20 Amazing Travel-Lover Gifts
Give the Gift of Wanderlust in 2022
20 Amazing
Travel-Lover Gifts
Give the Gift of Wanderlust in 2022
Searching for the perfect gift for a travel lover? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ve put together a list of 20 unique gifts for travel lovers. Give the gift of wanderlust in 2022 with these amazing travel-lover gifts!
Table of Contents
1. Drone
For travel lovers who want to take their photography to new heights (literally), a camera drone is a fantastic gift! As the drone flies through the sky, its camera gets a bird’s-eye view of the world below. With its ability to take incredible aerial photos and videos, a drone is a must-have for travel lovers!
2. Clip-on Camera Lenses for Smartphones
Clip-on camera lenses for smartphones are a game-changer for travel photography, which makes them an amazing gift for travel lovers!
A set of clip-on camera lenses is a fantastic gift for travel lovers for several reasons:
Easy to Use
First, using a clip-on camera lens is super simple. You literally just clip the lens onto a smartphone and then start taking photos!
Small & Lightweight
Second, clip-on camera lenses are great for traveling because they’re lightweight, compact, and small enough to fit inside a pocket or small purse.
Low Cost
Third, clip-on camera lenses cost much less than digital or DSLR cameras. So clip-on camera lenses are an inexpensive way for travelers to enhance their photography if they don’t own a digital or DSLR camera.
Wide Variety of Lens Types
Fourth, there are many types of clip-on camera lenses, including wide-angle, macro, fisheye, telephoto, kaleidoscope, and starlight lenses. With all these different lens options, clip-on camera lenses provide travelers with some of the functionality of a digital or DSLR camera, but without the extra expense or bulkiness.
Discreet & Suitable for Use in Most Environments
Fifth, clip-on camera lenses are perfect for situations where travelers don’t want to tote around a large, valuable DSLR camera with multiple lenses. Clip-on camera lenses for smartphones are discreet and attract less attention than large DSLR cameras. Plus, clip-on camera lenses can be used in any environment that’s acceptable for a smartphone.
An important note about clip-on lenses for smartphones…
All clip-on lenses are not created equal. For example, some clip-on lenses—particularly the less expensive ones—add a vignette around the edges of photos. Not ideal. So it’s worth spending an extra $15 to $20 to get better quality lenses that won’t add an unwanted vignette to photos.
I personally own the set of Xenvo wide-angle and macro clip-on lenses pictured above, and I’m a big fan! With my Xenvo clip-on lenses, I’m able to take great wide-angle and macro photos with my smartphone without the dreaded vignette effect!
3. GoPro
On a personal note, I absolutely love my GoPro! I’ve used it while snorkeling and sea kayaking in the Caribbean, scuba diving between the continental plates in Iceland’s Silfra Fissure, zip-lining and whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, and even while bicycling in Vietnam. A GoPro is an absolute must-have for travel lovers on the go!
4. Portable Power Bank
Why Portable Power Banks are Great Travel-Lover Gifts
These days, travelers use their smartphones all day—for navigation, e-tickets, taking photos, Googling restaurants and attractions, and posting trip highlights on social media. What would we do without our smartphones?!
The problem is that all this smartphone use drains the phone’s battery. As a result, when travelers get a “low battery” warning, they’re faced with two options:
(1) try to sightsee old-school-style without using their smartphones, or
(2) find a coffee shop or other establishment where they can plug their smartphones into electrical outlets and hang out until they get enough battery charge to continue sightseeing.
(I’ve found myself in this situation so many times. And I can say from experience that these options are frustrating, inefficient, and, sometimes, unsafe.)
Luckily, there’s a third, much better option—charging smartphones on the go with a portable power bank!
Choosing the Right Portable Power Bank
There are many types of portable power banks with varying sizes and charging capacities. (For example, there are portable power banks with enough juice to charge a camera battery or a laptop.) Some portable power banks are even solar-powered! Because of the wide variety of options, there is a portable power bank to fit each traveler’s needs.
If the primary concern is a dying smartphone battery, then small portable power banks (like the three power banks pictured above) are perfect. They’re lightweight and easily fit into a purse, daypack, or pocket. My Anker portable power bank, which I always carry with me to charge my phone while traveling, is the size of a deck of cards!
