If you’re hitting the road you’ll want to document every moment. These are the best digital travel apps that just might replace your journal.
Asked your boss for well-deserved time off? Good! Depending on the reason for your break (and how long you'll be away from work), you might not want to spend every second documenting your travels and every travel photo you post might not be Insta-worthy. Even though there’s something to be said for packing your daypack with a pen and a paper journal and writing about your trip, it’s a lot easier to keep friends and family in the loop while you’re on the road if you do it digitally. Here are the best travel apps that will help you document your next journey.
Day One Journal
The best part about Day One journals? You don’t necessarily need to be taking a cross-country or international trip to use it, you can just make a habit of capturing things that inspire you. Journaling novices will likely be content with the free version, which allows you to write entries by hand, with Apple Pencil, or your finger. You can look back through entries via calendar, timeline, or photos, while also being reminded of specifics of that day, like temperature, weather, moon phase, and altitude. Upgrading to the premium version gives you even more incentive to make journaling a habit: It allows unlimited photo storage and journal entries, cloud-based storage, audio recording, and a 25 percent off book printing discount … perfect if you’d prefer to page through your memories in paper form.
Travel Diaries
The free Travel Diaries app has everything a traveler could want in a digital diary: Customizable layouts that allow you to enhance your text with photos and maps marking all of the places you visited, with the option to keep entries private or share them with family and friends. Inspired to turn your diary into a blog? No problem: The app can convert your entries from diary to blog automatically, which you can share via social media or email. Need to see your entries in print? That’s an option, too. Choose to print all (or a portion of) your trip; books are available for printing in as few as 40 pages (or as many as 320), in hard or soft cover formats.
Driftr
Created by travelers, for travelers, Driftr is designed as social network for those who live for spending time on the road. The app supports photos and videos, and encourages sharing reviews and travel advice—perfect for solo travelers, as well as those who like to share experiences from secluded locations, such as the legendary Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. Though the app is still in beta testing, trying it out is the perfect opportunity to contribute to the travel community on a larger scale: The founders encourage contribution from contributing writers, as well as aspiring storytellers via their podcast.
Bonjournal
Even though it’s currently only available for iPhone users, Bonjournal is ideal for travelers who want a simple interface for documenting their activities, whether that means road-tripping up the West Coast or chilling on a deserted island. Not sure if you want to share every moment of your trip? Its privacy settings allow you to keep some entries to yourself. Need inspiration for your next trip? Follow friends (or fellow travelers), curl up in your travel blanket, and be inspired by their entries.
Polarsteps
Are you not traveling but want to live vicariously through someone who is? Polarstepsis a photo-lovers dream. Not only does it provide the capability to track your travel route automatically when on the road (while using minimal battery power while doing so), it also transforms each travel journal into a visually stunning coffee table book, complete with modern-looking layouts of the countries visited, miles and/or kilometers covered, and number of photos taken.
Momento
Even if you don’t have any life-changing trips planned, Momento is worth a download either way, thanks to its ability to organize your social network activity from up to 11 different platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Swarm, Flickr and YouTube) into one neat, cohesive package. And even though you can make it private if you choose—great if you’re using its pregnancy feature, which allows you to journal your experience of nine months of pregnancy and beyond—you can also explore people who have tagged themselves enjoying similar experiences. No vacations (or pregnancies) in your future? It also doubles as a work/project journal, allowing you to track project notes, milestones and meetings so you’re always prepared, whether you’re working in-office or in another time zone.
When you use a digital travel journal you need only slip your smartphone into your waistpack and let the travel adventures get under way.
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By Alison Kotch on February 22, 2019
Alison Kotch is a freelance writer, managing editor and runner living in Brooklyn, New York. You can read more of her writing at alisonkotch.com.