Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers: 21 Fun Travel Gifts
The holidays are right around the corner and nothing shows that you care more than a thoughtful gift. But what sort of holiday gifts do travelers love? Travelers want practical and fun travel gifts that make their lives easier and trips more comfortable. These gifts help us capture special moments and inspire wanderlust. If you’re wondering what these gifts look like, I’ve got you covered. I’ve come up with a holiday gift guide for travelers that feature a wide variety of travel gift ideas. From high-end gadgets to low tech entertainment and portable speakers, there is something for everyone on this list. And if you’re looking for gifts for traveling moms, Kathryn from Kathryn Anywhere created the perfect holiday wish list for traveling families.
21 Fun Travel Gifts for Travelers
Iceland Travel Guide
Want to go to Iceland? Is Iceland on your travel wish list?
Order a copy of my Iceland travel guide which details how to plan an affordable, adventurous and culturally enriching trip to the Land of Fire and Ice!
Facebook Portal
With the Facebook Portal your favorite traveler can stay connected with family and friends through Facebook Messenger by having up to six people in a group call. The “Smart Camera” follows you around so you’re always in frame and when more people enter the room, it widens to keep everyone in view. There are also cool music, animation and augmented reality effects perfect for kids.
Portable Chargers
It’s likely that your favorite traveler needs a portable charger to keep their phones and other electronics charged while on the road. Anker is a popular brand and can charge an iPhone or Android multiple times before it needs to be recharged.
Some popular portable chargers include:
Thrifty Traveler Premium
Give the gift of cheap flights with 12 months of Thrifty Traveler Premium. Thrifty Traveler Premium is one of my favorite paid flight deal services which alerts you of international flight deals via email. I’ve been a subscriber for the past few years and I’ve been able to score plenty of cheap flights with this service. I highly recommend signing up!
Learn more about how to find flight deals with Thrifty Traveler Premium here.
Airbnb Gift Card
An Airbnb gift card is the perfect gift for travelers who use Airbnb to book unique homes from local hosts around the world. Airbnb has over 1 million homes available worldwide and travelers can enjoy top-rated experiences as well. Get an Airbnb gift card from $25 to $500 at various retailers online and in stores like Target and Staples.
These gift cards do not expire and there are no fees to buy or activate. Customize your message, send digital cards by email or physical cards and gift your favorite traveler an adventure of a lifetime!
Travel Blanket
Travel blankets are one of my favorite holiday gifts for travelers especially for those uncomfortable train rides, bus rides and chilly flights. The top blankets are comfortable, durable, versatile and easy to wash. Some favorites include The Everything Travel Blanket, World’s Best Cozy-Soft Microfleece and Lug Nap Sac Blanket and Pillow.
Portable Speakers
Portable and durable, these Sony Brass Portable Bluetooth speakers are small, light and made to go everywhere. It’s available in multiple colors like red, blue, pink and orange.
Apple AirPods
These days I never leave the house without my Apple AirPods. These in-ear headphones are sweat and water resistant, last up to five hours and come with their own charging case. If you order through Apple you can personalize engravings for free. The brand-new AirPods Pro has noise cancelling technology.
World Maps
Scratch off maps are a hit with travelers because it’s fun to scratch off all of the places you’ve been. All you have to do is grab a coin, use an eraser or fingernail and scratch off all the destinations visited to date. Some scratch off maps have features like country flags and even landmarks. Others come framed so you can display them on a wall.
Here are some popular maps:
Skyroam
Skyroam is a global Wi-Fi hotspot that allows travelers to stay connected on up to 5 devices around the world without roaming fees, SIM cards or unsecured connections. Skyroam offers various options like unlimited Wi-Fi so you can connect on-the-go. You can also rent hotspot day passes.
Luggage Scale
As you know, airlines charge for everything nowadays. A luggage scale is extremely important for travelers because going over the weight limit means paying extra baggage fees. Your favorite traveler can avoid the stress and hassle of having to re-pack at the airport by checking their luggage weight from the comfort of their own home. The best luggage scales are digital, light-weight and some even have cool built-in tape measures and can switch between weight units (kilos and pounds).
