The holidays are here and I bet you are brainstorming the best gift to give to your favorite traveler. As avid travelers ourselves, we are always looking for the latest and greatest travel gear to bring with us on on our trips. The holidays are a great time to gift a traveler something both thoughtful and practical. The items in this travel gift guide will work for any type of traveler!
No matter what your budget is, there’s a perfect gift out there for every traveler. In this post, we’ll share some of our favorite gift ideas for travelers, from practical essentials to unique and memorable experiences. If you are looking for lower price point options, be sure to read the best gifts for travelers under $20.
Here are a few tips when choosing the best gift to give to a traveler
Consider their travel style
Is your traveler a budget backpacker or a luxury traveler who enjoys the finer things in life? Once you know their travel style, you can narrow down your options.
Think about their travel interests
What activities do they like to do when they travel? Do they enjoy hiking adventures, trying new restaurants or relaxing at an all inclusive resort? Choose a travel gift that reflects their travel interests.
Be practical
If you’re not sure what to get, always choose a practical gift that they’ll use on their travels. As digitals nomads ourselves, even though non-practical gifts can be thoughtful, they also can take up unnecessary space in our homes or bags while traveling. There are plenty of practical travel gift options that your traveler will appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Consider gifting an experience
If you want to give a gift that’s truly unique and memorable, consider getting them an experience. Experiences such as a cooking class, a tour, or a gift certificate to a spa are a fun surprise to a traveler who may not splurge on those experiences themselves.
Ask for a suggestion
Like we said before, travelers appreciate a practical gift over something that they may not need. If you are close to the traveler, don’t be afraid to ask for a suggestions! They may need a specific travel gift and they will be thankful that you asked exactly what they need.
The Best Gifts for Travelers
1. Apple AirTags
One of the best gifts you can give a traveler is AirTags! They are so popular right now for good reason. I keep one in every one of my bags and it is so easy to keep track of your belongings. An airline recently lost our bags and we were only able to track them down because of AirTags. They are a great travel gift!
2. Compression Packing Cubes
These are our tried and true packing cubes that we absolutely swear by. We’ve also converted TONS of other travelers to love these cubes as much as we do. They are a total travel gamechanger and make a perfect gift for any traveler who does not already have a set of these!
3. Portable Monitor
We were gifted these last year and now we use these portable monitors almost daily. With remote work becoming more common, this is such a practical gift for a traveler that they will absolutely love and use regularly!
4. UE Boom Waterproof Speaker
We absolutely love our UE Boom Speakers! We travel with them everywhere and if you have more than one they can all link and play together.
5. Mini Waterproof Speaker
This is another great speaker to gift a traveler at a lower price point than the UE boom. This mini speaker will fit in any bag that a traveler may be using.
6. Kindle Paperwhite
Travelling with hardcover books is difficult and takes up so much extra space in bags! Gift your favorite traveler the luxury of reading as many books as they want while traveling. We travel everywhere with our Kindles so can guarantee this is a great practical gift for a traveler.
7. Nintendo Switch
This is such a fun gift for a traveler! We love playing our switch while traveling. It is compact and great for entertainment while on long flights or train rides. There are also tons of games for individual play.
8. Hydro Flask Water Bottle
This is our everyday water bottle that we absolutely love while traveling. The 24oz size with the flex straw is the best option for travel because it can fit in the side water bottle pockets in personal backpacks. The straw makes it easy to sip while traveling as well! There are also tons of color options to choose from to gift a traveler.
9. Self-Cleaning and Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle
This is the best water bottle when traveling to destinations where you are not able to drink the tap water. This water bottle is able to purify any water to make sure it is completely safe to drink! If you know someone who is traveling to destinations like Southeast Asia or South America, this is a great practical gift for a traveler.
10. Noise Cancelling Headphones
This is a great price point for noise cancelling headphones to gift a traveler. Seth has used this pair for years now and they are still going strong!
11. Loop Quiet Earplugs
Earplugs are a travel essential, especially when taking an overnight flight or staying in hostels with roommates. These are the best brand on the market for lightweight earplugs that travelers love at a reasonable price point!
