Do you have a traveler in your life? That person who is always talking about where she’s been or where she’s going on her next trip? Or that person who is dreaming about taking his first trip? If you’re struggling to find a gift for your traveling loved-one, then this list is for you. Below we have compiled a list to find the perfect gifts for travelers.
We’ve compiled this list of products we love and recommend. Our list of perfect gifts for travelers ranges from practical to fun and from inexpensive to high-priced. So you’re sure to find the perfect present for your traveling loved-one.
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by us. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission.
We have broken the list into three categories: Gifts for the recipient to use WHILE traveling; gifts to use BEFORE traveling and gifts to use AFTER traveling to remember their travels. You can jump ahead to the category you want by using the links below.
Gifts to Remember their Travels
Gifts to Inspire their Next Adventure
Gifts for Travelers to Use while Traveling:
1. Noise-canceling headphones
Noise-canceling headphones are essential for airplane travel. The roar of planes is not only annoying but is also physically tiring. The headphones block out the roar while allowing you to listen to music or a movie. We also use ours in the hotel room to listen to music or a movie without disturbing the others in the room.
Get the Bose noise-canceling headphones
2. Travelon Handbag
I love this handbag! I don’t always bring a purse with me when we travel, but sometimes it’s nice to have it with me. When we traveled to Japan, it made sense for me to carry a handbag. I carried the rented portable wifi, hand-sanitizer, battery charger, and a little bag to temporarily store our trash. I typically bring this handbag with me when we go to Disney World, as well. Having the essentials with me as we tour the park all day is helpful.
Travelon handbags have a ton of safety features. Slash-proof straps, locking zippers and RFID pockets. This particular purse is small and lays flat against me so it doesn’t bump into someone else. It is very comfortable and can be worn either on the shoulder or cross-body. There are many zippered pockets in this purse with organization pockets in the large opening. This handbag makes it easy to organize everything for quick access.
Get the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag
3. Large Scarf or Pashmina
I always bring a large scarf or pashmina with me on a trip. I love using on the plane as a blanket or I wrap it around my head and cover my mouth to combat the dry plane air. I’ve even used it as a hood when it’s raining.
This is not the exact scarf I have, but it looks similar. I bought mine in Paris over 15 years ago. If I were to buy another one, I would probably buy this one or an infinity scarf with hidden pockets like the one below.
Get the infinity scarf with a passport pocket
4. KUHL Spyfire Down Parka for women
This Kuhl parka is a great coat to take while traveling. Having zippered pockets while traveling is very important to keep your belongings secure. This coat has 4. It has two zippered hand-warmer pockets that are lined with fleece, plus an interior zippered pocket and another zippered pocket on the left sleeve. The parka is 800-fill down, is water-resistant and is windproof. I really like the cuffs–it feels like a long-sleeved shirt poking out but is attached which makes it extra warm.
Because this is a down coat, it compresses to a small size for ease of packing.
Get the KUHL Spyfire Down Parka
5. Eye mask
An eye mask is essential and makes a great gift for travelers. It is helpful to have an eye mask on the plane. This helps to ward off the cabin lights, but also to help sleep when it is still daylight. When you are in your hotel room or Airbnb, an eyemask is helpful to block out streetlights, or early morning sun. For more tips on sleeping while traveling, read our article here.
This eye mask is especially nice because it doesn’t actually touch your eyes.
6. Airbnb Gift Card
We have grown to love Airbnbs. Benefits of staying in an Airbnb include extra space, kitchen, immersion into the culture and interactions with the host. A gift card for Airbnb will no doubt be appreciated by your travel-lover. Because it can be used around the world, this is one of the best gifts for travelers. Read our article here HOTEL OR AIRBNB? WHICH IS BETTER?
7. Guide books
Do you know where your traveling loved-one is going? Then a travel book to that region is a perfect gift. Even if he/she already has a travel book to the area, another perspective is always great. If traveling in Europe, we highly recommend Rick Steves’ guidebooks. His information is practical and extremely helpful. For other countries, we recommend Frommers or Fodors.
8. Toiletry Bag
A good toiletry bag is essential when traveling. This bag can sit on the counter or hang from the towel rack to save counter space. I especially like the separate sections to organize everything. This is one of the most inexpensive yet useful gifts for travelers.
