Easy Hand Lettering Prompts for Your Travel Journal (Beginner-Friendly!)

If you’re looking for a creative way to capture your travel memories, hand lettering is the perfect addition to your travel journal. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for fun ways to practice your lettering skills, these easy hand lettering prompts are beginner-friendly and totally customizable. From simple headers to meaningful quotes and playful word art, you’ll discover how to make your journal pages pop with no fancy tools or experience required! Grab your favorite pen and let’s start lettering!

In this post, I’ll show you how easy it is to start hand lettering in a travel journal. At the end, I’ve got 30 hand lettering prompts to help you take the pressure off and start lettering on vacation!

Why Add Hand Lettering Prompts to Your Travel Journal?

I’ve learned that I need hand lettering and creativity like I need food and water. Do you feel that too? It helps me slow down, notice the details, and express myself. Travel is a fun break from routine, but if you still crave creative time on vacation, a travel journal is the perfect way to enjoy both the adventure and your love for lettering.

Your travel journal is also a beautiful way to express your creativity on the go. You don’t need to be a lettering expert to get started. In fact, travel journaling is a perfect space to practice! It’s low-pressure, totally personal, and can be as simple or playful as you want. Whether you’re trying out new lettering styles or just doodling a few words from your day, it becomes a mindful, meaningful part of your trip.

Sometimes the hardest part is just deciding what to letter, especially when you’re trying to relax on vacation. That’s why hand lettering prompts are so helpful! They take out the guesswork so you can jump right in and enjoy the creative part.

What You Need to Get Started (No Fancy Supplies Required!)

The best advice when starting out is to use what you have! When I travel, I can’t bring my whole marker stash, so here are my essentials:

• A set of markers – I love to travel with Staedtler Triplus Highlighters, technically highlighters, but flexible enough for brush lettering. Cute colors, inexpensive, and don’t fray. Bring YOUR favorite set of markers.
• Pencil + erasers – I always pack my Sumo Grip retractable eraser (fits like a pen!) and Tombow Mono Zero for tiny spots.
• Black + white pens – Kuretake Zig Writer (waterproof, dual tips for a fine point and thicker tip) and Flysea Acrylic pens (.7mm) for bold black lines or white highlights.
• Journal – my pocket-size Archer & Olive is perfect for travel. Thick paper, small enough to carry anywhere.
• Pencil case – I love a standing/telescopic pouch that zips up and then stands open like a jar on the desk.

You can find these (and more favorites) in my Amazon list!

5 Fun Hand Lettering Prompts for Travel Journals

1. Letter the Name of the City in Different Styles

Get creative with bounce lettering, block letters, cursive, and different colors. When you have no other ideas, lettering the name of the city is an easy choice. You can practice playing around with unique styles and you can do as many or as little styles as you need at the time.

I kept this one really simple and only did a few. I used the other colors to add stripes on the downstrokes of each letter. We’re keeping things quick.

2. Notice Something Local

You could buy a new pen from a shop in the city you’re visiting and letter your favorite moment from that day. Let the pen inspire the vibe or do some pen swatches! Or notice something that is specific to where you are and use that to inspire your design.

I saw the most amazing mushroom at a park and that inspired this fun, random page of mushrooms. I just made a bunch of different circles and then drew different mushrooms in them. Of course, I wanted to add some words.

3. Hand Letter a Quote or Song Lyric That Matches the Travel Day

This could be an actual travel quote that you google or maybe it’s a song that’s the anthem of your trip. Or maybe it’s just a song you listened to a lot.

Mine is lyrics from a Taylor Swift song (of course). I like to apply it to my life with kids. I love them so much it hurts. Is it ruining my life? Haha, no. But some moments definitely feel really hard. And yet, I love them more and more each day.

4. Create a Hand Lettered Food Page for the Best Thing You Ate

What was the best food you had today? Is there something special about the place you’re in? You could make a collage of all your favorite foods you’ve tried on the trip. Or simply letter one food item. Make it as fancy or simple as you have time and energy for.

I tried the most fantastic raspberry sorbet! It was delicous! So I decided to draw the sorbet as a cute little character. My hand lettering is actually very simple in this one with just the uppercase print style. Notice the heart hands and feet; I got that idea from my cute 5 year-old.

5. Letter One Word That Describes the Day

Just one word like “serene,” “chaotic,” or “golden” and decorate it with simple embellishments. How did today feel? What was the main focus? What was the thing you appreciated the most about today?

For this page I did simple stripes and the word family in a script style. It was a quick page and reminded me that the best part of the day was the little moments as our family!

Tips To Use Hand Lettering Prompts on the Go

• Use simple lettering styles when you’re short on time
• Snap a photo to letter later if you’re too tired at the end of the day
• Try lettering on postcards or ticket stubs and glue them into your journal

Here are 30 days of hand lettering prompts you can pull from next time you want to create something in your travel journal without energy to think of ideas.

You can either screenshot the photo or download the PDF for free here. 🙂

If you liked these hand lettering prompts, you might my other blog posts:

• 5 Types of Brush Pens For Beginners
• How to Make Hand Lettering Practice a Daily Habit
• 7 Easy Hand Lettering Styles for Beginners to Master
• 10 Powerful Reminders That Will Make You More Creative in Hand Lettering
• Free DIY Mini Journal Template With One Sheet of Paper

Watch the video: