Five Magazines Looking for Weekend Trip Itineraries
Welcome to the Friday Freebie Five, a new weekly feature on Dream of Travel Writing’s Six Figure Travel Writer blog.
Each week, we comb our Travel Magazine Database to bring you five magazine sections open to freelancers around a theme–front-of-book trend pieces, long-form first-person features, short narrative postcards–to inspire your pitches.
How to Spend It
“From Desk Till Dawn” takes the form of a weekend itinerary to destinations worldwide focusing on adventure travel and extreme sports. There is a 200-word introduction which covers the destination and the activities the writer will do there. This is then followed by a 1,500-word recount of the writer’s trip from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. The article is divided into timeslots in which the writer describes, in a first-person narrative style, the adventure activities they did in the destination. There is often a sidebar at the end of the piece called “Fast Facts.” This includes information on the flight and tour company, with the prices, phone numbers, and websites included. Examples from a recent issue include “Kayaking and Hiking in Newfoundland,” in which the writer recounts his trip exploring remote Newfoundland, Canada, searching for whales and ice bergs, “Cliff Climbing and Kayaking in St Lucia,” which covers the writer’s weekend kayaking, trekking, and cliff jumping in St Lucia, and “Ultra Running on Reunion Island,” which covers the 165km mountain crossing race on Reunion Island.
Westways
“Quick Escape” covers a weekend trip to a different destination each issue. Articles are usually written in a first-person narrative style and run to about 500 words long. After a short introduction, the piece is divided into about six sections covering what the writer did on the trip. This could include a round up of the restaurants they ate in, a description of the hotel, and a section covering activities. A recent example includes “Mammoth-Size Family Fun” where the writer recounts her trip to Eastern Sierra with her family including the restaurants, hotel, and nature-based activities they did while there.
Cara
“48 Hours In” covers things to do in a city serviced by Aer Lingus. The subheadings “Don’t Miss,” “Eat At,” “Drink At,” and “Sleep At” are found within each article with two to three suggestions for each covering attractions, restaurants, bars, and hotels respectively. There is a third-person description for each suggestion briefly covering why the reader should visit with the address, website, and phone number included. The piece totals at around 700 words long. Destinations recently covered include Edinburgh, Málaga, and Frankfurt.
Australian Traveller
There is one uncategorized article found in “Weekends” which covers a destination in Australia in about 1,000 words. In first person, the writer describes their own trip to the area including things to do and see within the narrative. The focus is on a discussion of the place itself rather than a recount of the trip, with details such as how the place has changed over time, recent trends, and new openings. Quotes from locals or people who have moved to the area can be seen. The “Details” sidebar is also found here which includes additional information in about 100 to 200 words. This covers how to get there and gives hotel, restaurant, and attraction options with a short description for each, plus the address and website. A recent example includes “Milly & Molly,” which covers the twin towns of Milton and Mollymook in New South Wales. This piece covers the changing food scene and the growing popularity of the destinations.
Qantas
“One Weekend In” is a 1,000-word article covering an Australian destination giving recommendations for things to do in a short trip. There is a 400-word introduction in which the writer recounts their trip in first person. Some general information on the destination is given including the writer’s first impression and their plans while there. This is then followed by the subheadings of “Stay,” “Eat,” and “Play.” “Stay” gives accommodation options, “Eat” gives a few options for restaurants and cafes, and “Play” lists attractions and things to do in the destination. These are written in second person with websites and a description for each option. The sidebar of “Flight Path” can be found again which outlines how to get to the destination with Qantas from Australia. Recent examples include “A Weekend in Port Douglas,” “A Weekend on the Freycinet Peninsula,” and “A Weekend in Red Hill.”
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