12 Essential Gift Ideas for Every Traveler

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Choosing the perfect gift is never easy, and unless you're fulfilling an explicit request, it demands time and energy.

It becomes even more complicated when the recipient is an avid and passionate traveller. Certainly, there are plenty of options, but they're often too expensive for a simple holiday gift. To help you choose the right gift, or to provide you with a Santa's list to share with friends if you're the one bitten by wanderlust, we've put together 11+1 gift ideas for the travel lover.

This list suits every budget, from £10 to £200, and each item can be purchased on Amazon and shipped directly to your door. Of course, you can find every item in shops in your city as well. The choice is yours!

1. Scratch-Off World Map

I believe this is one of the finest gifts you can give to someone who's already travelled to nearly half the world. It's essentially a world map on paper, completely covered with a coloured coating on top. Depending on the places they've visited, the recipient will gradually scratch off the areas they've explored, leaving all others intact.

They can hang the poster on their living room wall, or keep it rolled up in their bookshelf. Either way, the impact is incredible, and it will certainly inspire them to plan their next thrilling journey around the globe.

The cost ranges from £12 to £35, depending on the quality of the finish and the size of the map.

2. Airline Ticket

Among the best gift ideas for travellers, an airline ticket simply couldn't be missing. One-way or return, it will depend on the type of traveller you're dealing with, and naturally on the holiday days they have available.

Think of their favourite destination, or one closest to your budget, visit one of the many online booking platforms (such as Skyscanner) and click immediately on the "Book" button. With all these budget airlines out there, you could find a real bargain, spend little, and give an absolutely amazing gift!

And why not, you could even buy two tickets and join them on the adventure?!

3. Instant Camera (Polaroid Style)

Perhaps you're turning your nose up at the idea of giving an old, musty, out-of-fashion instant camera as a gift. You might wonder why anyone in 2024 would use a Polaroid instead of their super-tech DSLR. The answer is: nobody does it that way! Taking photos with an instant camera is something playful and fun. It brings back the vintage charm of photography, and lets you take home from your trip a real, tangible memory.

Let's be honest, how many times have we filled entire memory cards saying "I'll print the best photos when I get home" and they're still there, saved on our computer or tucked away on some hard drive? That's why I've included this item among travel gift ideas—the instant camera is the only tool that lets you capture a memory of travel right in the moment and carry it with you everywhere, in your wallet or in a beautiful dedicated album.

You'll find different types, brands and models, ranging from £90 to £180. We personally bring one on all our travels. It's truly an object I adore and believe could be an original and very appreciated gift.

4. Travel Bag and Trolley That Transform into a Backpack

Today, thanks partly to the strict baggage rules of budget airlines, people tend to travel much lighter, worlds away from the 30kg suitcases of just a decade ago. The carry-on baggage philosophy has completely revolutionised the way we travel, making new tools necessary for those who live to explore. That's why having comfortable, spacious, and easy-to-carry luggage has become essential. And what's more versatile than a good backpack?

To meet the needs of dynamic and demanding travellers, major brands have designed a trolley that transforms into a comfortable backpack in just 10 seconds, and a travel duffel specifically designed to be carried on your shoulders.

Prices here are quite high, ranging from £90 to £220. That said, if you have the budget, this could truly be the most practical gift idea for a traveller.

5. Luggage Scale

Airport regulations change in a flash, and every airline has its own rules about carry-on and checked baggage.

One of the most useful yet affordable items on this list is definitely the luggage scale. It's a small, very durable scale that's easy to grip, to which you attach your trolley or suitcase with a strap. It can even measure weights up to 50kg. Its compact size and lightness mean you can take it with you when travelling; this way you can avoid overloading yourself with souvenirs and risking a hefty excess baggage charge at check-in.

The cost is around £9. A useful, original gift within everyone's reach.

➜ Also read our guide to carry-on luggage

6. Travel Toiletry Bag

Rightly included among travel gift ideas, the travel toiletry bag is absolutely useful and indispensable for every traveller. This gift gives you the chance to express yourself through colours, fabrics, shapes and patterns. Here you can add a personal touch to your gift and show how well you know the recipient's tastes. You could choose a classic style, perhaps in beautiful brown leather, or something more youthful, with bright, vibrant colours.

The price will vary greatly depending on the brand and type of toiletry bag you choose.

7. Travel Document Organiser

A travel document organiser is a truly useful item for any traveller. It lets you keep all your travel documents in one place and easily at hand—documents needed at check-in and boarding, such as flight tickets, hotel reservations, important contacts and much more.

