The ultimate travel gift guide for all you friends and family of the travelers out there. Getting gifts for other people is one of my biggest struggles in life! I am much better at buying gifts off a list they hand to me like a month ahead of time. I envy those that have a knack for getting the perfect gift every time. On the other hand, I know what I want for myself! As a traveler myself I thought I could help others out there who are looking for the perfect gift for other travelers.
So here is a travel gift guide to find the PERFECT present for the adventurer in your life. It’s a long one so buckle up!
This post may contain some affiliate links. This means I make a small profit from your purchase but at no increased cost to you. I only recommend products that I love and would purchase myself! Full disclaimer here.
General Travel Gifts
These gifts are good for every traveler. They will use these items almost every time they travel and will be the first things they reach for when they start packing!
1. Passport Cover
A cute passport cover can be a fun accessory to bring on your travels. Not to mention it can dress up those fun airport pictures you take before you leave on your next trip! This marble one is very cute! This dark grey and leather one would be perfect for that adventurous man in your life. There are so many options on amazon just take your pick really and find the one that fits your travel buddies personality.
2. Packing Cubes
One of the best ways to stay organized while traveling is to use packing cubes. This way you can move things around in your suitcase without messing up all your nicely rolled clothes.
I have this exact set and it has held up well over a few uses!
3. Reusable Foldable Straw
I am all for being environmentally friendly and saving the wildlife from plastic straws but I also don’t trust the cleanliness of all cups out there. Insert the bring your own straw! Never worry about sanitation again and give the gift of guilt free drinking. Haha!
I love that it folds down and can attach to your key chain.
4. Portable Charger (Battery Pack)
What ever name you call it by this may just be the best gift you could get for any traveler. When you are out exploring for 12+ hours a day constantly looking things up, taking pictures and using maps a little extra battery life can go a long way. Anker is a great brand that my family loves!
5. Travel Plug Adaptor + Converter
If you have plans to travel internationally in the near future this is not only a great gift but a necessary fact of life! Getting a good quality travel adapter that works in as many countries as possible can save money in the long run. I have used this adapter/converter combination for over a year and I love it. With three plugs and four USB charging ports it makes the most of limited plug space while protecting from different voltages and power surges.
6. Head Phone Splitter
When you are on the plane with your travel buddy and you want to watch the same thing. Your options are to try and time pressing play at the same time (you know you’ve done it) or get head phone splitters and watch together. This 5-way splitter is the exact one that we have and we love it! No issues whatsoever and it has been so useful!
7. Travel Journal
A travel journal to record your adventures in is a great way to remember every detail about your travels for later! There are so many choices.
8. Flexible Tripod
Perfect for holding up DSLR cameras or phones this adjustable tripod can be put ANYWHERE thanks to its flexible legs. Perfect for “selfie” group pictures or awkward viewpoints. It has come in handy so many times in our travels.
9. Slash Proof Purse or Backpack
The unfortunate truth is that pickpocketing and theft happen and they happen a lot in crowded areas like tourist sights. Having a slash proof backpack or purse can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
10. Travel Size Liquid Bottles
In case you can’t tell yet, I love practical gifts. Nothing more practical than travel sized liquid bottles. But they make great stocking stuffers and are actually really helpful to have if your are flying without checked baggage.
11. Luggage Tags
Telling your luggage apart from everyone else on the conveyer belt isn’t always easy. Putting a marker on your suitcase can help you spot it the moment it starts heading your way. The cheap version we used for a while was tying colorful ribbons to the suitcase handle! Jazz it up a little with cute personalized luggage tags.
Gift Guides
- 12-18 Month Old Gift Guide
- Gift Guide for the Saver in Your Life
- Ultimate Gift Guide for Men
12. Cord Burritos
These cord burrito’s from Andar are amazing at keeping cords organized and tangle free while traveling. My husband used his this last trip and they kept everything very organized. I was very jealous!
13. Collapsible Water Bottle
Water is not as readily available around the world as it is in the U.S. so having a reusable water bottle is really handy. I recently learned about collapsible water bottles which are so handy because they take up very little precious space when they aren’t in use!
14. Blanket Scarf
This gift may not be the first one you think of but I use my blanket scarf every time we travel without fail so I knew it had to be on my travel gift guide! I use it on cold planes, overnight trains, as an actual scarf and once between me and the sheets at a sketchy hotel! Bonus, it comes in over 40 different colors!
15. Microfiber Towel
Traveling with bulky towels is no good because they take up so. much. space. These microfiber towels are perfect for saving space but not having to do without. Grab this for any vacation involving a beach or camping or really anytime you need a towel on vacation.
16. Luggage Scale
With luggage rules as strict as they are nowadays, anyone that flies will have use of this luggage scale. Never wonder again if your suitcase is overweight. Simply wrap the strap around the handle of your suitcase and lift!
