Holiday season is upon us – are you looking for gifts for friends going travelling? Or a family member, or a loved one? Every self-respecting news outlet makes it its goal to post something on this topic every November, whether or not the publishing journalist or the news outlet has anything to do with travel. I have read dozens of these articles and have not found much useful information. These lists of “gifts for friends going travelling” are often a mixture of some newest gadgets and luggage with some reusable water bottles and headphones sprinkled in between.
Honestly, as a traveler myself, I don’t find most of these items appealing or useful. So I decided to set the record straight and tell you what gifts for travelers your friends and family would actually enjoy. I divided these gifts for travel lovers into several categories: Luggage, Packing, Safety, Clothes, Accessories, Comfort, Books, and Games. I bet you will find some great (and affordable) stuff on my list! The list may include affiliate links.
Gifts for friends going travelling: LUGGAGE
Ok, let us be honest, if your friend or a loved one is a traveler he/she would probably have some decent pieces of luggage already and no one really wants a huge suitcase under a Christmas tree. But there are a couple of carry-on or “weekend travel” items that would definitely strike a cord with most travelers:
For a stylish traveler
Vera Bradley Iconic Large Travel Duffel, Signature Cotton, One Size
This bag has everything to make it a perfect carry-on and weekend travel item: it is light, has tons of space AND comes in lots of adorable designs, which you can check out if you follow the link indicated above. I personally can’t chose one design, I want them all!
For a practical traveler
Leberna Travel Packable Lightweight Tote Bag
No matter how well I pack before I leave on vacation, each time we have to come back I end up with more stuff that doesn’t fit into my luggage. Is this a familiar scenario? Lots of these extras come from gifts people buy for friends and family and a couple of items for themselves as souvenirs. Every traveler needs a packable tote that is light and easy to stuff in a pocket but can hold all this overflow stuff.
Gifts for friends going travelling: PACKING
I am not sure I would spend my money on packing cubes that are highly advertised online but one thing every traveler needs (which I learnt a hard way) is a set of good quality clear packing bags. TSA in the U.S. is not be as scrupulous as in Europe but God forbid you have to go through airport security in London, for instance, without your toiletries or cosmetics packed in a clear bag! I will spare you all the excruciatingly painful details of trying to negotiate with British airport security. Just trust me when I say EVERY traveler needs this set of clear plastic bags: one for toiletries, one for cosmetics and one for medicines in liquid form.
NiceEbag TSA Approved Toiletry Bag 3pcs Clear
If you are searching for a gift for a woman, then you cannot go wrong with a quality jewelry packing pouch. I would even go a step further and say that it is also great for sorting and storing jewelry at home. This specific jewelry organizer is high quality, sleek and won’t break the bank;
Bagsmart Travel Jewellery Organiser
Gifts for friends going travelling: SAFETY
The topic of safety is very dear to my heart. You and your belongings are more safe when you travel in the U.S. but when you go to many other places in the world you have to be always on guard. You may think that at least Europe should be safe – but it is not always true. I once experienced an attack on my belongings in the center of Paris during day time! Italian pickpockets are notorious for their “skills”. I can go on with the list but I think you get the idea.
I wrote a separate detailed article anti theft travel accessories with specific recommendations on some great items every traveler absolutely needs to protect his or her belongings. You can find several excellent gift ideas on that list – check it out! Here I will only highlight a cross body bag for carrying valuables (the bag below is available in multiple colors on Amazon).
Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Slim Pouch
Travelon is one of the leaders on the market of anti theft travel accessories for both men and women so you cannot go wrong with any of their bags, which are reasonably priced too.
Gifts for friends going travelling: CLOTHES
One item I as a traveler dream of having is a good quality warm but lightweight packable jacket. I can envision dozens of scenarios when I (or any other traveler) would need it in spring, summer and fall: high altitudes, northern states, desert at night, etc. All regular jackets are bulky, they are a burden, especially if you plan to avoid baggage fees and have only a carry-on with you on the plane.
I found a couple of great packable jackets that are warm, comfortable, wind resistant, nice looking and affordable (both available in multiple colors).
