The Ultimate Guide to the Best Gifts For People Who Love To Travel
Are you looking for the ultimate guide to the best travel gifts but don’t want to shell out a ton of money? Or maybe you need to find a great gift but are unsure of what the traveler in your life really wants?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
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Picking a gift out for someone can be challenging. It is sometimes hard to know exactly what someone else would want to receive.
Should you give them the fuzzy socks? Apple airpods? Or that mixed tape that you made with them in mind?
Ultimately when it comes down to it, the best gifts for someone are both meaningful and personal. So really anything goes. As long as it is a gift that is well thought out and truly fits the person that it is for.
Not that there’s anything wrong with giving someone a gift card or even cash, because sometimes that just is the best gift for someone. And I would never scoff at getting a little cash.
But there’s just something about receiving a meaningful gift. It makes you feel like someone really knows you and put a lot of time and thought into picking something out, just for you.
Which is why I think that finding the perfect gift for someone is so important.
It’s not just the act of giving but the thought that goes into it that counts the most.
Identifying Your Recipient
Knowing who you are buying for including their likes/dislikes, hobbies, and guilty pleasures makes it so much easier to pinpoint a good gift.
I have to admit that I am a very practical person. I like to receive things that I actually need and will use. But that does not mean that I do not equally enjoy being on the receiving end of a splurge gift. Something that I would never buy for myself. Especially since I am not much of a shopper, which probably makes Jason (and our bank account) pretty happy.
It is true that I still wear the same fleece coat that I bought 17 years ago. Maybe that’s the frugal part of me or maybe it’s because I just really like that coat!
Probably a little bit of both.
Prior to making a purchase, remember to take the time to figure out what types of gifts your recipient would actually want.
Really think about that person and identify what would make them happy.
The Best Travel Gifts Under $50
You know here at Our Life On FIRE that we are all about saving money but are equally focused on making meaningful purchases.
Travel has and always will be a priority to us. Jason and I have always had a sense of adventure and don’t see ourselves slowing down anytime soon.
It is true that we try to live a more simple life and are pretty frugal with our spending. Some people may think that traveling is too expensive but it doesn’t have to be.
This gift guide for the travel lover in your life will not break the bank.
Spending more money on a gift does not equate to instant happiness, on either the giving or receiving end.
This unique gift list is filled with items, big and small, that we love or are on our wish list as avid travelers.
The Best Gifts For Someone Traveling By Plane
Let’s face it. Plane travel is just not very fun. Being crammed into a little seat, next to a stranger, smelling airplane smells……I know you know what I’m talking about….
It’s great for convenience and to get somewhere quickly but flying on an airplane is just not my idea of a good time.
These gifts for the plane traveler will hopefully make their trip go a bit more smoothly. Or at least make their experience a little less stressful and make their trip a little more comfortable for them.
LOVE these. I’m not sure how I packed my suitcase without them. Actually I do. My suitcase was definitely less organized and everything just seemed to be somehow crammed in there.
And don’t even get me started on if you have kids. There’s so much stuff to pack! With these packing cubes, everyone can have their own (maybe even their own color).
Love to know exactly where to find your socks or favorite pair of shorts. Then get these. Now.
The best passport holder not only holds your passport but has pockets for an ID, credit card, some cash and your plane ticket or important documents.
Having everything organized all together makes getting through security just a bit faster and makes me feel a little bit more sane when walking through the airport.
Am I the only one that travels with phone cords, earbuds, extra SD cards, and various other chargers? Probably not. And if you are one of these people and hate to fight the tangled cords stuffed into your carry on, you need one of these.
This is a small and practical but very essential item that makes a great gift for an international traveler.
When travelling to most other countries, this is a must. You don’t want to have to worry about being able to plug your phone or other devices into the outlet once you arrive at your destination.
This is an awesome travel budgeting hack that a friend recommended to me. Take a packable lunch bag with you in your luggage. Once at your destination, you can use this lunch bag to (surprise!) pack a lunch, or breakfast, snacks.,beer, whatever you need to keep cold.
This will save you money, give you healthier meal options and allow you to avoid having to go out to eat all the time.
It’s also great to take with you if you plan on being on the road, at the beach, or on a hike where there may not be a place to buy food.
Love this idea and this lunchbag. The bag itself is freezable so you don’t have to take any additional ice packs.
