When it comes to choosing a gift for travel lovers, it’s easy to get a bit stumped. Maybe they’re the kind of person that values experience over material possessions, or maybe they just change their style as much as they change their location.
In reality, there are a lot of suitable gift ideas for travel lovers, finding them just requires thinking outside of the box a little. To help you with this task, we put our best travel heads on and came up with the following gift ideas for travel lovers:
Travel or Airline Gift Cards
If you know that the travel lover in question has a destination that they can’t quite afford to go to, or if you just want to help them on their way, you can get them a travel-related gift. This could be a stay in a hotel or Airbnb, an airline gift card, or any number of other travel-related options.
This kind of gift provides a great solution for the minimalist travelers of our time, who want to live through direct experience and not through objects. If you feel like treating yourself, you could also book an extra ticket and go along for the ride with them!
Location-Specific Gift Ideas
If you know that someone really wants to visit a place, you can get them a gift that helps and inspires them on their journey. This could be a rain jacket if they wanted to visit Scotland in the autumn, or a guidebook to any number of places.
Another excellent location-specific idea that people often overlook is fiction. While travel literature is a wonderful way of exploring a place and coming up with ideas of places to visit, novels set in real locations are another exciting way to do this.
Just a couple examples of this are John le Carré’s exploration of Berlin via The Spy Who Came in from the Cold or Gregory David Robert’s exquisite and exciting exploits around Bombay (now Mumbai) in his fictionalized autobiography, Shantaram.
Personalized Gifts
Often, the best gift for travel lovers will be a truly personal gift. It shows care, and if it’s inscribed, it can even decrease the chance that their gift gets permanently lost.
The guys at gettingpersonal.co.uk, for example, sell a wide range of different gifts that can be directly personalized for their recipient. Items in their range that could be perfect for travel lovers include their engraved metal glasses cases and their personalized diaries.
Personalized Map
A personalized map is a unique and sentimental gift idea for travel lovers. You can find these online from a number of different retailers, or you could even make one yourself. All you need is a map of the world (or whichever region they love to travel to), some clear adhesive film, and a black Sharpie.
Simply trace out their favorite routes on the map with a Sharpie, then cover them with the adhesive film. This will create a laminated surface that you can write on with dry-erase markers, allowing your travel-loving friend or family member to plan out future adventures without damaging the map.
Portable Charger
This may seem like an obvious one, but trust us – portable chargers are a godsend for travelers. No one wants to be stuck in a foreign country with a dead phone, especially if they’re relying on it for things like maps, translation apps, and keeping in touch with family and friends back home.
A good portable charger will be able to fully charge a standard smartphone several times over, so it’s definitely worth the investment. You can find them online or in most electronic stores.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Whether they’re trying to get some sleep on a long-haul flight or they just want to enjoy some peace and quiet, noise-cancelling headphones are another great gift idea for travelers. They’ll appreciate being able to block out the world and just relax, even if they’re in the middle of a busy airport or train station.
There are a lot of different noise-cancelling headphones on the market, so it’s worth doing some research to find a pair that will suit your travel-loving friend or family member. You can usually find good deals online.
Luggage Scale
A luggage scale is an absolute must-have for the traveler who is always trying to avoid excess baggage fees. These handy little devices allow you to weigh your bags before you leave for the airport, so you know exactly how much they weigh and whether or not you need to rearrange things to avoid paying extra.
You can find luggage scales online or in most travel stores. They’re usually not very expensive, but they can save a lot of money in the long run.
Journal
A journal is the perfect gift for travel lovers who like to document their adventures. It’s also a great way to encourage them to take some time out of each day to reflect on their experiences and what they’ve learned.
There are all sorts of journals available these days, from simple notebook-style journals to more elaborate traveler’s journals with pages for maps, sketches, and more. You can find them online or in many stationary stores.
Camera
If the travel lover in your life is always taking photos on their phone, why not upgrade them to a real camera? This could be a DSLR if they’re really into photography, or a more basic point-and-shoot camera if they just want to capture some memories without getting too technical.
Even if they already have a good quality camera, there’s always room for an upgrade. And if they don’t have a camera, this is the perfect opportunity to help them get started on their photography journey.
There are all sorts of cameras available these days, from simple point-and-shoot cameras to more advanced DSLRs. You can find good deals on cameras online or in electronics stores. Just make sure you know what kind of camera they need or want before you make your purchase.
Travel Guidebooks
No matter where your travel-loving friend or family member wants to go, there’s sure to be a guidebook (or several) that can help them plan their trip. These books are packed with information on everything from where to stay and what to see, to where to eat and what to avoid.
If you’re not sure which guidebook they need, you can always buy them a gift card to a bookstore or online retailer like Amazon, so they can choose for themselves.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are one of those things that, once you start using them, you wonder how you ever managed without them. Packing cubes are an absolute must-have for travelers who want to keep their belongings organized while they’re on the road. These handy little bags help to compress clothes and other items, so they take up less space in your suitcase or backpack. They’re also great for keeping things like underwear and socks separate from the rest of your clothes.
Packing cubes come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes, so you can find a set that will suit any traveler. You can usually find them online or in travel stores.We recommend going for a set with different colors or patterns so that they can easily tell which cube contains what.
In Conclusion
These are just a few of the many gift ideas that are perfect for travel lovers. So, whether you’re looking for a small stocking stuffer or a more substantial present, you’re sure to find something on this list that will suit your needs. At the end of the day, which one you choose depends on the recipient and what you think they’d appreciate most as they make their way around the world.
