Use a high-quality, portable power bank, not a set of universal plug adapters.
A Key to the House vs. a Generator in Your Pocket
A universal plug adapter is like a key to a house. It’s essential for getting in, but it’s completely useless if the house has no electricity. You’re still stuck in the dark. A portable power bank, however, is like a personal, pocket-sized generator. It works anywhere—on the long train ride, in the middle of a park, in an airport with no open outlets. You’re not just giving the traveler access to power when they can find a wall; you’re giving them the freedom and security of power wherever they go.
Stop buying them a new suitcase. Do a set of packing cubes to organize the one they already have instead.
A New Room vs. a Set of Shelves and Drawers
A suitcase is like a big, empty room. Buying a new one doesn’t solve the problem of chaos inside. Packing cubes are like a set of custom-built shelves and drawers for that room. Instead of a jumbled explosion of clothes every time they open their bag, everything has its own neat, compressed home—shirts in one cube, socks in another. You’re not just giving them a new container; you’re giving them a system, a gift of order and sanity that transforms their existing suitcase from a chaotic mess into a tidy, organized space.
Stop just getting them a travel guide. Do a gift certificate for a local food tour in their next destination instead.
Reading About the City vs. Tasting the City
A travel guide is a book of instructions. It’s like reading the sheet music for a beautiful song. A food tour is like having a local musician play that song for you, live. Instead of just reading about the city’s best dishes, they get to spend an afternoon with a local guide, walking through hidden neighborhoods and tasting the most authentic and delicious food from places they would never have found on their own. One is a gift of information; the other is a gift of a delicious, unforgettable, multi-sensory experience.
The #1 secret for a great travel gift is something that solves a common travel annoyance.
Removing a Pebble from Their Shoe
Travel is a series of small, persistent annoyances, like having a pebble in your shoe. Your phone is always dying, your suitcase is always overweight, you can never find your passport. The secret to a great gift is to find and remove one of those pebbles. A portable luggage scale, a high-quality power bank, a well-designed travel wallet—these aren’t just gadgets; they are solutions. You are giving them the gift of a smoother, less frustrating journey, a small piece of travel magic that makes the whole experience a little bit easier.
I’m just going to say it: Nobody wants another scratch-off map.
The Chore Chart of Your Travels
A scratch-off map seems like a fun, interactive way to display your travels. The reality is, it’s a gift of a future chore. The act of scratching is unsatisfying, leaving a messy, flaky residue. It never looks as clean and neat as it does in the pictures. The map ends up half-scratched, a monument to your travel guilt, and then gets shoved back in its tube. A beautiful, high-quality art print of a favorite city is a far more elegant and less guilt-inducing way to celebrate a love of travel.
The reason your travel gift wasn’t a hit is because it was too bulky and heavy to pack.
The Beautiful Anchor
You gift your backpacking friend a beautiful, hardcover travel journal and a set of elaborate travel games. Your intention is wonderful. But for a traveler who lives out of a single bag, every single ounce matters. Your beautiful, but heavy and bulky, gift is not a treasure; it’s an anchor. It’s a burden they will have to carry on their back for the next three months. The best travel gifts are the ones that are lightweight, compact, and multi-functional—the ones that lighten their load, not add to it.
If you’re still giving a generic neck pillow, you’re losing the superior support and packability of an inflatable or memory foam one.
The Stuffed Animal vs. the Engineered Support
A standard, bead-filled neck pillow is like a floppy, U-shaped stuffed animal. It provides some cushioning, but very little actual support, and it’s a bulky pain to carry. A modern, memory foam or intelligently designed inflatable neck pillow is a piece of ergonomic engineering. It’s designed to provide genuine, structured support for your neck, preventing your head from bobbing. Plus, they often compress down into a tiny pouch, saving precious carry-on space. It’s the difference between a soft toy and a real tool for sleep.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about travel is that you have to see everything on the checklist.
The Scavenger Hunt vs. the Conversation
The lie is that traveling is a scavenger hunt. You have a checklist of famous sights, and you race around a city, taking a photo of each one to prove you were there. You “collect” the sights, but you never experience the place. The truth is, the most memorable travel moments often happen in the unplanned spaces in between—the long, leisurely afternoon you spend in a local cafe, the aimless walk through a quiet neighborhood. Don’t just check the boxes; have a conversation with the city.
I wish I knew about solid toiletries (shampoo bars, conditioner bars, etc.) when I was a budget backpacker.
The Fear of the Spill vs. the Freedom of the Solid Bar
As a backpacker, my biggest fear was opening my bag to find that a bottle of shampoo had exploded all over my clothes. I wish I had known about solid toiletries. These are not bars of soap; they are highly concentrated, solid bars of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. They are incredibly lightweight, take up almost no space, last for months, and, most importantly, they are physically incapable of leaking. They are a gift of a lighter bag, a cleaner trip, and a complete freedom from the dreaded toiletry explosion.
99% of people make this one mistake when buying for a traveler: getting them something they’ll have to carry for their entire trip.
The Gift That Becomes a Burden
You meet a friend at the beginning of their six-month backpacking trip and give them a beautiful, but heavy, coffee table book. You have just given them a well-intentioned burden. For the next six months, they have to haul that heavy object around the world. The mistake is forgetting that a traveler’s backpack is their entire home. The best gifts for someone at the start of a trip are digital, consumable, or incredibly lightweight. Save the heavy, physical gifts for when they return.
This one small action of giving a digital luggage scale will save them from overweight baggage fees forever.
The Panic at the Check-In Counter vs. the Confidence of Knowing
Every traveler knows the feeling of dread at the airline check-in counter. You heave your heavy suitcase onto the scale and pray it’s not overweight. This one small action—of gifting a tiny, inexpensive, digital luggage scale—is a gift of pure, unadulterated peace of mind. It allows the traveler to weigh their bag in the comfort of their hotel room, saving them from the stress, the public embarrassment, and the exorbitant fees of an overweight bag. It’s a tiny gadget that solves a huge problem.
Use a subscription to a premium travel magazine like Condé Nast Traveler, not a generic coffee table book.
The Static Book vs. a Year of Future Adventures
A beautiful coffee table book about a single destination is a wonderful, but static, gift. A subscription to a high-quality travel magazine is a gift of a continuous stream of inspiration. Each month, a new issue arrives, filled with stunning photography and stories from all over the world. You’re not just giving them a book about one place; you’re giving them a year-long subscription to the entire world, a recurring dose of wanderlust and a constant source of ideas for their next great adventure.
Stop buying a generic passport cover. Do a travel wallet that also holds tickets, cards, and a phone instead.