As with the toiletry bag, you're free to choose all the details you like: for women or men, classic or youthful, colourful or solid, to wear in your bag, around your neck or at your waist. Basically, you can find exactly what suits your taste.

8. Travel Guide to a Dream Destination

Frequent travellers tend to always study their destination a bit before leaving, or accumulate guides of their most desired places in their library! Among travel gift ideas, a travel guide simply cannot be missing. It's like feeding your friend's dreams, like saying to them "Go, follow your dreams!".

Lonely Planet, Le Routard, National Geographic and Touring Club are just some of the publishers dealing with travel. Remember, for travellers it's important to pack as many light things as possible, and a guide is no exception. Books are heavy! Try not to buy guides with glossy pages and more images than text—what matters to a traveller are practical information and written content.

Depending on whether you buy a guide to a city or an entire country, prices can range from £12 to £25, a gift pretty much within everyone's budget.

9. Travel Narrative Book

A famous phrase about travel says "Travel is experienced three times: when you dream it, when you live it, and when you remember it". Well, among our travel gift ideas we've found many objects that let you live it fully and above all remember it! What's missing, and what we absolutely must consider, is that fantastic mental adventure that is the dream. Although we've partially satisfied this with the scratch-off world map, I believe a good travel narrative book can truly give great impetus to imagination, perhaps becoming the spark for new and unexpected destinations.

India, Japan, Alaska, Patagonia—all destinations perfectly told by master storytellers and authors of travel tales. Below you'll find some small suggestions. Giving a travel book truly means offering moments of pure and incredible imagination!

Prices usually range from £9 to £18.

10. Travel Journal with Pen or Pencil

It's true, we now live in the age of technology and digital notes, smartphones that talk to you or Apple Pencils for drawing on iPad Pro. I don't doubt that the latter could also be a very appreciated gift, but in this list of gift ideas we preferred to include the classic paper notebook. Many travellers, before, during and after their journeys, feel the need to capture their thoughts, plans, and entire travel experience on paper.

Trust me, it's one of those gifts absolutely appreciated and desired. You can pair it with a lovely pen, if the recipient loves to write, or with a set of pencils and charcoals, if they prefer to sketch and tell their travel story through drawings and images.

The price varies considerably, depending on the type of pairing you make. You'll stay somewhere between £13 and £27.

11. Travel Tattoo

Those who travel love freedom, they're naturally curious, but above all they love art, they live by sensations, emotions, sharing and memories. A kind of natural addiction for which there's always a need to live each day with an eye looking a bit further ahead. Some call it Wanderlust, some call it madness, I call it living.

Those who love to travel and surround themselves with emotions often love to get tattoos of moments and symbols from their journeys. That's why in this list of travel gift ideas, a travel tattoo simply couldn't be missing. Small or large, black and white or coloured, realistic or watercolour style—when it comes to tattoos, the possibilities are endless and proportional only to your imagination.

The travel-themed tattoos I've most often seen are: the Wanderlust script, the silhouette of a plane, the outline of continents, a compass, a compass rose, or even passport stamps. I believe it's truly an original idea and will be an indelible memory not only of their travels but also of your affection.

The cost depends on a wealth of variables. Let's say a small tattoo, such as a script or a faithful reproduction of a passport stamp, costs around £45. If the person you're gifting to already has tattoos and was satisfied with their artist, please, contact them and only them, whatever the cost!

+1. Amazon Gift Card with Gift Box

As you've seen, there are many gift ideas for travellers, at every price point and for every taste. Of course, someone who loves travelling might already have many of these things, forcing you to completely rethink your plans.

If you really don't know what to do, no ideas come to mind and time is running out, then our +1 comes to your rescue like a trump card: a very useful Amazon gift card. You can choose the amount of the card, ranging from £18 to £180, and the type of gift box, from a festive design to something more classic. Everything arrives at your house in just one day. The gift recipient can then purchase whatever they need most for their travels, without risking receiving something they already have or don't need.

Truly the perfect gift for someone with little time and no ideas.

In this "Santa's list", I've provided only some of the many gift ideas suitable for someone who loves to travel. You know better than anyone the wishes and tastes of the person you're giving the gift to, so use these ideas as starting points and let yourself be guided by your instinct and above all by your heart. Giving a gift isn't just about buying an object; it means dedicating time and energy to someone, thinking about them and their desires, and doing your best to make them happy.

So, what are you waiting for? Now is the perfect moment to tick off some names on your long gift list!

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