Travel Tips and Inspiration

Best Gifts for Travellers

The holidays are slowly but surely approaching… that special time of year which is so incredibly magical and yet endlessly stressful.  Year after year, one of the biggest struggles leading up to the festivities is the daunting task of finding the best gifts for our favourite people. They deserve the absolute best, and you deserve a little downtime.
 
So this winter we decided to make it a little easier on you by collaborating with a few of our favourite travel bloggers and giving you some tips on the best travelling gifts that you can get a gift shop. Our bloggers came back to us with some incredible ideas, and loads of them have already made it onto our own wish lists. Now, whether there’s an intrepid adventurer in your life, a friend with really big dreams, or perhaps someone who just needs a little push, these travelling gifts are sure to hit the spot.
 

Best Gifts for Travellers Under £50

 

Travel Listography

By Helen from Actually Mummy

My go-to gift for travel lovers is the Travel Listography book. I have one of my own, and it’s always a source of creative joy in a quiet moment. As good for memories as it is for pipe dreams, it encourages all my family to share their travel passions, and helps us prioritise our next adventure. Buy it here for £10.49

 

 

Head Torch

By Jenny from Travelynn Family

A good head torch is an essential gift for any intrepid traveller. Whether it’s for nights camping under the stars, late evenings strolling through bustling cities during a power cut or a dawn hike to a summit for sunrise; a good quality head torch with excellent range and reliable batteries is a must. This thoughtful gift is small enough to fit neatly into anyone’s backpack and means they don’t have to waste phone battery by using the phone’s torch in an emergency. Buy it here for £8.99

 

 

Travel Document Wallet

By Sarah from Boo Roo and Tigger Too

While we like to think that we are moving to a paperless world, however, when you are travelling there are still many documents (Passport, EHIC, Insurance) that you need to carry with you.  Keep these concurrently, organised and to hand in a travel document wallet.  Perfect for having everything ready at check-in, boarding and when your travelling. Buy it here for £13.99

 

 

Eco-friendly Toiletry and Beauty Bars

By Alexx from Finding Alexx

One of my best ever travel finds is Ethique eco-friendly toiletry and beauty bars! These NZ-made goodies are plastic-free and plant-based, and not only do they help you avoid those pesky and wasteful travel-sized bottles from Boots, they’re also lighter, last longer and won’t affect your carry-on liquid allowance.

Their range includes shampoo, conditioner and body wash bars, solid deodorant, laundry bars, face cleansers, even pet bars and baby-friendly toiletries, and loads more. They ship to the UK and the US, and you can also buy them at Holland & Barrett. Great for you, great for the planet. It’s a win-win! Buy it here from £5

 

Packing Cubes

By Katy from Otis and Us and Angharad Paull from Mama Travels Earth

Packing cubes keep suitcases tidy and organised when travelling. The cubes are lightweight and help to arrange items of clothing, shoes and toiletries into some order. They are great when space is tight and makes life easier for travellers.  Packing Cubes can also be used as a laundry bag on your journey home, so you can whip out the stinky clothes and get them straight in the wash on your return. There are all sorts of different styles and colours to choose from and fellow family travellers rave about them. You might just need to work on your Tetris skills beforehand! Buy it here for £16.29

 
 
 

Scratch Map

By Megan from Mapping Megan

Scratch Maps are one of the best gifts for travellers. Simply scratch off the metallic foil from the places you’ve visited to reveal a bright pop of colour underneath. It’s honestly the ultimate gift, and the perfect way to show off where you’ve travelled while livening up your wall with a colourful, unique and personalised world map. Buy it here for £15.75

 
 

 

Reusable Water Bottle

By Andrew & Emily from Along Dusty Roads

Our top travel gift is a reusable water filter bottle. These bottles instantly make various types of unsafe drinking water completely safe to drink, so are the excellent companion for all kinds of adventures, and goes a long way to helping travellers cut down on plastic usage. We use the Water-to-Go bottles. Buy it here for £13.97

 

 

 

Joby Gorillapod Tripod

By Kelly, Aaron and Hudson from No Man Before

When we started travelling more often, we opted to capture our memories with photos. It’s still tricky to snap a good family photo with a toddler that’s always on the run, but the Gorillapod Tripod makes it a bit easier. This tripod comes in a few variations and is small and lightweight, which makes it easy to carry around when exploring a new city. Buy it here for £21.99

 

 

 

Yeti Tumbler

By Harmony from Momma to go

One of my favourite travel items is a personalised Yeti tumbler. I am a big coffee drinker, and this tumbler keeps coffee hot all day! It is my go-to mug for road trips as it fits perfectly in my car cup holder. A Yeti tumbler also keeps cold beverages frosty for a super long time, so perfect for those that like cooking, or cold – or both! I love the personalisation, it makes my mug stand out and would make a unique gift any recipient would love!Buy it here for £24.44

 

 

J Pillow Headrest

By Jacqui from Mummy’s Little Monkey

When I first started travelling, I quickly realised the importance of a compact, portable headrest. I must have tried half a dozen different types before discovering ‘J Pillow’ looks rather bizarre – almost like a stuffed elephant – but the comfort was unparalleled. This product revolutionised my travelling life, and I still take it everywhere with me, on trains, cars, planes –  even to sleep on!Buy it here for £19.95

 

 

Travel Journal

By Nikky from Little Family Adventures

A travel journal is one of the best gifts for travellers of any age.  No matter where you find yourself, a journal allows you to capture that moment better than a photograph can. Write down your thoughts or feelings, sketch what you see, paste printed photographs, or insert small mementoes inside. Give travel journals to each family member and see their story from their eyes. 