The Decorative Sleeve vs. the Airport Command Center
A simple passport cover is a nice, but single-purpose, decorative sleeve. A well-designed travel wallet is a complete command center for navigating an airport. It’s a gift of organization and efficiency. The best ones have a dedicated spot for your passport, your boarding pass, your credit cards, your cash, and even your phone. It keeps all of your essential, high-stress documents in one secure, easily accessible place. It’s not just a cover; it’s a tool for a calmer, more organized journey.
Stop getting them another travel journal. Do a portable photo printer to document memories on the go instead.
Writing About the Moment vs. Capturing the Moment
A travel journal is a classic gift, but many people don’t have the time or the discipline to write every day. A portable, pocket-sized photo printer is a modern, visual alternative. It connects to their smartphone and can instantly print a small, sticker-backed photo of a moment they just experienced. They can stick it in their journal, give it to a new friend they just met, or create a real-time, tangible record of their journey. It’s a gift that turns their digital photos into immediate, shareable memories.
The #1 hack for a gift for a frequent flyer is a membership to an airport lounge program like Priority Pass.
The Crowded Gate vs. the Quiet Oasis
For a frequent flyer, the airport is a second home, and the crowded, noisy gate area is the worst part of it. The #1 hack for a truly luxurious and life-changing gift is a membership to an airport lounge program. It’s a key that unlocks a quiet, comfortable oasis in hundreds of airports around the world. It provides free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, complimentary food and drinks, and a peaceful sanctuary away from the chaos. You’re not just giving them a membership; you’re giving them the gift of sanity.
I’m just going to say it: That “travel-sized” version of a product is a rip-off.
The Tiny Bottle, The Giant Price
You see a tiny, travel-sized bottle of your favorite shampoo and think it’s a convenient purchase. The reality is, you are paying a massive “convenience tax.” Per ounce, these tiny bottles are often two or three times more expensive than their full-sized counterparts. A far more economical and sustainable gift is a set of high-quality, reusable, silicone travel bottles. The traveler can then decant their own products from their full-sized bottles at home, saving them a huge amount of money in the long run.
The reason their new travel gadget is unused is because it requires a specific cable or charger they forgot to pack.
The Gift with a Missing Piece
You give them a cool, new travel gadget. But it charges with a specific, proprietary cable that is different from their standard phone charger. They inevitably forget to pack this one, unique cable, and the gadget becomes a useless, dead brick for their entire trip. The best travel gadgets are the ones that charge with a standard, universal cable, like a USB-C. A gift that adds another unique, easy-to-forget cable to their packing list is a gift of future frustration.
If you’re still giving a generic toiletry bag, you’re losing the convenience of a hanging dopp kit.
The Wet Countertop vs. the Personal Medicine Cabinet
A standard toiletry bag has to be unpacked and spread out over a tiny, wet, hotel bathroom counter. A hanging dopp kit is a gift of a portable, personal, medicine cabinet. It has a built-in hook that allows you to hang it from a towel rack or a doorknob, and it unfolds to reveal a series of organized, accessible, and transparent compartments. It keeps all of your toiletries off the wet counter and makes your morning routine infinitely more organized and efficient.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about backpacking is that you have to “rough it.”
The Myth of the Suffering Traveler
Backpacking is often portrayed as a noble pursuit of suffering—sleeping in dirty hostels, eating cheap noodles, and enduring uncomfortable journeys. The lie is that this is the only “authentic” way to do it. The truth is, you can be a backpacker and still value comfort. You can stay in a beautiful, clean hostel. You can splurge on a delicious meal. You can take the more comfortable train instead of the overnight bus. A smart backpacker knows that a good night’s sleep and a good meal are investments in a more enjoyable and sustainable journey.
I wish I knew that a simple, lightweight silk sleeping bag liner could make a huge difference in comfort and hygiene.
The Questionable Hostel Bed vs. Your Personal Cocoon of Clean
When you’re a budget traveler, you often encounter a bed with questionable cleanliness. I wish I had known about the magic of a silk sleeping bag liner. It’s an incredibly lightweight, breathable, and surprisingly warm sheet that folds down to the size of your fist. It’s like bringing your own personal, silky-soft, and hygienically-clean cocoon with you wherever you go. It provides a crucial layer of separation from a dubious mattress and can add a surprising amount of warmth on a cold night.
99% of people make this one mistake with a travel gift: buying something that doesn’t comply with TSA regulations.
The Gift That Gets Confiscated
You buy a beautiful, multi-tool pocket knife or a large, luxurious bottle of lotion as a gift for a traveler. The mistake is not knowing that these items will be immediately confiscated by airport security if they are packed in a carry-on bag. Any liquid over 3.4 ounces (100ml) and any knife with a locking blade are forbidden. Your thoughtful gift has now become a frustrating and confiscated piece of contraband. Always consider the realities of airport security when choosing a gift for a traveler.
This one small action of gifting a high-quality, reusable water bottle with a built-in filter will be a game-changer for international travel.
The Endless Quest for Bottled Water vs. the Tap That’s Always Safe
When traveling in a country where the tap water isn’t safe to drink, you are in a constant, expensive, and wasteful cycle of buying single-use plastic water bottles. This one small action—of gifting a high-quality water bottle with a built-in, reliable filter—is a complete game-changer. It gives the traveler the power and the freedom to safely drink the tap water from almost any source in the world. It’s a gift of health, of savings, and of a dramatically reduced plastic footprint.
Use a Grayl or Lifestraw filtering water bottle, not a pack of water purification tablets.
The Chemical-Tasting Water vs. the Pure, Delicious Sip
Water purification tablets are a functional but unpleasant way to make water safe to drink. They often leave a strong, chemical, iodine-like aftertaste. A modern, high-quality filtering water bottle is a gift of a different magnitude. You simply fill the bottle from a river or a tap, and as you drink, the built-in filter removes bacteria, protozoa, and particulates, providing a clean, safe, and delicious-tasting sip of water with no chemical taste. It’s a superior and much more pleasant hydration experience.
Stop buying a generic travel blanket. Do a large, cashmere or merino wool scarf that can double as a blanket instead.
The Single-Purpose Blanket vs. the Versatile Wrap
A “travel blanket” is a single-purpose item that can be bulky to pack. A large, high-quality scarf made from a luxurious and warm material, like cashmere or merino wool, is a gift of multi-functional elegance. It can be a stylish scarf on a chilly day, a sophisticated shawl for a nice dinner, and a wonderfully soft and cozy blanket for a cold airplane cabin. It’s a single, beautiful, and versatile item that can do the job of three, saving precious space in a carry-on.
Stop just getting them a new backpack. Do a set of waterproof dry bags to protect their gear instead.
