Best Travel Gifts

The Best Travel Gifts for the Wanderer in your Life

To the point Here are the best travel gifts for someone whose passion is to explore every inch of this planet will enjoy.

Shopping for the best travel gifts can be hard as travellers, more often than not, desire to experience moments and collect memories. Therefore, the best travel gifts will be just that:

  • The best travel gifts that will make their journey more enjoyable
  • The best travel gifts that will make them remember their trip
  • The best travel gifts that will inspire them while they are grounded
  • The best travel gifts that will give them more escape opportunities

As an experienced traveller, here are the best travel gifts I have either received (and enjoyed thoroughly) or wished for. Make sure to also check out Milesopedia team’s favourite travel accessories for more ideas.

The Best Travel Gifts - Comfort on the road

For starters, noise-cancelling headphones are one of the best travel gifts because you are never sure if the airline will be giving you a free pair or if there will be a crying baby next to you. Having tried a few of them, the Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise comes out on top.

Following last summer’s lost luggage mania, AirTags are now common gadgets travellers like to have. A good combo for the best travel gifts would be to pair those AirTags with a nice piece of luggage such as Away; they offer carry-on and checked-in-size suitcases.

Lufthansa A350 LH475 classe affaires 12

Then, comes the packing cubes to get everything well organized, a dry bag to keep your stuff dry on those kayaking excursions or beach days and soap sheets that will be very handy when there’s none.

There are also laundry detergent sheets, which is perfect for people who would enjoy travelling light!

Another alternative to packing cubes is compression bags. They can be useful to save on space on the way home; compressed dirty laundry will make room for souvenirs! On top of that, a small portable scale is something I like to have with me so I am not left scrambling at the airport when my bag is near the weight limit.

In addition to standard packing cubes, these funny packing bags are one of the best travel gifts as they will put a smile on their face when they receive them. Though they might blush if you gave them a ‘’Sexy Lingerie“ bag when a TSA agent asks them to open their luggage for inspection.

Best Travel Gifts Funny Bags
Best Travel Gifts Funny Bags

As for the best travel gift essentials, shampoo bars and quick dry microfibre towels were handy on all the trips I’ve taken. As I fly carry-on only, shampoo bars were great for managing liquid allowance and I never had to throw a smelly wet towel back in my bag.

Accessoire voyage cube rangement

In terms of electronics, the best travel gifts are a compact power bar and extension, a universal adapter and a portable charger; a fully charged battery will always make your journey better! For people who like to read, a favourite is the Kindle Paperwhite which is almost like going through a real book.

Also, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker is cool to have whether you wish to have music on the beach or on your Maldivian Overwater Villa deck.

Accessoires Voyage Adapteur

Since becoming a mom, one of the best travel gifts I got was a Kidco PeaPod and a portable chair. The Kidco PeaPod is a tent that folds and fits nicely in my carry-on luggage; with it, I never had to worry about crib availability when on the road.

Likewise, the portable chair was perfect for the many picnics we had and for all the times we couldn’t find a high chair. The Baby Jogger stroller we received was also one of our favourite travel gifts since we always aim to never check any piece of luggage.

Best Travel Gifts For New Parents
Best Travel Gifts For New Parents

The Best Travel Gifts - Making Memories

Whenever I am on holiday, I love to take pictures and write down my experience in journals. Indeed, reading all the adventures I had and going through all my physical photo albums is an amazing way to bring back those wonderful memories and emotions. Those right there are the best travel gifts as you get to relive them countless times.

Over the years, I found my favourite pen which is the FriXion Erasable Pens; I love the fact that I am writing in ink (as pencils are messy) and that I can make corrections without scribbling through my journal. Also, the ink is refillable.

Best Travel Gifts Journals
Best Travel Gifts Journals

I also like to keep ticket stubs, boarding passes, etc. so a memory box set can be a good idea; I have one for paper souvenirs and one for small trinkets such as keychains and magnets that aren’t on my fridge.

The best travel gifts for the wandering artist in your life can be materials they can use to capture their own moments such as a watercolour paint set and a sketchbook; they don’t take up much space and are fairly light to carry around the world.

