Unique Holiday Gift Ideas for Travel Lovers

I think I can speak for us all when I say travelers are feeling a little weird this year. We haven’t been able to explore as much as we have in the past and we’re feeling a little cooped up to say the least. We’ve all had to slow down quite a bit.

So, what do you get someone who’s been a bit deprived of the thing they love most? Here are a few gift ideas for travel lovers. These are things that will get them excited about their next trip or help them reminisce on a previous one!

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A Travel Guide to Their Favorite Place

If someone you know is planning a trip next year or is just thoroughly obsessed with a particular area, a travel guide to that place would make the perfect gift for them! My go-to for this type of gift is Moon Travel Guides. They have guides published for so many amazing places. These guides can be bought from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. My favorite thing about them is that they’re written by people who know their stuff about these specific areas and each book is written by a different author!

I’m using the USA National Parks guide to plan our winter camping road trip coming up. We’ll be stopping by Arches National Park and Grand Teton National park. I’m also using the Montana & Wyoming guide to find things to do closer to home while travel is still limited. There are some ideas in these books that I would have never found by searching the internet because they come right from the authors’ first hand experience.

–>Read: How and Why We Ended Up Living in Montana<–

A Mystery Trip

If you had an adventurous friend or family member, get them a mystery flight to an unknown destination! This used to be really popular with various Australian airlines, but it’s died down since then. Now, you can find a few travel agencies offering these “mystery vacations” to adventure-seekers.

It’ll be more expensive through a travel agency, but it’ll probably also be a better trip! When airlines offer you mystery flights, they’re simply filling vacant seats on random flights. However, when a travel agent is planning a trip for you, they’ll likely take the time to plan something you’ll love!

The travel agency I came across was Pack Up and Go who will plan a staycation, a road trip, an outdoorsy trip, or a plane/train trip for you and keep you in the dark until the day of!

Learn more about how it works here!

Airpods

Any device that makes life more convenient would be a great gift for a traveler! For me, Airpods are the perfect example of this. I listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks while I do anything without having cords dangling everywhere. I can also charge them with the same charger that I use for my iPhone!

Amazon is having an awesome sale on Apple products right now. Airpods and the Apple Watch are my go-to Apple accessories that make my life easier.

A Book Based in Their Next Trip Destination

I LOVE reading books set in places I’m planning to visit or have visited. I did this before we went to Krakow, Poland last year. We were going to be visiting the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum, so I read a novel called “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” before we left. It made visiting the area so much more special!

This is one of my favorite gift ideas for travel lovers because it’s something I’d love to receive!

A Portable WiFi Device

A portable Wi-Fi device can be an international traveler’s best friend. If you’re traveling internationally and you don’t have a cell phone carrier that will allow you to buy day passes for international data/calling plans, this is a great next idea. It will allow you to access the internet in other countries. You’d buy the device and then purchase the Wi-Fi plans separately. You can opt for monthly coverage, or just go day by day. There aren’t any contracts which is really nice for something like this.

Not only will this give you Wi-Fi internationally, but it’ll also make sure your connection is secure anywhere. If you join a Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop or other public place, your oftentimes opening yourself up to a vulnerability. With a personal Wi-Fi device, you won’t be on the public network and your connection will be secure.

Skyroam is having an awesome black friday sale and bundling together the devices with Wi-Fi credit for international travelers, students, and more. They have Wi-Fi connectivity in over 130 countries, so chances are the place you’re going is covered!

Find out more and shop here!

A Camera Bag

I never think I need a camera bag…until I need a camera bag. There have been so many instances where I’m traveling and I want to carry my camera with me and it doesn’t fit in my purse. Then there are other times where I have a camera bag and I don’t want to carry it with me because it’s ugly, bulky, and straight up ruins my outfit.

This is where Gatta comes in.

Gatta makes the most stylish camera bags I’ve ever seen. They actually look like purses, but have compartments for a full size camera and lens along with an extra lens. They even have a smaller compartment for your wallet, keys, SD cards, or anything else you want to carry.

Travel and Flying Accessories

Like I mentioned above, I’m all about making my life easier and I’m sure other travelers can agree! There are a ton of travel and flying accessories out there that add so much convenience to a traveler’s life. I could probably make a whole post on travel accessory gift ideas for travel lovers, but here are a few of my favorites.

The one I’m most excited about is the tray table phone holder. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to prop up my phone on the open tray table only to have it fall down every time the person in front of me shifts in their seat. With this tool, I can keep my tray table closed AND not have to worry about my phone falling.

Then there’s the jewelry organizer. I’m not one to take a ton of jewelry with me traveling, but that’s usually because I don’t have anything to put it in. I usually end up throwing a necklace or two in a Ziplock bag and not even wearing them because they’re tangled by the time I want to wear them. This is the perfect solution!

And lastly, the portable silverware set. This will be so convenient for the traveler in your life in case they’re ever in need of utensils, but it’s also a sustainable gift! You can carry these around in a small backpack instead of using disposable utensils when eating street food, ice cream, or anything else!

–>Read: 7 Ways to Make Your Next Trip More Eco-Friendly<–

I hope you found a few new gift ideas for the travel lovers in your life! Comment below what you’re most excited to buy your loved ones.

Leave a Comment

The Comments

  • amy
    November 25, 2020

    I just wrote a comment but my phone broke down and I lost it 🙁 but basically a couple years ago my brother bought a trip to Greece for his girlfriend and gave her the plane tickets in a guidebook, so I think a book based on their next destination is a great gift idea!

    • saraharnstein
      > amy
      November 25, 2020

      Omg that’s awesome!! Gotta give my boyfriend some ideas 😉

  • Nichole the Nomad
    November 25, 2020

    These are awesome ideas!! I love the mystery trip and book about the next destination I want to visit ideas. I’m sending this to my husband! Thank you for putting this together! 🙂

    • Demi
      > Nichole the Nomad
      December 5, 2020

      Awesome ideas. Thank you for sharing 😁

  • Megan Lawrence
    November 25, 2020

    I love the mystery trip idea, and am sure travel agents would love the opportunity to plan these at the moment.

  • Hannah
    November 25, 2020

    I’m in love with the camera bags that look like handbags! It’s one of my pet peeves looking like a tourist, so these would be perfect!

  • Rhonda Albom
    November 26, 2020

    I think a portable wifi device sounds like a great idea. I always wonder if I’ll have connectivity where I am going or if I’ll be able to buy a local SIM card. This item would solve that issue.

  • Denise
    December 5, 2020

    Great list! Glad to see the sustainable utensils on here-I just got on this kick too!

  • Patri
    December 5, 2020

    A mystery trip is the most exciting travel related gift I have ever heard of! Super cool idea!

  • Krista
    December 6, 2020

    Love the idea of getting someone a mystery trip! I like to do this with my partner and it’s always so fun!

  • Mayi
    December 6, 2020

    I love the portable wifi device. I bought one before going to Japan and it will the best choice ever. Even tough connectivity is great there, the portable wifi was a good choice. I am also looking for a fashionable camera bags and these are giving me some options.

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