Here’s a list of magazines that pay for travel writing, specifically, they pay for writing about road trips, which is, considering that air-travel is at an all time low, a vital part of the current travel writing world.
If you’re interested in this type of writing, I encourage you to look into local publications, such as newspaper travel sections and regional magazines, as many of these publications also publish road-trip writing.
— Jacob Jans
Hippocampus Magazine is “an online publication set out to entertain, educate and engage writers and readers of creative nonfiction.” Their Books Division is an extension of that mission. They are looking for essays for their anthology series, The Way Things Were (which reflects on the things we miss). They want true road trip stories and “stories of all kinds that are set in or revolve around a corner bar/dive bar (or small pub or tavern).” The stories can be up to 5,000 words long. They accept previously published essays and book excerpts. They welcome hybrid and experimental creative nonfiction. They pay an honorarium of $50 to contributors. Details here.
Drive Magazine is a lifestyle magazine by Subaru. It’s mailed to Subaru owners but it’s not about cars. They cover travel, fitness, health, cooking, and more. Their readers love outdoor adventure, nature, animals, healthy cooking, and connecting with friends or family. They are looking for pitches for the following sections: features (1,000+ words), road trips (about 1,000 words), health and fitness (about 600 to 800 words), cooking (about 600 words), and owner spotlight (600 words). Writers can send pitches to conrad@dciartform.com. Pay is reported to be $1.00 per word. You can contact them here. Read their recent issues here.
MyCampervanHire is a platform that helps travelers with their campervan hires and motorhome rentals throughout New Zealand. They are looking for blog posts of around 1,200+ words. They want contributors to use their creativity and passions for their road trip experiences and transfer them into words. They pay $50 per blog post. For details, visit this page.
Hit The Road provides reviews of campervans and car rentals around the globe. They are looking for articles about road trips, with emphasis on experiences in rented campervans and motorhomes. They pay $50 per article. For details, visit this page.
ROVA Magazine is an RV, road trip and outdoor adventure magazine for millennials and Gen Xers. According to their editor, Gemma Peckham, they pay $200 per article. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Roadtrippers Magazine “celebrates road culture, Americana, and the great outdoors.” They are always looking for new contributors to tell stories from the North American road. They are currently only accepting pitches focused on the United States and Canada. They typically pay $250 to $1,000 based on word count. Details can be found here.
RoadRUNNER is a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to providing active motorcycle enthusiasts with information on national and international tours, exciting new places to ride, review of new motorcycles, and information about products that enhance motorbikes’ riding experience. Editors encourage writers: “Send us your best stories along with photographs for a chance to share your passion with the motorcycle world.” Editors buy only original articles and photos. Payment is $100 for a 800-1000-word article. To learn more, read writers’ guidelines: https://www.roadrunner.travel/about-us/submission-faqs/
Via Magazine is a magazine and website that serves AAA (American Automobile Association) members in nine western states. They offer travel tips and inspiration. They also offer practical life advice about managing your money, living well at home and away, and taking care of your house and car. They pay $200 to $500 per piece. To contact them, refer to this page.
BCAA Magazine is the quarterly magazine published by the BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association). It is the largest-circulation magazine in Western Canada. It was recently called Westworld, and this is just speculation, but it was probably renamed because of a certain popular TV show. They reach nearly half a million subscribers each issue. You can read their back-issues here. They are primarily a travel magazine for the region. Pay starts at 60 cents CAD per word. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Journey is AAA’s magazine for their members in Washington and Northern Idaho. They reach over 600,000 readers a month. Payment reports indicate $1 a word for payment. They aim to “present readers with lively and informative stories on lifestyle, travel and automotive topics that encourage them to discover and explore the Northwest and beyond.” To learn more, read their writers’ guidelines.
Backroads Online is a publication for motorcyclists, and was created with the idea of giving their readers places of interest to ride to and getting the most enjoyment out of their motorcycles. Although it is geared towards the motorcycling population, it is not limited to motorcycle riders. They have several columns open to freelancers: eatery destination stories, single-day and multiple-day ride articles, travel features and reflections on motorcycling. Pay: $75 and up. Details here.
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