Tips on How to Do Travel Writing

Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic
Published in
5 min readOct 25, 2022

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how to do travel writing

If you love travelling and you want to write about your travels, maybe you should try out travel writing. What is travel writing? This is a unique genre that allows you to create content from your experiences as a traveler.

This is a great genre to write in because it gives you a chance to write great content and also urges you to travel more. It also gives you a lot of writing formats to choose from. You could write a travel-themed book or even set up a travel blog. By taking up travel writing, you will be able to create a great deal of content. However, before you become a travel writer, you should know what to do. Here are tips on how to do travel writing in the best way possible.

1. Research is key

Before you start with your travel writing journeys, it is important that you do your research about the place you are going to. Remember that you will be going to an area that is unknown to you. If you don’t have any prior knowledge of your destination, you may go there unprepared.

Take the time to check on the country’s culture and traditions. You should also check on the history of the country and write down all your research work. Aside from using your research in your travels, you may also use it when you start writing your book or blog. As a rule, you should list down all your research work and keep it somewhere safe.

Aside from doing research beforehand, you should keep a notepad or your phone at the ready. Make sure to list down all the things you learn during your travels.

2. Respect the locals and their traditions

If you are going to write about a specific place and the culture of the people living there, you should make sure to be as respectful as possible. Take the time to talk to the people, and take note of all the details about the area you are writing about.

You should never do anything that could be considered disrespectful. This will make gathering information for your book difficult and may even endanger you in the long run.

3. Don’t have any preconceived notions about the places you will go to

No matter where you go, it is important that you don’t have any preconceived notions of the place you will go to. This will not only affect your perception of the place you will go to, but it will also affect your writing. If you are going to go to a new place, you should always keep an open mind.

4. Be prepared for emergencies

Remember that you will be go to unfamiliar places, so there is a chance that emergencies could happen. You may lose your wallet or passport. You might even get lost and not know the language. This could become a very bad situation for you. As a rule, you should have all your paper work and passport at the ready.

It is also a good idea to pack extra money and hide it somewhere on your person. This will ensure that you will have money should an emergency arise. You should also bring a map or download a map app on your phone.

You should also tell family and friends where you are going, and consistently contact them and give them your whereabouts and status. This may seem like a lot of work. However, if you are in a foreign country, it is always a good safeguard against danger.

5. Take a lot of pictures

If you want to enhance your work, it is always a good idea to take a lot of pictures during your journeys. You could include them in your book or travel website, or at least have visual aids that will help you write more effectively. This is especially useful if you are a travel blogger.

Make sure that each picture you take captures the overall feel of the place. You could take videos and photos of food, monuments, and even the people in the area. Just make sure you ask for permission from the locals. You never know; the area may have religious significance to the people, and you are crossing some lines in the process.

6. Use descriptive writing

When you do start writing your work, you should make sure to be as descriptive as possible. Remember that you are writing about a faraway place that your readers may have never seen before. If your writing is lackluster, then your readers won’t really get to experience the splendors of your travels.

7. Recommend the best aspects of your travel to readers

Aside from describing the places you went to on your travels, it is always a good idea to recommend the best parts of the trip as well. Remember that one of the main reasons why readers will take a look at your book is that they want to know about the places you have travelled. They will also want to know which tourist spots, stores, and restaurants you recommend. As a rule, you should take note of all these places and incorporate them into your writing. You could also write about the locals and how they treated you during your stay. It is important that you stay honest when you write about these aspects because your readers trust your opinions.

Conclusion

As a traveler, you may want to write a book inspired by your own travels. This type of writing is called travel writing, and it is a fun genre to write in. As a travel writer, there are many kinds of content that you could write. You could write a travel-themed fiction book or even run a travel blog.

However, before you begin writing, you should have a plan in place. With these tips, you’ll be able to create great content as a travel writer.

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Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic

Bibliophile , Senior Indie Editor at Writers Republic