Choosing the right notebook is an essential step in creating your travel journal. There is a wide choice of notebook models and designs, and it is necessary to choose a suitable product that is adapted to your use. Several criteria must be considered: content, format, cover, number, type of pages, accessories, and resistance… From the simplest to the most elaborate, there is a travel diary for every traveler!
Choose your type of travel journal
Blank travel diary
The simplest type of notebook is the blank notebook. These classic notebooks can be adapted to the different uses you wish to make of them. They can be used as part of your travel journal.
This type of notebook is the most common, so you will have a wide choice of design, cover, color, and format. You can make the notebook your own, organize it freely, create sections and personalize it.
However, the blank notebook is intended for travelers who are already used to keeping a travel notebook. The great freedom that is given to them requires autonomy in the elaboration of the notebook, with no help guiding the use of it for the preparation of the trip, for example. The risk is, therefore, to abandon the creation for lack of inspiration and ideas concerning the content of your travel journal.
Travel notebooks to complete
Some notebooks are designed specifically for travel and come with guided pages. These are practical models for creating a travel journal before, during, and after the trip and for doing the exercise for the first time. This type of notebook combines pages to be completed and blank pages to express oneself freely and make the notebook one’s own.
There are fewer on the market than blank notebooks, so the choice is limited. For travelers wishing to shape the notebook to their image entirely, this type of product is less adapted than a blank notebook. On the other hand, this type of notebook is particularly adapted to novices looking for guides and advice to create a travel notebook.
The choice of the format of the travel diary
A4 notebooks
The A4 format (21×29,7 cm) allows you to write many text and elements without space constraints but is particularly cumbersome. This notebook format is preferred before departure to organize and prepare for your return trip, but it is not very practical to carry during the journey.
A5 notebooks
The A5 format (21×14.8 cm, which corresponds to half a page of paper) is practical because it is large enough to write, draw and paste without too many constraints but not too bulky to be easily carried on a trip. This is the most common size for a travel journal.
A6 notebooks
The A6 format (14,8×10,5 cm, which corresponds to half of an A5 or a quarter of an A4) is very compact and can almost fit in your pocket. It will be convenient for minimalist use but does not leave much room for your imagination, collage, drawing … more support.
The technical characteristics of the travel journal
Choosing the cover and binding
There are many notebook models with different covers and features. The right choice will allow you to use your travel journal in all situations.
Soft-cover notebooks are convenient because they can be twisted, bent, and abused. However, they make writing easier with support, which can be a disadvantage when traveling.
Hard-cover notebooks are resistant, sturdy, and allow you to write quickly without support, unlike the previous model. Their only drawback is that they can get stuck fast.
Spiral bound notebooks allow you to turn the pages at the back of the notebook. This is an advantage for use and writing, but the spiral is a fragile element that can quickly get damaged, deformed, and caught in a bag.
Regardless of the type of cover or binding you choose, pay attention to the material of the surface as well. A travel journal must be transported and can be abused in certain situations. Therefore, make sure to choose a cover material that is smudge-proof or washable, does not tear, and is of a color on which any smudges are not visible.
The choice of the type of pages
The choice of page type depends on how you intend to use your travel journal. Depending on whether you want to write, draw, make collages, or paint, you have different page options:
- Blank pages: practical for drawing and painting, they are less suitable for writing where your lines may become distorted and make the notebook unsightly. For painting, there are specialized notebooks with thicker pages.
- The line pages: are perfect for notebooks intended to be written on. They allow for guiding the writing. However, if you also want to draw, you must consider that the lines cross the drawing, which sometimes spoils the final result.
- Dot pages: perfect for a mix of writing and drawing. The dots guide the report more discreetly than the lines and allow you to draw with the help of perspectives without cutting the drawing. This is what we recommend for your travel journals!
Choosing the number of pages
The number of pages you need for your travel journal depends on what you want to write: do you plan to use it before, during, or after your trip? How long will your trip last? Do you want a notebook that will accompany you on a single trip or for several?
To be on the safe side, choose a manageable notebook with which you will run out of space if you are more inspired than you thought and which will be cumbersome, heavy and which you will never get through.
A 100-page notebook is a good compromise: it will not be too bulky, and it will leave you room to prepare for the trip, write, draw and paste without limit.