The Water-Resistant Pack vs. the Truly Submersible Safe
A new backpack is a great, but very personal, gift. A more universally useful gift for an adventurous traveler is a set of waterproof “dry bags.” A backpack might be water-resistant, but in a torrential downpour or a capsized canoe, the contents will get soaked. A dry bag is a truly waterproof, submersible safe for their most important gear. They can put their electronics, their passport, and a change of clothes inside, roll the top down, and be 100% confident that their essentials will stay perfectly dry, no matter what.
The #1 secret for a gift for a road tripper is a subscription to Audible for audiobooks.
The Repetitive Playlist vs. the Epic Story
A long road trip can be hours of beautiful scenery, but it can also be hours of boredom. The same music playlist can get old after a while. The #1 secret for a great road trip gift is a subscription to an audiobook service. It transforms the long, monotonous hours on the highway into a captivating and immersive story time. An epic novel or a fascinating biography can make the miles fly by and can give the travelers a shared, literary experience to talk about for the rest of their trip.
I’m just going to say it: The best travel gift is cash for their trip.
The Object They Have to Carry vs. the Experience They Can Choose
You can try your best to find the perfect, lightweight, multi-functional travel gadget. But the truth is, the single most useful, most flexible, and most appreciated gift you can give a traveler is cash. Money is weightless, it takes up no space, and it can be transformed into whatever the traveler needs most in that moment—a delicious meal, a ticket to a museum, a more comfortable train seat, or a desperately needed night in a nice hotel. It’s the gift of pure, unadulterated, and perfectly chosen experience.
The reason your well-intentioned gift was left behind is because it served only one, very specific purpose.
The “Unitasker” vs. the “Multitasker”
You gift a clever, single-purpose travel gadget—like a special hanger for drying socks or a specific tool for opening coconuts. The reason it was left behind is that a traveler’s bag is a space of ruthless efficiency. Every item must justify its existence. A “unitasker,” a tool that only does one, very specific thing, is a luxury they can’t afford. The best travel gifts are “multitaskers”—like a sarong that can be a towel, a dress, and a scarf, or a spork that is both a spoon and a fork.
If you’re still giving a generic money belt, you’re losing the modern security of an anti-theft bag from a brand like Pacsafe.
The Sweaty, Awkward Belt vs. the Stylish, Secure Bag
A traditional, under-the-shirt money belt is a sweaty, awkward, and uncomfortable way to carry your valuables. A modern, anti-theft travel bag is a far more stylish, comfortable, and secure solution. These bags are designed with clever, built-in security features—like slash-proof fabric, locking zippers, and RFID-blocking pockets—that protect your belongings from pickpockets and thieves. It’s a gift that provides a high level of security without sacrificing style or forcing you to wear a sweaty pouch under your clothes.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about luxury travel is that it’s more fulfilling than budget travel.
The Insulated Bubble vs. the Authentic Interaction
Luxury travel often promises a perfect, frictionless, and comfortable experience. The lie is that this is always more fulfilling. The reality is, that five-star hotel can be an insulated bubble that separates you from the real, messy, and beautiful reality of a place. Budget travel, with its cheap street food, its crowded local buses, and its quirky guesthouses, often forces you into more authentic and memorable interactions with the local culture. The most fulfilling experiences often happen when things are a little less perfect.
I wish I knew about the magic of a high-quality, quick-dry travel towel sooner.
The Permanently Damp, Musty Towel vs. the Miracle Fabric
For years, I traveled with a standard cotton towel. It was bulky, it took forever to dry, and after a day in my backpack, it would develop a sad, musty smell. I wish I had known about the magic of a modern, quick-dry, microfiber travel towel. These towels are incredibly lightweight, they fold down to the size of a small book, they can absorb a stunning amount of water, and, most importantly, they can air dry in a couple of hours. It’s a simple, but transformative, piece of gear for any traveler.
99% of people make this one mistake when buying for a business traveler: getting them something fun when all they want is comfort and efficiency.
The “Fun” Gift vs. the Friction-Reducer
You want to get a gift for a frequent business traveler, so you buy them a fun, quirky travel game or a book about adventure. The mistake is not understanding their reality. A business trip is not a vacation. They are not looking for “fun”; they are looking for anything that can make their stressful, exhausting, and repetitive journey a little more comfortable and efficient. A high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones or a portable laptop stand are gifts that reduce the friction of their journey, and that is what they truly crave.
This one small action of giving a portable white noise machine or a good pair of earplugs will save their sleep in a noisy hotel.
The Paper-Thin Walls of a Hotel
A hotel room can be a minefield of unfamiliar and disruptive noises—the elevator dinging, the ice machine humming, the loud guests in the next room. This one small action—of gifting a traveler a small, portable white noise machine or a set of high-quality, comfortable earplugs—is a gift of a good night’s sleep. It allows them to create a consistent, peaceful, and personal sound environment, no matter how noisy the world is on the other side of their door. It is a small gift with a huge impact on their well-being.
Use a gift certificate for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application, not another travel accessory.
The Gadget vs. the Gift of Time and Sanity
You can give a traveler another gadget for their bag. Or, you can give them a gift that will save them hours of their life and a huge amount of stress. A gift certificate to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is a golden ticket. It allows them to breeze through dedicated, shorter security lines at the airport, without having to take off their shoes or remove their laptops from their bags. It’s a gift that transforms the most stressful part of travel into a calm and efficient experience.
Stop buying a generic travel guide. Do a custom-planned itinerary from a travel expert instead.
The Overwhelming Book vs. the Perfect, Personalized Plan
A generic travel guide is an overwhelming book filled with a thousand options, most of which are not relevant to the specific traveler. A much more luxurious and thoughtful gift is a custom-planned itinerary. You can hire a travel expert who will consult with the traveler about their interests, their budget, and their pace, and then create a perfect, personalized, day-by-day plan for their trip, complete with restaurant recommendations and activity bookings. It’s the gift of a flawless, stress-free vacation, designed just for them.
Stop just getting them a new camera. Do a class on travel photography instead.
The Expensive Tool vs. the Skill to Use It
A new, expensive camera is a generous gift. But a camera is just a tool. If the person doesn’t know how to use it, their photos will still be mediocre. A class on travel photography is a gift of a different kind. It’s a gift of the skill and the vision to use the camera they already have. Learning about composition, light, and storytelling will have a far greater and more lasting impact on the quality of their travel photos than any new piece of equipment ever could.
The #1 hack for a gift for a camper is a high-quality headlamp.
The Clumsy Flashlight vs. the Hands-Free Beacon of Light
For a camper, a handheld flashlight is a clumsy, inefficient tool. The moment you need to do anything with two hands in the dark—set up a tent, cook a meal, read a map—it becomes a frustrating juggling act. The #1, can’t-miss, essential gift for any camper is a high-quality, bright, and comfortable headlamp. It’s a gift of hands-free freedom. It illuminates their world while leaving their hands completely free to do the work that needs to be done. It is a simple, but indispensable, piece of gear.
