Snowflake25

I am posting my trip report from our recent trip to Turkey, Croatia and Italy. I am posting it in parts, having just added part 2 to the original post. Is this the best way to do this or should I be starting a new topic for each part??? What do you think?

Michel_Paris

I like the idea of having it in one thread. It flows better that way.

If you were writing about the Croatia part and made reference to something that happened in Turkey, we would have to go find the Turkey thread to see that part. Plus, in the Turkey part we would meet the cast of characters...and would follow them to the next country.

Nikki

It is usually much better to keep a trip report in one thread. Easier to follow that way, and you can keep track of all the responses in one place. If you post it in separate threads, it is very likely that some other well-meaning poster will tell you to keep it all in one thread and may even consolidate it for you.

You do not say whether each part is for a different country. If it is, then in that case it might be neater to have a different thread for each country and treat them as separate trip reports. If you do this, then you can include a link in each thread to your other threads. I have seen it done both ways.

Dukey1

Keep the paragraphs fairly short...makes it much more readable. I'd be more inclined to read a bunch of shorter ones than one or two really long ones. Just a suggestion.

Dukey1

Keep the paragraphs fairly short...makes it much more readable. I'd be more inclined to read a bunch of shorter ones than one or two really long ones. Just a suggestion.

Viajero2

Whatever you do PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take it easy in writing down every bite of salami, gelato, sauce crab, you put in your mouth. Some trip reports, while well intended, become so assinine with details of every pizza slice, every nut and cracker...geezzz! I certainly love to read about a good restaurant experience, but certainly many go overboard describing every daily breakfast, lunch, dinners, drinks and snacks on a 15 day trip. Beyond absurd.

Michel_Paris

Via, I am shocked

I, for one, like resturants reviews. Not down to the bite, but I like menus,what was good, service, atmosphere,etc..

Some reports are so...quick.

Dukey1

As long as we aren't lectured about how well the food was "sculpted" on the plate (which of course is NEVER round like the "ordinary" ones mere mortals use) AND if you can accurately identify the ingredients in those "secret sauces" which are smeared on the plates to make it appear that you've paid for more food than you actually got then it should be OK.

And the fact that the people at the next table had the nerve to wear socks and sandals and shorts even though they were German BILLIONAIRES and how it absolutely ruined your meal I guess we can deal with that, too.

bobthenavigator

Do not make it a daily diary. Give us info that will effect future trip planning by others--not what you had for breakfast.

Nikki

Snowflake asked whether to post a trip report as one thread or several threads. He or she did not ask what to include in it. A wise choice, I thought, as different people focus on different things when writing trip reports, and as different readers appreciate different types of content and style.

I would not presume to tell someone what they should find interesting enough about their trip to tell us in their report. Maybe it was breakfast, who knows? Maybe it will be told in diary style; there are some very interesting trip reports out there in just that style.

The OP should understand that for every poster on this thread who says not to do something, there are others who want to see just that thing.

And Dukey, I particularly liked your two short paragraphs about writing short paragraphs above. If you had combined them, it would have been overly long and redundant.

Aduchamp1

One person's opinion:

It is not the format, it is the content.

I do not care what flight you took unless it was Air Force One.

I do not care what time you got up.

Do not use empty words like amazing, wow, and yummy. Use a brief description.

Try to be witty.

And most reports do not capture either the pleasure or excitement of the trip, they are written in a clinical method as if an isntructional manual for a medical procedure.

janisj

"<i>The OP should understand that for every poster on this thread who says not to do something, there are others who want to see just that thing.</i>"

AMEN sister!

I can't really believe some of the suggestions. Why on EARTH not use 'amazing' if something is amazing?? And why not do a daily diary if that is what one wants to do?? We currently have one thread going w/ over 600 posts that is essentially a daily diary of a London stay and it hasn't lost anyone yet . . .

My only two suggestions would be all one thread tagged for each of the countries, and use paragraphs.

Or if you do decide to split it into separate country threads - post links to each of the other threads so folks can go straight to them w/o having to click on your name to find them.

Aduchamp1

Amazing is an empty word used by twelve years to describe their latest socks and now the Pyramids. It has lost its meaning. Think of another word or description.

annhig

yes please, if you do nothing else, use paragraphs!

Fra_Diavolo

Oftentimes what you leave out of a story is more important than what you leave in. Other than that, I agree with everything which has been said above, especially the contradictions.

Oh, sorry -- one trip, one trip report! And paragraphs with a double-space between them.

goddesstogo

Oh dear. My trip report is pretty much a daily diary but that's because I'm here long(ish) term and with the computer. For a normal vacation of a couple of weeks, I'd wait till I got home but then I'd probably never get around to doing it. I don't think I've ever written what I had for breakfast (not much usually) but I've probably said at least once what I had for dinner.

I figure anyone who gets bored reading the thread will just stop reading and that's fine. I don't generally read trip reports unless I'm planning to go to that place and then I make notes of hotels, restaurants, special events and places of interest. I've really enjoyed the 'conversations' back and forth with other posters and their comments and suggestions have been invaluable and I wouldn't have gotten that with a normal trip report.

janisj

>>Amazing is an empty word used by twelve years to describe their latest socks and now the Pyramids. It has lost its meaning. Think of another word or description.<<

Vocabulary police are we?? You say wow and yummy are verboten too? How ridiculous!

I'm sure 95% of trip reports are beneath you.

eigasuki

I like the sort that start with a brief overview of who you are, where you went and what you did. You can usually tell from the style whether it's one you want to read.

I think it's a good idea to post it in chunks and hopefully get some feedback from other posters before adding the next installment. Trip reports that are thousands of words long are somewhat daunting, even with short paragraphs.

And bottom line, people who aren't interested needed read so don't worry about them. Make it your own style. And..warts and all too, please. Pollyanna reports are all very well but I like to read about stuff-ups and disappointments too.

bobthenavigator

For a standard, look at any trip report by ms_go--she is a pro and it shows. They start with an overview and hihglights.

bobthenavigator

Like this one :
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-go-ms-go.cfm