9. Packing Cubes
When you pack light like we do (between the three of us we take three carry-on bags and one other small bag to carry books/computer/kindle–that’s it. Only carry-on.), then it’s important to stay organized. These do the trick. Use one cube for each person and roll the clothes for space-saving.
Tip: we use one gallon-size freezer bag to store our undergarments. Once the bag is filled, seal almost all of the zip, then roll the bag from bottom to top to get the air out. Then seal the bag completely and you have a re-usable compression bag.
10. Kuhl or Arcteryx pullover
Pullovers are a great piece of clothing to bring on a trip. Temperatures can fluctuate throughout the day and a pullover is nice in the cool mornings and cool nights. If the pullover has zippered pockets, all the better.
Get the Arc’teryx pullover for men
Get the KUHL pullover for women
11. MacBook Air
We have taken our Macbook on more planes and trains than I can remember. We download movies and tv shows and watch them in the hotel or on the train.
Other reasons to bring a Macbook air:
- Book last minute travel changes,
- Communicate with Airbnb hosts,
- Download photos for an extra storage option
- Kids can watch (previously downloaded) movies and TV shows in the hotel, on the train, or on the plane
12. Moleskine Cahier Journal
The classic travel journal. This one is small enough to keep in a pocket and carry around on adventures. This makes great stocking-stuffer gifts for travelers.
Get the Moleskine Cahier Journal
Gifts for Travelers to Remember their Travels:
13. Map of the world–scratch off with push pins
We have a map of the world in our living room with a mark for each city/country we’ve visited. Not only is it great for remembering where we’ve been, it’s nice to plan future trips and also help with geography lessons.
This particular map allows you to scratch off the country, then pin the city.
Get the scratch-off/pushpin map
14. Scratch-off Map of US
Our daughter has a map of the US in her bedroom and marks each state that she has visited.
This map allows you to scratch off the entire state and reveals highways and cities in that state. The perfect gifts for travelers.
15. Shutterfly Gift Card
One of the best ways to preserve the memories of a trip is with a photo book. Other great memory-inducers include calendars, canvas photos, desktop plaques, and so many more.
We create a photo book for each of our trips, and its fun to pull them out to relive the experience.
16. Decorative, Travel-themed Pillows
For the travel-lover, any item that conjures up the idea of travel is exciting. Lay your head on this pillow for an afternoon nap and maybe you’ll even dream of travel.
Get the Geography Theme Throw Pillow Covers
17. T-shirt with favorite travel phrase
We all love t-shirts with sayings on them about things that we are passionate about. For travelers, that means a travel phrase to prolong the memory of a trip. Comforting, comfortable, cheap.
Get the work, save, travel, repeat t-shirt
Get the Travel is Life t-shirt
Gifts for Travelers to Inspire their Next Adventure:
18. Books
Books help you get lost in a destination. The traditional travel anthologies are considered classics for a reason. Any book by Bill Bryson, Jon Krakauer, Peter Mayle, Frances Mayes or Paul Theroux is sure to quench your wanderlust.
But, don’t forget fiction. If your travel-loving gift recipient is dreaming of a certain city or country, consider buying a fiction book set in that country or city.
Some of the fiction novels I have enjoyed:
France: The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure, The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah
Italy: Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel by Mark Sullivan, La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World by Dianne Hales
England (and other locations): Agatha Christie mysteries
Japan: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
19. Movies
A lot of the books above have been made into movies. Additionally, below is a list of movies that we have enjoyed before trips.
Japan-family: Studio Ghibli movies. Before our Japan trip, we watched almost every Studio Ghibli movie as a family and learned quite a bit about Japanese culture, food, and architecture. The movies are fun and really added to our excitement in planning the trip. Our favorites are Ponyo, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Totoro.
Japan-adults: Tampopo, is considered a “ramen western”. This is a strange, not-for-the-family, fun, movie set in Japan. It is centered around the theme of ramen.
Italy: Roman Holiday, Life is Beautiful, The Tourist, Eat, Pray, Love, Under the Tuscan Sun,
Greece: Boy on a Dolphin (starring Sophia Loren), Mama Mia
20. TV Shows
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