Awesome Gifts For Travelers

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Some people are easy to buy gifts for, while others aren’t. If someone special to you is a traveler, you may be wondering, “What are the best gifts for travelers?” We’ve compiled a list of our “best gifts for travelers” to help you with that, or to simply treat yourself! These are some of our favorite things to travel with or remember a trip by, and they are all great for holidays, birthdays, graduation, anniversaries, and retirement.

JUMP TO AN AWESOME GIFT FOR TRAVELERS

• Stocking stuffers – inexpensive and impactful
• Mid-range gifts – thoughtful without breaking the bank
• Big-ticket items – treat yourself or your favorite traveler to something special

STOCKING STUFFERS

These gifts are inexpensive and small enough to fit in a stocking, but they can have a huge impact on comfort when traveling. You can also consider these for Hanukkah Gelt if your family has adopted the tradition of giving small gifts instead of or in addition to money or chocolate ‘coins.’

EARPLUGS

Earplugs are an awesome gift for your favorite traveler; they’ll wake up rested and ready for the day ahead during their travels. We’ve all been woken up by loud elevators, noisy guests at the hotel, an in-flight crier, or vehicles on the road just outside of our accommodations. We first started using earplugs after our first trip to Italy. We stayed in the city center, where all the action is, but this meant there was noise outside most hours of the day. A good pair of earplugs can ensure a restful night of sleep before the planned adventures for the next day. Earplugs can also be great to dull the sounds of a noisy city as you explore, or lower the volume of an upset baby or phone jockey on a bus, train, or plane. Here are a few we recommend:

Slim design

Another slim design from our favorite producer of earplugs. These will block out 1 more decibel of sound than the pair listed above; they are a little wider at the tip but slimmer at the top. One of our very petite family members prefers this design to the pair we use.

Best in class

Instead of disposable earplugs, you can opt for something durable and reusable. Select a pair to help with a restful night of sleep, or select noise-reducing earplugs that can lend to engagement or focus. Some of the options provide clarity that silences background noise, allowing the user to enjoy the clean sound of live music at a concert! Visit their page on Amazon to see all the problems that their earplugs solve! Pro: These are durable and will last. Con: They will need to be cleaned regularly.

Click one of the links above to see a specific design or click here to visit their page on Amazon

EYE MASK

An Eye mask is an awesome gift for a traveler that will be much appreciated! Have you ever stayed in a hotel with a blinking light on some piece of equipment that kept you up all night? Or where the blinds didn’t keep the city lights out of your room? We like a room to be dark, like a cave, when we sleep. An eye mask ensures that no matter where you (or your favorite traveler) are, blinking lights won’t keep you up at night. This can be crucial to waking up rested, especially when you’re fighting jet lag or trying to sleep on the plane. Important features of the eye mask that we recommend:

• Eye cup design that keeps the mask from touching your eyes; makeup won’t smudge, you can open your eyes, and even blink with the mask on. 
• Nose bridge that assists in total blackout.
• Fully adjustable strap without the use of pesky Velcro that can tug on hair. 
• Lightweight and easy to clean.

Get a 3 pack so you can keep one for yourself and gift the other two! Gift an eyemask to your favorite traveler and they’ll sleep in any hotel room or on a long flight.

ECO-FRIENDLY AND REUSABLE COTTON ROUNDS

Help the traveler in your life reduce their waste footprint. This is an awesome gift idea for travelers because it helps them leave nothing behind as they travel the globe. Years ago, we found this amazing brand with products that are environmentally friendly; their goal is to disrupt single-use by offering items that can be used over and over. We personally love their replacement for cotton rounds that are commonly used in beauty cleansing routines and then thrown away. They say they feel just like a cotton round, but we disagree, they feel much better – you can actually feel that they are working!

In addition to their answer to disposable cotton rounds, they are replacing cotton swabs, tissues, and more.

See all the single-use replacement options on Amazon

PASSPORT HOLDER

Let’s be honest, travelers love having travel things, so a passport holder is a perfect stocking stuffer for someone who doesn’t have one yet. Having a good passport holder with a slot for a couple of cards and cash can be very convenient at the airport. The passport holder we are recommending is more than just a passport holder:

WORLDWIDE TRAVEL ADAPTER

Every international traveler needs travel adapters so they can charge their devices and plug in their electronics. This need is what makes a worldwide adapter such an awesome gift for travelers. When you travel to both the UK and Europe in one trip, you need 2 sets of adapters. That is, unless you have a worldwide travel adapter. A good worldwide travel adapter is:

LUGGAGE SCALE

Another awesome gift for a traveler is a luggage scale. This is great for someone who tends to overpack, tries to pack minimally, or likes to shop when they travel. Features to look for in a good hanging luggage scale:

• Small and easy to pack. It should also be lightweight so that when it’s added to the suitcase it doesn’t increase the weight to much (our recommendation weighs 3.5 ounces). 
• Easy to use
• Offers both lb and kg options, which is great for international travelers
• Accurate; you want a luggage scale that is accurate within <.1 lbs/<.05 kgs
• Sturdy; a good luggage scale should be able to weigh at least 100 lbs. The one we recommend can handle 110lbs/50 kgs
• Low battery indicator
• Temperature sensor
• Tare function
• Data hold/lock function that allows the user more time to see the results

MID-RANGE GIFTS

If you’re looking to get someone something thoughtful without breaking the bank, then these are excellent ideas for that traveler in your life. Help them plan their next great adventure, or reminisce about them when they return!

