Travel scenes can do so much for your story: show character development, reveal world-building details, heighten conflict, or simply let your reader experience someplace new and vivid. But if you’re not careful, they can also become aimless filler or long-winded descriptions that stall the plot.
Here’s how to write travel scenes that really work.
1. Know the Purpose of the Journey
Before you write it, ask: Why is this travel scene in your story?
- Is it to build tension?
- Show a character’s reaction to new surroundings?
- Convey world-building details?
- Deliver important character interaction?
A strong travel scene always does something specific. Avoid treating travel as just “getting from A to B” on the page unless something meaningful happens along the way.
2. Show, Don’t Tell the Setting
Readers want to experience the journey. Instead of telling them it was “a long, hard trip,” show them:
✅ The blistering sun baking the desert road
✅ The crowded, noisy caravan with coughing passengers
✅ The damp smell of moss in the foggy forest
Use sensory details: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste. A few well-chosen images can make a place come alive without paragraphs of description.
3. Keep It Active
Avoid static travel scenes where nothing happens. Even if the physical motion is limited (like a sea voyage or carriage ride), you can:
- Include dialogue that advances relationships or conflict
- Drop in revelations or secrets
- Show inner thoughts and doubts
- Add small obstacles (bad weather, a breakdown, a lost path)
Active travel scenes create opportunities for drama.
4. Vary the Pacing
Travel can feel slow in real life, but your writing shouldn’t. Decide what parts you want to highlight in detail and what can be skipped or summarized.
- Summarize boring stretches quickly.
- Slow down for dramatic events, conversations, discoveries.
Example:
They rode for three uneventful days before the mountains finally appeared on the horizon. But on the fourth morning, they woke to find their guide missing.
This keeps readers engaged while maintaining the journey’s sense of distance.
5. Use the Journey to Reveal Character
Travel takes people out of their comfort zone. How does your character react to:
- Hardships and discomfort?
- Unexpected cultures or landscapes?
- New travel companions?
Show growth, conflict, fear, wonder. A journey is a perfect test of your character’s strengths and flaws.
6. Incorporate World-Building Naturally
Instead of an “info dump,” let details of your world emerge through travel:
- The customs at a border checkpoint
- The architecture of distant cities
- The languages, foods, or festivals of new lands
Your reader should feel like they’re exploring with the characters, not reading a guidebook.
7. Don’t Forget the Emotional Journey
Travel is not only about geography—it’s about transformation.
- Is your character fleeing something? Chasing something? Searching for something inside themselves?
- How does the physical journey reflect the emotional arc?
A strong travel scene often mirrors the internal journey, making it feel essential to the story.
Final Thoughts
Well-written travel scenes don’t just move your characters around—they enrich your world, deepen your characters, and immerse your reader in the experience.
Next time you write a journey, ask yourself:
✅ Why does this scene matter?
✅ How can I show this place vividly?
✅ How does this move the story or character forward?
Your readers will thank you for the trip.
📌 Have you written travel scenes you’re proud of (or struggled with)? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Happy Writing ^_^
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 