Best Travel Gifts Watercolours Myanmar
Best Travel Gifts Watercolours Myanmar

Finally, the most obvious and easiest way to remember your trips is to take pictures. Both the Instax Instant Camera and the Instax Printer are among the best travel gifts I’ve gotten as they give those old school-feel pictures in this digital era.

I have both and while the Instax Printer is more convenient as you can print your pictures when you return home, the quality is better when you take the shot directly with the Instax Instant Camera.

I hang my Instax pictures on this lovely Umbra Cord Frame and I rotate them from time to time. Don’t forget to get some extra films!

Best Travel Gifts Instax
Best Travel Gifts Instax

While most people capture images with their phone on their trip, you can also gift them with a phone upgrade; if you do so, remember to check out current point promotions and go through a shopping portal! In terms of camera, a lightweight one such as the Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Camera will be one of the best travel gifts for your photographer loved-one.

In addition, a Gorilla Pod is a nice inclusion to a photographer’s bag whether they are into cameras or not; that tripod can also work with phones.

Then, going on a step further, a DJI Mini 3 drone will definitely be appreciated if they like landscape photography!

Some will argue that a GoPro Hero 12 will make a better travel gift than a DJI Mini 3 drone, but that will depend on the person you are aiming to please. While the GoPro Hero 12 is more fitting for someone who is into adrenaline and watersports, I’d rather receive a DJI Mini 3 drone in order to capture stunning scenery during my travels.

Fulidhoo Maldives Sting Rays
Fulidhoo Maldives Sting Rays

The Best Travel Gifts - Fuelling dreams

While all travellers wish they were out exploring instead of being grounded, the best travel gifts when at home will be things that will inspire them and keep their dream alive until it comes true.

Early in my travels, I received a stunning Scratch the World Map and, to this day, I still enjoy marking my progress on it. There are many sizes to choose from.

Alternatively, a Cork Globe or a Cork Map where you can pin your past and future travels are also excellent options.

Best Travel Gifts Scratch Map
Best Travel Gifts Scratch Map

On my desk wall, I love to look at my World Map Décor and travel-oriented decorations. You can find all kinds of wall decor and canvases here.

Also, airline amenity kits are great travel gifts for AvGeeks and people who like branded stuff; I use my beloved SWISS First Class kit as a pencil case!

Best Travel Gifts Home Decor
Best Travel Gifts Home Decor

When at home, you can also read about places you’ve never heard of; one of the best travel gifts and you can do so with one of many Lonely Planet’s inspiration books or Ulysse Guide Books.

Before travelling, I also like to brush up on my language skills or learn new ones.

Or a nice present for photo lovers would be books to improve their skills while waiting for their next trip.

Aviation enthusiasts may also appreciate Air France’s new 90th anniversary collection. It includes notebooks, luggage tags, fridge magnets, coffee mugs, fabric key-rings, and pretty tote bags.

Air France Anniversary Collection 02

There’s even a beautiful tote bag and matching cotton pouch, created in collaboration with Vanessa Bruno, as well as a vintage night bag from the 50s, reissued in its original format to mark the airline’s 90th anniversary, and several limited-edition models of old and new aircraft.

Air France Anniversary Collection 01

Finally, the French airline is also offering Limoges porcelain plates, designed by Jean Picard Le Doux, that were used in First Class from March 1966 to October 2000.

Air France Anniversary Collection 03

The Best Travel Gifts - Passeport de rêve for Opération Enfant Soleil

Some people like to gift lottery tickets; if you’re considering it, we have a better idea for the traveler in your life: Passeport de rêve raffle tickets! All profits will contribute to the Opération Enfant Soleil cause, and you get a chance to win a “Grand Prize” worth $115,000 in travel credit, that includes :

  • Eight (8) Business Class tickets, valid for any Air Canada destination and for two years from the date of prize claim with an approximate retail value of $55,000;
  • One million five hundred thousand (1,500,000) Aeroplan Points, valued at $45,000, subject to the Aeroplan terms and conditions described on their website: www.aeroplan.com;
  • 15,000 in cash, in the form of a cheque payable to the winner upon claiming the prize;
  • Or $25,000 in cash, delivered by cheque.