POWER BANK

It can be a major inconvenience to have your phone battery die while you are traveling; there’s no way to take pictures or use a navigation app to get where you want to go if your battery dies. A reliable power bank is critical! Not all power banks are created equal. A traveler wants something that will charge their phone fast and preferably multiple times in one day. Our criteria for recommending a charger:

• The options we recommend have a 10,000 mAH; this means they should be able to charge a phone to full charge multiple times.
• The best power banks are lightweight (compared to other models in their class).
• A power bank should be low profile and easily fit into a pocket or purse.
• We recommend power banks that charge a phone quickly and that can also be recharged quickly.
• You should only use power bank models that are approved by TSA (remember, power banks should never be packed in your checked luggage; they should always be with the traveler).

TRAVEL BOOK

A travel book is a great way to inspire your favorite traveler. We recommend the hardcover books; they make the perfect gift and are a great addition to a coffee table or bookcase. The books can also be purchased for Kindle if you prefer. The books we’re recommending have loads of information that is displayed beautifully in their hard covers, but the same information is available in any Kindle or paperback version.

For the foodie traveler:

Do you know a self-proclaimed “foodie” who loves to travel? Gift them a book about dishes all over the world. This book tells all the local dishes to eat in 500 places around the world. A book like this could have the foodie-traveler planning trips just so they can enjoy authentic dishes in their home country. Candace received this book as a gift years ago from her team at work and cherishes it so much that it was one of the few items that she kept when we liquidated our lives and moved to Italy!

For The Traveler Who Wants To See The World:

Do you know someone who wants to see the world? This book, with over 100 destinations and their itineraries, is packed with insider tips to help your favorite traveler travel like a local. Gift them this book to help them see the world and plan it with ease!

For The Traveler Who Loves To Bike:

Your favorite cycling traveler probably loves to combine the two, select a book to help them plan bike rides around the world or in the Americas. A book with over 200 bike rides, ranging from sightseeing and urban adventures to off-the-beaten-path and more.

View other travel books about epic adventures in surfing, hiking, driving, running, biking, and snow

For The Solo Female Traveler:

Empower your favorite female traveler with 30 stories from solo female travelers. Beware, though, this book could cause irrational decisions and flight purchases!

Browse more travel books that are perfect travel gifts.

WATER FILTER FOR ALL WATER

See all of the brands’ filtering solutions on Amazon

BLUETOOTH WIRELESS ADAPTER FOR HEADPHONES

BIG-TICKET ITEMS

These awesome gift suggestions are for your favorite traveler who you want to do something special for, or to treat yourself!

BACKPACK, DAYPACK, OR SLING PACK

Most travelers like to bring a suitcase and a backpack for personal items. Opting for a secure pack gives peace of mind. Travelers want a pack that makes it easy to compartmentalize all the items they need to bring and has anti-theft features. We have a favorite brand that we’ve bought a couple of backpacks and messenger bags from. We regularly check for new gear that we might be interested in. Top features that our favorite brand delivers on:

• Made with a lightweight steel mesh that is impossible to cut through. 
• Locking zippers and straps are safety features that deter would-be thieves. The locking straps have a detachable buckle or a locking loop. You can loop your strap onto a chair or table leg and then close and lock the buckle so that no one can run off with your stuff!
• RFID pockets to protect your information.
• High-quality and comfortable straps with wire reinforcement in the straps so they can not be cut.

Select a gift card for a photobook

CANVAS PRINT

If your favorite traveler is also a photographer, then they will think a canvas print of their own photo is an awesome gift. When we still lived in the US, we decorated our house with large canvas prints of our travel photos. We loved being reminded of our adventures in travel when we walked through our home. A canvas print has an extra special touch and can give a photo an almost painted look. If you have access to their photo,s you can surprise them with a canvas print; since you most likely don’t have that access, you can opt for a gift card instead.

Select a gift card for a canvas print or other personalized item

WATERPROOF ACTION CAMERA FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEO

Adventure travelers like to capture their adventures, whether it’s biking, hiking, or snorkeling; they want to be able to relive the moment over and over. A camera that is made to do this and comes with all the necessary equipment and accessories will be treasured for years to come. Pro tip: Make sure to get a floating attachment/handle if it isn’t included. We watched someone drop their camera in a river while kayaking, and they were heartbroken to lose all the memories from their trip!

CUSTOM TRAVEL PLANNING SERVICES

Sometimes the best gifts are services that give a loved one back some time. The average traveler spends 30+ hours planning that perfect trip. For many, it is a daunting task; we can take that off their plate so they can relax and focus on the fun part. We offer custom travel planning services for the traveler who needs someone else to spend the time researching and planning their trip. For the travelers who want to do their own research and planning, we offer coaching services to help guide them on their planning journey. Click the button below to learn more about our services here. Send us an email if you would like to purchase our services as a gift to your favorite traveler.

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We hope that this list of awesome gifts for travelers has helped you find the perfect gift. Check back whenever you are considering a gift for a traveler, as we will update this page whenever we find something that enhances the travel experience or memories of it!

-XO, The Twins