Writing a trip report

[Simon & Suzann]

Every year i say i am going to write a trip report but never do. But after this years holiday i really fancy doing one.

Is there a link anywhere for useful tips on writing one up or has anyone got some tips please?

I want to start one and then go back and for adding as i have time through the day. So do you save it offline or something then upload once finished as don't want to write a bit then be a while before i can finish if you get me.

I also have lots of pics to put in, so do people load all the pics up firstly or some other way?

TIA.

[Pottery]

Read this to get you started!

https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...d.php?t=717388

[2point]

Originally Posted by Simon & Suzann

Every year i say i am going to write a trip report but never do. But after this years holiday i really fancy doing one.

Is there a link anywhere for useful tips on writing one up or has anyone got some tips please?

I want to start one and then go back and for adding as i have time through the day. So do you save it offline or something then upload once finished as don't want to write a bit then be a while before i can finish if you get me.

I also have lots of pics to put in, so do people load all the pics up firstly or some other way?

TIA.

See more...

I'd do the whole thing offline then upload in a short period. There is nothing more annoying, IMO, in a trip report is pages of 'Oooo, following' posts that just get in the way of the flow.

[The Fatadder]

My approach starts with note taking while on holiday, I tend to make the odd notes throughout the day when in queues or on the bus back to the hotel, before finishing off in the evening.

When we get home it is then copied into Word and slowly rewritten into proper English, adding the formatting etc. as a first draft. This takes a lot of time, so I generally only work on a day or two at a time. Once I have the core I then review the photos, picking out which ones are going to be used and adding to the text where necessary (usually because I have found a good photo which doesn’t fit into the narrative, so needs the text rewriting in order to include it). After which I then get my wife to proof read.

I upload all of my photos onto Flickr, (creating a new account each time to ensure I stay under the free account threshold). Once uploaded I use the embed image code on Flickr’s “share” section, copied and pasted into the word document in the appropriate place. There are limits as to the number of images in a post (I think its 50) so you have to spread photo intensive days over a couple of posts).
With that done it can be copied into a new post in the trip reports section, I think its a lot easier to follow with one topic per day rather than including a whole trip in one thread interspersed with other peoples comments.

I also keep a page in the Index’s section which has links to every day of the report, making it a lot easier for people to follow. (Ensuring there is a link to the index at the bottom of every post)

[cornishfrogboy]

I have done 2 and had great enjoyment compiling them.
1. California N to South at Easter.
This covered SFO, Monterey, LA, San Diego, Long Beach, Santa Monica.
2. Planes Trains and Automobiles
This covers Boston, NY, Dayton OH, Orlando, Naples.

I do mine live and in one thread from start to finish. At the end and when complete, I print it off in entirety and it then goes in the front of my wife’s scrap book.. inside the annual ‘box file keepsake box’.

We tend to start each day early and spend the evening in our rented Villa or Hotel room, where my wife does her scrapbook and I do my evening update of my trip report.

It is worth adding that you cannot add photos before you post up the update. You have to then do it by editing. I am ready for this as each day, I upload my camera images onto my iPad.. from which I update the trip report.

In the weeks that follow, I am constantly upgrading, adding to and hopefully improving upon my initial ‘bare bones’.

My reasoning for the single thread, live approach is this.
1. It is my personal vacation record and I want it to tell a story, rather than starting a new thread each day.
2. I do not clog up the trip report section with day 12, day 13, day 14 etc. Mine is all compressed into one place with an index on the first entry that grows as I expand it each evening.
3. By doing it live (initially) it is factual, raw, not painted through rose tinted glasses and accurately reflects my feelings at the end of each day.
4. The mistakes that I make and my reflections on hindsight are , I believe extremely important. They may help others to a) avoid making the same mistake and b) assist others with their own planning.

I have the following self imposed rules.

1. I never photograph routine food, Maccy d’s, bagels, breakfast, in flight meal or anything similar, certainly not what each of us has had. For me to photograph food, then it is either unusual or hopefully, forms part of an amusing, wider event.
2. If something is informative to others and will help their planning, then I cover the detail (for example buying tickets on the BART in San Francisco).
3. If it is something unusual and not so well covered by others, such as the Rainbow river at Dunellon, Delnor Wiggins Park in Naples, Casperson Beach, Pensacola, USAF Museum at Dayton OH, Boston freedom trail etc, then I give far more detail than say, Magic Kingdom which has been covered massively by others.
4. As I update the thread each evening, I update the thread title with that days events, I.e Day 14 A day at the Rainbow river.
5. As my index on the first entry grows, I put which page each update has appeared on.
6. I keep each day entry relatively short, but with pictures (around 6-8 ) in order to keep the attention of the reader.
7. I always reply to any questions or comments out of courtesy.

