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The Best Travel Gifts

The Best Travel Gifts
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It’s not always easy to find the best travel gifts, because travellers often want to live in the moment and collect memories. Therefore, the best travel gifts will be exactly that:

  • The best travel gifts to make their trip more enjoyable
  • The best travel gifts to help them remember their trip
  • The best travel gifts to inspire them when they’re not travelling
  • The best travel gifts to help them escape even more

As a seasoned traveller, here are the best travel gifts I’ve received (and thoroughly enjoyed) or wish I’d received. Don’t forget to also check out the Milesopedia team’s favorite travel accessories for more ideas, or our selection of products on our Amazon page.

The Best Travel Gifts – Accessories for Comfort on the Go

For starters, noise-canceling headphones are one of the best travel gifts, because you never know if the airline will give you a free pair or if there will be a crying baby next to you. After trying out several, the Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise comes out on top.

After the lost luggage saga, AirTags have become must-have gadgets that travellers love to carry. A great combo for the best travel gifts is to pair these AirTags with a stylish suitcase like Monos.

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Then there are storage cubes to keep everything organized, a dry bag to keep things dry on kayak trips or days at the beach, and handy soap sheets.

There are also laundry detergent sheets, which are perfect for people who like to travel light!

Compression bags are another alternative to packing cubes. They can help save space on the way back; compressing dirty laundry will free up room for souvenirs!

I also like to have a small portable scale with me so I don’t have to struggle at the airport when my bag is close to the weight limit.

In addition to the standard packing cubes, this funny packing bag is one of the best travel gifts, as it will make people smile.

Shampoo bars and quick-drying microfibre towels are also very useful, as I only travel with carry-on luggage.

When it comes to electronics, the best travel gifts include a compact power bar and extension cord, a universal adapter, and a portable charger. Having a fully charged battery will always make your trip more enjoyable! For those who love to read, my top pick is the Kindle Paperwhite, which truly feels like reading a real book.

Likewise, a portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker is very useful, whether you want to listen to music on the beach or on the terrace of your Maldivian waterfront villa.

The Best Travel Gifts - Travel Adapter Accessories

As a mom, I especially appreciated receiving a Kidco PeaPod and a portable chair. The Kidco PeaPod is a tent that folds up and easily fits into my carry-on luggage. Thanks to it, I never had to worry about the availability of cribs while travelling.

Similarly, the portable chair was perfect for the many picnics we went on and when we couldn’t find a high chair. The Baby Jogger stroller we received is also one of our favourite travel gifts, as we aim never to check a piece of luggage.

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts For New Parents

The Best Travel Gifts – Items for Creating Personalized Memories

Whenever I’m on vacation, I love taking photos and writing about my experiences in journals. In fact, reading about all the adventures I’ve had and flipping through my physical photo albums is a wonderful way to relive those cherished memories and emotions. These are some of the best travel gifts, because you can relive them countless times.

Over the years, I’ve found my favourite pens: FriXion erasable pens. I love being able to write in ink (since pencils can be messy) and make corrections without scribbling in my journal. Plus, the ink is refillable.

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts Journals

I also like to keep ticket stubs, boarding passes and so on. That’s why a keepsake box can be a good idea; I have one for paper souvenirs and another for little trinkets like key rings and magnets that aren’t on my fridge.

The travelling artist will no doubt love the watercolor painting set and sketchbook; they don’t take up much space and are light enough to carry around the world.

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts Watercolours Myanmar

Finally, the most obvious and easiest way to remember your travels is to take photos. The Instax instant camera and Instax printer are among the best travel gifts I’ve ever received, because they allow you to take old-fashioned photos in this digital age.

I have both and although the Instax Printer is more convenient because you can print your photos when you get home, the quality is better when you take the photo directly with the Instax Instant Camera.

I hang my Instax photos on this nice Umbra cord frame and I switch them out from time to time. Don’t forget to get some extra film!

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts Instax

If most people take photos with their phones while travelling, you can also offer them a phone upgrade; if you do, don’t forget to check out current points promotions and go through a shopping portal!

As far as the camera is concerned, a lightweight camera such as the Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Camera will be one of the best travel gifts for the budding photographer.

What’s more, a Gorilla Pod is a great addition to any photographer’s camera or non-camera bag; this tripod can also work with phones.

Then, if you want to go further, a DJI Mini 3 drone will certainly be appreciated by those who love landscape photography!

Some might say that a GoPro Hero 12 makes a better travel gift than a DJI Mini 3 drone, but it really depends on the person you’re shopping for. While the GoPro Hero 12 is better suited for adrenaline seekers and water sports enthusiasts, I would personally prefer to receive a DJI Mini 3 drone to capture stunning landscapes during my travels.

How to travel to the Maldives on a Budget - Fulidhoo Maldives Sting Rays

The Best Travel Gifts – Inspiring Wanderlust for Travel Lovers

While all travellers prefer to explore rather than stay in one place, the best travel gifts are those that will inspire them and help them pursue their dream until it becomes a reality.

At the start of my travels, I received a beautiful scratch-off world map, and to this day, I still love tracking my progress on it. There are many different sizes to choose from.

