It’s not always easy to find the best travel gifts, as travellers often want to live in the moment and make great memories. Therefore, the best travel gifts will be exactly that:
As an experienced traveller, here are the best travel gifts I have received (and appreciated) or wished to receive. Don’t forget to also check out the favourite travel accessories of the Milesopedia team for more ideas.
To start, noise cancelling headphones are one of the best travel gifts, as you never know whether the airline will give you a free pair or whether there will be a crying baby next to you. Having tried several, the Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones comes out on top.
After the saga of lost luggage, AirTags are now gadgets that travellers love to have. A good combination for the best travel gifts would be to pair these AirTags with a beautiful suitcase like Monos.
Next come the packing cubes to keep everything well organized, a dry bag to keep your belongings dry during kayaking trips or beach days, and soap sheets which are very practical.
There are also laundry detergent sheets, which are perfect for people who like to travel light!
Compression bags are another alternative to storage cubes. They can be useful for saving space on the way home; compressed dirty laundry will make 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 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 are a power strip and compact extension cord, a universal adapter, and a portable charger; a fully charged battery will always make your trip more enjoyable! For people who love to read, a favourite of mine is the Kindle Paperwhite, which gives the impression of reading a real book.
Similarly, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker is very useful, whether you want to listen to music on the beach or on the terrace of your ocean front villa in the Maldives.
As a mom, I particularly enjoyed receiving a Kidco PeaPod and a portable chair. The Kidco PeaPod is a tent that folds and easily fits into my carry-on luggage. Thanks to it, I never had to worry about the availability of cribs during my travels.
Similarly, the portable chair was perfect for the many picnics we went on and for all the times we couldn’t find a high chair. The Baby Jogger Stroller we received is also one of our favourite travel gifts, as we aim to never check a piece of luggage.
Every time I go on vacation, I like to take photos and write about my experiences in journals. For instance, reading about all the adventures I’ve had and going through my physical photo albums is a wonderful way to relive those cherished memories and emotions. These are the real best travel gifts, as you can relive them countless times.
Over the years, I have found my favorite pens, namely the FriXion erasable pens; I love writing in ink (because pencils are messy) and being able to make corrections without scribbling in my journal. Additionally, the ink is refillable.
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 undoubtedly love a watercolor painting set and a sketchbook; they don’t take up that much space and are light enough to carry around the world.
Finally, the most obvious and easiest way to remember your travels is to take photos. The Instax Instant Camera and Instax Printer are some of the best travel gifts I’ve received, as 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 pretty Umbra cord frame and alternate them from time to time. Don’t forget to buy extra film!
While most people take photos with their phones during their travels, you can also offer them a phone upgrade; if you do, don’t forget to check the ongoing points promotions and go through a shopping portal!
As for the camera, a lightweight camera such as the Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Camera will be one of the best travel gifts for the budding photographer.
Furthermore, a Gorilla Pod is a good addition to a photographer’s bag, whether it’s for a camera or not; this tripod also works 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 would argue that a GoPro Hero 12 would make a better travel gift than a DJI Mini 3 drone, but that will depend on who you’re trying to please. While the GoPro Hero 12 is best suited to adrenaline junkies and water sports enthusiasts, I’d prefer to receive a DJI Mini 3 drone so that I can capture breathtaking landscapes on my travels.
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 wonderful scratch-off map of the world and, to this day, I still love recording my progress on it. There are lots of sizes to choose from.
A cork globe or cork map on which you can pin your past and future travels are also excellent options.
On my office wall, I like to look at my world map and travel decorations. You can find all sorts of wall decorations and canvases here.
Additionally, airline amenity kits are excellent travel gifts for AvGeeks and people who love branded items; I use my beloved SWISS First Class kit as a pencil case!
When you are at home, you can also read about places you have never heard of; it is one of the best travel gifts and you can do it with one of the many Lonely Planet inspiration books.
When you’re planning a trip, Ulysses guides are always a great gift; they’re filled with beautiful images and inspiring information for your next getaway. In our household, there’s always one on our coffee table, just in case we need a little daily mental escape.
As for new parents, the best travel gift for their future trips would be The travelling parents’ guide by BBJetLag. This book is filled with everything you need to know to plan a trip with little ones.
Before travelling, I also like to refresh my language skills or learn new ones. The ideal gift for photography enthusiasts would be books to improve their skills while waiting for their next trip, or an online learning course with Babbel, for example.
Finally, aviation enthusiasts will also appreciate the Air France 90th anniversary collection. It includes notebooks, luggage tags, refrigerator magnets, coffee mugs, fabric keychains, and cute tote bags.
Some people like to give lottery tickets; if you are considering doing so, we have a better idea for the traveller in your life: Passport de Rêve draw tickets! All profits will go to the Opération Enfant Soleil cause.
The winner of the first ticket drawn will win the ‘Grand Prize’ worth $172,000 in travel credits, including:
The Grand Prize winner will be able to choose between a prize worth $112,000 or $25,000 in cash!
In my 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 very happy.
Some Aeroplan Elite Members may offer an 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 a number of interesting advantages, such as:
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 can also consider offering a NEXUS membership, as it will allow bypassing security and customs lines. Although it is a bit difficult to get an appointment to finalize the registration, it is still possible to go across the border to do it in person.
Another way to offer travel benefits is to offer a secondary credit card. For example, my husband sometimes travels without me. The only way for him to be covered by my National Bank World Elite Mastercard travel insurance, which is excellent, was to get him a secondary card. Although it’s a great gift, don’t forget that you’re responsible for their spending!
Finally, whether your loved one needs help with their itinerary or how to earn/use points on their next trip, a mentoring session with one of Milesopedia’s experts is one of the best travel gifts you can give. With our vast experience, we can certainly help them improve their travels in many ways.
The best travel gifts can be hard to find, as travellers usually just dream about their next vacation. But, from experience, they need a lot of little things here and there to make their trip more comfortable.
Then, when they’re home, globetrotters take advantage of the little things to keep working towards their next travel goal. We hope this article has ispired you with lots of ideas.
And don’t forget that, as most of these items can be purchased on Amazon, the most profitable strategy is to use gift cards to pay for your purchases!
Indeed, if you buy Amazon gift cards at grocery stores with a Cobalt American Express card, you will earn 5X the points, rather than 1X by paying directly with your card!
The benefits of the ocean to uplift the spirit are well known. Plane tickets as a gift are rarely a bad idea! Our travel guide for a long weekend in Miami will give you tips to plan this beautiful surprise.
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.
An external battery for a laptop and phone would be an ideal gift for long walks at sea. And a waterproof backpack is very practical to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Knowing the person’s tastes well could be very useful in choosing the ideal gift. Personalize it and offer them an experience that will remain etched in their memory.
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