2021 Ultimate Travel Themed Gift Guide: What to Give the Traveler in Your Life

Over 50 Gift Ideas for Every Type of Traveler

There are so many random travel gadgets out there that it can be daunting to choose a travel-themed gift. This gift guide will make things easier for you. These are things that I actually use or have been lusting after for months because I know they would make things easier while traveling. They would also make a great gift for the traveler in your life. But travelers come in many different forms, so I’ve broken the list down by types of travelers (frequent fliers, beach vacation lovers, parents, kids, backpackers, and many more).

Most importantly, these are travel gifts they will actually use.

GIFTS FOR THE TRAVELER IN YOUR LIFE

For the Stylish Air Traveler

• Barefoot Dreams Products! Have you heard of the Barefoot Dreams brand? It is my new obsession.
  • I got this cardigan after seeing a couple fashion bloggers rave about it and it is every bit as cuddly and cute as they said.
  • And now I want this beanie and these socks in my stocking for warm, cozy traveling.

And a couple more gift ideas for comfortable air travel…

• I gifted my sister a poncho similar to this one recently and she loved it.
• Scarf with Hidden Pocket — Cute, cozy, and convenient.

For the Frequent Flier

• Cockpit Confidential Book – Give the frequent flier in your life an insider look at the industry they spend a lot of time with. Written by a pilot.
• Cocktail Kit – Help them to easily still make their favorite cocktails while in flight with this handy and easy-to-pack cocktail kit.

For the Last Minute Traveler

• Grab and Go Toiletry Bags – Put together a few ready-made toiletry bags in Ziploc bags that can be packed in a carry-on to make packing faster and easier.
  • Stick in bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, disposable razor, contact solution (if the person wears contacts) and a travel toothbrush. (Remember to keep everything under 3 oz.)
  • One of these shampoo bars would also be a fun add-on to the gift — I brought one of these all over Europe with me and loved it!
  • A bath bomb is also a fun addition to the gift. No bathtub? Get them a shower steamer instead.

For the Beach Loving Traveler

• Easy-to-Pack Sun Hat – Help keep your gift recipient covered and safe from the sun with this cute sunhat that rolls up for easy packing and provides SPF protection.
• I can totally picture this sun hat on a Caribbean beach.
• Cute and Simple Rubber Flip-flops – No fancy ones for sand. I learned this from years of living in San Diego.
• Fun Beach Bag – I love this design!

For the Parent with a Baby Traveler

• Ring Sling – Easy to use and convenient for road trips, air travel, dining in restaurants, and just about everything in my opinion.
• Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag – This diaper bag has a genius design. It is great for travel (and every-day life) because it can switch between being worn over the shoulder (with a strap long enough to cross the body) or as a backpack. Also, the changing pad folds out right next to pockets for diapers and wipes, making it easy and convenient to create a makeshift changing station wherever you are.
• Padded Carseat Bag – My husband and I get comments on this bag pretty much every time we fly from other parents admiring it (oh, the things that become exciting once you become a parent) and asking where we got it.

For the Traveling Parent of Little Kids

• Travel Blackout Blinds – Might help the kids to sleep in another hour, and extra sleep is a great gift for any parent.
• Want to Splurge on the Gift? Get this amazing stroller which I so wish someone had gifted me. It’s supposed to be super easy to travel with.

For the (Temporarily) Stuck at Home Traveler

• Art Inspiration– Keep their wanderlust going with this farmhouse-style travel sign that they can hang by their desk.
• Book Inspiration – This iconic book always gets me dreaming of new places to go. An oldie but goodie that every traveler should have on their bookshelf.
• Weekend Getaway Ideas – This gorgeous book featuring 1,000 weekend getaways is sure to get your gift recipient dreaming.
• Classic Bill Bryson – Remind them about the adventures to be had close to home with a gifting of the classic Bill Bryson book, A Long Walk in the Woods. This is a hilarious, insightful book that is perfect for both novice and experienced hikers.

