These Travel Journal Covers Will Amaze You!

Types of Travel Journal Covers

Before choosing a travel journal, I would suggest to have a look at the type of binding you like most on your notebook. This is the material that is used to make the upper (front) and lower (back) covers of the journal.

Another thing to look at is the way the pages are attached to the covers/back of the notebook. Both of these factors really change the way a journal opens and how you can use it.

For example, a saddle-stitch bind is when paper is folded with a staple or thread through the fold. PUR binding uses a paperboard or heavy cover stock to attach pages to the spine with glue (like in a paperback book). With spiral binding, there is a loop wire going through holes in the cover and pages (Nick hates these, as he’s left-handed and somehow always finds the wire in his way when writing), and with section sewn binding or coptic stitch binding, you get a flexible spine so you can lay the pages flat to work on.

As for the cover, you can choose between a hardcover or a more flexible, soft cover.

I personally don’t like albums where the pages that are sewn or stitched to tightly, because when you add lots of items (photos, stickers, receipts, tickets, etc.) to your album, it makes it impossible to close it properly after.

In those cases, soft covers can then make it easier to close the album (with a ribbon or elastic or something like that).

When I create a travel journal that is more heavily focused on just writing or albums with only photographs, the pages can be a bit tighter and a hardcover is usually best.

So you can see how the way you use your travel notebook changes the type of travel journal cover you choose. And then we haven’t even talked about the options in design, which are endless! Let’s get more into that now…

Country Journal Covers

I love buying travel journals locally when I travel. As you can see below, I’ve got journals from Morocco, Japan, India and Nepal.

They don’t just look amazing, but they are also specifically tailored to the trip – and (best of all) you can support local businesses while visiting a destination!

The paper in these albums can vary from handmade (course paper from natural fibers) to the more fabricated ‘regular’ paper that’s a bit easier to write on, so it depends on how you want to use your travel journal what would work best for you.

Places to look for these kind of albums are of course local shops and (night)markets, but you can also find them sometimes in coffeeshops that have a small shop section or online creator marketplaces such as Etsy >

City Journal Covers

I found some cute examples of journal covers based on a specific city on Instagram.

Look at the New York Journal cover here and the London Journal cover here.

Leather Journal Covers

Another type of journal that you can find locally are leather bound journals. I’ve seen a lot of them on markets in for example Southeast Asia!

These type of albums usually have handmade paper of natural fibers, so perhaps they aren’t the best for a lot of writing. But as scrapbooks these albums are perfect.

The leather cover also makes the album a bit more flexible (literally) compared to journals with cardboard or plastic covers, so you can add in receipts, tickets, photos etc. and it won’t matter the album gets a bit thicker. You can just tie the ribbon a bit looser in that case.

Another benefit is that these leather journals are easy to customize. Below you can see one with my own name on it, that I got as a gift after a work job. So special!

TIPS:

• Check out this beautiful refillable handmade leather travelers notebook by the brand Robrasim >
• This beautiful leather travel diary with a compass monogram by TealsPrairie on Etsy is also super special >
• Looking for more amazing leather notebook covers? Check out Galen Leather. This is a family company in Istanbul (Turkey). Their journal covers are compatible with Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917, Field Notes and Traveler’s Notebook (they also sell refills), making them perfect for on the road >
• If you love the leather-look but would like a vegan alternative, then this faux leather travel journal from OneLineVoyage on Etsy is perfect for you >

Map Journal Covers

Nothing says travel more than a (world)map, am I right? A lot of travel journals that you buy in the shop or online already have maps printed on them, like the ones below.

But of course you can also create your own! Simply collect a map during your travels (it can be a road map, a regional map or something else) and cut it in the right size of the cover of your journal. That way you’ll have a very unique custom journal cover that nobody else has and is a perfect match for your trip!

TIPS:

• Bookishly sells cute travel journals with vintage world map covers featuring an inspirational quote on Etsy >
• The Adventure Book (which comes in three variations) also has a beautiful world map on the front >

Photo Journal Covers

I have a lot of friends and family members who always print their (phone)photos from their travels into a book – and some of them even display them beautifully in the house, which I think is such a good idea!

A few years ago, I made a ‘compilation album’ of all of the countries I visited as a solo backpacker in my twenties, featuring Japan, Australia, New-Zealand, Fiji, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

It’s such a great memory to have and for the cover I chose this photo of myself a fellow traveller took of me during a sailing trip in The Whitsundays in Australia – one of my favourite memories! I look so relaxed and happy (and tanned, haha), something I love to remember.

There are many online printing shops where you can easily create and print photo albums like these (I forgot where I printed mine, sorry!). It depends on your country which ones are best, so do a little research and read reviews of people that used the service!

Postcard Journal Covers

An easy way to decorate your travel journal is to stick some postcards from the country or countries you visited to the cover! Especially when your album is A5 in size, you can easily fit two of them.

Below you can see an album that friends gave me on my first world trip to Japan and Australia, and I’ve added postcards from both countries at the end of my trip.

TIP! Have you heard of Postcrossing yet? This website lets you send and receive postcards from random people around the world. Real postcards, not electronic, like we used to do in the old days (ok, my childhood, haha). I’ve participated a few times and love it so much >

Wooden Journal Covers

On Etsy, I found these gorgeous customizable travel logbooks with bamboo covers by Ruben & Jule of CamperVanStore.

The notebooks are lined (128 sheets) and 5×8″ (13x21cm). You also get a bamboo ballpoint pen and cardboard gift box with your order.

Oakdene Designs also create travel journal covers from wood (walnut), which you can personalize with a name, location, and date. You can also customize a message on the first page of the album!

These notebook pages are lined (70 double sided sheets) and A5 in size, measuring 8.3×5.8″ (21×14.8cm). They are printed in England onto thick 120gsm, 100% recycled paper.