Need help choosing the right portable power bank?
Check out this helpful article from Flashpacker Co. on “How to Choose the Best Power Bank.” The article discusses important factors to consider when picking the right portable power bank (including capacity, device compatibility, size, and other factors).
While you’re on the Flashpacker Co. website, check out Flashpacker Co.’s great selection of portable power banks!
Plus….get 20% OFF your entire order when you use my Flashpacker Co. affiliate discount code:
TRAVELINGTWILLEY
If you’re looking for a gift that will be indispensable to a travel lover, a portable power bank is the perfect choice!
5. All-in-One Universal Plug Adapter with USB
With an all-in-one universal plug adapter, travelers won’t have to keep up with separate adapters for different regions and countries. Instead, they can travel confidently knowing their plug adapter needs are covered with one compact all-in-one plug adapter no matter their destination!
Also, here’s an important tip for choosing the best all-in-one universal plug adapter… Make sure to select an adapter that has several USB ports (including a Type C port) so that multiple devices can be charged at once. The all-in-one universal plug adapter pictured above has four USB ports (including one Type C port), and it’s a great option!
6. Anti-Theft Bag
An anti-theft daypack, crossbody bag, or sling pack is another great travel-lover gift, especially for travelers visiting busy tourist-filled areas where pickpocketing and bag snatching may be more prevalent.
There are even anti-theft fanny packs for travelers who want to rock that funky fresh fashion staple from the 80s and 90s!
Anti-theft bags have special security features like lockable zippers, cut-resistant straps, and RFID-blocking pockets (which prevent thieves from stealing your credit card or passport information just by standing next to you). With one of these nifty anti-theft bags, the travel lovers in your life will have peace of mind knowing their belongings are safe and secure while they’re sightseeing and exploring.
When I’m traveling and need a bag that can fit and protect all my valuable electronics and photography gear, I carry this PacSafe Vibe 25L Anti-Theft Daypack that the folks at Flashpacker Co. let me try out. It’s a super sleek-looking bag—for men or women—and it matches everything. Plus, it’s deceptively roomy, with plenty of space for my laptop, mouse, iPad, DSLR camera and extra lens, portable power bank, wallet, water bottle, travel guide book, and other items. I definitely recommend it!
And just a reminder—if you’re interested in this PacSafe Vibe 25L Anti-Theft Daypack or any other item on the Flashpacker Co. website, you can get 20% off your entire order at Flashpacker Co. using my affiliate discount code: TRAVELINGTWILLEY
When I’m traveling and need a bag that can fit and protect all my valuable electronics and photography gear, I carry this PacSafe Vibe 25L Anti-Theft Daypack that the folks at Flashpacker Co. let me try out. It’s a super sleek-looking bag—for men or women—and it matches everything. Plus, it’s deceptively roomy, with plenty of space for my laptop, mouse, iPad, DSLR camera and extra lens, portable power bank, wallet, water bottle, travel guide book, and other items. I definitely recommend it!
And just a reminder—if you’re interested in this PacSafe Vibe 25L Anti-Theft Daypack or any other item on the Flashpacker Co. website, you can get 20% off your entire order at Flashpacker Co. using my affiliate discount code: TRAVELINGTWILLEY
PacSafe makes high-quality anti-theft bags in a variety of styles. In addition to daypacks, PacSafe also makes crossbody bags, sling packs, and fanny packs for travel lovers who prefer those styles.
7. Carry-On Cocktail Kit
If you’re looking for a unique gift for a cocktail-loving traveler, a carry-on cocktail kit is the perfect choice! With these nifty little carry-on cocktail kits, the travel lovers in your life will become mile-high mixologists!
Here’s how it works. To make a cocktail, all you need is (1) a mini bottle of the appropriate spirit and (2) the cocktail kit (which contains all the other necessary ingredients besides the alcohol). First, order a travel-sized bottle of alcohol from a flight attendant. Next, following the instructions from the cocktail kit, add the ingredients from the kit into a cup. Then, add the alcohol to the cup, and mix it all together using the small stirrer that comes in the kit. And voilà! An instant in-flight beverage upgrade!
