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If you’re gift shopping for someone whose whole personality is they travel, you might be sick of ideas that are just various products with a map print on it or vague suggestions like “Macbook“.
Well this best travel gifts roundup is full of ideas for things they’ll actually love and use, organized by price range so you can find what suits your budget.
I personally know how annoying it is to shop for people who travel, mainly because I am one of those people… and we’re annoyingly picky. Plus, most travel gift guides floating around often focus on practical gifts that feel more utilitarian than thoughtful, which is why I’ve created a list of fun, cute, and unique ideas that feel more thoughtful than just like “hi here’s a towel”.
So, stop stressing about travel themed gift ideas this Christmas. Here’s my roundup of travel gifts for every budget!
Save this list of Travel Gift Ideas for Later!
You’ll be very glad you did.
PRO TIP: If you’re doing your shopping last minute, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime and get gifts delivered the next day. You can always cancel your trial before they bill you, or even get a full refund if you don’t use your Prime privileges after you’re charged. You can find last minute deals here.
First: Travel Experience Gifts
Before we get started with our full list of travel-inspired gift ideas, it might be a good idea to consider whether your recipient would want an experiential gift or something more tangible. Naturally, experiences make great gift ideas for travelers, especially if they travel often/lightly, because usually more “stuff” isn’t quite what they’re after.
One of my favourite ideas for cool travel gifts is something that allows the traveller to satisfy their itch for adventure, so here are some ideas for gifting experiences rather than things. And be sure to read my post on creative ways to gift travel for ideas on the presentation/wrapping front.
The simplest way to gift experiences! This nifty gift box is filled with hundreds of potential travel experiences that the recipient can choose for themselves, taking the guesswork out of knowing what experience to buy. Until June 16 - Use the code WANDER20 for 20% off!
The cutest way to gift a surprise trip! This travel-themed set allows you to write down your destination and turn it into a scratchcard... all housed in a tiny suitcase.
Travel Gift Ideas Under $20
Cute and thoughtful travel-themed gifts don’t have to break the bank. Let’s start with some affordable ideas for travel gifts… all available for less than twenty bucks!
I’d never be upset about getting a luggage tag, especially one that’s cute and fun. Frequent travellers will be seeing and using their luggage constantly, so this makes a great travel gift! The more personal the better. You can even get personalized ones here.
These adorable straps loop around your suitcase so that they’re distinctive and easily recognizable when they come out on baggage claim, a VERY useful gift for frequent travellers, and a fun one too if you manage to find a quirky or unique design.
If you’re shopping for someone who’s quite particular and wants to keep their suitcase free of scratches and dings, then a suitcase cover may be a good idea. They make a lot of really fun ones these days and if you’re looking for something hilarious, you can order one of these custom ones that has their face on it.
One of the simplest but best traveling gifts you can buy if you’re looking for something thoughtful but still highly affordable. There are plenty of awesome designs out there, so you can easily get one tailored to their interests. You can even get one custom made here.
If you’re shopping for someone who likes to accessorize, then this jewelry case is honestly the best cheap travel gift idea. It’s surprisingly sturdy and good quality for the price, with lots of compartments for different types of jewelry.
If the person you’re shopping for likes to take photos with an actual camera, then another really cute idea would be to get them a unique camera strap. There’s tons of funky patterns and materials these days. For bonus thoughtful points you could even get a customized one with their name like this one.
Just bought one of these recently and thought I'd give it away as a gift... nope! I'm 100% keeping it for myself. Super affordable and cute, plus comes in a lovely ready-to-gift box.
I got these mini suitcase vases recently and think they’re the cutest things in the world. A perfect little gift for travel lovers! NOTE: These are mini size, so really small! I like to use mine for holding pens.
A QUICK NOTE ON PRACTICAL TRAVEL GIFTS: With practical gifts, the key to making them thoughtful is making sure they reference something and don’t just come out of nowhere, so ideally the practical gift will be because of a funny memory or anecdote. Be sure to include a note to let them know where the idea came from (e.g. “so you never almost faint on the subway ever again…” if you gift them a travel fan). That said, here are some more practical-focused gift ideas.
An ideal tool for weighing luggage on the go and avoiding the stress of potentially overweight luggage at the airport.
This amazing handy (and affordable) tool allows you to drink clean, filtered water on the go. Perfect for those who spend a lot of time outdoors!