A cork globe or cork map on which you can pin your past and future travels are also excellent options.

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts Scratch Map

On my office wall, I like to look at my world map decor and my travel-themed decorations. You can find all sorts of wall decor and canvases there.

What’s more, airline amenity kits make excellent travel gifts for AvGeeks and people who love branded items; I use my beloved SWISS First Class kit as a pencil case!

The Best Travel Gifts - Best Travel Gifts Home Decor

When you’re at home, you can also read about places you’ve never heard of; it’s one of the best travel gifts, and you can do it with one of Lonely Planet’s many inspirational books.

When planning a trip, Ulysse travel guides always make a great gift. They’re filled with beautiful images and inspiring information for your next getaway. In our home, there’s always one on our coffee table in case we need a little mental escape during the day.

For new parents, the best travel gift for their upcoming trips would be the BBJetLag Parents’ Travel Guide. This book is packed with everything you need to know for planning a trip with little ones.

Before travelling, I also like to refresh my language skills or learn new ones. The ideal gift for photo enthusiasts would be books to improve their skills while waiting for their next trip, or an online learning course with Babbel.

Finally, aviation enthusiasts will also appreciate the Air France 90th Anniversary Collection.

The Best Travel Gifts – Passeport de rêve pour Opération Enfant Soleil

Some people like to give away lottery tickets; if you’re thinking of doing so, we have a better idea for the traveller in your life: Passeport de rêve raffle tickets! All proceeds go to Opération Enfant Soleil.

The holder of the first ticket drawn will receive the “Grand Prize” valued at $206,000 offered as travel credit, and including:

  • Eight (8) Business Class tickets, valid for any Air Canada destination, valid for two years from the prize claim date, and with an approximate commercial value of $146,000;
  • One million five hundred thousand (1,500,000) Aeroplan points, valued at $45,000, redeemable according to Aeroplan’s terms and conditions as outlined on their website: www.aeroplan.com;
  • $15,000 in cash, issued as a check in the winner’s name when they claim their prize.

In fact, the Grand Prize winner will have the option to choose between the prize valued at $206,000 or the sum of $25,000 in cash!

The Best Travel Gifts – For the Next Vacation

From experience, the best travel gift you can give is the trip itself. If you can afford it, the simple act of offering a trip will make that person happy.

Certain Aeroplan Elite members can offer a Aeroplan status pass to a friend for a travel reservation.

If this person often flies, this will be one of the best travel gifts you can give them, as they’ll benefit from many interesting advantages such as:

  • Priority Check-In
  • 3 Complimentary Checked Bags
  • Priority Baggage Handling
  • Priority security clearance
  • Priority airport standby
  • Priority boarding
  • Access to lounge Maple Leaf

When you offer a Status Pass, the person does not have to travel with you to enjoy all these benefits. The Status Pass is a benefit you can choose if you are a 50K member or more.

You might also consider giving a NEXUS membership, as it allows travellers to skip the lines at security and customs. Although it can be a bit challenging to book an appointment to complete the registration, it’s still possible to cross the border with that person.

Another way to offer travel benefits is with a secondary credit card. For example, my husband sometimes travels without me. The only way for him to be covered by the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® travel insurance, which is excellent, was to get him a secondary card. While it’s a great gift, don’t forget that you’re responsible for their expenses!

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With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

  • Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

  • 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
  • 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
  • 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
  • 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
  • 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Airline ticket upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xBills & recurring payments
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$778
2nd Year Value$923

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 60 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+2 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Bottom Line

The best travel gifts can be hard to find, as travellers usually just dream about their next vacation. But, from experience, they need lots of little things here and there to make their trip more comfortable.

Then, when they’re home, globetrotters enjoy the little things to keep working towards their next travel goal. We hope this article has given you lots of ideas.

And don’t forget that, since most of these items can be purchased on Amazon, the most cost-effective strategy is to use gift cards to pay for your purchases!

Indeed, if you buy Amazon gift cards at participating grocery stores with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you can earn up to 5 Scene+ points per dollar, rather than 1 point by paying directly with your card (depending on the spending category and purchase location).

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The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

  • 30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
  • 20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000
Household$12,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 6xWith the partner brand
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xEntertainment
  • 5xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xTransit
  • 3xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460
2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

Frequently Asked Questions

What gift can you give to cheer up a traveller?

The positive effects of the ocean on your mood are well known. Flight tickets make an excellent gift and are rarely a bad idea! Our travel guide for a long weekend in Miami offers tips to help you plan this great surprise.

What gift should you give someone who is heading abroad?

If this person likes to travel light by plane, a quality piece of carry-on luggage is sure to be appreciated, as well as compression bags to be able to pack as much as possible.

What gift to choose for someone who loves boats?

A portable charger for a laptop and phone would be an ideal gift for long days at sea. And a waterproof backpack is also very practical to help avoid any unpleasant surprises.

How do you come up with an idea for an unforgettable gift?

Knowing the person’s tastes can help you choose the perfect gift. Personalize it and offer them an experience that will remain engraved in their memory.

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Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

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