20+ Fun and Useful Gifts for Travel Lovers

Looking for the perfect gift for the travel addict in your life? These 20+ fun and useful travel-inspired gifts ($50 or less) are great for travel lovers whether they’re stuck at home or on the road.

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Gifts for Armchair Travel

Just because we’re grounded for the time being doesn’t mean that we’re not dreaming about future trips to beautiful destinations. These thoughtful gifts will inspire wanderlust and armchair travel for the traveller who is currently staying close to home.

Jigsaw Puzzles – It had been years since I had completed a jigsaw puzzle and I had honestly forgotten how much I enjoyed them until we went into lockdown this past spring. Since then I have been doing them regularly and tend to pick travel-themed puzzles so I can dream about travelling again while putting them together. A puzzle is a gift that will provide hours of entertainment and there are so many options to choose from. I particularly like the Globetrotter series from Eurographics which are a bit like a bucket list with photos!

A subscription for language lessons is a great way to brush up on language skills before the next big trip and is sure to be much appreciated by a friend or family member who loves to travel. One option is Rosetta Stone which offers subscriptions starting around $11.99/month for a 3 month subscription for one language.

A Globe – Who doesn’t love the game of spinning a globe and pointing to pick a destination? A globe is the perfect gift for the travel lover to dream about future trips while at home.

Travel Quote Mug – If you’re looking for an inexpensive gift for the travel addict on your holiday list then you can’t go wrong with a mug printed with a travel quote. I like this one that has one of my favourite travel quotes “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list”!

Calendars – A wall or desktop calendar is something that is going to be looked at several times a day so why not have it serve up some travel inspiration with beautiful photos?

Coffee Table Books – A beautiful coffee table book with stunning photos is a great source of travel inspiration as well as a lovely decorative item for the home of your travel lover. A few favourite options include Wanderlust: A Traveler’s Guide to the Globe; Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips (2nd edition); Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places; and Humans of New York or Humans by Brandon Stanton.

Travel Books – Any travel lover on your list will love receiving a book that helps them plan an adventure or read about a destination and do some travel dreaming while at home. A few of my favourites are National Geographic 50 States, 5000 Ideas; National Geographic 100 Drives, 5000 Ideas; Discover Canada: 100 Inspiring Outdoor Advenures by Leigh McAdam of Hike Bike, Travel; and National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks (2nd edition will be available mid-December).

Read our Review of 100 Drives, 5000 Ideas and our Review of Discover Canada

Cookbooks from favourite destinations – Eating local foods is undoubtedly one of the best parts of travel so why not gift a cookbook so your loved one can recreate that travel experience at home.

L’Occitane en Provence Hand Lotion always reminds me of our trip to Provence. The Shea Butter Hand Cream and Lavender Hand Cream are my favourites but there are a variety of beautiful scents to choose from and the smaller size tube (30 ml) is ideal for travelling as well.

L’Occitane en Provence products are also available on Amazon if you prefer to do much of your shopping on one site.

Lingo playing cards – these playing cards are a fun way to brush up on language skills by learning a few key phrases before a trip.

Wall Maps – A wall map is a creative way for a travel lover to decorate their home and there are so many options from beautiful decorative maps to scratch-off maps or maps with push pins to illustrate countries that have been visited.

Decorative Throw Pillow – Throw pillows are another fun way for someone to show their love of travel at home. I like this vintage map but you can also find them with travel quotes or with specific city or country designs as well.

Board Games – Who doesn’t love game night particularly if there’s a travel twist?!? Whether it’s a geography or travel-themed game or Monopoly National Parks, a board game will make a great gift for the travel addict on your list!

Practical Gifts (to Use at Home or on the Road)

Travellers always appreciate practical gifts that will come in useful when they’re on the road and most of these can come in handy at home as well.

S’Well Stainless Steel Water Bottle – a S’Well water bottle is the perfect gift because it can be used at home or while travelling. S’well bottles feature Therma-S’well® Technology with triple-layered, vacuum-insulated construction designed to keep beverages cold or hot for hours and are made of food grade stainless steel.

My daughters and I love ours and use them all the time. My daughter puts ice water in hers in the morning on the way to school and it hasn’t all melted by the end of the day! And there are so many patterns and colours to choose from.

Portable Charger – We have become so dependent on our phones that the last thing anyone needs is to have a phone die when out and about or on the road. A portable charger is a great gift as it will be useful at home or on the road.

Travel Journal – I love this travel journal that can be used over and over again. It’s a beautiful book and it seems more environmentally friendly to just replace the paper instead of buying a new book for each trip.

Travel Power Adaptor – Another gadget that every traveller needs (and it doesn’t hurt to have more than one because they sometimes get left behind in hotel rooms!). This all in one International Power Adapter available on Amazon has 4 x USB ports and 1 Universal AC Socket, enough to simultaneously charge 5 devices. The travel adapter Covers over 150 countries such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Japan, China, Korea, India, Italy, Brazil, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, etc.

Travel Jewelry Box – A travel jewelry box is great for carrying small pieces of jewelry when travelling and can be used at home as well.

GorillaPod tripod – This compact, flexible tripod will allow you to secure a phone or camera (up to 6.6 lbs) to virtually any surface. Useful for travelling but it might come in handy at home as well.

Travel Blanket – We have been flying with Lug travel blankets for years as we hate the blankets that the airlines hand out but love curling up on overnight flights to Europe. My daughter even brings hers along for the backseat on road trips! The blanket comes inside a case made from the same cozy fabric that doubles as a pillow case for the included inflatable pillow and there’s a variety of colours and patterns available.

Merino Wool Socks – Socks might not seem like an exciting gift – unless they’re merino wool! Natural merino wool keeps you cool in the summer/warm in the winter and is moisture-wicking so will keep your feet dry and prevent blisters. Anyone would love this practical gift that they can use while travelling or hiking near home!

Bamboo Utensils – Reusable bamboo utensils are a great gift for the environmentally conscious traveller on your list. Having a set of reusable utensils is a simple way to help reduce plastic waste and will soon be essential as more places ban single use plastics.