Travel Journal review

At long last, here is my review of the Filofax Travel Journal insert!  This was very generously given to me as a sample by Brigitte at the Filofax shop in London.  (Many thanks again to Brigitte!)  Sorry it has taken me so long to post a review! I wanted to wait until I had the time to give it the time and attention it deserves, because this is a very nifty packet indeed.

I didn't take photos of all of the features of this packet, because you can flip through the pages on the Filofax Travel Journal Lifestyle Pack website.   But I did take several photos to show you many of the features and to give you an idea of what it looks like in action.

The main part of the Travel pack is the Journal section:

Each 2-page spread has space to record your plans for the day (general itinerary, things to see and do, people to meet) and to write your memories.  I like the little icons you can circle to indicate the day's weather.

There's loads of cool pages to help you plan your trip and keep you organized along the way.  The Travel Itinerary pages give you a place to consolidate all your transportation and lodging information.  The Personal Information pages give you a one-page directory of your ID numbers, doctor and dentist contact info, insurance and medical information.

The Currency Converter pages are extremely useful for helping you keep conversions straight:

A world map is included with a transparent overlay so you can trace your route on the map:

There's also a cool chart of Where on Earth to go.  I like having a traveling wishlist!

My favorite part of this pack are the lists.  It took me more than a decade of traveling to figure out just how incredibly important preparation and packing lists are.  The Travel Planner lists are in the form of a countdown: things you need to do for Advanced Planning, Not Long To Go, One Day To Go and And We're Off!  I cannot stress enough how important lists like this are!

Also there are several pages of packing lists in categories like: Essentials, Equipment, Clothing, Accessories, Style & Hygiene, and Health & First Aid.  I especially love that your Filofax is included in the list so you don't forget to pack it!

There are several pages of rip-off notes for those moments when you need to exchange contact information with someone:

There are pages to write household information so that when your neighbor calls to tell you your pipes have burst, you can call your plumber to come fix it even from abroad:

An essential part of travel is keeping control of your finances.  The better you manage your money, the longer you can travel.  With this in mind, Filofax has included several pages to help you figure out your budget:

And keep track of your expenses along the way:

Other features include 6 blank tabbed dividers and a transparent top-opening envelope for ticket stubs and other papers you want to keep.  There are even a few pages of travel games for when you're bored waiting for your train/ plane/ bus.

Some other very useful pages: monthly temperatures of several cities worldwide; international clothing and measures conversions; pages for telephone numbers and websites; International S.O.S. so you can have emergency numbers handy; shopping lists; to-dos; and some blank pages for notes.

This is a very well thought-out packet that I highly recommend for anyone taking a trip!