Keeping paperwork organized while traveling

Yes, all of the above! I use a multi-pocket portfolio thing that you get in an office supply store for a couple dollars. I like that method because I can then use one pocket per city/stop. I often print out things like walking tours from other websites, maps, or copies of guidebook pages for smaller stops where I don't have the whole book. Other than that, I put in there what you listed. Then, once I empty out the folders with the stuff I don't need anymore, I instead put in the things like ticket stubs, pamphlets, other mementos that I want to keep. I don't know how specifically you'll plan your itineraries, but you could also print out whatever you're going to use in that respect (daily plans, restaurant lists, etc). But as you said for a two month trip it might be a lot of printing and would make a very big book.

I use one of those school folders with a pocket on each cover and brads in the middle for three hole punch paper. Then I arrange flight confirmations, offsite parking receipts, maps, itineraries, etc., in chronological order as I will need them. It's flexible, cheap, easy to put together. The pockets hold brochures and such that I pick up along the way. Doesn't take up any more room than a magazine.

Consider scanning all these documents and then send them to yourself as an email. Then, if you need them, all you need to do is pull them up online, printing them if needed. This avoids needing to carry all these papers around.

That would work for the "emergency" documents. But it isn't practical if you are trying to create kind of a trip "handbook" .

I use the multi-pocket portfolio method that someone else mentioned, and also include city maps, information about things I want to see- including what bus/train/tram whatever to take to get to each place. I then also empty the pages as I go, and refill them with little things I might have picked up in each place like postcards or brochures. I do not put my copies of my passport or credit card information in it because this book is usually left at my hotel in my bag during the day. I keep the credit card information in my money belt, or in the hotel safe.

Kate , It's true , alot of paper documentation can turn out to be " lead in a bag " One or two ways to help lighten the load
; Some paper document copies can be combined on one page ie passports and drivers license . One other technique : I scan it all into a computer and then send it to a memory stick which I keep in my moneybelt. and another to a removable mini flash memory card which can be read by my cellphone and , with the use of a simple adapter in any available computer . By judiciously combining paperwork , I have been able to handle 6 weeks in one go without feeling over burdened . Have a wonderful time!!

Being a crafty person, for our 2nd trip abroad (and others in NA) and having papers all over the place for the 1st trip - reservations, etc, not to mention afterwards with receipts and things I wanted to keep like tickets...I bought a cheap kids wire bound 'scrapbook' (with manila pages - something they'd draw in) at the dollar store, bought some self sealing envelopes, glued them in the scrapbook - 1 for each day (or destination) - sorted out printouts of hotels/sights/directions) and at the end of the day, gathered up all the receipts and things, put them in the enve, sealed it so they wouldn't fall out! Then I didn't have all the papers swimming around the luggage. But it did get bulky after a bit (on a 3 week vacation)...but it served it's purpose...

I like to travel light but one thing we do make multiple copies of is: passports, extra copies of pre-printed tickets; emergency numbers; credit card phone numbers and card numbers in code; eye glass prescriptions; and itinerary including reservation numbers for hotels and trains; hotel addresses etc. Everything except the passports copies and ticket copies goes on a single sheet in micro print. I laminate a few copies of that for deep storage in everyone's backpacks and easy access in day packs. I email copies of all the above to a new email account that we use only for the trip. Then I make calendars. One shows the whole trip with all pre-set dates marked and laid out with times and reservation numbers. Everyone gets a copy of that too. It solves the when-are-we-going-to question. Everyone knows or can look it up. Then there is a mini-calender for each segment of the trip. Each segment is a week to a day long depending on whether we are in transit and gets its own day by day or hour by hour planner printed on one or two sheets of paper together with a cheat sheet about metro and other transit, things to do, etc. I staple several copies of each mini calendar to the tickets and other documents and reservations needed for that segment. The calendars and the docs are back to back with the travels documents arranged chronologically. The mini calendars and their documents each go in a separate zip lock bag all of which goes into one manila envelope arranged chronologically. As we start new segments I give everyone a copy of the appropriate mini calender, and get out the master calender with documents for that segment. Each morning I remove the necessary travel documents from the master mini calender and put them where we can get but not lose them during the day. A few travel documents like pre-paid train tickets live in the money belt. I just note where these are on the calenders.