You can buy one ticket for $10, or a package of 15 tickets for $100. And as soon as you purchase these, you’ll receive printable electronic coupons by e-mail from Air Canada, Tuango and Womance and other merchants. So even if your raffle ticket isn’t a winning one, the traveler in your life can get a 15% discount on scheduled Air Canada flights in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

For more details:

The Best Travel Gifts - For the Next Trip

Speaking from experience, the best travel gift you can give is travel itself. If you have the means, simply offering a trip will make them happy. American Express Canada cardholders usually have very nice offers such as ‘’get a $200 credit with a $600 American Airline“ purchase; while they are ecstatic that you got them a plane ticket, you can save quite a good chunk with those promotional offers.

If anyone is shopping for me, I’m a size window seat in plane tickets.

unknown

Furthermore, if you have a Buddy-Pass or a Worldwide Buddy pass, consider asking them to tag along! Companion flies for free in North America, Mexico and Hawaii with the Buddy-Pass, so why not?

Another way would be to gift points; airlines and hotel chains often run promotions when you gift a lot of points. Therefore, they will be able to book the trip they want, whenever they want! This is also one of the best travel gifts for points enthusiasts as they can sometimes be a bit short on a dream redemption.

For Air Canada Aeroplan Elite Members, you can also share Status Pass with friends or a family member. If that person is flying a lot, it will be one of the best travel gifts you can offer as they will receive many interesting benefits such as:

  • Priority check-in
  • Priority airport standby
  • Priority security screening
  • Priority boarding
  • More luggage allowance (up to 3 checked bags) and priority handling
  • Maple Leaf Lounge access

When gifting a Status Pass, they don’t need to travel with you to enjoy all those perks. Furthermore, they will apply to everyone on the reservation (up to 9 people). Status Pass is a Select Benefit that you can choose if you are a 50K member and above.

Best Travel Gifts Status Pass
Best Travel Gifts Status Pass
Best Travel Gift Status Pass En
Best Travel Gift Status Pass En

If you do not have a Status Pass to give, you can also consider gifting a NEXUS membership as they will be able to bypass the lines at airport security and at customs. While it’s a bit hard to get an appointment to finalize the enrollment, it’s still possible if they are willing to drive the short distance across the border where the American offices are open.

The following credit cards offer a credit for a NEXUS membership so it might even cost you nothing while your loved one will receive comfort! Skipping lines in North America for the next 5 years is one of the best travel gifts for frequent travellers!

Another way to gift travel perks is to sign up for a secondary credit card in their name; some card perks also apply to the authorized user as if they held the card.

For example, my husband travels from time to time without me and the only way he would be covered by my amazing National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard travel insurance was to get him a secondary card. While this is a great gift, remember that you are responsible for their spending if they use the card.

When planning a trip, Ulysse Guide Books are always a nice present; they are filled with beautiful, inspiring images and information for your next getaway. In our household, there is consistently one of them on our coffee table in case we need a little daily mental getaway.

As for new parents, the best travel gift for future trips would be Le Guide des parents voyageurs from BBJetLag. That book is filled with all you need to know when planning a trip with little ones.

Finally, whether your loved one needs helps with their itinerary or to get/use points on their next trip, a Mentoring Session with one of Milesopedia’s expert is one of the best travel gifts you can offer. With our extensive experience, we can definitely help elevate their travels in many ways.

Carte Prestige AéroplanMD- American ExpressMD salon Air Canada-4

Bottom Line

The best travel gifts can be difficult to find as travellers usually just dream about their next holiday. But, speaking from experience, they do need a lot of little stuff here and there to make the trip more comfortable.

Then, when at home, globetrotters enjoy something small to keep working towards their subsequent goal. Hopefully, this article will have given you plenty of ideas for the wanderer in your life.

And remember, as most of these items can be bought on Amazon, the strategy for the best return is to employ gift cards to pay for your purchases! Indeed, if you buy Amazon gift cards at grocery stores with an American Express Cobalt Card, you’ll earn 5X the points as opposed to 1X when paying directly with your card!

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Aline
I'm Aline, an experienced traveller, a foodie at heart, an Avgeek, a photography enthusiast and an expert on credit card programs. I use Reward Points to travel on a budget and to save money on everyday life; writing about these topics allows me to share my passion and help you. ~ 7 continents and 75 countries ~

Suggested Reading