I’m just going to say it: That infinity scarf with the hidden pocket is not as clever or secure as you think.
The “Secret” Pocket That’s Not So Secret
The infinity scarf with a hidden zipper pocket is marketed as a clever and stylish way to hide your valuables. The problem is, it’s not a secret anymore. Pickpockets are well aware of this trendy accessory and know exactly where to look. It can also be awkward to access your own money, and it’s not a secure place for a heavy passport. A more secure and practical solution is a well-designed, anti-theft bag or a simple, hidden pocket that is actually attached to your body.
The reason their phone is always dying is because they don’t have a charger with multiple USB ports.
The Battle for the One Outlet
The modern traveler is often juggling multiple electronic devices—a phone, a watch, a tablet, headphones. The reason their phone is always dying is that their hotel room only has one or two available outlets, and they can only charge one thing at a time. A small, compact wall charger with multiple USB ports is the solution. It’s a gift that can turn a single outlet into a powerful charging station for all of their devices, ending the nightly battle for power.
If you’re still giving a generic travel pillow, you’re losing the unique, adjustable support of a Trtl pillow.
The U-Shaped Doughnut vs. the Supportive Scarf
A generic, U-shaped neck pillow is a soft, but ultimately unsupportive, cushion. It doesn’t actually prevent your head from falling forward. The Trtl pillow is a brilliant and innovative alternative. It’s like a soft, fleece scarf with a hidden, internal support system that you can position to perfectly cradle your head and neck, providing genuine, ergonomic support. It’s also incredibly lightweight and takes up a fraction of the space of a bulky, traditional pillow. It’s a gift of a truly better in-flight sleep.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about packing is that you should roll your clothes.
The Rolling Myth
For years, the internet has been dominated by the packing “hack” of rolling your clothes to save space. The lie is that this is always the best method. While rolling can be effective for soft, casual items like t-shirts, for more structured items like collared shirts, blazers, or trousers, a neat, flat fold is far superior for preventing wrinkles. The best packing method is not a “one-size-fits-all” rule; it is a combination of different techniques for different types of clothing.
I wish I knew that a simple, travel-sized power strip could solve the “not enough outlets in the hotel room” problem.
The Agonizing Outlet Shortage
I spent years of my travel life dealing with the frustrating reality of the “one-outlet hotel room.” I would have to choose: “Do I charge my phone or my laptop?” I wish I had known about the simple, brilliant magic of a travel-sized power strip. This small, lightweight, and inexpensive device is a gift that can turn a single, precious outlet into a charging station for three or four devices. It’s a simple, but life-changing, solution to one of the most common and persistent travel annoyances.
99% of people make this one mistake with a travel gift: giving something that needs to be checked in, not carried on.
The Gift That Gets Separated
You give a traveler a beautiful, but large, bottle of wine or a cool, but forbidden, pocket knife. The mistake is that these items cannot be brought in a carry-on bag; they must be checked. For the traveler who prides themselves on flying with only a carry-on, you have given them a gift that they either have to leave behind, or that will force them to pay a hefty fee to check a bag they didn’t want to bring. Always choose a gift that is carry-on compliant.
This one small action of giving a set of refillable, silicone travel bottles will end their struggle with leaky toiletries forever.
The Toiletry Explosion vs. the Squeezable, Secure Solution
A standard, hard plastic, travel bottle is a leaky time bomb waiting to explode in a suitcase. This one small action—of gifting a set of high-quality, soft, and squeezable silicone travel bottles—is a gift of a clean and goo-free trip. These bottles are not only leak-proof, but their soft, squeezable design allows you to get every last drop of product out. It’s a simple, but brilliantly designed, solution to one of the most common and frustrating travel mishaps.
Use a Tinggly or Blueboard “experience gift box,” not a pre-packaged vacation.
The Pre-Packaged Trip vs. the Catalog of Adventures
Gifting a pre-packaged vacation is a risky and expensive gamble. An “experience gift box” is a much more flexible and personal alternative. You are not buying a specific trip; you are buying them a credit for an adventure of their own choosing. The recipient gets a beautiful box containing a catalog of thousands of different experiences all over the world. They get the joy and the freedom of choosing the one perfect adventure that speaks to their own, unique wanderlust.
Stop buying a generic map. Do a subscription to a premium map and navigation app like AllTrails Pro or Gaia GPS.
The Paper Map vs. the All-Knowing Guide in Your Pocket
A paper map is a beautiful, but static and limited, object. For a modern hiker, camper, or road-tripper, a subscription to a premium navigation app is a far more powerful and useful tool. These apps provide detailed, downloadable, offline topographic maps, real-time GPS tracking, and a massive, crowdsourced library of trail reviews and conditions. You’re not just giving them a map; you’re giving them a powerful, all-knowing, and potentially life-saving guide that they can carry in their pocket.
Stop just getting them a souvenir. Do something that will be useful on their next trip.
The Dust-Collecting Trinket vs. the Future-Proof Tool
A souvenir is a gift that commemorates a trip that is over. A thoughtful travel gift is one that looks forward, not back. Instead of another decorative trinket that will just collect dust on a shelf, give them a high-quality, practical tool that will make their next trip better. A portable luggage scale, a set of packing cubes, a good power bank—these are the gifts that a true traveler will actually use and appreciate, long after the souvenir has been forgotten.
The #1 secret for a gift for an anxious traveler is a high-quality, secure travel wallet.
The Fear of Being Robbed vs. the Fortress in Your Pocket
For an anxious traveler, the constant, low-grade fear of being pickpocketed can suck the joy out of a trip. The #1 secret for a great gift is a tool that provides a sense of security. A high-quality, secure travel wallet or an anti-theft bag is a fortress for their valuables. With features like RFID-blocking technology to protect their credit cards and locking zippers to thwart pickpockets, it’s a gift that can actively reduce their anxiety and allow them to relax and enjoy their surroundings with more peace of mind.
I’m just going to say it: Travel-themed jewelry is usually tacky.
The Tiny, Cliché Airplane Necklace
A piece of jewelry with a tiny, generic airplane, globe, or compass charm is the “Live, Laugh, Love” of travel-themed gifts. It’s a well-intentioned but often tacky and uninspired cliché. A more sophisticated and personal gift is one that is not so literally “travel-themed.” A beautiful, high-quality scarf that they can actually use on their travels or a piece of jewelry from a local artisan in a place they love are far more stylish and meaningful choices.
The reason their travel photos are mediocre is because they don’t have a portable, flexible tripod like a GorillaPod.
The Awkward Selfie vs. the Perfect, Stable Shot
Your friend’s travel photos are a collection of blurry, poorly-framed selfies and shots of their own feet. The reason is that they don’t have a way to stabilize their camera or phone. A small, portable, and incredibly flexible tripod, like a GorillaPod, is the solution. Its bendy legs can wrap around a tree branch, a railing, or a signpost, allowing them to get a stable, perfectly framed shot, with them actually in it, from anywhere. It’s a small, lightweight tool that can dramatically improve the quality of their travel memories.
