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Bullet journaling is a system that helps keep everything you need in one place. This is a huge perk for those of us that like to travel! If you’ve ever had a trip planned and had to find a way to organize your flight info, packing lists, activity plans and everything else, you know the struggle. The struggle doesn’t only involve actually getting all this stuff together. It also involves making sure you don’t lose any of it before your trip. A bullet journal travel spread is the answer!
The bullet journal shines as a travel companion. Having a spread (or two) in your journal to plan your trips makes it easy to know exactly where all your pre-trip to dos are. Adding in an itinerary also makes it easy to know every detail of your trip.
Last Christmas, my wonderful boyfriend bought us a trip to Costa Rica as our gift (#spoiled). Needless to say, I was super excited. Being the planner I am, I wanted to make sure we had things in order way before it was time to go.
We didn’t want to do a resort trip so our planning involved figuring out everything our ourselves. From where to stay to what activities we wanted to do. And, of course, where/when we were going to do them.
Starting your Travel Spread
I started my planning spread with a few basic things that would be important. And if you’re reading this post to plan your own travel spread this is exactly where you should start. Make sections for to dos, a packing list and ideas for activities. Consider adding a list of words to know before leaving if you’re going to a country where the language isn’t your own.
I’ve gone on many short work trips but this was the first actual vacation I had ever gone on as an adult. Due to my lack of experience, I was so worried that I would forget something important. These lists allowed me to feel way more prepared and confident. They gave me that sense of relief that meant I really did have my ducks in a row.
Your Packing List
A packing list seems like something you shouldn’t need but, again, having one is important. It will make sure that you don’t forget anything when it comes time to leave. Not to mention, it will relieve that feeling of “I think I’m forgetting something but I don’t know what it is.”
In order to increase that sense of relief, put “duh” items on your list. This is just so that your reassurance level is high. Anyone who forgets their passport or bathing suit will tell you safe is better than sorry. So include all your packing items, even the ones you’re sure you won’t forget.
When making your packing list include subsections for tech items, clothes, toiletries, and documents. This will make it easy for you to scan and double check.
Pre- Trip To Do’s
Once you know what type of trip you’re taking, having a list of to dos will make sure everything is set when you leave for the airport. Last minute errands are the worst when you’re strapped for time on departure day.
Include exchanging money, booking hotels, excursions or vehicles. Things like finding a pet sitter, setting an autoresponder on your email or getting a new bathing suit/ski mask can also be considerations.
Anything that needs to be done before you leave should be on here. From Airport transport/parking to getting an outlet adapter.
Doing these 2 sections early will also give you lots of time to scrutinize your list. This makes sure that it’s complete but doesn’t include a ton of stuff you don’t actually need or need to do.
Common Phrases List
If you’re going to a country (and staying off the resorts) where English isn’t a major language make sure you learn a few words in the language of the country. I was going to a tourist-y enough spot but many of the locals didn’t speak any English. All the signs, menus etc were all in Spanish.
I’m a vegetarian and since I couldn’t talk to the serving staff or understand the menu I was happy that I had taken the time to do some research before we left. As a result, I knew some common meat-free meals to look for at stands and restaurants. Learning a few basics so I could spot the words that meant meat and saying “sin carne” was the difference.
Words you might want to become familiar with are things like “where is”, “please”, “thank you”, “help” etc. Also if you have any specific needs, preferences or allergies make sure to research how you can make them clear when necessary.
Your Itinerary
On the second page of your spread, make daily boxes to plan the major activities you want to do. Make sure to record names of those activities or hotels/restaurants you’re going to visit. If there is a time you need to be somewhere write that in too!
The easiest way to maximize your time on a trip is to know what you want to do. Plan it out so that you have all the time you need to do it everything you want to. But be careful not to overbook yourself! Running from a 7 am breakfast to a 4-hour hike followed by river rafting might take away from the vacation feel of your trip. Even if action and adventure is your prerogative, making sure there are some breaks can be a lifesaver. No one wants to think they’ll end up behind schedule, lost or just plain tired but it happens.
Personally, I stuck with one major activity a day such as visiting nature reserves and national parks, exploring ruins and hitting the beach.
On travel days I wrote in the basic flight info so the times for leaving and arriving were easy to find.
Putting it Together
When building any spread remember that it’s your spread!
Give yourself plenty of room for all the things that will be important for you on your trip. If you’re going to be done for longer than a week or have a lot of things to do give yourself 2 pages (or more) for your itinerary. Flexibility is key when creating your spread.
Have fun and let the planning process get you even more excited for your trip.
Some other ideas to add to this are:
- Places for photos
- 2 lines a day diary space
- Make a pocket for tickets or receipts
- Expense log
As with any bullet journal entry, the possibilities are endless. Make space for the things that you’ll use and will add to your trip!
Bon Voyage!
