Hello I have been lurking here recently and have received some great ideas. My question to you is that when I go abroad I will keep a travel diary. What information would be of most help? I usually am pretty detailed but if I am going to post a trip report (to kindly pay all you nice travelers out there)<BR>I would want it to interest you. Any helpful ideas and suggestions appreciated.<BR>PS Have a nice weekend<BR><BR>Astrid<BR>Ardmore Oklahoma<BR><BR>

topping for Astrid anyone??

Astrid<BR><BR>I suspect the answers will vary for everyone.<BR><BR>For me what I like to know are: <BR><BR>a) What your itinerary was each day and what were your impressions of everything.<BR>b) Where and what you ate, and what you thought of it, as well as a price and whether it includes wine, so I can think about whether I'd like to try the same restaurant.<BR>c) Prices for things like single transport tickets, transport passes, entrance to attractions etc and any other relevant prices which might help me in my own plans.<BR>d) Details about your hotel, name, room number, description and what you thought about it, the staff and the location, breakfast, etc.<BR>e) Any other thoughts and details you think might help another traveller not to make a mistake or help them to get more out of the experience (e.g. xyz attraction has long queues but I found that queueing at the side entrance on banana street meant I avoided those)<BR><BR>At the end of the day though, what you record will be about what you want to remember.<BR><BR>When I write my own journal, I do note a few extra bits which I think might be helpful for other visitors but primarily I record everything that _I_ want to remember for myself.<BR><BR>Have a wonderful trip.<BR><BR>Kavey

When I travel, I never want to spend the time or energy to really write. So I carry a small spiral notebook, and I write in it frequently, but in fragments, often while riding on the tube or waiting in line someplace. Just lists of what we ate and prices, highlights of museums, a few words to describe a strange sight or how very tired we are. No attention to structure or grammar, just notes.<BR><BR>Then when I get home, I do the actual writing and putting impressions into sentences. It's a delight to relive the vacation this way and I can even include references to photos we took.<BR><BR>When I read other people's trip reports, I'm most interested in details that I can't get from the official web sites of hotels and attractions. I especially like hearing details about museums and shops that aren't included in regular travel guides. <BR><BR>When I read stories about hotels, I often wonder which exact room someone stayed in when they mention the lovely view, the tiny closet, or the extra bed. I suspect that most hotels have great rooms and not-so-great ones, and that this would account for some of the conflicting reviews we get.

Do what YOU want. Honestly, whether you keep a diary at all, and what you write in it, should be entirely up to you, and should not have anything to do with the advice and fickle preferences of Fodros denizens.

You may not be rewarded for your efforts. I, for instance, noted that so many questions pertain to the cost of hotel rooms and restaurants that I took pains to keep track of the cost of such items and include them in my report. While I received many kind thanks for my report, I also received a barrage of criticism for the inclusion of prices on hotels and restuarants, with the indication that I was "flaunting" my wealth--or some such. Next time I modified my report to be shorter and not include prices and--you guessed it--one of the questions was, what did the various things cost. Lesson is, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself. I think there's a song in that somewhere.

I cannot IMAGINE asking how to write one's travel diary. It's YOUR diary, write it as you want to. Who cares what you write? Write what's important to YOU. Write what your heart dictates. Write what YOU want to remember. If you plan to post your impressions when you return, then maybe you want to make note of things that you think will be of use to people on this forum. I personally write my travel journals for myself only. I don't care if I haven't scoped out the right information for future travelers - let them have an adventure all their own. Write what you want....write what you are...

Make sure your dairy is pasteurized (one never knows when one may become preggies).

way back when, when intelligent people posted here (before lowest common denominator took over), there was a posting on<BR><BR>you have 5 senses. tell us what you saw, smelled, felt, tasted, heard in Europe. (or words to that effect.)<BR><BR>I took this advice, and noticed I "saw" a whole lot more when I traveled...<BR><BR

Thank you for your responses. You all have some great suggestions. Julie I am sorry that you were criticized. Darned if you do and darned if you don't. I will definitely write personal things just for me but I do not mind sharing my experiences. I have gotten some great ideas and money saving ideas. I for one like to know prices. I am going for the first time to Europe. It has taken me 2 years to save for this special trip. I work at a grocery store so I do not make a lot of money. I dont mind if there are people wealthier than me. They can afford to stay at nice establishments and why not, if I could I certainly would. Anyway I hope that you all have a nice weekend thanks again.<BR><BR>Astrid<BR>Ardmore Oklahoma

Astrid - Good for you and your successful piggy-banking. I hope your long awaited trip meets all of your expectations and exceeds a few of them!<BR>And, just for the record, I'm one of those who is always interested in what things cost...and think it gets left out of far too much information here. Bon Voyage!

To the top, again.

I like to read people's impressions of a place, and unusual things that either happened to them (like the recent report about sharing pizza with a little girl) or that they discovered (like a museum that's not in the guidebooks). Rather than writing down the details of restaurants and hotels, keep the receipts - they're dated and the prices are right there. If you want to put them in your trip report for us, then you've got them. You won't have to think practical when writing your diary. I find it's helpful to give a general price range like "hotel rooms were 80-100 euros" which gives me an idea of what to expect if I'm looking for a hotel or restaurant reco.<BR><BR>