If you’re still giving a generic book to read on the plane, you’re losing the lightweight convenience of a Kindle Paperwhite.
The Heavy, Bulky Book vs. a Library in Your Hand
A single, thick, paperback book can be a surprisingly heavy and bulky item to carry on a long trip. A Kindle Paperwhite is a gift of a weightless, thousand-book library that can fit in a jacket pocket. The beautiful, e-ink screen is glare-free and reads just like real paper, the battery lasts for weeks, and it is waterproof, making it perfect for the beach or the pool. It’s a gift that allows a voracious reader to bring their entire library with them, without sacrificing any precious space or weight.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about solo travel is that it’s lonely.
The Myth of the Lonely Traveler
People often imagine a solo traveler as a sad, lonely figure, eating alone in a corner. The lie is that “alone” means “lonely.” The truth is, solo travel is often an incredibly social experience. When you are traveling by yourself, you are far more open and approachable, and you are more likely to strike up conversations with locals and fellow travelers. It is a gift of ultimate freedom, of self-reliance, and of a deep, unfiltered connection to the world around you.
I wish I knew that a high-quality eye mask that blocks out all light is a non-negotiable for red-eye flights.
The Vain Attempt at Sleep vs. the Personal Cave of Darkness
Trying to sleep on a bright, red-eye flight is a frustrating and often futile exercise. I wish I had known sooner that a high-quality, molded eye mask is not a luxury; it is a non-negotiable piece of essential gear. A cheap, flimsy mask will leak light around the edges. A good one, like a Manta or a Tempur-Pedic mask, is designed to create a perfect, total-blackout seal around your eyes. It is a gift of a personal, portable cave of darkness, the single best tool for getting some actual, restorative sleep.
99% of people make this one mistake: buying a travel gift that only works in certain countries.
The Useless Gadget
You buy a traveler a cool electronic gadget. The mistake is not checking the voltage. A device that is designed to work on the 120-volt system in North America will be instantly fried if it is plugged into a 240-volt outlet in Europe without a proper voltage converter. Your cool, expensive gift is now a piece of melted, useless plastic. A truly great electronic travel gift is one that is “dual-voltage,” meaning it can be safely used anywhere in the world.
This one small action of giving a high-quality stain remover pen will be a lifesaver for their limited travel wardrobe.
The Single Stain That Ruins an Outfit
When you’re traveling, you have a very limited number of clothing items. A single, small stain from a drop of coffee or a splash of wine can ruin an entire outfit for the rest of the trip. This one small action—of giving them a high-quality, effective, and portable stain remover pen, like a Tide to Go—is a gift of a saved outfit. It’s a tiny, but mighty, tool that can be a complete lifesaver for a traveler who is trying to look their best with a limited wardrobe.
Use a portable luggage handle wrap for comfort and identification, not a flimsy, paper luggage tag.
The Painful Handle and the Lost Bag vs. the Comfortable, Findable Suitcase
A standard, hard plastic suitcase handle can be painful to grip as you’re running through an airport. A soft, padded, neoprene luggage handle wrap is a simple gift of comfort. But it’s also a gift of identification. By choosing a wrap in a bright, unique color, you are making their generic, black suitcase instantly recognizable on a crowded baggage carousel. It’s a small, inexpensive gift that solves two common travel problems at once: comfort and visibility.
Stop buying a generic travel mug. Do a collapsible coffee cup that saves space instead.
The Bulky Mug vs. the Pocket-Sized Puck
A standard, rigid travel mug is a great tool, but it can be a bulky, empty object to carry around after you’ve finished your coffee. A collapsible coffee cup is a brilliant, space-saving alternative. These cups, often made from food-grade silicone, are sturdy when they are full, but can be collapsed down into a small, flat, pocket-sized puck when they are empty. It’s a gift that provides a full-sized coffee experience with a minimal, space-saving footprint.
Stop just getting them a new suitcase. Do a high-tech luggage tracker like an AirTag.
The New Suitcase vs. the Peace of Mind for the Old One
A new suitcase is a great, but expensive, gift. For a fraction of the price, you can give the gift of profound peace of mind. A small, high-tech luggage tracker, like an Apple AirTag or a Tile, can be slipped into any piece of luggage. It allows the traveler to see the exact location of their bag on their phone at all times. It’s a gift that can completely eliminate the single biggest anxiety of air travel: the fear of the lost bag.
The #1 hack for a gift for a digital nomad is a portable, second monitor for their laptop.
The Single Screen Scramble vs. the Dual-Screen Workspace
A digital nomad is trying to do a full-time, professional job from a single, small, laptop screen. This can be an incredibly inefficient and frustrating experience. The #1, life-changing gift for a digital nomad is a lightweight, portable, second monitor. This slim, USB-powered screen can effectively double their digital workspace, allowing them to have their research open on one screen and their document open on the other. It’s a gift of a real, productive, and less-frustrating mobile office.
I’m just going to say it: Your friend who is moving abroad wants money and emotional support, not more stuff to ship.
The Gift of a Burden
Your friend is about to embark on a life-changing move to another country. Your instinct is to give them a physical gift to remember you by. But for them, every single physical object is another expensive, complicated, and heavy item that they have to either ship, sell, or give away. The best and most genuinely helpful gifts you can give them are not things. They are the gift of your emotional support, the promise to stay in touch, and, if you can, the gift of money to help with their immense moving expenses.
The reason their clothes are always wrinkled is because they don’t have a travel-sized steamer.
The Useless Hotel Iron vs. the Wrinkle-Erasing Wand
A hotel room iron is often a dirty, unreliable, and risky tool that can easily scorch a delicate piece of clothing. The reason their clothes are always wrinkled is that they don’t have a better option. A small, lightweight, portable travel steamer is a game-changing gift. It can safely and effectively erase wrinkles from almost any fabric in a matter of seconds, without the risk of burning. It’s a gift that will help them look polished and professional, no matter how crumpled their clothes got in their suitcase.
If you’re still giving a generic city guidebook, you’re losing the curated, local feel of an app like Atlas Obscura.
The Tourist Traps vs. the Hidden Wonders
A generic guidebook will point you to the same, famous, crowded tourist traps that everyone else is visiting. An app or a website like Atlas Obscura is a gift of a secret, hidden world. It is a user-generated, global database of the world’s most wondrous, strange, and obscure places. It will lead a traveler to a hidden catacomb, a quirky local museum, or a strange piece of public art that is not in any of the standard guidebooks. It’s a passport to the weird and wonderful.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about all-inclusive resorts is that they are relaxing.