There are numerous brands of carry-on cocktail kits, but I personally love the kits from The Cocktail Box Co. The Cocktail Box Co. makes carry-on kits for many classic cocktails, including the Old Fashioned, Classic Mai Tai, Gin & Tonic, Moscow Mule, Margarita, Champagne Cocktail, Mojito, and Manhattan. Each cocktail kit makes 3 to 6 drinks. Created with air travel in mind, these TSA-friendly cocktail kits are lightweight and come in a compact tin (with dimensions of 4.2″ x 3.2″ x 1″).
A carry-on cocktail is a fun gift that’s great for flights, train rides, and excursions!
8. Premium or Elite Subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights
Give the travel lovers in your life the gift of cheap flights with a subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights!
The Scott’s Cheap Flights team scours the internet to find cheap flights to destinations all over the world. Scott’s Cheap Flights then notifies its subscribers about awesome deals via e-mail. If you want to take advantage of the deal, then you just hop over to Google Flights to check out the available dates, airlines, and itineraries. You can book the flights directly through the airline or book through Google Flights or another booking website if you prefer. It’s so easy!
As a travel lover myself, the two things I love most about Scott’s Cheap Flights are (1) the amazing flight deals (obviously) and that (2) it’s a great way to discover new destinations to visit (for cheap)!
Scott’s Cheap Flights offers a free subscription, as well as two types of paid subscriptions: (1) the Premium Subscription and (2) the Elite Subscription. To give a Scott’s Cheap Flights subscription as a gift, all you need to do is purchase a gift card.
TWILLEY’S TRAVEL TIP: Sign up for the free subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights.
As an aside……regardless of whether you purchase the Premium or Elite subscription as a gift for the travel lovers in your life, you absolutely should sign up for a free subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights because it’s one of the best travel hacks I know!
Although you get more flight deals with the paid subscriptions, the free subscription is a great way to get your feet wet if you’re not ready to commit to a paid subscription yet. The paid subscriptions also offer free trial periods.Now for a comparison of the two paid subscriptions plans…
Premium Subscription
With the Premium Subscription, Scott’s Cheap Flights notifies you about (1) international economy fare deals, (2) domestic economy fare deals, (3) rare bucket-list deals, (4) weekend getaway deals, and (5) mistake fares from your handful of chosen airports. The cost of a Premium Subscription starts at $49 per year. Click here for more information about the Premium Subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights.
Elite Subscription
The Elite Subscription is a new plan that includes all the benefits of the Premium Subscription but also offers several additional perks. Specifically, if you have the Elite Subscription, Scott’s Cheap Flights also notifies you about (1) mistake fares from all U.S. airports (not just from your chosen airports), (2) premium economy deals, (3) business class deals, and (4) first class deals. An Elite Subscription costs $199 per year. Click here for more information about the Elite Subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights.
I’ve had the Premium Subscription for several years, and I’ve gotten so many great flight deals through Scott’s Cheap Flights. For example, I once booked a main cabin Delta flight from my small local airport in South Carolina to Belize—only one month before the trip—for $193. Another time, I booked a main cabin Delta flight from New York to Amsterdam for only $618.
The proof is in the pudding! A subscription to Scott’s Cheap Flights is the travel gift that keeps on giving!
9. Packing Cubes
Have you ever discovered an amazing new product or life hack and thought— “Where have you been all my life??” Well, that’s how I feel about packing cubes.
Every travel lover needs a set of packing cubes!
What Are Packing Cubes?
Packing cubes are small, zippered bags that help travelers keep their clothing organized in their luggage, making it easy to find specific items quickly.
Before I discovered packing cubes, the inside of my suitcase was a disorganized mess. Even if my suitcase started out looking organized, it quickly descended into disarray by the second or third day of a trip. But with packing cubes, the inside of my suitcase is as tidy on the last day of a trip as it was on the first day. Packing cubes are game-changers, and I can’t imagine traveling without them!
