10 best travel journals for your 2022 journeys

We love travelling! Besides getting to know new places and interacting with different cultures, we also treasure the memories of each trip.

No matter how many photos and videos we take, some of us still like a travel notebook to document our experiences and feelings on our journey. Travel journals are perfect for this purpose and are, perhaps, the most valuable treasure a traveller has.

As the world is starting to reopen for tourism and we are preparing to hit the road again, we take a look at why they are essential to pack and the best travel journals out there to document your trip.

READ MORE: Want a hot coffee wherever you travel? Here are the best travel kettles for you to choose from.

What are travel journals, and who uses them?

A travel journal is a special notebook that can be used to document experiences, make plans, and can also serve as a diary of your adventures. Many are packed with tools, tips, bucket lists and maps too.

Whether you are an occasional holidaymaker or a nomad constantly on the move, taking note of your adventures can help remind you of the fun or difficulties of your trip and serve as guides if we revisit those same places.

What should it contain?

The content may depend on what you want to portray and your style. However, some essential points will serve as a guide for your trip.

• Countries and places to visit
• Maps
• Itineraries and daily trips
• Where to stay and addresses of hotels/hostels/homestays etc.
• People we meet and their contact cards if they provide us with one
• Activities to do and enjoy in each city/country
• Curious stops and other interests in each city/country
• Things we liked and our impressions of the places we visited
• Pictures and other imagery references

You can also accessorise your travel journal

For those with an artistic side or if you just want to customise your travel notebook, then you might consider using custom stickers. You can create your own unique designs that make your notebook your own.

It is something to consider if you want to bring a bit of spark and personalisation to the travel journals that you buy.

What to look for when purchasing a travel journal

When purchasing one, you should make sure it is of high quality and has a theme that reflects your personality and style. It must also be easy to carry wherever you go.

Among the features of a good travel notebook are:

• Type of paper quality and style. Decide if you prefer them to be blank pages, lined or dotted, according to your convenience and liking
• Spiral or bound; maybe refillable, too. Choose whichever you find easier and more comfortable for your writing
• Size of the journal. Generally, light and pocket-size travel notebooks are more portable and convenient. A mid-size of 5” x 7”—120 x 170mm—is more than enough for most travellers
• Type of cover. Pick one with a hardcover, leather, waterproof or just a classic notebook

Best travel journals for 2022

1. Page-A-Day Artisan Travel Journal
2. Passion Journal – Moleskine Travel Journal
3. Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal
4. Indestructible Field Travel Journal
5. Journey Journal by Cracked Design
6. Voyager Refillable Notebook
7. DIY Travel Journal
8. Old World Journal
9. Promptly Journal – Compact Travel Journal
10. Travel Journal Apps

1. Page-A-Day Artisan Travel Journal (vegan leather notebook)

If you like to write in a traditional-style leather travel journal, but you love animals more, this is the perfect one for you. With round corners, smooth-finish pages and dotted lines, it fits easily in your backpack or bag.

You can purchase it on Amazon for $5.40 USD.

2. Passion Journal – Moleskine Travel Journal

Moleskine brings us this 400-page journal to record our trips. It has a neat hardcover, rounded corners and intro pages filled with tips and an eight-year travel planner calendar. Protected in a rigid box, it is the treasure you were waiting for.

You can purchase it on Moleskine’s website for $29.95 USD or on Amazon.

3. Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal

Another gem from Moleskin, it is packed as the previous one in a hard box. This journal is 5” x 8.25” in size, and the National Geographic element shares journey tips for all kinds of explorers.

You can buy it for $34.95 USD on the Moleskine website.

4. Indestructible Field Travel Journal, All-Weather

A waterproof journal with 192 pages in total, this one is built to last. What makes it extra convenient is its pocket size and paper type that works with a ball-point pen or pencil to capture the details of your journeys.

You can acquire it on eBay for $20.89 USD.

5. Journey Journal by Cracked Design

These journals are not conventional at all, as they come with different maps. You can pick the edition that best suits your next trip by choosing where you want to go. It is conveniently light, designed for a 30-day-trip, and you can find map editions with maps for the US, Asia, Australia, Europe and Canada.

Purchase it for $18.00 USD on the Cracked Designs website.

6. Voyager Refillable Notebook

This flexible-faux-leather-cover journal is ideal for those who long for a vintage feeling while recording their trips and travel memories through words. It is refillable with attractive every-60-pages separators, so it can be reused over and over.

Purchase it on Amazon for  $6.17 USD.

7. DIY Travel Journal

Many travellers love to create their own travel notebooks. A do-it-yourself journal feels more intimate and can be personalised with the information any intrepid explorer wants.

Build it using easily accessible materials and enjoy your handiwork as you update it.

8. Old World Journal

This exclusive notebook is trimmed with shimmering gold maps, navigation lines and lightly lined cream-coloured pages. Its interior art makes it the perfect present for vintage lovers.

Purchase it on Amazon for $33.41 USD in hardcover and $12.15 USD in diary format.

9. Promptly Journal – Compact Travel Journal with Minimalist Design

This unique journal has a content table and meaningful prompts to guide your writing along the journey. It has 88 pages and includes travel-inspired artwork by illustrator Kelli Murray.

Buy it now on Amazon.

10. Travel Journal Apps

Though underrated, travel journal apps are a great start for journaling your globetrotting experiences. They provide you with guidelines to help lead your trips while recording your interests and memories quickly in an online travel journal. Some of them are free to download, while others can be purchased for more features. Among the most useful are: Diarium for Windows and Android users, Day One for Mac and IOS users, Penzu, Five-minute Journal for beginners, Daylio for non-writers, etc.

These are some of the most used and popular travel journals, but it’s important to find one that suits your needs. Whether it is a physical, classic one you handwrite or an app with lots of whistles and bells, choose one that allows you to easily portray every journey experience giving you a lifetime of travel memories to re-enjoy any time.