The Illusion of a “Worry-Free” Vacation
All-inclusive resorts are marketed as the ultimate, “worry-free,” relaxing vacation. The lie is that this is always the reality. They can often be loud, crowded, and chaotic environments with mediocre, buffet-style food and a constant pressure to participate in scheduled “fun.” The “relaxation” can be a highly manufactured and often stressful experience. For many, a quieter, more independent vacation at a small, local guesthouse is a far more genuinely relaxing and restorative experience.
I wish I knew that a high-quality, insulated wine tumbler is perfect for picnics, camping, or just a day at the beach.
The Warm White Wine in a Plastic Cup
There is nothing sadder than a beautiful, crisp, white wine getting warm and sweaty in a flimsy, plastic cup. I wish I had known sooner about the magic of high-quality, insulated, stainless steel wine tumblers. They are the perfect, unbreakable, and stylish vessel for any outdoor beverage enjoyment. They can keep a white wine perfectly chilled for hours, and they won’t break if they are dropped. It’s a simple, but brilliant, gift for anyone who enjoys a civilized sip in the great outdoors.
99% of people make this one mistake: giving a gift that is fragile.
The Gift That Becomes a Stressful Piece of Cargo
You give a traveler a beautiful, but delicate, ceramic mug or a fragile, glass picture frame. You have given them a beautiful, but stressful, new piece of cargo. For the rest of their trip, they have to worry about carefully wrapping this fragile object and protecting it from the inevitable bumps and tumbles of travel. A great travel gift is a durable and resilient one, something that can be tossed in a bag without a second thought. Don’t give them a gift that they have to babysit.
This one small action of giving a subscription to a flight deal newsletter like Scott’s Cheap Flights will be the gift that keeps on giving.
The Gift of a Future, Affordable Adventure
For a person who loves to travel but is on a budget, this one small action can be a transformative gift. A premium subscription to a “cheap flights” newsletter will send them email alerts for incredible, often-unadvertised, international flight deals departing from their home airport. You are not just giving them a subscription; you are giving them the key to a world of affordable travel possibilities. You are giving them the gift of a future adventure they might not have thought was possible.
Use a high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones, not cheap earbuds.
The Muffled Noise vs. the Cone of Silence
A pair of standard, cheap earbuds can muffle the drone of an airplane engine, but you still have to crank up the volume to an unhealthy level to hear your music. A pair of high-quality, “active noise-canceling” headphones is a gift of a different magnitude. They use a sophisticated technology to create a personal, and almost magical, “cone of silence.” They can reduce the engine roar to a gentle hum, allowing you to enjoy your audio at a comfortable, safe volume. They are a gift of a truly peaceful journey.
Stop buying a generic beach towel. Do a sand-resistant, quick-drying towel from a brand like Sand Cloud.
The Heavy, Wet, Sandy Mess vs. the Lightweight, Clean, Dry Wonder
A standard, cotton beach towel is a heavy, bulky, and inefficient tool. It takes forever to dry, and it holds onto sand with a vengeance. A modern, sand-resistant, quick-drying towel is a brilliant and significant upgrade. These towels are made from a special, lightweight material that sand just shakes right off of, and they can air dry in a fraction of the time of a cotton towel. It’s a gift that makes a beach day a lighter, cleaner, and much less sandy experience.
Stop just getting them a new backpack. Do a comfortable, supportive hip belt to add to their existing pack.
The Aching Shoulders vs. the Supported Load
A new backpack is a very personal choice. A more targeted and often more useful gift is an upgraded, comfortable, and supportive hip belt for the backpack they already own. For a hiker or a backpacker, the secret to carrying a heavy load comfortably is to transfer the weight from the shoulders to the much stronger hips. A high-quality, padded hip belt can be a game-changing upgrade that can make a long trek a hundred times more comfortable. It’s a gift of a happier, less-achy back.
The #1 secret for a gift for a family that travels is a set of portable, fun card games.
The “Are We There Yet?” vs. the Unexpected Fun
The hardest part of family travel is often the “in-between” time—the long waits at the airport, the rainy afternoon in the hotel, the boring dinner at a restaurant. The #1 secret for a great family travel gift is a small, portable, and engaging card game. A simple deck of cards, or a game like “Uno” or “Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza,” can be a lifesaver. It’s a small, lightweight gift that can transform a moment of boredom and whining into a moment of laughter and connection.
I’m just going to say it: That travel-themed adult coloring book will never be used.
The Gift of a Chore
An adult coloring book with intricate pictures of Parisian street scenes seems like a relaxing, travel-themed gift. The reality is, when you are actually traveling, the last thing you have is the time, the space, or the dedicated set of colored pencils to sit down and do a detailed coloring project. And when you are home, you are dreaming of your next trip, not coloring in a picture of your last one. This well-intentioned gift is a project that will almost certainly never be started.
The reason they’re always cold on planes is because they don’t have a packable down jacket.
The Bulky Sweater vs. the Pocket-Sized Toaster
An airplane cabin is a notoriously cold environment. The reason a traveler is always freezing is that a traditional sweater or fleece is too bulky to be a practical travel layer. A modern, “packable” down jacket is the solution. It’s an incredibly warm and lightweight jacket that can be compressed down into its own tiny, pocket-sized stuff sack. It’s a gift that provides an astonishing amount of warmth with a minimal, almost weightless, packing footprint. It’s like a personal, portable toaster.
If you’re still giving a generic toiletry kit, you’re losing the luxurious feel of a curated set of high-end travel-sized products.
The Drugstore Minis vs. the First-Class Amenity Kit
A generic, empty toiletry bag is a practical gift. A curated set of high-end, luxury, travel-sized toiletries is a gift of a first-class experience. You can create your own “amenity kit” with small sizes of a beautiful face mist, a rich hand cream, and a luxurious lip balm from a brand they would never buy for themselves. It’s a small, but incredibly thoughtful, gift that can make a cramped, dry, economy airplane seat feel a little bit more like a first-class cabin.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about travel insurance is that your credit card provides enough coverage.
The “Free” Insurance vs. the Real-World Catastrophe
Many travel credit cards offer a form of “free” travel insurance. The lie is that this is a comprehensive safety net. The reality is, this coverage is often very limited. It may not cover medical emergencies, trip cancellations for a wide range of reasons, or emergency evacuations. A separate, comprehensive travel insurance policy is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity for international travel. It’s a gift of a true, robust safety net that can protect a traveler from a potentially life-altering financial catastrophe.
I wish I knew that a simple, sarong-style wrap is the most versatile piece of clothing you can pack.
