If you can’t think of anything to get that friend or family member who’s always popping up someplace new, this holiday gift guide is for you.
And if you’ve got a traveler on your shopping list, you’re in luck—these curious people are some of the easiest people in the world to shop for. There’s always something the practical traveler needs, somewhere the one with endless wanderlust is dying to visit and some blissful memory that needs rekindling.
So go ahead and keep scrolling for some of my favorite gifts to give—and receive. In case you’re wondering, I’m a window seat in a size Business Class.
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Practical Travel Gifts
Apple AirTags
I once watched my suitcase hop from Tim Horton’s location to Tim Horton’s location at Toronto Pearson Airport. Even though I could locate my bag, Air Canada couldn’t and didn’t want my help. I did eventually get my bag back, and I haven’t traveled without an AirTag since.
I keep an AirTag in my carry-on. I also put an AirTag inside any luggage I check. There’s an AirTag in my passport holder and another in my wallet. AirTags may not help you get your luggage back any quicker when the airline loses it, but they might help you get your passport back if your purse is stolen or your ID back if your wallet is stolen.
Just knowing my bag is where I left it is worth it to me and probably every other traveler you know. Go ahead and get the four-pack.
Packing Cubes
Compression cubes are key to packing light on trips that require bulky items like puffy coats, skiwear and sweaters.
I use this set of lightweight packing cubes from TRIPPED Travel Gear. It includes four compression cubes in a variety of sizes, a shoe bag, a laundry bag and a packing tube. The largest cube is perfect for puffer jackets and sweaters. The smallest is perfect for T-shirts or gym clothes.
I didn’t expect it, but the laundry bag is the most useful item in this set. It never ceases to amaze me how much I can shrink my laundry pile and how helpful this always is for the trip home. I opted for the set of packing cubes that depicts global icons like the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House, but there’s also a set inspired by America’s favorite National Parks.
Unbound Merino
Normally, I wouldn’t consider spending more than $25 on a plain T-shirt. The Women’s Merino V-Neck T-Shirt from Unbound Merino is well worth its $85 price. This simple v-neck T-shirt is made of 100% Merino wool. It dries quickly, holds up in the wash and is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing in my closet.
I take this shirt with me just about everywhere, and I love how easy it is to dress it up. There’s nothing quite like going from a scenic hike to an evening out in about five minutes.
LURA Travel Hair Dryer
I’m surprised at how often I find a cheap hair dryer in an expensive luxury hotel. Sometimes, they don’t even come with diffusers or concentrators, making it significantly harder to lock in the style I’m looking to capture in my iconic travel photos. Packing my hair dryer can be a recipe for disaster because of the different voltage requirements around the world.
I had resigned myself to finding a way to deal with it until my college best friend Lara introduced me to the LURA travel hair dryer. This stylish set comes with everything you need for a stellar blowout anywhere in the world.
Open its compact metallic bag and you’ll find a hair dryer that folds up to about the size of your phone. It comes with a concentrator and a small diffuser as well as a travel adaptor for Europe and a small key for changing the hair dryer’s voltage. The key hangs just off the blow dryer cord, making it almost impossible to lose.
Osprey Duffel
I recently took my Osprey Transporter on an epic jaunt from San Francisco to Manila, Singapore and Tokyo. I stored it at San Francisco International Airport and Tokyo Haneda, carried it on and off several planes and a cruise ship and stashed it in a handful of hotel storage rooms. Every time I travel with this bag, I fall a little more in love with it.
This is the most versatile piece of luggage I own, and it stands up against every test I put it through. The bag can be worn as a backpack or carried like a duffel. At 42L, it’s the perfect size for petite travelers like myself. It’s lightweight, has lots of places to clip carabiners and opens up like a duffel bag so there’s never a need to dig to the bottom of the bag.
Travel Neck Pillow
I got this Cabeau Evolution travel neck pillow after watching a travel companion enjoy a nice snooze from New York to Oslo while I tossed and turned in my uncomfortable seat with a lesser pillow. She was right, this is the travel neck pillow that’s worth packing. It’s made of ergonomic memory foam and has side supports to keep your earphones in place. Best of all? It folds up and fits into a cute little carrying case.
A Suitcase That Weighs Itself
I have gotten surprising good at packing a bag to weigh less than 50 pounds (22.6 kg) and at guessing the weight of said packed bag. I still love my Delsey Cruise 3.0.
This lightweight suitcase holds up against baggage handlers and has a handy indicator light to tell that lights up when your bag hits 50 pounds. The 24-inch suitcase is perfect for checking-in and never having to pay an overweight baggage fee. And it’s now available in a plum color with gold trim.
