How to Write a Travelogue to Grab Readers’ Attention

Our society has recently witnessed a great travel boom. The era of travel journals, trip reports, travel articles, tourist guides, and travel memoirs has come. Social media profiles are overfilled with photos of magnificent landscapes, exotic food, and sand beaches. If you want to become a part of this tendency, you probably wonder how to start travel writing.

There are many different ways to share your travel experiences and emotions with the audience. However, one of the most popular options (along with Instagram photos and philosophical tweets) is a travelogue. This genre requires good writing skills, a great vocabulary, and a tiny drop of inspiration. Don’t forget that the most impressive travelogues are usually accompanied by photographs or brochures. In our guide on how to make a travelogue, we’ll figure out what exactly a travelogue is, provide you with step-by-step writing instructions, and give you few useful tips. Our writers have also prepared a good travel blog example with comments for you, as well as travel journal ideas. First of all, let’s define the term “travelogue.”

What Is a Travelogue?

If you think that “travelogue” only refers to something in a written form decorated with a few pictures, you would be wrong. Of course, a piece of writing is the first thing that we imagine when we hear this word. Still, a story about the journey can also be demonstrated as a motion picture, lecture, or talk accompanied by photos or a presentation. In our guide, we’ll talk about a travelogue with an essay-type structure. However, you are free to use certain tips for other forms of travelogues.

Travelogue: 6 Specific Traits

• What’s special about a travelogue?
• Why should you choose this type of writing to impress your readers?
• What characteristics are the most important?

You’ll know the answers to all these questions after you read the section below.

Entertaining format

First of all, a travelogue is not an academic paper. Its primary goal is to entertain readers, so we can classify it as creative writing. Good travelogues inspire people for visiting the described destinations; they provoke strong feelings and stimulate the imagination. You may use jokes, irony, or even flirt with your readers if this helps make reading your travelogue more exciting.

Personal experience

Don’t try to write an impressive and interesting travelogue about the places you’ve never been to. A great travelogue is not an instruction or concise description with a bunch of helpful tips. Your writing should be emotional and create life-like pictures in the minds of your readers. This is possible only when you share your personal experiences.

Helpful information

Travelogues should be entertaining and helpful at the same time. Keep the balance between facts, price lists, and emotional descriptions of local food. If your piece of writing is without valuable information, it won’t be a real travelogue.

First-person narrative

Your thoughts, your notes, and your experiences = your travelogue. There is no reason to create some kind of narrator and follow his or her steps. Readers should follow your own steps! The words “I,” “me,” and “mine” are welcome in any travelogue. Just don’t focus exclusively on yourself. This is not your autobiography!

Simple language

We’ll remind you one more time: a travelogue has nothing to do with academic writing! Keep complex words and scientific terms for your research papers. Readers should easily follow your thoughts without googling every minute. Use simple language and avoid unusual grammatical structures.

Well-structured narration

As a rule, creative writing has no limitations. Still, a travelogue is not a poem. You don’t write it only to express your deep feelings and philosophical beliefs. You are writing it for a certain audience, so make sure that they will enjoy reading your travelogue, and that it has a logical structure and is written in chronological order.

How to Write a Travel Blog: Proper Structure

A travelogue is an essay-type piece of writing, so all rules for essays work here too. There are three elements: introduction, main body, and conclusion. There are also some peculiarities that we should mention in our guide.

Introduction

Catchy, attractive, and short – these words are the main characteristics of your perfect introduction. The main purpose of this part is to grab readers’ attention, so don’t forget to add an awesome photo! Just in case: it should not be your face, but something about your journey.

Main body

As always, this is the heart of your writing. We highly recommend you to divide the text into paragraphs with headings. This will be helpful for your readers in case they’re looking for some specific information: transport, restaurants, hotels, etc. Try to alternate useful facts with poetic descriptions of beautiful landscapes. In such manner, your readers will get necessary information and won’t get bored at the same time.

Conclusion

The character of the conclusion depends on your general purpose. If you want to thank locals or friends for their hospitality, express your gratitude in a closing paragraph. If you want to encourage your audience to visit this destination, add a motivational phrase at the end of your travelogue. Try not to be banal, as that can be really annoying.

How to Create a Travelogue Step by Step

There are no strict guidelines on how to write a travel blog. The only limitations are your memory and imagination. However, we’ve listed a few points you should keep in mind while composing your travelogue.