12. iWALK Small Portable Phone Charger
This is by far my favorite portable charger. It is so small, holds a charge for hours and doesn’t require any other annoying cords in your bag! This is the perfect gift for a traveler who is constantly on the go and needs a phone charger.
13. DJI Mini 3 Drone
This is the latest and greatest mini drone on the market. This would be a great gift for a traveler to share the cost with a few other people! We were given our drone as a gift and absolutely love it. It is so compact for travel and reasonably priced for the quality and how easy it is to use.
14. Insta 360
We recently purchased this camera to upgrade our content while traveling and love it! It is great for content creators or capturing memories on any vacation and a perfect gift for a traveler who loves to document their adventures.
15. Foldable 3 in 1 Charger
This 3 in 1 foldable charger is such an efficient way to charge all of your devices while traveling. Give the gift of less cords and more charge!
16. Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag
This is the best dry bag for warm weather vacations. It also can be packed laying flat in a bag so it takes up hardly any space!
17. AirFly Pro
This is a great device to gift a traveler! This allows you to connect multiple Bluetooth devices to one system. This is perfect for couples who want to watch the same thing on an airplane or for someone who would prefer to watch a show with their headphones rather than ones given by the airline. There are so many uses for this device.
18. Travel Steamer
This is a great gift for someone who travels often for work or formal events. The travel steamer folds to take up minimal space in a bag and works great to get the wrinkle out of clothes after a long travel day!
19. Mini Portable Projector
How fun is this mini projector? This would be a perfect gift for a traveler who loves watching TV or movies wherever they may be in the world.
20. VPN Subscription
A VPN is so important for international travelers to use. This is a really thoughtful and unique gift for any traveler!
21. Tech Organizer
It took us WAY too long to stop loosely putting our cords in our bag and get a tech organizer. Help your favorite traveler get organized with this case!
22. Airplane Footrest
If the traveler you are shopping for is under 6ft, then this footrest is the perfect gift for them! Long flights will be much more comfortable with this swing to hold their feet at the right height.
23. Universal Travel Adapter
Every traveler needs a universal adaptor! This is one of the most practical gifts you can give any traveler. If you know someone is going internationally soon, see if they are in need of a new adapter.
24. Tripod & Selfie Stick with Remote Shutter
We purchased this tripod before our last 3 month trip and it was a gamechanger for us to get pictures and videos! It was refreshing to not have to rely only on strangers to take pictures of us in beautiful places. This is the best travel gift for solo travelers or couples who love to take pictures and videos while traveling!
25. First Aid Kit
This is another great practical gift for any traveler heading out on a trip! This mini first aid kit is compact enough to fit in any bag and has plenty of supplies in case of emergency.
26. Ticket to Ride
This travel-friendly board game is a must-have for your next holiday gathering. Be prepared for some heated competition, but that’s all part of the fun!
Still Searching? Check out our other gift guides.
- 30+ Travel Gifts for Under $20
- 40+ Unique Travel Gifts for Women
- The Best Travel Gifts for Men
- The Best White Sneakers for Travel
- The Best Bags and Luggage for International Travel
- Our Holy Grail Travel Products
We hope this guide on the best gifts for travel help you find the perfect gift for any traveler in your life! Let us know in the comments which one of these gift options are your favorite.
I really enjoyed your article on the best travel gifts! I have a few suggestions on gifts that could be added to the list.
1. A travel pillow – This is a great gift for anyone who travels frequently. It can help them get a good night’s sleep on the plane or in the hotel.
2. A travel blanket – This can also be a great gift for someone who travels frequently. It can help them stay warm on the plane or in the hotel.
3. A travel journal – This is a great gift for someone who loves to travel and wants to remember all of their experiences.
4. A travel guide – This is a great gift for someone who is planning a trip and wants to learn more about their destination.
5. A map – This is a great gift for someone who loves to travel and wants to track all of their travels.
6. A gift certificate to a travel website – This is a great gift for someone who loves to travel and wants to book their own travel arrangements.
7. A subscription to a travel magazine – This is a great gift for someone who loves to travel and wants to stay up-to-date on the latest travel news.