Gift Ideas for Travelers

The holidays are upon us, which means it’s time to finish (or start)  gift shopping. It seems like the older we get, the harder it is to come up with new gift ideas for your family and friends to enjoy. And, let’s be honest, wanderlusters are some of the hardest people to shop for. Some don’t want physical gifts because they’re trying to downsize their lives, while others might be wishing for a new luggage set. Postcard Press knows the struggle is real, so we’ve come up with some gift ideas for travelers in your life.

E-Reader

Long trips are the perfect time to pick up a book to make the time go by faster. Physical books are great, but have you ever tried traveling with more than two at a time? It’s not easy; they take up a lot of space in your luggage and weigh you down! So, an e-reader is a great gift for any traveler. They’re light, portable, and can hold more books than any suitcase can.

Travel-Size Cosmetics

I’m a huge makeup person and don’t like going anywhere without something on my face. While wearing makeup isn’t a requirement by any means, you might know a world traveler who would like some travel-sized products to keep in their bag. Benefit Cosmetics has a great selection of mini versions of their most popular products. These small sizes will allow the traveling makeup lover to carry more without taking up space in their bags.

Scratch Map

Scratch maps, or other knick-knacks similar to them, are great for travelers to keep at their home base. Scratch maps are maps with a scratchable surface that travelers can use to visually track their travels. Once a destination is scratched off, the traveler is left with a colorful map that can serve as a representation of their accomplishment and as inspiration for their next trip.

Power Banks

Whether you’re out in the woods or visiting a five-hundred-year-old temple, outlets aren’t always easy to find when traveling. It’s always a good idea to have a power bank so that when you need a charge, there’s one right in your bag. Portable power banks are usually inexpensive and come in different compact sizes and patterns, so they won’t take up too much space in suitcases, backpacks, or even fanny packs. Any traveler who spends time off the beaten path will love finding a rechargeable power bank in their stocking.

Portable Hard Drive

Travel and blogging usually go hand-in-hand, and nothing is worse than having something happen to your computer and risking your work being lost while abroad. Even if the traveler in your life isn’t a blogger and doesn’t work remotely to pay for their long-term travel expenses, it’s still a great gift. I know this from experience.

Even before I was involved in Postcard Press, I would always travel with my laptop. It wasn’t a problem until I returned to my room one morning to find it gone. I lost all of my school work and writings I had up to that point–because I didn’t back up my files. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I had owned an external hard drive. My summer classes in college would have been much less stressful. So, save your traveler from unneeded stress by giving them something they never realized they needed: an external hard drive.

Hidden Pocket Scarves

The first time I went to Europe, I was forced to wear a fanny pack under my clothes to hide my money and passport. Even tucked away, fanny packs are not the most stylish choice of accessory to carry your important documents and belongings. However, some genius created the hidden pocket scarf to ditch the fanny pack while keeping your passport and other important items safe from pickpockets, making this one of the best gift ideas for travelers with style. 

Cord Organizers

For long-term travelers and expats, keeping everything organized in a few bags can get complicated. If someone in your life is planning an extended trip abroad or a cross-country road trip,  they may love something to keep them organized and make the most of their limited space. Cord organizers are a great place to start because cords are always the first things to get disorganized and tangled. This gift will give travelers a way to keep their cords from becoming a mess as they move from place to place.

Packing Cubes

On a similar note, if the traveler in your life struggles with keeping their luggage as a whole organized, then packing cubes might be what they’ve always wanted. Nothing can stress someone out like not being able to find a shirt or all their socks. Packing cubes are a great gift idea for travelers who just can’t keep their suitcase organized. 

 

Do you have some gift ideas for travelers not featured on the list? Or, if you’re a traveler, what have been some of your favorite gifts in the past? Let us know in the comments below!