A truly gamechanging tool for those who travel with lots of gadgets! Great for organizing cables, SD cards, hard drives & more.
Such a gamechanger for frequent travellers - they come in so many different shapes and colours these days, so it’s easy to find one that matches anybody's given vibe or aesthetic!
Travel Gifts from $20-50
Have a bit of a bigger budget? Here are some travel themed gift ideas that go up to $50!
Honestly my favourite piece of travel-themed decor - you can get these customized with significant locations, including even a location pin and coordinates!
If you're checking a bag, the best accessory you'll ever spend money on is an Apple AirTag. With it, you can monitor where your bag is at all times, which provides priceless ease of mind.
Having phone battery is SO important when you travel these days and having one of these in your pocket guarantees you’re always able to stay connected. This one is super slim and can fit in your pocket, plus the battery power is indicated by a bear paw! So cute.
This one feels a bit extra, but for those who LOVE being comfy, this travel blanket is a great purchase. It is SUPER velvety soft and zips up into a handy pouch so it can double as a pillow. It can also work well for road trips and just general lounging purposes.
This gorgeous print can be customized with your destination, names, and quotes of choice. Such a great whimsical piece of decor that's ultra thoughtful!
Perfect for paying tribute to a favourite destination, cafe or hotel, this gorgeous custom watercolour print is perfect for gifting... whether to yourself or a loved one.
Such a cool and unique way to display photos! This frame comes with templates so you can fit your photos to the slots with ease. You can also find ones for other regions besides the US, like this one for Europe.
Okay, I get it... a globe-shaped necklace takes "travel themed gift ideas" to a shameless new level, but trust me when I say this: if you're looking for a sweet gift that's equal parts thoughtful and pretty, this is it!
Genuinely one of my favourite little bits of home decor - a gorgeous world map with a scratchable coating (like scratch lotto tickets) that reveals beautiful colours as you scratch off places you’ve been to. A very affordable but thoughtful gift for travelers!
This handy device allows you to use wireless headphones on airplanes so you don’t have to be wired in for the whole flight. If you’re shopping for someone who is always using their wireless headphones or airpods, then this would be great travel gift idea!
Did you know that you can order fully playable vinyls with your songs of choice and also custom cover art? This would be SO cute especially if you’ve travelled somewhere with this person and you made a playlist with songs/album art that reminds you of the trip.
Gift Ideas for Travellers from $50-100
Looking for pricier travel gifts? Here are some ideas that bump the budget up to a hundred dollars.
This adorable pillow can be customized with travel destinations you've visited, allowing you to display your travels with pride in a cute and functional way.
The coolest water bottle ever, and perfect for those who travel often. This bottle comes with stickers that you can add as you check new destinations off your list!
This ultra cute and thoughtful piece of art is customized according to your specifications with 6 potential places to feature.
If the person you’re shopping for is quite sentimental and social, another really great idea is an instant camera that prints photos. Ideal especially for backpackers or travelers who love to meet new people when they go abroad.
Travel Gift Ideas Over $100
Looking for a splurge gift that your travel-loving recipient will no doubt love? Here are some more ideas over $100.
For those who travel often and enjoy reading, a good eReader is a must! I've been addicted to this one for the past few months, and I love that I can link it to my library card which gives me access to tons of eBooks for free.
I’ve had my Sony WH-1000XMH3 for years and they still work flawlessly and have changed my whole travel experience. With it, I don’t even mind screaming babies on the plane anymore. NOTE: There are newer models of this now but I'm linking the one I've had and loved for years.
My go-to carry-on suitcase - the perfect blend of functional and pretty!
The perfect gift for any aspiring travel content creators! I have been using JOBY’s products for years and love their high quality and compact designs which make them perfect for travel.
Did I Miss Any of Your Favourite Travel Themed Gifts?
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of the best travel gifts! If even after all this, you’re still not satisfied and want more inspiration re: good travelling gifts, be sure to check out the Gift Guides section of my site!
Your gift guides are great! Except some of the presents, I wouldn’t quite be able to afford… like a whole luggage or an iPad… would be nice to receive them, on the other hand 😉
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
https://charmainenyw.com
Fingers crossed Santa is good to you this year!
I only travel with a carry-on so I don’t need a luggage tag, but I might be moving soon and I’d prefer to have one for my big suitcase that will go in the load. Thanks for the idea!