For the Traveler Who Loves to Shop

• Expandable Getaway Bag – I have a bag like this and love it for traveling. It is more compact at the start of your trip and then unzips to fit things in that you inevitably will buy on your travels.

For the Fashionable Traveler

• One of my One Day in a City t-shirts! 🙂 Here are my bestsellers:
  • One Day in San Diego T-Shirt
  • One Day in Rome T-Shirt

For the Coffee-Addicted

• Travel Mug – One that will go the distance and keep that coffee hot.
• Corkcicle – I love my Corkcicle 12 oz. travel mug. They are stylish and are perfect for coffee or wine. I gave one to my mom last year for Christmas and she like it so much she bought more to keep at her cabin for guests to use. Corkcicle also makes Champagne flute and tumbler sizes, too.

For the Hiking Traveler

• Icebreaker Shirts – These are surprisingly comfortable as I thought they’d be itchy since they’re 100% wool. My husband and I wore them while hiking the Inca Trail and they kept us warm without being bulky.
  • Women’s Icebreaker Shirt
  • Men’s Icebreaker Shirt

For the Camping Traveler

• Camping Stove – My husband made us salmon and asparagus on ours one time while we were camping. It was so delicious and I couldn’t believe he could make something like it while camping thanks to this portable stove!

For the Backpacker

• Packing Bags – (Because the popular suitcase packing cubes do not work as well in backpacks, though I highly recommend them for suitcases!). These are a must to stay organized while backpacking. Get different colors so they’re easy to spot when digging through the bag.
• Collapsible Water Bottle – These are so cool! And so easy to stick in a backpack or even a pocket.
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For the Female Traveler

• My Favorite Travel Purse – My Lug purse is about ten years old and has survived countless cross-country and overseas trips. I even used it as a smaller diaper bag when my kids got older and I didn’t need as many baby items for simply going to the playground or grocery store. It is still in one piece. They don’t make my model anymore, but all the new ones look super cute and functional, too!

For the Male Traveler

• Travel Anti-Pickpocket Boxers – My husband has a pair of these and says they are very comfortable plus have pockets for hiding credit cards in while traveling.
• Anti-Theft Wallet – This slim wallet has RFID blocking technology to keep his credit card info secure while he’s riding the metro or navigating the airport.

For the Photo-Loving Traveler

• Cool Cameras– This person probably already has a camera they love, so get them to think outside the box with how they photograph their next destination by getting them one of these:
  • Camera Drone – They’re not as expensive as you may think.
  • GoPro – Ok, they are as expensive as you think, but the person you gift it to will love you for it.

For the “I Can Never Sleep on Planes” Flier

• Gift Them This Uniquely Shaped Pillow – sure, it may be a funny shape but it just might get them those zzzz’s.

• 40 Blinks Sleep Mask — This mask is super comfortable because it sticks out from your eyes plus it really blocks the lights for better airplane sleep. It was recommended to me for labor. Seriously. If it’s good enough to help supposedly lull you into relaxation while giving birth, it will definitely help foster sleep on a plane. Stick in some earplugs with the gift, too.

For the Kid Traveler

• Little Passport Kits – How cute are these? Fun way to get kids excited for traveling.
• Digital Camera for Kids – My daughter loves clicking my camera and seeing the pictures come up. But she’s too young to get to actually hold it and use it so this is a great solution that I’m sure other kids will love, too.
• Kid Travel Journal – Make sure they remember family trips while encouraging a love for writing. 

For the Travel Dreamer

• Travel Magazine Subscription – A few of my favorites:
  • Travel + Leisure
  • Afar
  • Conde Nast Traveler

And For Any USA Traveler Who Hasn’t Done This Yet…

• TSA Precheck! For $85 it will make their flying life so much easier, though they will have to do a bit of the legwork on this gift, i.e. filling out some online paperwork and then getting themselves to the designated office for fingerprints and paperwork signing. I did it — was there for less than 20 minutes with an appointment.

Pin to read again later!

This post was originally published on November 6, 2016, and updated on November 23, 2021.