This post is sponsored by HotelTonight (pretty much the best way to book nice hotels when you’re planning a trip).
Ready to learn about my trip to Austin? All views are my own.
I could take a trip every single week and stay happy – there are SO many places on my bucket list, and I’m insanely excited to cross them off year after year.
This year, I want YOU to take the reins on your next trip and make it the best yet. All you need is a pen and paper and a little bit of preparation to get your plan in place.
I’ve been planning, tracking and reviewing trips in my journal for the past few years and I’ve learned some awesome ways to keep up with my travels.
I love looking back at my travel memories, and I want to share a few tips to help you keep up with everything before, during, & after your trip.
My boyfriend and I went to Austin TX a few weeks ago, and I kept up with ALL of the important trip details in my journal. It’s amazing how much a simple blank notebook can help keep us organized! It’s a little idea book when I’m actually on the trip, and it’s a great spot to keep my favorite memories once the trip is over.
Research Recommendations & Make a Plan
Before your trip even begins, make a plan. Whether you’re a down-to-the-minute planner or you like to be spontaneous, you need to have a clue of why you’re taking the trip in the first place.
The best way to do this is to do some research on things to do or things to see on your trip. Where do you typically see recommendations?
You can search Pinterest, Google or even Facebook for the things to do, but shouldn’t you have them all in one spot?
Research restaurants & dishes if you’re a foodie like me. Search your interests in that city – think shopping spots, hiking trails, nightlife, or family activities. Also, tons of bigger cities have local bloggers who blog only about the city. Check their blogs and Instagram feeds for what’s going on around town. Also, try searching tags and location tags on Instagram – you may see some fun spots that are otherwise hidden.
While you’re researching, make a Recommendation list of things you actually WANT to do. Once the master list is finished, you can go through it and start scheduling things you WILL do.
The Recommendation list I made for Austin is separated by:
- To Eat
- To Drink
- To Stay &
- To Do
I got a lot of recommendations from Facebook groups, word of mouth and Google searching. I only wrote down things that I’m genuinely interested in seeing.
Even if we don’t do everything on the list, we can save others for next time 🙂
Pre-plan with a Packing List
Separate your list by carryon & big bag items, make a master list for all of your future trips OR make a list for each of your family members (kids especially). Once your list is finished, you can pull it out when you’re actually packing, and make sure you have everything.
You can see my Austin packing list below. I split it up into clothes, bathroom & etc. but you can get as specific as you’d like or keep it super simple.
Track Your Trip *During* Your Trip
If you have time on your trip to actually rest, grab your journal. Find a quiet spot in your hotel and write down your favorite things you’ve done on the trip. Think about your favorite meal and things YOU would recommend to others. Also, go through your recommended list and add anything you may have seen or heard about during your trip so far. There’s so many ideas of how to track your trip – it’s just a matter of sitting down and reflecting a little.
I found a spot in the South Congress Hotel and spent some of my downtime adding some of my favorite trip moments to my journal.
Add Keepsakes
Below, you’ll see how I added my boarding pass in my journal with some simple round colored labels I got from the dollar store. I also added some flair with washi tape down the edge of the ticket. I love how it turned out 🙂
Also, look through brochures and any print media you got on your trip and see if you can salvage any for your book. Cut-out logos from menus or receipts may take your journal to the next level and add a unique twist to your pages.
I went a little overboard when making my ‘Trip in Review’ spread below, but I wanted to see how it would turn out… I made stickers with my printer and Silhouette and added them to an ATX memories spread. I can see this becoming a new trend in my book! 🤓
Remember Your trip
You can add everything to this layout by reviewing your check-ins, notes, and pictures to see when they’re timestamped. I always go back through my phone to make sure I didn’t miss anything when rounding up my spread.
I love this recap spread below, but wish I wouldn’t have added the horizontal lines until AFTER I added the text – Oh well! 🤷♀️
Review Your Trip
Once you’re home, ask yourself the following:
- What did I not see that I wanted to?
- What was my favorite part of the trip?
- What was the weather like?
- Did I pack too little or too much?
- Would I like to revisit this place?
Look through your pictures and souvenirs and see if there’s anything else worth adding to your journal. Remember your trip however you’d like, it’s always fun looking back on the highlights of your life, and many of mine happen when traveling.
I hope you’re inspired to start planning your future trips on paper or in a new journal. You’ll have everything in one place PLUS an incredible souvenir and you’ll never forget your trip! When you’re ready to book your next trip, check out the HotelTonight app to find your hotel. They’ll book up to 100 nights out, but you can get quality hotel rooms at the last minute too!
If you’re thinking about journaling in 2019, I hope you’ll join me in the #journalyou52 challenge. This is a fun, year-long journal challenge with a different prompt every week ~ subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!
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Great info! We’re going to Orlando later in the year and this will come in handy
Awesome! I’m heading there in June, and will definitely make some sort of travel plans in the journal. Have fun on your trip 🙂
Thanks so much for the amazing tips. They are going to help more then you know..
Awesome Brandon! I hope you get to travel somewhere you love soon!
That makes me so happy! Make sure to check back for more blog posts to come!
Whitney, I never thought about writing down my plans for trips in a journal. It’s such a great idea!! From writing down my packing list to what we want to do. An excellent way to record memories!!
Definitely ~ you can keep the travel plans and recommendations forever – then when you actually make the trip, you’ll have some awesome ideas already!