Typically, a set of packing cubes includes several cubes of varying sizes (i.e., small, medium, and large packing cubes). Travelers can easily organize their clothing by type—for example, putting shirts in one cube, pants or dresses in another, and items like socks and undergarments in one of the small cubes. Many packing cube sets also come with a cube that fits a pair of regular-sized shoes (or a few pairs of flat sandals).
Compression Packing Cubes
There are two basic types of packing cubes—regular packing cubes (like the two sets pictured above) and compression packing cubes.
Compression packing cubes are especially awesome because, in addition to keeping your clothing organized, they compress the air out of the cubes to eliminate extra bulk and free up space inside your suitcase. (Note: These are not vacuum-sealed bags. Rather, compression packing cubes use a two-zipper system to make the cubes more compact.)
TWILLEY’S PICK: Tripped Travel Compression Packing Cubes
I used regular packing cubes for years, but then I discovered compression packing cubes and fell in love with them! When I travel, I use this set of Tripped Travel compression packing cubes I bought from Flashpacker Co. I love how compact and non-bulky the Tripped Travel compression packing cubes are! And now they’re my go-to set of packing cubes!
You can buy the same Tripped Travel compression packing cubes I use from both Amazon and Flashpacker Co. But—as a bonus—if you buy them from Flashpacker Co., you can get 20% off your entire order by using my affiliate discount code: TRAVELINGTWILLEY
To sum it up, if you’re looking for a gift that will make a travel lover wonder how they ever traveled without it, give them a set of packing cubes!
10. Travel-Sized Luggage Scale
A lightweight, travel-sized luggage scale is a terrific travel-lover gift!
Most travelers have experienced that moment of anxiety when we place our checked luggage on the scale at an airline check-in counter and wonder whether our bag will be overweight. If the bag is too heavy, then we either have to pay overweight luggage fees or hastily redistribute items into another bag while other travelers wait in line behind us. Stressful!
But with a travel-sized luggage scale, travel-lovers can know before arriving at the airport whether their luggage meets the weight requirements. The luggage scale removes the guesswork! Luggage scales are essential both at the beginning of a trip and at the end (after travelers have purchased souvenirs to bring home).
I use a digital travel-sized luggage scale when I travel, but analog travel-sized luggage scales are also available for travelers who prefer a battery-free scale.
A travel-sized luggage scale is the perfect travel-lover gift because, besides being an essential piece of travel gear, it’s lightweight and takes up very little space in a suitcase!
11. TSA-Approved Lock
I regularly use TSA-approved luggage locks when I travel. I’ve found these luggage locks to be particularly useful on ski trips when I fly with a ski case containing my skis and poles. The first time I flew with my ski case, I didn’t have a TSA-approved luggage lock. When TSA opened up my ski case to inspect it, they failed to reinsert the little locking bar that holds the two parts of my ski case together. As a result, the two parts of my ski case kept sliding apart, which was a huge pain. After that experience, I started using a TSA-approved lock instead, and it was the perfect solution!
12. Personalized Luggage Tags
Personalized luggage tags are another fantastic travel-lover gift!
With personalized luggage tags, the travel lovers in your life will never again have to rely on flimsy paper luggage tags hastily filled out at the airline check-in counter. Plus, customized luggage tags stand out and make it easier to identify luggage on the baggage claim carousel.
Personalized luggage tags come in many styles and can be made from a variety of materials (including metal, silicone, vinyl, leather, vegan leather, or plastic). You can personalize the luggage tags with names, monograms, logos, or images. The possibilities are endless!
In addition, for travelers who don’t want their contact information printed directly on the tag, there are personalized luggage tags with custom QR codes printed on them instead.
As someone who has received personalized luggage tags as a gift, I can personally attest that they are a wonderful gift for travel lovers!
13. Travel Christmas Ornaments
Travel-themed Christmas ornaments are another wonderful travel-lover gift!
The Christmas after I studied abroad in college, my mom gave me beautiful Kurt Adler-designed Christmas ornaments for each of the countries I’d visited during my semester in Europe. Every Christmas since then, I’ve decorated my “travel tree” with those original travel-themed ornaments from my mom, as well as additional ornaments I’ve collected on my travels or bought online after visiting a new destination. (I love the colorful, vintage look of these glass ornaments, so I’ve collected a lot of these and have stuck with this style.)
