Ultimate Christmas Gift Ideas for Travellers in 2021

From travel essentials to home decor: what to get that travel-lover in your life this holiday season.

How many times this year have you already asked yourself “what in the world do I get them for Christmas”? Some people are really easy to buy for, but for those few who leave you stumped because they’re often jet-setting around the world, what on earth could you gift them that they’d actually use? I’ve put together a guide of gift ideas for the travel lover, and whether they’re a travelling nomad or an at-home travel lover, you’ll find something on this list they’ll love. So without further ado, here’s my guide to Christmas gift-giving for travellers and travel lovers alike.

1. A travel wallet for all of their precious travel documents.

Gone are the days of tossing your passport and boarding passes loose in your carry-on after going through airport security, all you need is a travel wallet! This one from Love & Lore is simple, chic, and has compartments for your passport, travel docs and luggage tickets. This one by Fjallraven is great for carrying cash and cards as well!

2. Eco and travel friendly beauty products

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With all of the hostel-hopping, mountain hiking and long-haul flights, staying eco-friendly while travelling isn’t always easy. Help the travel-lover in your life stay eco-friendly with this Shampoo and Conditioner bar kit from Unwrapped Life with travel containers, and a bamboo toothbrush from Brush Naked. They don’t take up much room, and using shampoo bars instead of bottles saves on plastic as well as liquid allowance for air travel! Win-win-win, right?

3. A reliable portable phone charger

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I mean…do I even need to explain this one? Not only is having a portable phone charge convenient for long travel journeys, it adds an extra layer of safety when you’re away from home and need to keep your phone alive. I’ve had this charger from Anker for years and love it. It’s small but mighty, and they have other models that are larger and hold an even longer charge for extra-needy phones.

4. A travel scratch map

What could be more satisfying than scratching your life’s travels into a map to reveal a colourful world map underneath? *Insert puppy dog eye emoji here*. I have a scratch map at home and I’d be lying if I said I don’t consider planning trips to new places just so I can scratch the country off my map!

5. Instant photo camera

Even though we take about a bijillion pictures on our phones, there’s just something so fun about having a polaroid-type of camera. These Fujifilm minis and Polaroid cameras are great for travelling and capturing those unforgettable moments.

6. Travel books to fuel their wanderlust

When the travel-lover in your life isn’t off exploring the Amazon or getting lost in the streets of Parma, they can keep their wanderlust alive with some travel books! Books like World Travel: An Irreverent Guide or Journeys of a lifetime are great gifts to keep them thinking and dreaming about travel until their next trip.

7. A snack subscription

Hear me out on this one. The number one thing I always make sure I have whenever I leave home is snacks. I recently discovered Laid Back Snacks and they’re now my go-to for all of my snacking needs. They have a subscription service where you can have a box of tasty (and healthy) snacks delivered on a schedule of your choice, and they’re the perfect little packs to bring travelling! The Hearty Tamari pack will change your life, I promise.

8. Revlon hair dryer and styling tool

If there’s only one hair product I can bring with me when I travel, it’s this Revlon hair dryer and styling tool. I’ve been using this tool almost every day for two years and it’s my absolute favourite hair tool I’ve ever used. This tool works as a hair dryer, but you can also style your hair with it as it brushes your hair as it dries. It’s honestly magic, and I would recommend it to everyone – whether you’re travelling or not!

9. An annual subscription to National Geographic

If the travel lover in your life collects or enjoys travel magazines or just learning about the world, National Geographic actually offers an annual gift subscription to their magazine. It includes both a digital access and physical copies of their editorials, along with a free tote bag. This would make a great gift for an explorer or photography buff as well!

10. A Makeup Eraser to cut down on waste

Did you know there are roughly 11 billion wipes thrown away each year that end up in the landfill? According to businesswaste.co.uk, that’s enough wipes daily that can be piled as high as the Eiffel Tower. Terrifying image, right? A reusable makeup remover like the Makeup Eraser is a great way to cut back on waste, and is super convenient to bring travelling! They take up just as much room as a face cloth, which you could use the Makeup Eraser for as well! This brand has other models and designs too, so you can mix up your makeup removing routine. I personally love the two that I have and highly recommend them.

11. A travel and hiking backpack

If the travel-lover in your life is the adventure type who loves to hike or is looking to backpack across Europe or South America, this Mountaintop 40L Hiking Backpack is a great option. I have the older version (from 2016) and it got me through 3 weeks in Costa Rica so I know this new version (that comes in literally 19 colours) is a good option as well!

12. A travel bank to save money for their next adventure

Perfect for any home decor and saving money for travel, a good ole fashioned piggy bank (in this case a wooden box) is a great gift for travel lovers. Ask anyone who loves to travel what their biggest pain point is with travelling and they’ll probably tell you it’s the cost. Obviously a travel bank won’t make you a millionaire, but storing some money away to keep for travelling in a place where you can literally see your travel fund growing is a great gift in my books!

13. A great pair of leggings for long travel days

Believe me when I tell you that most people opt for comfort when they fly/travel, especially if they know it’s going to be a long journey. I’ve bought myself many pairs of leggings over the last few years, and so far none have beat these Aerie Offline Leggings. I have them in three colours and I wear them basically every day when I’m at home and they are the first thing I pack when I’m going somewhere. Nothing beats being comfy, squat proof and stylish all at the same time, and these leggings are it.

14. Notebooks for their inevitable note taking and travel planning

Some travellers are also travel planners and love to record every step of their travel adventures (Hi, I’m “some travellers”). Though my notebook collection is extensive and is showing no signs of slowing down, my go-to is always Moleskine classic notebooks. You can get them both lined and blank and they come in a wide range of colours. Moleskine also has the same style of book as a planner, so if they could use some organization that’s a great option too!

15. The gift of experiences

If you’d rather not be as material-minded this holiday season, giving the gift of experiences is a perfect alternative! If they love to travel they probably love trying out new experiences anyway, so why not enrich their lives with a tour, a class, a spa treatment? Websites like Epic Experiences and Viator have so many options to choose from, and some even offer gift cards for them to use on whatever experience they’d like!

Not everyone is easy to buy for, but if you have a travel-lover in your life that’s left you stumped this holiday season, keep this list on hand and you’re sure to find something they’ll love (and actually use)! Have something to add to the list? Drop them in the comments below, and happy holidays everyone!