VUTOLEE Women Lightweight Packable Down Jacket Hooded
Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Ultra Loft Sweaterweight Quilted Packable Jacket
Gifts for friends going travelling: ACCESSORIES
You cannot go wrong with a great beach towel as a gift for a traveler but a beach towel that is drying super fast and is not a sand magnet is a true gem. Sand-free Tesalate towels are made in Australia and have all sorts of cool designs to choose from for both men and women. They come in different sizes too but whatever the size they are packable in a small bag that comes with the towel so it saves a ton of space in a suitcase.
Who is always freezing on an airplane because of air conditioning? A LOT of people! A warm, soft and snugly 100% cashmere wrap is the perfect remedy. It can serve as a comforter during a flight and be a useful accessory on a cool evening outdoors.
Multiple colors are available.
100% pure cashmere is the best quality material but it is a little pricey. So I also found a decent alternative for you with 30% cashmere (and one fourth of the price of the “purebred” one) which is of a good quality, nonetheless. It is up to you if you want to splurge a little or be practical.
Multiple colors are available.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses is an accessory not just for travelling but it is a truly invaluable one on the road, no matter where one goes. You simply cannot go wrong with this gift. This is the one item I recommend splurging on because quality sunglasses can make a huge difference in vision and would last a long time, while cheap sunglasses end up in the trash within a year or so of active wear.
Ray Ban has always set the highest bar in terms of quality. These are the best sunglasses I have ever owned. Yes, they are expensive but you may get a good deal on them on Amazon on Cyber Monday and at other times of the year during promotions.
Ray-Ban Men’s RB2027 Predator 2 Rectangular Sunglasses
Ray-Ban RB4101 JACKIE OHH 601 58M Black/Green Sunglasses For Men For Women
Gifts for friends going travelling: COMFORT
Comfort factor is very important for travel especially for lengthy adventures such as multi-days road trips and long-haul flights. One item can make a huge difference between utter misery and bliss.
Head support for road trips
Please, trust me when I say that I have tried over half a dozen neck pillows in my life, none of them comes even close to the level of comfort that a neck rest for car can offer. Buy it, try it and you will understand what I am talking about!
Airplane footrest
I am still in awe how such a small thing can make such a big difference! This footrest will help prevent lower back pain, stiffness and leg swelling suffered during long flights if you are flying Economy class and cannot properly stretch your legs.
Airplane Footrest – Best Travel Foot Rest with Premium Memory Foam
Gifts for friends going travelling: BOOKS
Some people say that a book is the best gift and an excellent book about travel will definitely be a great gift for people who like travel.
The author who inspired my wanderlust, was Jules Vern – the greatest travel writer of all times. His classic stories of adventure never get old. My two absolutely favorite travel books of all times are:
Forget Disney movie with the same name that you might have seen. The original story, the author’s humor, the exciting world of adventure is so much more than what was captured on silver screen.
This book may not be as famous in the U.S. as some of other Jules Verne’s books but to me it is one of the best of his literary works. It is a captivating story of a partially destroyed SOS message in a bottle and a subsequent plight of two kids to find and save their father who is apparently held hostage by “savages” somewhere on the 37th parallel.
One of my most favorite recent books about travel is “Geography of Bliss” by Eric Weiner. No matter where your friends are going to travel they will love this documentary which takes the reader on a journey to about a dozen of countries to find the happiest place on Earth.
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Gifts for friends going travelling: GAMES
If your friends who love travel have kids and plan to travel with them they would definitely love to have some great travel games. We love these two games below since they are interesting and engaging for the whole family.
Trekking the National Parks is a game for outdoorsy families who love exploring the U.S. National Parks.
Trekking The National Parks: The Family Board Game (Second Edition)
Rory’s Story Cubes is a pocket size game consisting of 9 small cubes that encourages players to use their imagination and create and tell stories. There are actually several different games under this brand name, one of which is specifically a game for travelers called “Voyages”. The added bonus is that this game is easy to pack and take on any trip for endless amount of fun. It makes a great stocking filler.
If you are specifically looking for gifts for travelling families with kids, check out my post devoted specifically to gifts for kids who travel.
If you found this information about gifts for friends going travelling useful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I post many more cool photos and videos about our trips than I could include in a blog post and organize some nice giveaways!
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