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Are you looking for a gift for an avid traveler in your life? Not sure what to buy?
This is not your average gift list. Every item on this list has been used for more than 2 years on more than 14 different trips. These are real deal value!
Here is a list of gifts that any traveler would love. They have been vetted by our family and they are all things we truly enjoy and know that others would enjoy as well! In other words, we use each and everyone one of these items and prefer them over anything else!
The Best of the Basics
Veegul backpack
If you have read this blog before you know that I am passionately in love with this backpack! It is so well constructed, can be toted or worn as a backpack, and is the perfect size for a personal item on most flights. This means you can carry this and have a carry on suitcase as well. It has been on a dozen or more trips and is still in perfect condition. Plus it comes in tons of different colors!
Great for anyone who flies a lot and likes great quality backpacks!
Cateep Travel Laptop Bag
This is my boys’ carry-on back pack that we can’t live without. It has lots of pockets to store their treasures. It expands to hold more when we need it to and carries i-Pads safely due to the padding. The best part is that it has a dedicated spot for power banks so that we can keep the kids charged up on the go.
Great for kids and teenagers who are rough on their stuff and need to stay charged on the go!
Brightly Colored Carry-on Suitcase
We love these brightly colored suitcases! The are sized right for most airline carry-on, the wheels work wonderfully, and the handle is adjustable, so it’s easy for kids and adults to wheel. We also love that we can always find them if we decide to check them! Hard case suitcases also allow your belongings to stay safe during transit.
Great for people who travel light and often. These guys are long lasting and roomy!
The Very Best Travel Pillows
The Trtl pillow
My sister gave me this pillow for my birthday last year, and it has quickly become a staple for my husband! You read that right! My husband claimed it as his after our first flight with it. (I was okay with that because I really am partial to the next pillow on the list.) He slips it into his carry on for every flight and generally has it on before we even take off! This pillow wraps around your neck and has a flexible insert that helps cradle your chin so you can sleep upright.
Great for light packers and people who get middle row seats!
The J pillow
This is my personal favorite pillow! I don’t ever travel without it. I use it in the car and on flights, and I don’t know how I ever lived without it. The long arm goes in the crook of your neck and cradles your head while the other flaps rest against your shoulder and head. I lost mine while in a lounge in the Vancouver airport and was so sad, but I ordered a new one as soon as I got home.
Great for people who like to lean up against a window to sleep.
Gifts to Make the Journey Easier
Beats
These noise cancelling headphones are dearly loved by my boys. They use them on long car trips to watch their own movies and listen to their own music. I love them because the noise cancelling effect keeps arguments about whose music is too loud to a minimum. They are also super well made. They get tossed into carry-ons, back packs, you name it. They are still going strong years later!
Great for kids who want to look cool and parents who want to keep arguments to a minimum!
Compression Socks
These are a must have for long haul flights! No one likes swollen ankles, and these help protect you against travel blood clots. If you have to wear them they might as well be cute too! I put mine on just before leaving for the airport and have had so much less swelling than I did before I used them.
Great for pregnant women or anyone who gets swollen ankles when flying!
Slip on Booties
I hate wearing shoes on flights! I feel like I cannot get comfortable with my shoes on, and after I put on my compression socks, I don’t want to walk around in stocking feet on an airplane. These are the best thing to slip on when you need to visit the restroom or just stretch you legs. They fold up to the size of a pair of socks and are so comfortable. They are useful beyond the airplane too! They are great if you want to use them to walk around your hotel, and they can double as water shoes because they are breathable mesh.
Great for anyone and everyone!
Passport Cover
I used to think, “Why would anyone need a cover for a passport??” But the reason this one is so awesome is because there is room to put your passport, ID, credit cards, and airline ticket in one slim place. I hate digging out my wallet at the airport and hanging on to my ticket with another hand. Now, I put everything I will need at the airport in one place and just hang on to that. It truly makes the airport so much easier!
Great for travelers who want to be more organized, or organized at all!
Luggage Tags
If your loved ones insist on hanging on to their black hard-to-identify suitcase, help them out with some brightly colored luggage tags. These come in 7 highly visible colors and are stylish to boot!
Great for anyone who wants to be reunited with their luggage at the end of a flight!
Hikepro Day Pack
A day pack is a necessity for exploring a new city, forest, jungle, or playground. This one is great because it takes up almost no room in your suitcase or carry on. It is also waterproof, tear resistant nylon, carries 2 water bottles and still has enough room for a couple of jackets and snacks.
Great for families traveling together and moms and dads who are tired of hearing, “Will you just hold my jacket for a minute?”
Jewelry Organizer
I used to just throw my jewelry in a Ziploc bag and toss that in the bottom of my suitcase. Then I would spend way too long untangling necklaces from earrings, breaking more than a few pieces. I didn’t want another big bulky item, and then I found this organizer. It is the perfect size to carry enough jewelry for a week or two. It keeps things organized and folds up to the size of Ziploc bag.
Great for women who travel light!
Sleep mask and earplug combo
These are great for the airplane or airport layover. My husband likes the mask so much that he has the same pair for home so he can sleep while I am writing blog posts late at night! This is a great combo because it comes in a protective sleeve that stows well in the front zipper pocket of my Veegul carry on (see above).
Great for people who take red eye flights or have spouses who are night owls!
Audible Subscription
Audible is a monthly subscription for audio books. I have been a member for the past 4 years and have “read” over 100 books in that time! We download new books that the whole family will enjoy before we go on long road trips, and it makes the time fly! Some of our family favorites are: The Harry Potter Series, Holes, A Wrinkle in Time, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. We also listened to Anne of Green Gables on our trip to Prince Edward Island.
Need ideas for books for Family Road Trips check out our article on Best Books for Family Road Trips.
Great for families who road trip together, long distance airline travel, or anyone with a long commute.
CityPASS
Give them the gift of sightseeing! Whether you are traveling to a new city or rediscovering your own, CityPASS makes a great gift. The New York CityPASS includes: The Empire State Building, the American Museum of Natural History, the MOMA, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty and one other choice. All for a 42% discount!
CityPass is available in many major cities. We recently used it in Toronto and saved a lot in admission fees to the major sites.
Great for families who want to see all the highlights in a city and want to save some money doing it!
Travel Items for the Home
Scratch off map
My oldest has a scratch off map on his wall, and we have all really enjoyed watching the map change as we travel more and more. Simply scratch off the gold overlay with a coin to reveal the country or state underneath.
Great for families who want to see the entire world and celebrate each new country or state.
50 States, 5000 Ideas
This fabulous book is one of my favorite for travel inspiration! Check out things to do in every state in the US. Some are things you may have heard of but many are things you would struggle to find elsewhere. My kids enjoy it as much as I do!
Great for families with wanderlust or road trippers who want to stop in every state!
Travel Calendar
This calendar is gorgeous! You will be enchanted year round by the vintage graphic illustrations of cities around the world. Most are worthy of framing once the month has passed, so you can also create a gallery wall of beautiful art when you are done with 2019!
Great for travel inspiration year round!
Travel Jewelry
This bracelet is fun and in the style of other popular bangles. Wearing it will remind you of trips past and the trips you are planing right now. The workmanship on this bracelet is really good. The charms are very detailed and make a nice jangling sound when you move.
Great for the jewelry-loving travelers in your life!
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Great suggestions. I will include the jewelry organizer in my letter to Santa this year..
It’s a great little product! I hope you like it as much as I do.