5 types of travel stories, and tips on how to write them

There are many ways you can write about travel for magazines, newspapers, blogs, and more.

Travel writing is one of my favorite genres, and the opportunities in this subset are wide open for freelancers.

Over the years I’ve written a number of travel pieces that have come in a variety of styes. I’ve written stories about particular towns and sites for magazines; I’ve written round up pieces and lists for travel websites; I’ve written essays about my own experiences in traveling; I’ve even published a book on sports-related travel.

There are truly countless opportunities out there if you’re interested in travel writing.

While there are even more types of travel pieces than these, here are 5 of my favorite stories to write:

1. Destination pieces.

Destination stories cover a singular place or region; this can include something as simple as a town or a national park (“Discover Savannah, Georgia” or “Everything you Need to Know about Mammoth National Park”); an event or a region (“Visit Portland’s Blueberry Festival” or “Alabama’s Best Beaches”).

These stories are dedicated to a particular place, and are often quite exhaustive in their information. If you were writing that story on Savannah, you’d want to incorporate the town’s history, culture, and most notable places.

Here are a few good examples of destination pieces:

“The French Riviera: Beyond the Beaches” by Rick Steves

“Paradise Bay: The new getaway for A-listers” on CNN

“This North Georgia Mountain Town can Make your European dreams come true” from Southern Living

2. Round-ups and lists.