Research

Before you leave for your amazing destination, do your research in order to visit all interesting places and attend events you’d like to write about in your travelogue.

Must-visit list

Provide your readers with an exhaustive list of all interesting places they should visit. If you don’t want to make your readers surf the internet, add short descriptions with the address, ticket prices, time schedule, and a few keywords.

Seasonal differences

If you visit the place just once, try to talk with locals about climate, major seasonal events, and a number of tourists during the year. Describe every season and recommend the most appropriate time for a visit.

Transport

Transportation is the most painful aspect of all trips. Tourists not only have to get to the destination but also to travel around the city or country. Don’t forget to mention all possible options, including local exotic transport.

Detailed descriptions

Detailed descriptions will not just stimulate your readers’ imagination, but will also serve as a helpful addition to any touristic guide. This works for tourists who are not very good at orienteering but have a good imagination and visual memory.

Cultural background

Just don’t overcome reasonable limits! Your travelogue is not a history book. Add only interesting cultural and historical facts and avoid too many dates. Nobody loves dates.

To-do list

Drink a glass of wine while looking at the Eiffel Tower, play roulette in Vegas, try curry in New Delhi – a to-do list looks something like this. Highlight the experiences that your readers can get only in a particular place and the experiences that would feel much better in a particular place. You can eat croissants every day, but they taste better when you’re in Paris.

Warnings

This is the NOT-to-do list. Every country has specific laws or unwritten code that work not only for locals. If you don’t want your readers to get in trouble or simply look disrespectful, mention these rules in your travelogue.

Major events

There is always something interesting to do, especially in big cities: concerts, festivals, performances, exhibitions, etc. Provide your readers with a wide collection of events so they’ll be able to choose one according to their budget and tastes.

How to Write a Travelogue: 10 Awesome Tips

1. Add photos

Visual materials are multifunctional. They increase the attractiveness, credibility, and design of your travelogue at the same time. Add only high-quality pictures that will no doubt impress your readers.

2. Make notes

The human memory is imperfect, especially when it comes to exact numbers. During your journey, make notes about prices, distances, and small nuances that might be important for a good travel blog.

3. Tell the truth

You are not a mother who tells her children fairy tales about unicorns and Santa Claus. You may interest your readers with a pretty story, but they won’t be grateful for it. Providing them with trustworthy guidelines is a much better decision.

4. Include numbers

Yes, we know that your poetic heart is eager for lyrics and fancy words. Still, you have to acknowledge the practical use of your travelogue. Include average prices for food, transport, and habitation. Mention how much time you needed to visit a certain museum or how far the airport was from the city center.

5. Describe one or two locations in detail

Choose one or two places that have impressed you the most. Let your readers see those locations as if they were you. Provide a detailed depiction that will attract any tourist.

6. Attach video and audio materials

A travelogue accompanied by video and audio materials looks fuller and more credible. They allow readers to feel the atmosphere of the place you’ve been to and to share your experience.

7. Add contacts and sources

The ambulance, police, and emergency services – these telephone numbers differ from country to country. You shouldn’t put them in the first paragraph, as such a move may frighten your readers. Still, this information can be crucial in particular situations. Don’t forget about taxis, food delivery, and auto rental.

8. Mention disadvantages

Every destination has its own pitfalls. Any tourist would prefer to be aware of troubles and difficulties before facing them. It’s better to be prepared.

9. Proofread your travelogue

Even though grammatical mistakes in your travelogue won’t make your grade lower, they will totally ruin the overall impression. Also, remember what writing style should be used – not formal, but moderate.

10. Encourage your readers

It doesn’t matter whether you want you readers to visit the destination or stay away from it. Don’t be afraid to express your personal opinion! Maybe, you’ll influence someone’s decision about his or her next vacation.

How to Write a Travelogue: Example Analyzed

Below, you’ll find an example of a good travel blog provided by one of our knowledgeable authors. There are also a few comments that will help you figure out all important nuances. We hope that our travelogue examples for students will motivate you to start a piece of travel writing and impress your readers!

Click the images to see their full size.

Now, our guide on how to write a travelogue is complete. We strongly believe that your talent and writing skills, along with our instructions, will help you to produce a truly brilliant travel blog. Follow our recommendations and tips, and you will succeed in completing a great paper! Our guide on how to write an entertaining speech also will help you.  We wish you good luck!