The Best Road Trip Gifts
Road trips are a great way to explore a new place and get off the beaten path.
We have driven cross country about 8 times, which has allowed us to see so much more than if we had flown.
Anyone who has taken a road trip knows how many great memories can be made just by jumping in the car with your family or friends.
Sure there are the hiccups that come along such as the flat tire, the horrible hotel, or the bad weather. But in the end it all contributes to amazing lifelong memories and stories to reminisce about.
These budget friendly gifts for the road tripper are sure to make your next adventure go smoothly with less stress.
So if you are like us and drive older cars, you don’t have the luxury of using your car’s navigation system.
So the best and safest way to use your phone to guide you along your route is to use a phone mount.
USB Port / Bluetooth FM transmitter:
Another downfall of an older car – no USB port or Bluetooth.
Here is the quick fix for that, which will allow you to charge your phone and listen to all of those podcasts that you have downloaded for your road trip.
If you’ve ever been on a road trip, you know how quickly your car can accumulate stuff, which just ends up everywhere.
Stuff gets put into every nook and cranny in our car, especially with kids, and can start to feel overwhelming.
To solve this problem, invest in a car organizer.
This one is great if you have kids.
We have traveled cross country, by car, approximately 8 times. You can never be sure that your cell phone will work everywhere, which means that you may find yourself feeling a bit lost if google maps is not there to tell you where to go.
What did we ever do without our cell phones? That’s right, kids. We all had to use an actual map.
Probably one of the most important things that you need to bring on a road trip is food. Or is that just me?
You never know when you are going to be stuck in traffic and take longer to get to your destination than expected.
And let’s face it, nobody likes a hangry person. Keep your road trip running smoothly and be prepared with a few snacks and sandwiches.
I love giving books as gifts but when it comes to travel, most people don’t want to lug a book around.
A great alternative are ebooks, audio books, and podcasts. You can find all of these on Audible.
Get a free 30 day trial of Audible HERE
Non-Electronic Ways To Keep Kids Occupied On A Road Trip
If you’ve ever been on a road trip or even just a long car ride with kids, you know that they need something to keep themselves busy.
Little ones don’t have the ability to just sit and enjoy the view.
Don’t go on a roadtrip with kids without a plan to keep them occupied. Trust me.
Here are some great non-electronic ideas on how to keep children entertained in the car.
Little kids love stickers. And these reusable stickers will keep them busy for a very long time.
A good activity book will provide your child with a variety of things to do. This is a great road trip themed book that includes maps, games, and other activities.
I also love this kid’s book that is all about national parks.
It allows you to record your visit to each park. They can later use this book to look back at all of the memories that they have made visiting these national treasures.
And for kids that are a little bit older (5-12 years old), a travel journal is a great way to keep track of that special vacation or road trip.
This book by Lonely Planet Kids has fill in sections, lists to complete, and white space to include your own drawings, stickers, etc.
Gifts To Fulfill Your Wanderlust
So at this time, many people have had to stop traveling but that doesn’t stop them from dreaming about that future trip.
These are some great gifts for the traveler to fulfill their wanderlust even if they are spending more time at home than on the road.
Travelers love maps. And what better way to showcase all of the places that you have been than a scratch off map.
These fun maps allow you to reminisce about your past trips while planning for your future vacations.
Puzzles are a fun way for both adults and kids to work together. They are also a great mental exercise, improving attention, visual-spatial reasoning, and problem solving.
The Best Splurge Gift For Someone Who Loves To Travel
Everything on this list has been a budget friendly travel gift under $50.
This is the one gift on this list that is over $50 but it is such a great gift idea for the traveler on your list.
More and more people are traveling domestically at this time and it will probably remain that way for awhile. Why not give them a gift that allows them to explore the U.S.
We love the U.S. National Parks. It’s amazing how many different parks there are in the U.S. and how many people have never been to most or any of them.
So far we have been to five parks just in the past four months!
A unique splurge gift for someone who loves to travel is a National Parks Pass.
This pass is good for one year and gives you entrance to all of the National Parks in the U.S.
Final Thoughts On Finding The Best Gifts For People Who Love To Travel
Travel may be different now but for those of us who love to travel, our wanderlust remains.
This list of useful and unique gifts is sure to please travelers of all ages.
I hope it gives you some ideas and helps you to find that perfect gift for the traveler in your life.