Practical and Useful Gifts for the Traveler You Love (or picked for the office gift exchange)

You all know and love a traveler (other than, or in addition to, me) and often you want to support our passions with well intended and thoughtful gifts.

I see in a lot of travel forums, or am asked personally, “What is a great gift for <insert loved one> who travels all the time!?” or commonly well intended gift givers will ask the perfect travel themed gift for newly weds, a young traveler headed off for a gap year, a sibling who runs the world wild and free that you just want to spoil (Ahem, Allison) .

While every traveler is different and every gift is always appreciated, I often scratch my head at some of the suggested gifts or “must haves for any traveler” lists and wonder WHO is using that?

There is nothing better than a thoughtful, kind gift… except a thoughtful, kind, practical gift. While a $300 travel coffee grinder is lovely, for most it isn’t practical and not something most travelers would carry (unless they are a very niche subset I do not belong to).

Others that likely don’t belong to the travel coffee grinder, travel kettle, travel steamer, travel tri-fold vanity mirror subset include: backpackers, light packers, new travelers on a budget, long term travelers.

I think some general thoughts when choosing a gift for a traveler are:

• Will this add bulk or weight?

• Is this something that can be used on multiple trips to varying destinations (if not gifting for a specific trip)

• What type of traveler is this person? Are they a minimalist, luxury traveler, backpacker, all-inclusive vacationer?

• What is THEIR style (not mine)

What is the BEST gift you can give a seasoned traveler? Or just someone setting off on a first trip, or getaway?

Money is the most practical, useful, universal gift there is. I know, I know… money isn’t personal or “special”, but it is the most universally useful, and can be made fun!

For my birthday last year, friends knew I had a big trip coming up, so they started a “flight fund” and everyone contributed to cover the cost of my flight. That was the BEST possible gift; was meaningful, thoughtful, and very useful.

I also recently had a friend gift me a super cute change purse with “drink money” printed on it and inside were several 5 euro notes. The thoughtfulness, time and effort that went in to that meant SO much to me (and has already been put to good use).

Gift cards can be a bit more personalized than money. Some great options for travelers:

Flight Gift - “1 Gift Card for 300+ flights worldwide”

Pack & Go - Perfect for globe-trotters, road-trippers and even staycationers, this gift will be at the top of their packing list with the option to spend on airfare, fuel, food or lodging

Airbnb - “Easy to Give, Easy to Use, Easy to Love”

Hotels.com - “Travel with Confidence”

Uber or Lyft - Often the ride to and from the airport is a significant additional cost to a trip or travelers, also great to use at one’s destination

Travel and Leisure put out a list of their “The 55 Best Gift Cards for Travel Lovers in 2022” that has some great (and some head scratching) ideas and suggestions.

These, and many, many more useful travel gift cards are available directly through the sites, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Etc.

*Pro-tip: Prime Day and Cyber Monday often have cash back or promotions on gift cards. Costco and Sam’s Club often have travel gift cards at a slightly discounted rate, and AARP members can be privy to discounted travel gift cards though the AARP site as well.

Another way to make gift cards more personal and thoughtful is to ask about restaurants, spas, or attractions they will be visiting and purchase a gift certificate to cover the cost.

If money or a gift card still feels too impersonal, but you still aren’t sure about a tangible gift, there are so many amazing experiences you can gift your favorite traveler. Experiences and activities may seem like a splurge for some travelers, so receiving them as gifts provides that opportunity to enjoy them. The thought, planning and execution of these can also be so meaningful.

Here are some of my favorites I have received, given, and seen suggested

A photography session. These can be found in most locations on Airbnb Experiences. A photo session is a great gift for a solo traveler, couple, family, or friend group and also acts as a one of kind souvenir.

For the foodie friend or loved one, a cooking class or private dinner/chef experience can also be an amazing experience to gift. There are many options available on Airbnb Experiences, as well as through Viator.

Tours of all kinds can also be found on Viator, Airbnb Experiences, and Trip Advisor. There are so many tours out there for every unique interest from walking, history, cemetery, art, food tours… the options are endless. Hop-on-Hop-Off Bus tours (and similar) are also very popular and tickets can be purchased directly through the websites or via Groupon.

Tickets and entry fees are also really great gifts, especially because these fees and tickets can add up quickly depending on destination. Concert, sporting event, or show tickets can be found directly through venues, as can entry tickets to popular destinations, theme parks, museums, etc.

A massage or spa treatment can be a much welcomed gift. Whether it is at the hotel or resort someone is staying at, arranging for an in “home” (airbbnb, hotel, etc) treatment, or at a local spa, arranging a treatment for someone can be a very thoughtful and appreciated.

Many popular city destinations also have a City Pass that includes numerous entries, tours, activities, etc. This can be a great gift for anyone visiting these areas. Generally, the passes range from 24-72 hours and can be “activated” on a chosen date.

If cash or a gift card is too impersonal, or you are unsure of exact plans to execute an experience, or you just like something to wrap, here are some of my favorite travel items. Links provided for items I personally have/use as well as suggested items, and things on my own personal wish list.

Some items with contain affiliate links

Luggage itself is always an incredible gift, but can also be something seasoned travelers are particular about. There are many things to take in to consideration with luggage: weight, domestic v international dimensions and other restrictions, carry on, checked, single piece, sets, hard side, soft side, warranty, durability, suitcase, duffle, backpack, oh my!

All that said, I would certainly not say ‘No’ to any of the following highly rated and popular brands that seem to be on the top of many traveler’s wish lists.

Monos, Away, Beiss, Samsonite, Delsey, Calpak, IT

Great gifts for the “Digital Nomad” you know and love! Even without traveling with work, most people are traveling with numerous electronics and an endless mess of cords and cables that often end up tangled masses in the bottoms of bags. Click images for more info on these useful organizers.

A Good set of headphones is a must for almost any traveler. There are a huge variety of options out there from earbuds to over ear, at a large range of costs.

Some of the most recommended brands I have used or seen include: Bose, Beats, Apple, and Sony

Though there is hope on the horizon that the (mostly) universal 3-1-1 carry on rule is getting tossed out the plane window, many travelers still want to save as much space and weight as possible, and streamlining toiletries is a great way to do so. Many companies also working toward reducing waste and the negative footprint left my travel size products.

Fun Littles (For the traveler that already has everything)