As a lover of notebooks, the traveler’s notebook system has always really appealed to me. I like the idea of having a single cover that can house multiple notebooks which can be swapped out and changed around at will.

However, I always felt like the official Traveler’s Company (formerly Midori) notebooks seemed quite expensive for what was essentially just a piece of leather and some elastic, and so instead have tried various ‘fauxdori’ notebooks to try to get the same experience. And I’ve actually really liked some of them, especially the Wanderings traveler’s notebook that I’ve had for a while. In fact, my enjoyment of that notebook finally inspired me to take the plunge and invest in a Traveler’s Company notebook. 

My Wanderings notebook is a standard sized traveler’s notebook, so I didn’t want to just get another in that size, so I went for the Traveler’s Company Passport notebook instead. Because this is a pocket sized traveler’s notebook I bought it with the idea of using it as a replacement for my purse, and carrying it around in my bag, unlike my Wanderings notebook, which stays on my desk. 

One thing I’ll say about Traveler’s Company notebooks is that they don’t have a huge array of exciting colours to choose from (although more than Wanderings, who only do brown!), which I understand. It just isn’t the company’s aesthetic to have bright colours, and that’s fine. But as a lover of colour, I ended up choosing the blue, as I felt it was one of the more interesting colour options, along with the olive green (which I didn’t like as much). 

I ordered it off Cult Pens, along with a couple of extras: a ruled passport insert and a plastic zipper insert to help me convert it into a wallet/purse. When it arrived, I was really impressed with the packaging, as it came in cellophane wrap, in a cardboard sleeve with the Traveler’s Company branding on it, and then in a little fabric sleeve. It definitely had a more premium feel, and the notebook itself felt the same once I unpacked it. 

As much as I spoke about the lack of colour options, I do really like the deep, navy blue of this notebook, as it’s not in your face, but is still more interesting than plain black. I’m definitely interested to see how it looks after having it for a while, as I’ve been throwing it in my bag for the past week or so, and it’s already getting a little scuffed up and worn, in a really nice way. 

I’ve set it up with the plastic zipper case behind the notebooks so I have room for my cards at the front, and the zipper section is at the back, holding my pen (a Kaweco Sport in Macchiato, inked with Faber Castell Olive Green). 

Then, in the middle I have two notebook inserts: the blank one that came with it at the front, and the lined one I bought at the back. I’ve so far been using the blank insert as a place for lists, such as my shopping lists and wishlists, and then I’ve used the lined insert as my general writing notebook for when I’m out and about. So if I get an idea for a short story whilst I’m out I jot it down in there, and I’ve also been drafting blog posts and flash fiction. 

After a week or so of use I’ve found that I’ve been really enjoying it, and I’ve been impressed with the overall quality. As I said, I’d initially wondered if they were overpriced, especially as there are a lot of cheaper alternatives out there, but I’d say the leather feels much thicker and softer than some of my ‘fauxdori’ notebooks, and small touches like the little fabric bookmark and the Traveler’s Company logo embossed on the back add an element of quality. I’m interested to see how it holds up over time, as these things are supposedly made to travel, and it certainly feels like it would be pretty durable. 

I’m also surprised by how impressed I am with the Traveler’s Company insert notebooks too. As expected, they are just thin little notebooks with card covers, but I like the dark jewel tones of the covers, and despite the thinness of the paper, it handles fountain pen ink well. In fact, it has the least ghosting and bleed through of any paper I’ve used! 

It has proven a little difficult to keep the notebook open as I write, but I bought a metal clip from W.H. Smith which helps with that, and is easy enough to clip to the plastic insert and carry around. 

I’m still not sure how well it will serve as a replacement for my purse, as my cards don’t feel super secure in the plastic wallet, and it’s slightly more awkward to get into than a zipper purse. But this is outweighed somewhat by the convenience of having a notebook and pen with me wherever I go, and not having to carry an extra item. 

But is it worth the money? 

Maybe? There are certainly plenty of cheaper options on the market that are perfectly usable, and of good quality. But the quality of the Traveler’s Company notebook is definitely the highest I’ve found, and you can tell these things are made to last. 

Plus, it’s worth bearing in mind with traveler’s notebooks that the idea is to keep them for a long time and just keep swapping out the inserts as you use them. So whilst the initial price may seem expensive, you can use it for years to come, and the price of the inserts is fairly low compared to constantly buying new Moleskine or Leuchtturm notebooks for example. 

I definitely intend to do an update post in the future to show how the leather wears, and how my system changes, and if I’m still using it as a wallet!

So do you have a Traveler’s Company traveler’s notebook? What do you think? What are some of your favourite alternative traveler’s notebooks?