17. Neck Pillow
I thought neck pillows were dorky and I fought getting one for a long time. My mom finally gifted them to my husband and I and I will never go back! They help so much on long flights or bus rides and can be real life savers when you need to sleep on long trips.
Outdoor Travel
18. Life Straw
Carrying around the amount of water you would need for a week long camping trip can get heavy!! Having some type of water purifier can come in very handy.
19. Waterproof Backpack
Waterproof backpacks are a game changer fo the outdoor adventurer! On my 3 day kayaking trip this storm tech backpack kept everything dry! But its not just for water activities it will keep everything dry in a rainstorm too and has plenty of room to pack everything you need.
20. Sleeping Bag
Another great yet practical gift is sleeping bags. They are so handy to own because they are so versatile! You can use them while camping, at the drive-in, as an extra bed when family comes to visit lol. This particular sleeping bag is great for most temperatures above 40 degrees F, anything lower I would look into something warmer!!
21. Solar Charger
There aren’t any plugs out in the wild but phones can be really useful for pictures and maps. Never run out of battery life again with this solar powered charging pack. Plus it doubles as a flashlight!
22. Camping Chairs
Camping chairs are useful while camping but also for extra seating at parties, sporting events and as outdoor furniture.
Related Travel Posts
23. U.S. Scratch Map
If you are a big road tripper or you are trying to cross all 50 states in the U.S. this map is the most fun way to keep track of where you’ve been and where you have left to go! You can use it to plan your trip or give it to someone you want to road trip with to start off the adventure!
24. National Park Pass
Buying someone a National Park Pass is giving the gift of adventure! This pass costs $80 and includes over 2,000 parks across the U.S. including Alaska and Hawaii. There are also discount options for active military, 4th graders and seniors. Such an amazing present that lasts an entire year.
25. Car Topper
When you are traveling by car some extra space can go a long way! Giving a cap topper, either a soft one or a hard top, can make a huge difference. I know when we go camping our trunk space is not enough for everything we need to bring and with a big ol’ husky taking up the back seat things can get a bit squishy.
Splurges
26. Suitcase Set
It wouldn’t be a travel gift guide without suitcases! They are expensive to buy over and over again but have to be able to hold up through the beatings they get every time they are loaded onto a plane, dragged through the cobbled streets of Europe and thrown off ferries in Bali. I prefer hardshell because it better protects its contents.
27. Apple AirPods Pro
My husband would tell you AirPods are the only headphones he’ll use anymore. The newest Apple AirPods are sound cancelling which would be AMAZING on a flight with a cranky baby or a rowdy group of people. They are especially nice too because it means no tangled cords.
28. Drone
A huge part of travel is the pictures and videos you capture to remember the experience. You can take your pictures to a whole new level with a drone! I don’t have one yet (maybe this year for me too) so I asked Nikki, a travel blogger friend at shesavesshetravels.com, for her recommendation. She loves their Mavic Air. It is small so it is perfect for traveling with. Her one recommendation is to buy extra batteries for it!
29. GoPro
We love our GoPro for on the go adventures that we also want pictures of. Since it is waterproof and highly durable it is ideal for taking pictures and video while trekking through jungles and swimming in the ocean. Just remember it does not float so I recommend always wearing the wrist strap to avoid losing it!
30. Camera
We have an old Canon similar to this one I am linking. It is nothing fancy, I am not a photographer, but this camera has been a good one to experiment with and does take good photos in my humble opinion! A camera is only as good as its lens anyway so if you want to get really serious with this camera you can always upgrade to better lens’s.
31. Phone Lens
A cheaper alternative to getting a big camera is to get a lens for your phone camera. It is smaller, which is great for packing and can still improve your picture quality.
Travel Swag
32. World Scratch Map
One of my favorite gifts my sweet husband has ever gotten me was my world scratch map! It’s the gift that keeps on giving because after every trip I get to scratch of every place we’ve been. So fun!!
33. Phone Case
A fun travel related phone case is a great gift for a traveling friend or to use as a stocking stuffer!
34. Travel Shirt
Last up on this super long travel gift guide is fun t-shirts to wear around home while wishing you were out traveling! Or wear them while you are traveling lol.
Travel Gift Guide
This travel gift guide should help you find some great gifts for the travelers and adventurers in your life! What gift you you like to receive to prepare you for your travels?!
Happy shopping! I hope everyone has a great Black Friday and Happy Holidays! Have a great time with family and safe travels where ever you may be. I have some amazing holiday appetizers for you to try this year that everyone will love. These cream cheese rangoons are crispy and delicious and this classic cheese ball is a hit every time I share it. Enjoy!
