Travel Journaling Made Simple: How to Use a Travel Journal (Even If You’re Not Traveling)

What Is a Travel Journal?

At its core, a travel journal is a notebook designed for documenting journeys – but over the years, it has become much more. Thanks to flexible systems like the Traveler’s Notebook (TN), people now use these journals for everything from travel logs to daily planners, art journals, wellness trackers, and creative writing.

Think of it as a customizable notebook system that grows with you. You can add inserts, remove them, and switch up how you use the journal depending on your season of life.

Who Can Use a Travel Journal?

The beauty of the system is that anyone can adapt it:

• Travelers: Document trips, itineraries, ticket stubs, sketches.
• Planners: Use grid or lined inserts as calendars and to-do lists.
• Writers: Carry a notebook for poetry, reflections, or story ideas.
• Parents: Track family schedules while capturing memories.
• Wellness seekers: Use inserts for mood logs, journaling prompts, or habit trackers.
• Literally anyone: Travelers: Document trips, itineraries, ticket stubs, sketches.
• Planners: Use grid or lined inserts as calendars and to-do lists.
• Writers: Carry a notebook for poetry, reflections, or story ideas.
• Parents: Track family schedules while capturing memories.
• Wellness seekers: Use inserts for mood logs, journaling prompts, or habit trackers.
• Literally anyone: Stare at a blank page, scribble a few words that don’t quite fit, and somehow stumble into writing our way through the messy, vulnerable stuff anyway.

So even if you don’t travel often, a travel journal can be your everyday companion.

Why People Love Travel Journals

Travel journals are popular because they’re:

• Flexible: Add or swap inserts for planning, sketching, or writing.
• Mindful: Encourage slowing down and noticing details, just like in How to Start Journaling for Mental Health (Even if You’ve Tried and Quit Before)
• Creative: Combine writing with collage, art, or mixed media. For more inspiration, see 6 Journaling Trends That Will Change the Way You Write.
• Tactile: In a digital world, they give you something real to hold.
• Lasting: They become keepsakes you can look back on.

A Short History of the Traveler’s Notebook

The idea of recording journeys is centuries old, but the modern travel journal movement was sparked in 2006 with the launch of the Midori Traveler’s Notebook (TN) in Japan. Its refillable leather cover and elastic system created a modular design that let people combine different inserts in one notebook.

Since then, the TN has become a global phenomenon. Not just for travel, but for everyday journaling and planning.

Travel Journal Brands and Alternatives

While Midori’s Traveler’s Notebook is the classic, many other brands have expanded the idea:

• Chic Sparrow – High-quality leather covers, customizable sizes.
• Speckled Fawns – Rustic, hand-dyed notebooks.
• Paper Republic – Elegant covers with European flair.
• Sojourner – Handmade in Oregon, perfect for travelers.
• Foxy Fix – Colorful covers, including vegan-friendly options.
• Field Notes & Moleskine Cahier – Slim, portable inserts.
• Archer & Olive – Beloved by creatives for thick, no-bleed paper.
• Voyager Notebook (Peter Pauper Press) – A budget-friendly, great for beginners.
  

Each offers flexibility, whether you want to keep a travel log, a planner, or a personal journal.

Understanding Inserts (The Heart of a Travel Journal)

What makes travel journals so flexible is the insert system. Instead of one fixed notebook, you slide slim booklets in and out of the cover using elastic bands. This lets you mix and match based on your needs.

Common Types of Inserts

• Lined or ruled – best for daily journaling or long-form writing.
• Dot grid – ideal for bullet journaling, layouts, and creative spreads.
• Blank – perfect for sketching, collage, or freeform writing.
• Grid – useful for planning, charts, and neat note-taking.
• Specialty inserts – calendars, habit trackers, budget logs, trip planners, even watercolor paper.

Where to Buy Inserts

• Official Traveler’s Company – Classic Midori inserts (available at JetPens, Goulet Pens, Amazon).
• Stationery shops – Many local and online shops (like Yoseka, Baum-kuchen, or Tokyo Pen Shop) carry unique options.
• Independent makers – Etsy sellers create beautiful handmade inserts in every style imaginable.
• Big box alternatives – Stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby often carry refill notebooks in standard sizes.

Making Your Own Inserts

If you love DIY (or want to save money), you can create inserts yourself:

1. Choose paper (printer paper, watercolor sheets, kraft paper, recycled paper).
2. Cut it down to size (TN standard size is 4.33” × 8.25”, but there are also passport and A5 slim).
3. Fold sheets in half and stack them.
4. Use a long-arm stapler or hand-stitch the spine.
5. Trim edges for a clean finish.

Making your own lets you experiment with unusual papers (like vellum, old maps, or colored cardstock) turning your travel journal into a one-of-a-kind creation.

How to Start Using a Travel Journal (Even If You’re Not Traveling)

1. Pick your cover – Leather, vegan leather, or fabric.
2. Choose inserts – Lined, blank, grid, or dotted depending on your needs.
3. Decide your purpose – Planning, journaling, sketching, or all three.
4. Start small – Even one sentence, a to-do list, or a doodle counts.

Your travel journal doesn’t have to wait for a trip, it can become your daily life companion. Journals can serve many purposes, from planning to sketching to daily reflections. If you’re looking for a simple entry point, my free Journaling Kit for Burnout Moms can help you begin with gentle prompts.

Prompts to Try in Your Travel (Everyday) Journal

• One small moment today I don’t want to forget.
• What I noticed with my senses (sound, smell, taste).
• Something I’m grateful for right now.
• A hope or intention for the week ahead.

✨ In the end, a “travel journal” is really just a flexible journaling system. Whether you’re documenting a trip, planning your days, or processing your thoughts, it can become a grounding, creative space that travels with you through every season of life.

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