Thanks for the information. I’ve always wanted to do a Travel Journal but never had the nerve to actually do it. This year I’m going to start one for our trip around Lake Superior and with some of your ideas and the travel challenge for this week, I have actually started the Journal. Thanks Whitney!
That’s awesome! The travel memories you save are so worth the time (and it really doesn’t have to take that long!)
I’ve had 2 trips planned for at least a couple years.
The first is at least somewhat realistic. It’s not the prettiest, but I love the beach and it’s the closest I can get to, even drive there and back in a day if I had to. Right now I can’t afford to do that, but at least I am thinking rational about it.
The second is definitely more expensive, but another beach. Don’t have an exact location but it has to be somewhere I could swim with dolphins (the whole package…not stand in the water). Clear water, all inclusive, and safe are my biggest requirements. Would check something off my bucked list!
Ahhh I’d love a little all inclusive trip myself! Would definitely be in the far out future though too! I hope you find your way to the beach soon!
Wow-this is a thorough travel journal. I’ve never kept a journal before but I should. It’s a really good idea.
You can definitely add some of these ideas to any notebook or bullet journal! It’s a fun way to keep memories of everything!
Thank you so much for all these great ideas
You’re so welcome Casandra! I hope you got some travel journal inspo 🙂
Great ideas here! I have a travel BuJo with travel planning, but still picked up some creative and useful ideas here. Thanks!
Awesome Denise! I may have to make a separate travel journal eventually, but for now I keep it all in the bullet journal!
I love journaling about my travels! Thank you for all of the inspiration!!
You’re so welcome! I hope you found some fun travel journal ideas 🙂
I love your blogs and how I get so many ideas from you! Thanks!
Thanks Bette! I do my best to keep up with the latest journaling ideas! 😉
Your travel journal looks so cute! You do a great job with it. I get stressed when I try to journal because I have bad hand writing and it ends up looking poorly. However, I understand that is partially my fault for not practicing and keeping up the habit.
Oh its all good, handwriting doesn’t matter as much as the memories do 🙂
I love this post! Who doesn’t LOVE to travel? I think some of the ideas here can be extended to local places of interest that you want to visit (i.e. museums, art exhibits, parks, etc.).
Yes, I definitely need a section of fun local spots – maybe a “When I’m Bored in my City” spread!
This is such great timing. Preparing for a trip right now and working on “brain dump” ideas in my main journal while also preparing my travel journal for the trip.
Yes, travel journals are so fun. I would start one if I traveled more, but for now I just keep it all in the bullet journal 🙂
Great post
Now I want to get away more
Haha. Don’t we all Barb!
How fun, Whitney! Glad you were able to spend an exciting weekend away and enjoy.
If I won this contest, I would go visit my son who is living in MT.
Ohhh fun! I love visiting Austin, its a lot different than where I’m used to!
The snapchat commentary is SO ME. I take some snaps and don’t even save them to my phone 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ then I look back at my trips and go “oh” I didn’t take any photos.
Isn’t that funny!! Those are the Snapchat stories you should save!
I always scratch together a packing list and print out pages of details, but I never thought of putting them in my Biko! Going to practice with a work trip I’m taking this week!
Definitely! It’s always fun to look back at travel memories! Especially if they’re all in one spot!
The review section is great. Not many people include that when make lists for their travel. It’s a good way to focus on the positives of your trip and make sure you didn’t forget something.
Exactly right Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it.
This is a great idea for traveling. We don’t go very far right now but hope to in the future. We do camp locally for a couple weeks each month so a packing list is a great idea for me. Thanks for your review!
Sounds great Cheryl. I miss my camping days from when I was younger. 😊
Great ideas. Thanks Whitney. You’re awesome!
You’re awesome Virginia. Thanks for the comment.
I love using a packing list when I go places. Can’t wait to get to this layout!
They’re the best! Make sure to share your layout with everyone!
This was a great post! We are preparing for a big trip in May and this really helped us plan for one of the cities we are visiting.
Thanks Pat! Have fun in the big city.
I love this post! It has so many great ideas to help incorporate all aspects of s trip in your journal! I’m excited to try these ideas!
Glad you could find some travel bujo ideas! I hope you get to travel to somewhere fabulous soon 🙂
need to carve out some more private time – would so enjoy journaling like this – btw work, family, the side gig, and house work and errands I barely have time for more than a to-do list and grocery list! Time, a rare commodity.
I hear ya. I try and stick to a simple routine at night to keep up with my journal. Focus on making it a habit.
Great information! Thank you for including lists and questions that will make it easier to make my own Travel Journal. Yours looks great!!!
Thank Jan, and you’re very welcome. 😉
I’m going to the south of Spain for the most of May and I’ll be using your tips for a travelling journal😊
WOW Linda! I’m sooooo jealous. Have so much fun!
Thanks for all the pointers Whitney! Some of my favourite and well-used spreads are for trip planning and travel memories. 😊
Thanks for the comment Pam! Trip spreads are my favorite too to reflect back on.
This is great, thanks!
Perfect for helping me plan for an upcoming big trip!
Glad it was helpful Jen! ✋
Great contest! Thanks
Thanks Carolyn.
Working on my packing list now! Aimed specifically at Karting Races that Hubby flags at. 😊
Awe, love it. 😊 Have a great trip.
I love these ideas, and cannot wait to put them to use to plan our upcoming trip North for our family reunion and my nieces wedding!
Thanks Renee! Have a wonderful time at the wedding!