I appreciate that others do things differently, but then again, there is no right or wrong way! I also absolutely love reading the reports of others as they often give me ideas that I can later try myself.

[BevS97]

I now do mine live and I use the dibb trip reporter app.
I do it each night, I review my photos and gather all the ones I want to use into an album on my phone and then I write each segment of the day linked to a photo.

I usually do it each night before I go to sleep or early in the morning.

I do a new thread for each day but the app puts all the photos and updates into one thread for that day.

[Goldia]

It's really interesting reading other people's approaches to writing trip reports, some of which I've read and loved. It really is down to what works for you.

I don't do mine live as it takes a long time and I'm not good at curtailing what I want to say and waffle on a lot. So, while on holiday I use a voice recorder app on my phone to make little observations of what we've done, these are usually less than a minute long but I tend to do 4 or 5 each day. I used to take a note book but I find I can say it all more quickly than I can write it down.

When I get home I write up each day into word using the voice memos and photos. I then tend to leave it a week and then re-read what I've written. Some of it doesn't make sense so gets deleted or a memory is sparked and I add that in. Then I copy this into the new post in the trip report section. The uploading of the photos takes a bit of time and when I add them in I do my final proof read.

Once I've posted the day I then copy it back to my computer as I like to keep all the days together as I hope one day to go back and read them all. I wish I had started writing them when we first went as my son was 9 and my daughter was 7, but I started writing when they were 12 and 10. It's lovely to see them growing up and remember some of the funny things they did or said which I never would have remembered if I hadn't written the trip report.

It is time consuming writing, sorting out photos and posting. But it is also a lovely thing to do and is a great keepsake for you. Personally I'm not doing it for the benefit of other dibbers I'm doing it as a way of remembering our wonderful holidays, but of course it is lovely if people read it as it's nice to share our experiences with others who have the same interests and want to hear about our holidays. My family are usually bored with hearing about it after a couple of days of us getting home so it is a way of extending the holiday being able to share it and talk about it all over again with people who are actually interested in it!

If you do decide to write it then I look forward to reading it as I love reading other people's trip reports

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by Goldia

It's really interesting reading other people's approaches to writing trip reports, some of which I've read and loved. It really is down to what works for you.

I don't do mine live as it takes a long time and I'm not good at curtailing what I want to say and waffle on a lot. So, while on holiday I use a voice recorder app on my phone to make little observations of what we've done, these are usually less than a minute long but I tend to do 4 or 5 each day. I used to take a note book but I find I can say it all more quickly than I can write it down.

When I get home I write up each day into word using the voice memos and photos. I then tend to leave it a week and then re-read what I've written. Some of it doesn't make sense so gets deleted or a memory is sparked and I add that in. Then I copy this into the new post in the trip report section. The uploading of the photos takes a bit of time and when I add them in I do my final proof read.

Once I've posted the day I then copy it back to my computer as I like to keep all the days together as I hope one day to go back and read them all. I wish I had started writing them when we first went as my son was 9 and my daughter was 7, but I started writing when they were 12 and 10. It's lovely to see them growing up and remember some of the funny things they did or said which I never would have remembered if I hadn't written the trip report.

It is time consuming writing, sorting out photos and posting. But it is also a lovely thing to do and is a great keepsake for you. Personally I'm not doing it for the benefit of other dibbers I'm doing it as a way of remembering our wonderful holidays, but of course it is lovely if people read it as it's nice to share our experiences with others who have the same interests and want to hear about our holidays. My family are usually bored with hearing about it after a couple of days of us getting home so it is a way of extending the holiday being able to share it and talk about it all over again with people who are actually interested in it!

If you do decide to write it then I look forward to reading it as I love reading other people's trip reports

See more...

Like you, I wish that I had started doing them right from the start.

[Em4owen]

I wrote notes at the end of each day in a notebook like prices, rides, times etc. Then once back home, I gradually write up the days on word and add photos. I find the uploading of photos the most time consuming. I usually do one or two days each evening when it's the school holidays as I have more time (I'm a teacher).

I love writing up after the holiday as it's lovely to reflect and look back on the holiday again. It helps with the holiday blues.

We're going to Florida for 3 weeks next year and the longest trippie I've written is 11 days so will certainly be a new challenge!