5 Creative Travel Bullet Journal Ideas & Tips
Here are travel bullet journal ideas to make the most out of your travel planning.
The Bullet Journal is one of the ideal traveler’s notebooks. It's a great way to stay organized and on task when out on the road in your RV. It's not the ONLY way to journal your travel, but we'll go into other ways in other posts.
Organization is key when it comes to a big trip. You have a long list of places, maintenance of your rig to track, and experiences to not forget.
Nothing is worse than going through with your travel plans only to realize you missed an important thing.
While we are big believers in serendipitous travel, there is certainly a time and place for planning. This is especially true if you have a limited time to travel and a must-see or must-do list already in mind.
Plus, I know many of our RV Lifestyle followers aren't as “loosey goosey” as we are with our travel plans. So, if you prefer a more structured travel plan, a travel bullet journal might be perfect for you.
What is a Bullet Journal?
A bullet journal (or BuJo) is a visual tool. Basically, it's a travel diary, invented by Brooklyn-based digital product designer Ryder Carroll.
The cool thing is that any blank journal can utilize the beautiful spread of the bullet journal method. So there's no extra cost to start!
Helpful Travel Bullet Journal Ideas
For your next trip then, here is a list of the best travel bullet journal ideas.
1 – The Basics
I can't begin sharing layout ideas for bullet journaling without first thing noting the original type of bullet journal. Here is the original video of Ryder Carroll sharing the creative ideas of his own journal entries for the first time.
His list of things outlining the bullet journal layout includes separate sections for an index, and logs for the future, monthly and daily. “Bullet” refers to bullet points in order to list things, such as phone numbers or new places to remember.
The index helps you keep track of the list of pages, and where to find a particular place. The future log, which takes up fewer blank pages than the others, tracks important information for later in your year.
The monthly log functions as an easy way to view a calendar. Then the daily log is the best way to keep track of the minutiae of daily reflections and life. Think of it as a replacement for sticky notes listing events, notes, and tasks.
Check out the official website if you want to learn more. And here's the link if you want to read the official book on using a bullet journal. And once you have the basics down, it's time to get into the creative travel journal ideas. They will make your next big trip run like clockwork (if that's what you're into).
2 – List All the Places of the Road Trip
When trip planning, it can be hard to keep all the places you're visiting straight in your mind. A regular travel itinerary can get long and cumbersome. So a good way to keep organized is to list out all your stops on one handy page.
Bullet journalists can add any topic to their journal so long as they note it in their index to easily find it later. So start out with a blank page, and note the page number to label this next vacation in your index.
Next, write your first travel destination and its arrival date, and draw a box around it. Then draw an arrow to your next stop with its arrival date. Repeat by drawing a box around it, then use an arrow to point to the next place.
This world map tracking your own trip in its entirety will serve as a useful one-page guide. No matter what size your trip, it will all be listed here for your convenience.
Happy booking!
Mike and Jennifer's RV Lifestyle hat collection
Who needs a hat? You do! Dad hats aren't just for dads. This comfy one's got a low profile with an adjustable strap and curved visor. Just the thing to wear on your next RV Lifestyle adventure.
3 – Packing List So You Don't Forget Any Important Items
Preparing for a long RV trip often means having so much to remember. You're bound to forget something.
But with bullet journal travel pages, you can easily include every kind of necessary trip details, such as what to pack.
So to keep a bullet journal packing list, it helps to divide your items into categories. Toiletries, clothes, food, and many others can be headings with the lists below them.
If you still need to do some shopping, it helps to place a box next to each item. This way you can check them off as you go.
Use the Packing List you got when you signed up for our email list – just transfer the things you need to take with you onto your bullet journal.
4 – A Profile for the Place You're Visiting
Let's say you're visiting one of the national parks for a whole week in spring. It can be a challenge to keep organized about everything you need to remember.
However, by devoting journal pages to that place, you can ensure nothing is missed. List everything you need on just a couple of pages. This can include what to have packed, every activity, and places to visit.
If you have glue, you can even paste a map right there on the page.
For scheduling, you can draw lines across and label times across the page. Now you can list your itinerary at the corresponding times.
This way, you don't have five different pieces of paper you're carrying around while hiking. It's all there in the journal.
5 – Store Anything That's Personally Important To You
One of the best things about bullet journaling is that it is flexible to your personal tastes.
If you're a big music fan, keep a page for just songs you discover on your trip. If you collect postcards or stamps, here is a place you can store them.
Love travel quotes? Devote a page to them to keep you inspired if you hit a rough patch on the road.
Get any new ideas for places to go? Keep a page for that too.
Don't be afraid to let the arts and crafts bug bite. Paste a picture of Old Faithful underneath Yellowstone National Park.
Yes, there are a lot of artists that love to use their skills to craft beautiful pages. But the real beauty of the bullet journal is that there's no skill required to use it well.
Yes, there are some helpful apps. But the bullet journal also succeeds in keeping everything you need to know in one convenient place. But unlike an app, it has unlimited potential that reliably runs on your needs and imagination.
Carry it everywhere and never miss logging an important thing.
Do you have a favorite way to journal your trip and stay organized?
Share your travel bullet journal ideas in the comments below!
Join our Group Travel Map!
Think of this as a group travel journal! We've been adding our favorite places all across the country and now you can, too! Every day more and more gets added by RVers just like you!
To add your own locations, you need to get the free app for your smartphone so you can add spots and share them with others as you travel! Click the link in the lower-right corner of the map and start adding YOUR favorite places. Already we've found many new places to explore during our RV adventures and you will too!
Together, we can make this a huge resource for the RV community!
I started to journal a couple years ago and will continue to do so as we begin our travels. I have a couple small photo printers because i love to include pictures. Either scenic where we are, family we see, or friends along the way, and of course-our dog. It’s an outlet for my creativity, but it’s also fun to reflect and look back.
Thanks Mike & Jen! This is just what I have been looking for to journal our FullTime RV travels without the need to create my own website / blog! Keep up the good work and maybe we’ll see you down the road!
I have a small notebook with A-Z dividers that I make notes in. Each state is listed under the letter of their name (G for Georgia, etc.). I list campgrounds I’ve stayed in, amenities, whether or not I liked them, & contact information. I also list sites I visited, people I met, etc. My notebook has other sections for notes, mileage, or whatever I want to add. Since it is a notebook, I can easily add or delete pages. When someone wants a reference for a campground, I can flip to the page & tell them my experience.
Your article has some great ideas. I prefer to avoid paper whenever possible so I document everything on my iPad or iPhone. I have many lists that I often use and I like to use the NOTES app for them as I can make lists that I can check off. I have list for everything from packing lists for different activities (hunting, fishing, rafting, food, things to do prior to departure, etc. I can check off the items and then later simple uncheck the items and re-use the list. Prior to computers I had paper lists I add but find electronic lists to be great. Using bullet points is a great way to go. As a retired fire investigator I have written hundreds of investigation reports and using bullets is a great way to document things and it lets you avoid a lot of writing that would otherwise be required for proper sentence and paragraph structure. You can easily use bullets to your advantage by having a statement to start and then switching to bullet points. it even works for technical documents and works amazingly well when just creating lists for your own use. I do always keep a pad of waterproof paper and the appropriate pen or a pencil with it when you want to jot down a little info that I can later place in the best location electronically or just leave it in the small notebook. I always enjoy your articles and the information you provide.