorite place to visit. Describe how it looks and feels.

6. Of all the places you’ve ever traveled to, which would you like to revisit and why?

7. Imagine yourself lost in a foreign country. Describe what experiences you might encounter while trying to navigate the country.

8. Write a short story about traveling in a wagon pulled by horses.

9. Next summer, where would you like to go and why?

10. Imagine that you have a car that will take you anywhere you want to go for a day. Write a story about your adventures.

11. Recall something funny that happened on a family vacation.

12. Share two or three places you’d love to visit one day. Why are these places interesting to you?

13. Write about a travel experience that started well but ended terribly.

14. Think about a place approximately 100 miles from your current location. Plan a road trip to this place with your best friend. What will you two do there?

15. What’s the most boring trip you’ve ever taken?

16. Draft a travel guide for new visitors to your city recommending the best sightseeing activities around town.

17. Describe the best vacation spot.

18. Share something you have learned from one of your traveling experiences.

19. Imagine traveling to a new foreign country. What activities, sights, sounds, and smells do you experience? What challenges and adventures might you face?

20. Would you rather take a trip to the beach or to a volcano? Explain.

21. Tell about a favorite food that you tried when traveling.

22. If your class could take a field trip to only one place this school year, where would you choose to go and why?

23. How did traveling to a new place change your mindset about the world in some way?

24. What are the main highlights to see and do in your state or country?

25. Write a letter persuading your teacher to take students on a field trip to a favorite museum.

26. Share about a time when you or a family member forgot to pack something important for a trip. What was the final outcome?

27. Describe your least favorite vacation spot.

28.Create a story centered around these five words: souvenir, travel, family, foreign, holiday

29. In your opinion, why do you think it’s helpful to respond to travel writing prompts?

30. Which country would you love to visit one day? What do you want to do there, and who will accompany you?

31. Imagine that your parents are sending you away for a two-week summer vacation. Write a short story about this travel experience.

32. Create a series of travel writing prompts that you think your classmates may like.

33. If someone offered you a free plan ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

34. Describe your town or city to someone who has never visited.

35. Write about the day in the life of a person recently-arrived to a new country.

36. Share an interesting experience you had visiting another state or country.

37. If you could travel through time, would you visit the past or the future? Explain.

38. Imagine that it’s 50 years into the future. Describe what you experience. How is life different compared to today?

39. Pretend that you have a time machine that goes into the past. Which era would you choose to visit and why? Describe your experience.

40. If you could transport yourself to any place on earth, where would you go and why?

41. You will travel underwater to spend one day with a mermaid. Write a short story about the adventures and challenges you encounter.

42. Compose a poem about a favorite travel destination.

43. Describe the perfect travel experience.

44. Provide examples and non-examples of budget-friendly travel.

45. Summarize the last vacation you took with your family.

46. What are the pros and cons of traveling during the summer?

47. What kinds of snacks do you like to take along on a road-trip and why?

48. Design a bumper sticker to advertise a favorite travel destination.

49. Write a “recipe for happy travels.” Include the ingredients, measurements, and directions.

50. What is your favorite way to spend a staycation?

51. In your opinion, what are the benefits of traveling to other parts of the country or world?

52. While responding to one of the travel writing prompts while on vacation, your pencil whispers, “Let’s fly to Disneyland instead of staying here.” Write what happens next.

53. Pretend that you’re in a foreign country for a week. Write a diary entry about one of your days there.

Final Thoughts: Travel Writing Prompts

Now you have a treasure-trove of travel writing prompts to use for various writing activities.

Why not record travel experiences in this col travel journal.

If students enjoy these travel writing prompts, they make like this cool travel journal .

See more themed writing prompts .

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Best Travel Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 8 contests that match your search.

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

Additional prizes:

2nd: writing coach package

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024

Solas Awards

Best Travel Writing

Extraordinary stories about travel and the human spirit have been the cornerstones of our books since 1993. With the Solas Awards we honor writers whose work inspires others to explore. We’re looking for the best stories about travel and the world. Funny, illuminating, adventurous, uplifting, scary, inspiring, poignant stories that reflect the unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result. We hope these awards will be a catalyst for those who love to leave home and tell others about it.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: September 21, 2024

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Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Learn more about Reedsy Studio .

Global Experience Travel Writing Contest

Genres: Travel

Have you been marked by travel? If so, tell us how. Engaging with the genre of creative nonfiction, seize upon memorable incidents from your travel history — study abroad, domestic travels, even your discovery of Northfield. Entertain us. Make us laugh. Move us. Help us travel with you.

📅 Deadline: April 07, 2024 (Expired)

New Deal Writing Competition

New Deal Museum

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

GVCA is excited to announce the ninth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This competition challenges writers to use a painting chosen by the staff at GVCA as inspiration for a short story. This year’s painting is “Playtime” by Fred Ross.

Publication in newsletter

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution.

2x honorable mentions: $250

📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024

Crossings Travel Writing Competition

Intrepid Times

Genres: Non-fiction, Short Story, and Travel

Write an original, factual, first-person travel story that centers on a crossing of some kind. Your travel story should, as always, grow around the context of a place or experience; we want to see the theme being used in a way that enhances both. Editors will be looking for originality, voice, and a satisfying story arc that captures attention and makes use of imagery to pull the reader along at every step.

Publication in Intrepid Times

Travel Writing Award

Ottawa Tourism

Ottawa Tourism offers an annual $500 CAD prize for outstanding travel writing featuring Canada’s Capital Region. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2023 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

📅 Deadline: February 02, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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