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Gifts That Bring The World Home
Try the World Box
This is the original subscription box for eating your way around the world, and it’s still one of my favorites. Each bright blue Try the World box is a deep dive into a different culture through the foods that have become cultural staples.
I’ve given Try the World boxes to friends a few times over the years, and it consistently goes over well. Who wouldn’t want a chance to reminisce about a favorite country, daydream about a bucket list destination or savor the taste of someplace special?
Click here for 15% off all gift orders.
SnackMagic
You probably realize by now that I love getting to know the world through food. The SnackMagic box is one of my favorite ways to do this, and it’s a gift I love giving (and receiving).
SnackMagic boxes are highly customizable and bring together a variety of snacks from around the world. I make it a point of going to look for interesting snacks whenever I’m in a new country and this box brought me several things I’ve never seen or tasted.
GlobeIn Subscription
My sister is not an easy person to shop for. She runs a successful business and can buy herself anything she wants. She also prides herself on having a very different aesthetic than I do. This gift won her over.
GlobeIn sends interesting bits of the world home to your favorite traveler while supporting small businesses and independent artisans around the world. For $8 a month, you can buy your favorite traveler access to a unique marketplace of global gifts. They can pick out whatever they want at a discount—and pay for the items—themselves.
Or, for $37 a month, you can give a monthly subscription for a collection of artisan items. This is a membership-based subscription service with recurring billing every six months, so unless you’re feeling especially generous, you’ll want to set yourself a calendar reminder to turn it off.
For a one-time gift, you won’t have to remember to cancel, shop the GlobeIn online store.
Books
A Beginner’s Guide To Japan by Pico Iyer
I read this while cruising through Asia and ahead of a 12-hour layover in Tokyo, my first visit to Japan. If you’re looking for a practical guide with train tips and sightseeing recommendations, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking to better understand Japanese culture and Japanese people, A Beginner’s Guide to Japan is a must-read.
By sharing his perspective as a sort of local, Pico Iyer helped me better understand the sleeping businessmen I encountered on the train from Haneda International Airport, the giggling schoolgirls I came across in Shibuya and the unwritten rules I observed being followed all around me. Reading this before stepping off the plane in Tokyo helped me get more out of a short trip and has me inspired to head back to Japan already.
Call You When I Land by Nikki Vargas
I always love a good pivot story, especially when there’s a happy ending. In Call You When I Land, Nikki Vargas trades a corporate life that doesn’t feel right for an adventure that takes her to Cartagena, Panama and Brazil and leads her to her truest self.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
If you’re heading to Cleveland to experience the total solar eclipse in April, read Little Fires Everywhere first. This novel inspired the Kerry Washington Hulu series, and it’s set in Shaker Heights in suburban Cleveland, which is expected to be in the path of totality.
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Stocking Stuffers
First Aid Kits
I’ve never camped, and I’m no one’s definition of outdoorsy, but I have learned to travel with a first aid kit. You never know when antiseptic wipes, bandages and antibiotic ointment might come in handy.
For something small, straightforward and cute, try this Coleman 27-piece First Aid Kit. For something more elaborate, try this 300-piece first aid kit that includes sterile burn dressing, an instant ice pack and gauze.
A Handheld Fan
Just because the calendar says November doesn’t mean it won’t be hot in Egypt, Greece, the Phillippines and lots of places in between. Help your favorite traveler keep their cool even when the temperatures soar with a cute, rechargeable handheld fan that easily slips into a backpack, purse or pocket.
This fan also has a flashlight and doubles as a power bank. It also has the battery power for a full day of exploring hot, sweaty, amazing places.
An International Travel Adaptor
There is never a reason to travel with a bag of adaptors on an international trip again. Pick up an all-in-one international adaptor that you can use around the world to guarantee you’ve always got the right adaptor for your trip. I never travel without mine, and I’m hoping to find this upgraded version with USB and USB-C ports in my stocking this year.
Satin Pillowcases
There really is a hack to better hair while traveling—a satin pillowcase. If the traveler you’re shopping for has sensitive skin or struggles to fight frizz, these breathable hypoallergenic pillowcases are under $10 stocking stuffers they’ll appreciate for years to come. There are two in each package and a variety of colors to choose from.
Foot Hammock
A pricey upgrade to business or first class isn’t the only way to make your plane ride more comfortable. This airplane foot hammock can also do the trick at a fraction of the price of a lie-flat seat. I got one of these as a gift from a fellow petite friend and thought it was a gag gift at first. Now I understand why she never travels without hers.