Popular luggage scales include:
Read Next: Things You Need to Pack for Long Layovers
Goverre Portable Wine Glasses
Goverre offers classy to-go cups for wine. With a drink-through lid and colorful silicone sleeve, you can enjoy wine from just about anywhere. As Goverre says, “You can simply pour, seal, pack and enjoy.” Goverre’s real glass portable wine glasses are perfect for beach days, picnics and bbqs. This is the perfect gift for wine enthusiasts.
Camera Sleeve
A camera sleeve is a soft form-fitted pouch that protects cameras from getting scratched or dinged. With a camera sleeve, your camera will always look like new and it’ll keep it safe from moisture, dirt, dust and impact.
Drone
Drones are one of the best luxury travel gifts. Camera-included drones are great holiday gifts for travelers because the videography and photography capabilities offer a birds-eye-view perspective.
Drones can range anywhere from $100-$3,000 USD. However, it is important to note that quality and outdoor stability varies at different price points.
If you’re considering buying a drone, make sure it’s light-weight, hooks up to your smartphone and can easily fit in a backpack, jacket pocket or carry-on luggage. Also since travel is so unpredictable, having a waterproof and resilient drone that can withstand bad weather, harsh winds and snow is ideal.
Here are the top drones:
Photo Books
Photos are a travelers best friend.
Similar to physical photo albums, photo books are photo albums made online. In addition to sharing photos digitally, with photo books like Shutterfly, you can order prints and turn vacation photos into holiday cards, a collage, home decor and lots more.
Photo gift ideas include:
- Ornaments
- Laptop cases
- Glassware
- Aprons
- Pencil cases
- Phone cases
- Candles
- Pillows
- Key chains
- Mounted wall art
- Calendars and more
- Canvas prints
Helpful Tip: Shutterfly always has sales so never pay full price.
Waterproof Playing Cards
Cards games are a great way to pass the time at airports or make new friends at hostels. Bring your waterproof playing cards to the beach or pool and don’t worry that they’ll rip or get wet. Just wipe them clean and store them in your luggage until the next time you need them.
Waterproof playing cards also go perfectly with a Lamzac, an inflatable couch that you can take anywhere. This is a great gift for backpackers who need to pack light but also want to lounge around while taking in a fantastic view.
Travel Journal
Despite status updates on social media, a travel journal is another way to document travel experiences. With a travel journal, you can jot down personal thoughts, lessons learned, doodles or even add pictures and business cards.
Raincoat
A sturdy raincoat comes in handy on rainy days or when visiting waterfalls. I just got my hands on a stylish military red vinyl smock from Hunter Boots. Hunter’s rainwear collection includes rain boots, rubberized leather backpacks and umbrellas – all fun travel gifts for travelers.
Kindle Paperwhite
As much as I love reading while on vacation, bringing a lot of books in your suitcase isn’t practical. Gift the Kindle Paperwhite which has an adjustable backlight to read in any condition like real paper. It’s also waterproof which means you can read while at the beach or by the pool. Pair with Bluetooth headphones or speakers and listen to books on Audible.
Travel Corkscrew
Some travel gifts are all about convenience. I can’t count how many times I had to buy or borrow a corkscrew while traveling. Travel corkscrews are inexpensive, compact and as long as it doesn’t have a knife, it will pass security at the airport.
A wine suitcase may be another cool holiday gift idea. A wine suitcase allows you to bring home your favorite wines without damaging the bottle or the things inside your suitcase – that’s a win-win!
Trtl Travel Pillow
Designed to look like a scarf, get comfortable on the plane with this soft travel pillow that wraps around your neck. The Trtl pillow keeps your neck in a better position when you’re sleeping upright and prevents you from nodding off. It easily attaches to your backpack or luggage and you can throw it in the wash when dirty.
Wether you’re looking for a gift for the holidays or a birthday gift, you can’t go wrong with any of these.
What fun travel gifts are on YOUR wish list?
Danielle Desir Corbett paid off $63,000 of student loan debt in 4 years, bought a house at 27, and has traveled to 27 countries, including her favorites, Iceland, China, and Bermuda. Go here to learn Danielle’s incredible story, from struggling financially and in debt to finding creative ways to earn more and live on her terms. Listen to The Thought Card Podcast, where Danielle shares how you can creatively travel more and build wealth regardless of your current financial situation. Reach out to Danielle by contacting: thethoughtcard (at) gmail (dot) com.
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