The Swiss Army Knife of a Suitcase
For years, I would overpack, bringing a different outfit for every possible occasion. I wish I had known about the simple, magical versatility of a sarong. This one, simple, lightweight piece of fabric is the Swiss Army Knife of a travel wardrobe. It can be a beach cover-up, a towel, a scarf, a makeshift dress, a light blanket for a plane, or even a privacy curtain for a hostel bed. It is a gift of a dozen different items, all in one beautiful, compact, and weightless package.
99% of people make this one mistake: buying a piece of luggage that is stylish but not durable.
The Fashionable Suitcase That Falls Apart
You buy a beautiful, trendy, and stylish piece of luggage. It looks amazing on Instagram. The mistake is prioritizing this fleeting style over the brutal reality of travel. A suitcase is not a fashion accessory; it is a tool that will be thrown, dropped, and abused by baggage handlers. A great piece of luggage is one with high-quality, durable wheels, a sturdy, telescoping handle, and a resilient, well-constructed body. A suitcase that falls apart after three trips is not a good gift, no matter how stylish it was.
This one small action of giving a high-quality, waterproof phone pouch will protect their most important device.
The Vacation-Ruining Splash
A traveler’s phone is their camera, their map, their translator, and their lifeline. One accidental splash at the beach or a drop into a puddle can be a trip-ruining disaster. This one small, but heroic, action—of gifting a high-quality, genuinely waterproof phone pouch—is a gift of an insurance policy. It allows them to take their phone to the beach, on a boat, or out in the rain with complete peace of mind, protecting their most valuable and essential piece of travel gear.
Use a portable espresso maker like a Wacaco Minipresso for the coffee lover on the go, not a pack of instant coffee.
The Sad, Brown Water vs. a Real Shot of Espresso
For a true coffee lover, a cup of instant coffee is a sad, brown, and deeply disappointing experience. A portable, hand-powered espresso maker is a gift of a real, cafe-quality coffee, anywhere in the world. These clever, compact devices use a manual pump to create the high pressure needed to pull a genuine shot of espresso. You just add hot water and fine coffee grounds. It’s a gift that ensures a coffee snob will never have to be without a decent cup, no matter how far they are from their favorite cafe.
Stop buying a generic notebook. Do a set of beautiful, location-themed postcards and stamps instead.
The Empty Journal vs. the Connection to Home
A blank travel journal can feel like a chore, a pressure to write profound things. A set of beautiful, location-themed postcards and a book of international stamps is a gift of a different kind. It’s a gift of connection. It encourages the traveler to share small, immediate snapshots of their journey with the people they love back home. In a world of instant digital communication, the act of sending and receiving a physical piece of mail from a faraway place is a rare and special joy.
Stop just getting them a gift. Do offer to water their plants or watch their pet while they are away.
The Object They Have to Pack vs. the Peace of Mind They Leave With
A physical gift for a traveler is another object they have to find space for in their already-full suitcase. A far more valuable and deeply appreciated gift is an act of service that gives them peace of mind while they are away. A genuine offer—”I would be happy to water your plants and collect your mail while you’re gone.”—is a gift that allows them to leave their home with one less thing to worry about. It’s a gift of a truly stress-free departure.
The #1 hack for a gift for a language learner is a subscription to a premium language app like Babbel or Pimsleur.
The Dusty Textbook vs. the Tutor in Their Pocket
A textbook for learning a new language is a static, intimidating, and often boring tool. A subscription to a high-quality, premium language learning app is a gift of an interactive, engaging, and personalized tutor that they can carry in their pocket. These apps use a combination of speech recognition, spaced repetition, and real-life conversational scenarios to make the process of learning a new language more fun, more effective, and much more convenient than a dusty old textbook.
I’m just going to say it: The best part of traveling is coming home.
The Adventure vs. the Sanctuary
We glorify the adventure, the novelty, and the excitement of travel. And it is wonderful. But there is a deep, quiet, and often unspoken truth: one of the most profound and satisfying moments of any trip is the feeling of walking back through your own front door. The comfort of your own bed, the familiarity of your own space, the joy of your own routine—coming home is the act that allows you to fully appreciate the sanctuary you have created. The adventure is only half the story.
The reason their travel electronics are a mess is because they don’t have a good cable organizer case.
The Tangled Rat’s Nest vs. the Tidy Tech Kit
A traveler’s bag is often home to a tangled, chaotic, and frustrating “rat’s nest” of charging cables, power bricks, and adapters. The reason for this mess is a lack of a dedicated home for these items. A simple, well-designed, electronics cable organizer case is a gift of order and sanity. With its various loops, pockets, and zippered compartments, it can turn that tangled mess into a neat, tidy, and easily accessible tech kit. It’s a small gift that can solve a huge, daily source of travel frustration.
If you’re still giving a generic car charger, you’re losing the fast-charging capability of a modern USB-C PD charger.
The Slow Trickle vs. the High-Speed Refill
A generic, old-style, USB car charger provides a slow, weak, “trickle” of power to a modern smartphone. It can often barely keep up with the power drain of using a navigation app. A modern, USB-C “Power Delivery” (PD) car charger is a gift of a high-speed refill. It can charge a compatible phone from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes. It’s a significant, and noticeable, technological upgrade that can be a real lifesaver on a long road trip.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about hosteling is that it’s only for young people.
The Myth of the “Youth” Hostel
The term “youth hostel” has created a powerful and enduring lie: that hostels are exclusively for 19-year-old backpackers. The truth is, modern hostels are for everyone. They are a hub for travelers of all ages—from solo travelers in their 70s to young families to business travelers on a budget. The social, communal, and incredibly affordable nature of hosteling is a style of travel, not an age bracket. You are never too old to appreciate a good value and a great conversation.
I wish I knew that compression socks are a must-have for long-haul flights.
The Swollen, Achy Legs vs. the Feeling of Freshness
For years, I would get off a long flight with swollen, heavy, and achy ankles and feet. I wish I had known that compression socks are not just for the elderly; they are a secret weapon for any long-haul traveler. They apply a gentle, graduated pressure to your legs, which improves blood circulation and dramatically reduces swelling and fatigue. They are a simple, but incredibly effective, tool that can make the difference between arriving at your destination feeling exhausted and arriving feeling surprisingly fresh.
99% of people make this one mistake: buying a gift certificate for an airline the traveler never flies.
The Useless Ticket
You know your friend loves to travel, so you buy them a generous gift certificate for a specific airline. The mistake is not knowing that your friend has a deep loyalty to a different airline’s frequent flyer program, or that the airline you chose doesn’t fly the routes they are interested in. Your generous gift is now a useless ticket to nowhere. A more flexible gift, like a gift certificate for a service like Airbnb or a contribution to a general travel fund, is always a safer bet.
This one small action of giving a high-quality, travel-sized first aid kit will be a gift of peace of mind on any trip.
