Each person should publish the trip report that THEY want to publish. Since you are posting it on FT as opposed to trying to sell it, commercial interests are not a top priority.

I personally do not like piece meal trip reports if, for no other reason, many posters never get around to finishing the narrative.

When I wrtie a trip report, I treat it as though I am telling a story. It is not about providing practical information (although I try to add that when possible). I often don't get around the writing them until well after the fact and work on them offline. After a report is fully drafted and spell checked, I post it in its entirety, in smaller sections so people can a read a bit at a time (like chapters). I much prefer to get them all posted before someone makes a comment as, while very much appreciated, they break-up my flow if they come mid narrative (as such, I try to post reports late at night when there are fewer users). I don't include pcitures as I don't take photos on the planes, but if the new insert your photo into the report feature lasts, I may give that a try next time.

I am currently working on one master report covering all 20 flight segments and hotel stays on an Around the World ticket I did last year. I am about 2/3 of the way done, and it is already 150 pages. I am hoping to have it posted by the end of the summer.

Y'know I hadn't really thought about this, the recent trip report I wrote is now up to 14,000 words with 3 flights (MEL-LAX on QF F, LAX-SEA and SEA-DCA on AS F) and 1 hotel to go!

I probably owe an apology to some folks, or at least there are a whole bunch of FTers that have chosen not to read it!

I'm also up to 98 pictures in the trip report as well. :eek:

150 pages?? Ryan that sounds like a travel novel! I am looking forward to reading it, though. I second what people have said about breaking it down into chapters. A lot of times I'm writing reports months or years after I've traveled and can't even remember many things. For my ongoing Japan trip I've tried a different tack-- writing up each day that evening so that I can remember more things!

P.S. Does anyone have any feedback on the TR format used on my website with a column of text and a column of highlighted pictures with more linked pictures in the text? Do people actually look at the linked pictures?

Let the Fters decide if the report is too long or not.
As for myself, I shall read it and if I fall asleep in the middle, well, I won't read the 12000 words but if it is as good as Seat 2A reports, then, yes, I'll relish every single word. :)

I just read your report. It is refreshing and entertaining. It isn't the lenght, it is the content. Please continue to follow in the footsteps of the great "2A" and provide us with your insightful comments.

One question: How can you travel to Venezuela with just a Greek ID card?

I think I am going to go ahead and merge the two threads and make the combined entity a sticky topic since it comes up periodically.

Thanks
Sean (B747-437B)
Moderator
Trip Reports

Thanks!
I didn't use my ID card to/from Venezuela- I had a passport for that. I only use the ID card (and nothing else) within Europe! :cool:

It was too long and badly written :( Shame as the guy had loads of enthusiasm and took him over a year to write!

Singapore_Air. This is the report in question...sanitary towel abosorbency test and all :eek:

I went to LYS in Feb (MEL-LAX-JFK-FRA-LYS-FRA-JNB-SYD-MEL) for a college friend's wedding. I made a trip report (7000+ words) and posted it to a yahoo group that another college friend set up, so everyone could keep in touch. I posted it in parts, so everyone gave feedback and could read it at their own pace. Personally, I'd read a trip report if the topic sounds interesting, no matter how long it is.

goodo

I don't think a trip report can be too long but I do try to break mine up into sections even if I post all at once. I use bolding and italics to help readers find pertinent information. Some people want the juicy details others just want to know how the in flight service was so I try to make the relevant information easy to find. I am very excited that trip reports now have images enabled because I am a picture lover and take lots of photos and sometimes a photo describes things soo much better than I ever could.

How long is a piece of string?
 

I don't think length really comes into it. If you're going to write a long TR, then you have to split it up into bite-size chunks, either by day or flight (like I do), or by place or some other criteria that makes it easy for people to take piece by piece. I often haven't got time to sit down for 30 mins and churn through 15,000 words. But if I can take it bit-by-bit and keep coming back to it, then I am more interested. Good photos also make a good report - I've almost given up on non-photo TR's (they don't have to be of flights, I'm more interested in photos of places etc.)

A trip report could never to long - at least the most. There are some reports with a description of nearly everything and some focused on the flight. I prefer the more detailled reports, especially with pictures and some helpful links. I prefer to print them and read them during the way to my work or in the evening.

My first report had 6478 word, the second 8467 words and the third 12609 words. If this was to long - ask the readers, but from the feedback I got, I think the most people thought it were okay.

I was inspired by PhilH's and Steady-EDI's travelogue websites to start kind of a blog/site covering our own RTW, now in early stages. I post a fair amount on Fodors as well as FT, so wanted to include both the flying and non-flying POVs, which I didn't feel was right for either site, so built my own. Comments welcome.

Gardyloo, that looks great! ^ :)

Hope you have a wonderful time on the rest of your RTW!

PS: Especially looking forward to a report on SYD-JNB - I don't think I've seen/read any TR's about this flight, so if I can put a little request for detail in early .... ;)

PPS: Congratulations on 1,000 posts, by the way!!! :-:

Phil,

Just to temporarily slake your thirst, here's a mini-TR for this flight:

got on plane.
sat for fifteen hours somewhere right down the back.
sweet-talked the purser into giving us a double-handful of Tim-Tams as we were clearly looking both hungry (correct) and poor (also correct).
got off plane.

sadly, that was in Y - hopefully gardyloo's experience in J will be more pleasant... :D