I use one of those thin light-weight flexible 3 ring binders....on sale right now with school supply deals...it's either 1 or 1 1/2" wide. Mine is a transparent neon green. Then I a plastic (see thru) sheet protector (3-ring) for each day. I file everything inside the sheet protector in order that I need it for the next day with a "cover" sheet listing that day's events. If sheet protector gets a little full, I fold some of the papers in half so they will fit in.....you can store a lot in there. (I use sheet protectors to organize each day before the trip also.) Each evening, we review what is "on" for the next day. If anything has to be moved or delayed because of weather or unannounced closings or unexpected problems we just move them around. In the morning we remove what we need from the sheet protector and we are on our way. When we return for the day, we place receipts, ticket tubs, etc. back inside the sheet protector, along with any notes we might have for the day. I also use my "awesome notes" app on my iphone to jot down anything I need to remember for future reference...sometimes easier than writing things down on paper, though I do carry a small spiral note pad and pen in my messenger bag too.

I made up my own trip log/travel journal and I print it out from my computer and then have it spiral bound at Staples with a plastic sheet for the cover and the back. I also affix an envelope to one of the back pages for ticket stubs, etc. that I may want to keep. The first page has the listing of all the days of my trip as well as the hotel and if there is flight or train and car rental details. I print the pages 2 up on an 8.5 x11 sheet of paper.This is a general agenda of the whole trip with 7 days on each page. Then each additional page is a daily run down of the trip and whatever info I know prior to leaving, as well as being my travel journal. I add lots of blank pages at the end for additional writing as well as sketching, etc. This is a journal I have used for grandkids as well as given to people traveling with me and it works quite well for me. The final journal size is 5.5 by 8.5 so it can be carried in my purse. It is a 'fill in the blank' journal so I don't have to re-create it for each trip. PM me if you want me to send you a link where you can see a copy of one I did in hard bound book form... but they are too expensive that way as well as being too big, so now I just print out a new one every time I have a new trip in the works.

I also use a plastic 1" 3 ring binder (A three ring binder with pockets would provide flexibility to add, even during your trip, which the Kinko's binder would not). I add reservations to the binder as we plan the trip, along with maps to find hotels, airport maps, etc. Even though I have all these docs saved in Evernote app on our Ipod Touch, the notebook has hard copies of the "reserved" part of the trip. As I'm finding interesting information from this site, or other websites, I copy into a word document and save in our Europe 2013 folder on my computer, which I can edit, condense, and later save as a pdf, then load into Evernote. I also make copies of the Rick Steve audio tour maps and store in plastic sleeves in the same binder. And as the trip progresses, I can toss the documents that are no longer needed.
I keep the copies of our passports, credit card contact info buried in the bottom of our suit cases, not in the binder.

I normally use plastic baggies and recycle the bags as I toss unneeded paperwork during the trip. I was really happy with using my IPod as a storage device for my documents during the last trip. I used documents to go, converted what I needed and stored them on my IPod for reference during my trip. It was a space and weight saver. Now if they'd just create travel e-books with decent search capability...

I have hotel and transportation reservations printouts stored in a file in my Yahoo! account. But I take printed copies of everything in a manilla envelope, attempting to keep it as light as possible. As I travel I discard pages as they are used, knowing I have records in my email. As my manilla envelope thins out I usually chuch the envelope and slide the remaining pages into a gallon-size baggie. By the end of my trip I have very few papers left to carry. Any vital info, such as addresses or account numbers, I tear off and keep with me rather than throwing them in the wastebasket. I like the idea of binding it all in a spiral notebook. You could still discard along the way if you like.

Great suggestions on this thread. As for me, I used a letter-sized, lightweight plastic envelope that closed with a velcro dot, with each group of papers held together by a paper clip making disposal easy. Yes, as I lightened the load at each city, the folder also became a "safe place" for those lightweight or precious travel memories collected along the way. In addition to the paper copies of all vital information,.pdf copies in my gmail account, and stored on my laptop, I also had most vital stored in my moneybelt. Hand-written and quite tiny, it took up no space at all, and gave me peace of mind should all other methods fail, I could still function. This may seem over the top for some travellers but, as a solo traveller in Europe for a month, it was a comfort to know that no matter what happened I would still be fine.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! I will incorporate many of them into my trip. Happy Travels!