The Scramble for a Band-Aid vs. the Pocket-Sized Pharmacy
A small cut, a blister, a headache—these are minor issues at home, but they can be major annoyances when you’re in an unfamiliar place. This one small action—of giving a well-stocked, compact, and high-quality first aid kit—is a gift of preparedness and peace of mind. It’s a tiny, portable pharmacy that can solve a dozen small, unforeseen problems. It’s a practical, caring gift that says, “I hope your trip is perfect, but just in case it’s not, here’s a little help.”
Use a National Parks pass for the U.S. road tripper, not a book of maps.
A Paper Map vs. a Key to the Kingdom
A book of maps is a beautiful, but somewhat outdated, gift. For the person who loves to explore the United States by car, a National Parks Pass is a far more valuable and useful gift. For a single, annual fee, this pass is a “key to the kingdom,” granting them and their entire vehicle free access to every single one of America’s stunning National Parks and federal recreation sites. It’s a gift that encourages adventure and will save them a significant amount of money on their journey.
Stop buying a generic travel lock. Do one that is TSA-approved instead.
The Lock That Gets Cut Off vs. the Lock That Cooperates
A standard, non-approved padlock on a piece of checked luggage is a useless gift. If the TSA needs to inspect your bag, they will simply cut that lock off, leaving your suitcase unsecured for the rest of its journey. A TSA-approved lock is a gift that cooperates. It has a special keyhole that allows security agents to open and re-lock your bag with a master key. It’s a small, but crucial, detail that ensures a traveler’s belongings remain secure throughout their entire journey.
Stop just getting them a new bag. Do a stylish, foldable tote that can be used for shopping or as an extra carry-on.
The Bulky Extra Bag vs. the Pocket-Sized “Just in Case”
A new piece of luggage is a big gift. A small, stylish, and high-quality foldable tote bag is a brilliant and much more versatile one. It packs down into a tiny, fist-sized pouch that can be tossed into any suitcase. Then, it can be unfolded to become a full-sized tote bag for a day of shopping at a local market, a trip to the beach, or, most importantly, as an extra carry-on bag for all the souvenirs they bought on their trip home.
The #1 secret for a gift for a luxury traveler is an upgrade on a service they already use.
A Thing They Can Buy Themselves vs. an Elevated Experience
A luxury traveler can likely afford to buy any travel gadget they want. The #1 secret for a great gift is to give them a luxurious upgrade on a service they already use and love. You could upgrade their standard rental car reservation to a luxury vehicle. You could upgrade their regular flight ticket to a seat with extra legroom. You could arrange for the hotel to have a bottle of their favorite champagne waiting for them upon arrival. You are not giving them a thing; you are elevating their entire experience.
I’m just going to say it: You don’t need a special “travel wallet.” Your regular wallet is fine.
The Myth of the “Travel” Wallet
The travel industry markets a wide array of special “travel wallets” that are supposed to be essential for any trip. The reality is, for most travelers, these are an unnecessary and bulky accessory. Your regular, everyday wallet, which you are already comfortable and familiar with, is perfectly fine. A better investment is to simply be mindful of where you keep it and to only carry the essential cards you need for that day. You don’t need a new wallet; you just need a little bit of situational awareness.
The reason they always get sick after a flight is because they don’t have a good travel-sized hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes.
The Germ-Filled Journey
An airplane is a sealed, flying tube filled with recycled air and hundreds of other people’s germs. The reason a traveler often gets sick after a flight is their exposure to this high-concentration of bacteria and viruses. A simple, but incredibly effective, gift is a high-quality “health kit.” A travel-sized bottle of a good hand sanitizer and a pack of antibacterial wipes to quickly clean the tray table, the armrests, and the seatbelt buckle is a small, but powerful, arsenal in the fight against the post-flight cold.
If you’re still giving a generic travel book, you’re losing the personal stories and inspiration of a great travel memoir.
The Book of Facts vs. the Book of Feelings
A generic travel guide is a book of facts, lists, and information. A great travel memoir is a book of feelings, stories, and inspiration. For a true travel lover, reading a beautifully written memoir—like Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” or Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods”—is a far more powerful and engaging experience. It’s a gift that can transport them to a different place, not just with facts, but with humor, heart, and a deeply human story.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about travel is that it will solve all your problems.
The Geographic Cure
We are often sold a fantasy that travel is a magical cure for our dissatisfaction with our own lives. The lie is that a change of scenery can solve a problem that is internal. The truth is, wherever you go, there you are. You will pack all of your same anxieties, insecurities, and unresolved issues in your suitcase with you. Travel can be a wonderful, perspective-shifting, and life-enhancing experience, but it is not a therapy session, and it will not magically solve the problems that are waiting for you back home.
I wish I knew about the convenience of a portable, solar-powered charger for off-grid adventures.
The Dwindling Battery vs. the Power of the Sun
For my friends who loved to go on multi-day, off-grid backpacking trips, a standard power bank would only last for a day or two. I wish I had known about the magic of a lightweight, portable, solar-powered charger. These devices have small, foldable solar panels that can be attached to the outside of a backpack, allowing them to slowly but surely recharge their power bank using the free and abundant energy of the sun. It’s a gift of a nearly infinite power supply for the true, off-grid adventurer.
99% of people make this one mistake: buying a travel gift for a destination the person has already visited.
A Look Back vs. a Look Forward
You know your friend had an amazing trip to Italy last year, so for their birthday, you buy them a beautiful coffee table book about Tuscany. The mistake is that your gift is focused on the past. A true traveler is almost always dreaming about their next adventure. A more exciting and forward-looking gift would be a guidebook or a travel memoir about a new destination that you know is on their bucket list. A gift should fuel their future dreams, not just commemorate their past ones.
This one small action of giving a gift certificate for an airport transfer service will make the start of their trip seamless and stress-free.
The Taxi Line Scramble vs. the Seamless Arrival
The first hour after a long flight, in a new and unfamiliar country, can be the most stressful part of a trip. You have to navigate a confusing airport, find a reputable taxi, and haggle over the price. This one small action—of pre-booking and gifting them a private airport transfer service—is a gift of a perfect, seamless, and stress-free arrival. They will be met at the gate by a driver holding a sign with their name on it, and they will be whisked away to their hotel in comfort. It’s a true V.I.P. welcome.
Use a high-end, clear toiletry bag that makes going through security a breeze, not an opaque one.
The Security Scramble vs. the Organized and Transparent Passage
Every traveler knows the stressful scramble at the airport security line, fumbling to pull out their various liquids from their bag and stuff them into a flimsy, plastic Ziploc. A high-quality, durable, and completely clear, TSA-approved toiletry bag is a simple but brilliant gift. It allows them to keep all of their liquids organized in one place, and the transparent design makes the security screening process a fast, easy, and stress-free breeze. It’s a gift of a smoother journey through the most annoying part of the airport.