Buy it here for £29

 

 

Travel Entertainment Activity Packs

By Becky from Cuddle Fairy

For traveling with the kids I find it’s really handy to have some activities that are new for them to enjoy. Having distractions ready is key. For really little kids you can simply put aside some of their small toys a few months before travel and they are like new when you take them out in the plane or car. When the kids got older, I used to buy items myself and hide them away but I found Keep Em Quiet packs a few years back and have found them to be an amazing value. I have used them for the kids for long haul flights and they have had loads to do including various books, puzzles, snacks and more.Buy it here for £19.99

 

  

Diggit Bluetooth Speakers

By Rachel from The Ordinary Lovely

These handy little speakers are the ideal travelling companion for music or podcast lovers. Pop one (or two) in a travel bag or suitcase and you can listen to your favourite tunes in a hotel room, on a balcony or even on the beach. They’re cute, compact, super useful and won’t break the bank. So the ideal gift! Buy it here for £49.99 

 

 

Pipity Activity Sets

By Karen from Mini Travellers

We love the Pipity Activity Sets. They are travel essentials for kids of all ages. We take these creative games with us on every trip. They are so compact and useful that the kids have everything they need in one bag.

Buy it here for £39.99

 

 

 Selfie Stick

By Anna from Twins and Travels

A selfie stick makes the perfect gift for any member of a travel mad family. We don’t travel anywhere without ours and it helps us to capture treasured family moments.  Many selfie sticks have a long enough extendable arm to capture the scenery too which always makes for a great travel photo. Selfie Sticks are easy to pack and carry in your day bag, and they’re very light. Many are universal and compatible with smartphones, GoPro’s and digital cameras.Buy it here for £8.99

 

 

Best Gifts for Travellers Over £50

 

Mia Tui Travel Bag

By Daisy from Dais Like These

A practical but stylish travel bag is a perfect travel gift for travelling mums. The Mia Tui bags have some brilliant features such as an insulated bottle pocket, a clear bag for liquids and toiletries at the airport, a phone pocket, pen holders and even another small matching bag inside.  Buy it here for £52

 

 

Osprey FarPoint Rucksack

By Claire from Tin Box Traveller

We’ve discovered a brilliant rucksack that we’d recommend for anyone in need of a versatile piece of hand luggage. The Osprey Farpoint 40 can be packed like a suitcase and carried like a rucksack. It has lots of pockets for tech and as well as snacks if you’re travelling with kids. It meets cabin baggage allowances and is light giving you maximum space to fill it with what you need for your journey. Buy it here for £82.05

 

 

Travel Air Mattress

By Keith & Tina from Retire Early and Travel

Why not have this small convenience for you to ensure a good nights sleep no matter where you go? This travel air mattress is number one recommendation for travellers and is the single most crucial gadget we take with us on our adventures. After all, getting a good nights sleep is so important.

 

 

Thule Carry-on Case

By Katja from GlobeTotting

A compact and lightweight carry-on bag is the perfect gift for travellers. Having owned various carry-on bags with the manoeuvrability of a dodgy shopping trolley, I’ve recently become the proud owner of a Thule carry-on case and it is brilliant. Deceptively roomy, easy to handle and stylish, it has definitely improved my travels. Buy it here from £230

 

 

 

Nuna Sena Travel Cot

By Char from Taylor Hearts Travel

I have this travel cot and I’ve lost count of the number of trips it’s been on – both short and long-haul. I used it for my first mini-explorer and it’s remained in such good condition and been so reliable that we’ve used it for our second one. It’s perfect for family travel. Buy it here for £210.05

 

 

 

 

5-day Fast Portable Charger by Nimble

By Jess from @lostwithjess
A portable charger is a must-have when you’re on the go, but the great thing about the Nimble charger is the fact that it’s plastic-free, biodegradable, and made from recyclable materials. The company uses plant-based bioplastics and recycled aluminum, plus it gets shipped in plastic-free packaging. They come in a variety of sizes offering different lengths of charge time, and I’ve found the 5-day charger to be the most versatile. You’ll be able to charge 4 different devices simultaneously in just over 30 minutes! The perfect travelling gift for those who are eco-conscious.  Buy it here for $89.95 (approx £69)

 

 

Kindle

By Tash from @tash_blake_ivy

My must-have item when I go away is my Kindle. As much as I love to read I can never find the time when I’m at home with two toddlers! There’s nothing more relaxing than sunbathing with a drink and getting into a good book on my kindle. That’s of course when the kids are at the children’s club. Buy it here for £69.99

 
 
 
We hope we’ve armed you with a handy list of travelling gifts for the globetrotter in your life – or even just an idea or two for yourself! Do you have any other recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!
 

Recent Posts

Where’s Hot In January? Escape The Winter Blues

Christmas and New Year's Eve are over, it’s cold outside and winter blues have officially… Read More

22 hours ago

Best European Breaks for an Unbeatable Weekend

Guest post by Dakota Murphey With Christmas celebrations and New Year holidays to look forward to,… Read More

4 days ago

Beach Bucket List: Europe’s Best Beach Holidays

Golden sand, turquoise sea and the sun beating down on you...is there anything better than… Read More

1 week ago

The Best Babymoon Destinations Around The World

Welcoming a new addition to your family is a thrilling time—but before the sleepless nights… Read More

2 weeks ago

Top of the Props: France

Whether you dream of unwinding in your very own castle, sipping wine in a chateau… Read More

2 weeks ago

South West Coast Path: Walks and Accommodation

The England Coast Path is due to be finished in 2020, and the biggest of… Read More

2 weeks ago