Putting up my “travel tree” each year is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season! So I can say from experience that travel-themed Christmas ornaments are one of the most wonderful, nostalgic gifts you can give to a travel lover!
Want help finding the perfect travel-themed Christmas ornament for a travel-lover?
Check out my gift guides on travel-related Christmas ornaments:
- 23 Irish Christmas Ornaments for Ireland-Lovers
- 75 British Christmas Ornaments That Anglophiles Will Love
- 20 Amazing Australia Christmas Ornaments for Aussies and Australia-Lovers
In these gift guides, I’ve pulled together the best travel-related ornaments for travel-lovers in general, as well as destination-specific ornaments for Ireland-lovers, Anglophiles, and Australia-lovers!
14. Travel-Inspired Jewelry
15. Travel-Themed Apparel
16. Travel Books
As COVID-19 vaccination rates rise and more countries reopen their borders to travelers, there is no better time than now for travel lovers to update their travel bucket lists and decide which items to check off first! Travel books are a great source of ideas and inspiration.
Three of my favorite travel books (which are on my bookshelf and coffee table at home) are:
- The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small,
- National Geographic’s Destinations of a Lifetime, and
- 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
All three of these books are filled with incredible bucket list destinations and activities that will fuel any travel lover’s wanderlust!
17. Scratch-Off Map
When I return home from an international trip, my favorite activity is scratching off the country I just visited! For travel lovers who enjoy checking items off lists—like I do—this will be right up their alley!
Where to Purchase Scratch-Off Maps
If you’re interested in gifting a scratch-off map, I recommend buying one from Amazon. Amazon has dozens of scratch-off options from which to choose. The two maps shown above are two of the most highly-rated ones on Amazon. I purchased the maps pictured in the first photo (the U.S. and world maps with the black backgrounds) as a gift for a fellow travel lover, and I was so pleased with them that I bought a set for myself too.
How to Frame Scratch-Off Maps
I recommend getting the scratch-off map framed so your travel-loving friend or family member can easily display it. You can buy frames online or go to a craft store to get the map professionally framed and mounted. I’ve tried both options.
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The Less Expensive Framing Option
The cheaper option is to buy an inexpensive frame with a clear acrylic cover. This is the way I framed my first scratch-off map, and it looked good. With this option, the map will need to be removed from the frame each time they want to scratch off a new state or country.
The More Expensive Framing Option
The more expensive—and (in my opinion) more impressive-looking—option is to get a craft store to mount the map onto a firm backing and frame it without an acrylic or glass cover. This option allows the gift recipient to scratch off countries without removing the map from its frame. I love the way this option looks, and it’s really convenient!
I recently gave a travel-loving friend a set of scratch-off U.S. and world maps that I had framed and mounted in this way at a Michaels store. The maps looked awesome, and my friend loved the gift! (After seeing how great these maps looked, I upgraded my scratch-off maps and had them mounted and framed the same way!)
18. Travel-Inspired Home Decor
Travel-inspired home decor items make fantastic gifts for travel lovers! Some great examples of travel-inspired decor include canvas map prints, decorative pillows, mountain-shaped shelves, wooden wall maps, coasters, and globe decanter sets. These travel-inspired furnishings will fuel travel lovers’ wanderlust while they’re at home between adventures.
19. Homesick Travel-Inspired Scented Candles
Homesick’s travel-inspired scented candles make great travel-lover gifts! Each Homesick scented candle has a unique scent crafted to evoke memories of a specific place. With just the strike of a match, these scented candles will transport travel lovers back to their favorite destinations!
20. Travel-Themed Office Decor
Add a little wanderlust to a travel lover’s workspace with some fun travel-themed office decor! With travel-inspired office decor and desk accessories, travel lovers can fuel their wanderlust while working to fund their travels.
Some fun travel-themed office accessories include a globe pencil holder, scissors shaped like the Eiffel Tower, a travel-related page-a-day desk calendar, and a USB flash drive shaped like a plane or the Eiffel Tower.
What better remedy for a stressful workday or a case of the Mondays than travel-inspired office decor that helps travel-lovers keep their eyes on the prize—traveling!
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Affiliate Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For full information, please see the disclaimer.
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