Are your friends passionate travellers and you have no idea what to get them? Or maybe you have a family member who loves exploring the world and you’d like to surprise them with a themed present? We’ve put together a list of our favourite travel gifts — things we either love and use ourselves, or would be thrilled to receive. Of course, not everything suits everyone. If your mate doesn’t camp, there’s no point buying them camping gadgets, and a pink Polaroid probably won’t thrill most blokes.
We’re well aware of that, which is why we’ve noted who each gift is best suited for. And to give our own loved ones a hint, we’ve also mentioned whether we already own each item. You’ll find travel gifts here ranging from just a few pounds to several hundred.
We’ve also included links to where you can buy each item. When shopping for gifts online, always use websites with easy return policies — that way there’s no stress if something doesn’t fit.
1) Travel Coffee Maker – Aeropress
- Where to get an Aeropress: Check it out here
- Who it’s for: Any traveller who loves quality coffee
- Do we own one? Not yet, but it’s already been ordered as a Christmas present 🙂
- We’d also recommend picking up a hand grinder and some good travel-friendly coffee to go with it.
As we write this, we’re sitting in our little beach house on Koh Samui, absolutely suffering. We can’t find filter bags for our coffee maker anywhere. We’ve gotten so desperate that we actually bought instant coffee. Although Thailand is a budget-friendly destination, a decent coffee at a restaurant costs a surprising amount — especially if you don’t want their overly sweet concoctions. An Aeropress would solve all our coffee woes in an instant.
2) A Travel Book That Everyone Will Envy
Last Christmas, my dad surprised me with a gorgeous book — The Travel Book. I couldn’t actually sit down and enjoy it properly until several days after Christmas Day, because everyone kept borrowing it. Since then, it sat on our coffee table in Prague and I couldn’t put it down — nor could any of our guests. It features 850 photographs and covers 230 countries. And the images are truly spectacular.
- Where to buy it? I’d recommend ordering from Book Depository or Amazon. Book Depository offers FREE worldwide shipping, which is a nice bonus.
- Who it’s for: Anyone who loves stunning photography. However, I’d recommend gifting it to someone who has a settled home. If your friend is constantly on the move, save this one for later.
- Do we own it? YES.
What other books would we recommend? If they love city breaks, The Cities Book is fantastic, as is The Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet by Lonely Planet.
3) Audiobooks and E-books About Travel
I always tell everyone: please don’t buy me paper books for reading (unless they’re photography books). Instead, get me audiobooks or e-books for my Kindle.
Travel Audiobooks and E-books:
For hilarious travel writing, you can’t go wrong with authors like Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux. Whether it’s Bryson’s “Neither Here Nor There” about travelling through Europe, or any of his other travel memoirs, we promise you won’t be bored.
- “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson (book, audiobook, and e-book available)
- “Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe” by Bill Bryson (book, audiobook, and e-book available)
- “The Great Railway Bazaar” by Paul Theroux (book, audiobook, and e-book available)
An Audiobook for Very Long Journeys:
This one isn’t travel-themed, but it’s brilliant and will keep them entertained for ages. If your friend owns an iPhone, there’s a good chance they’ll love this too. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is probably the best biography I’ve ever read (well, in this case, listened to).
- Who it’s for: Anyone heading on longer trips who you know listens to audiobooks or podcasts — or owns an e-reader if you’re buying the e-book.
- Do we own them? Yes.
4) Know Where They’re Heading? Get Them a Map or Guidebook
We never plan our days too far in advance, but we love reading up on the history of places, exploring where to go, and most importantly, figuring out what potential issues might crop up along the way. In Asia and Africa especially, it’s all too easy to fall victim to scams — guidebooks usually cover all of this. A good guidebook from Lonely Planet or Rough Guides can genuinely make your trip smoother and safer.
That said, some guidebooks are frankly useless — particularly if they try to cover too broad an area. There’s no point buying a general guide to the western USA, where you won’t learn much because there’s simply too much to cover. It’s better to go for country-specific or region-specific guides. We had amazing Lonely Planet guides for Hawaii and Alaska, for instance.
- Where to buy: Amazon and Waterstones have the widest selection of Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.
- Who it’s for: Anyone who loves planning and learning fascinating facts about the places they visit
- Guides we still don’t have: Mexico, Latin American countries, Vietnam, Myanmar, Kenya, and more.
5) A Bookworm’s Best Friend – The Kindle
Speaking of books, Lukáš and I absolutely swear by our e-readers. Every year I devour dozens of books on my Kindle, and it goes with me everywhere. Yes, I used to be a die-hard paper book fan too — but do you know how heavy those things are when you’re travelling?
- Which one to buy: I’d recommend the Kindle Paperwhite — it has a backlit display, which is brilliant for reading in bed or on night flights
- Where to buy it: Amazon is your best bet
- Do we own one? Yes, we each have one
6) A Quality Cabin Bag
If you’re looking for a gift for a family member whose suitcase or backpack has seen better days, we’ve got some tips. Don’t buy a backpack without consulting them first — ideally, they need to try it on. What every traveller will appreciate, though, is a quality carry-on suitcase or bag. I’m putting heavy emphasis on the word quality, because nobody wants a cabin bag with dodgy wheels or one that weighs a ton even when empty.
We recommend two brands. The more affordable American Tourister and the pricier Samsonite. Both come with a lifetime warranty on the wheels as standard, which is reassuring. You could also go for a specialist travel bag from Osprey or Ferrino.
How to Choose the Right Size?
Airlines keep shrinking their cabin baggage allowances, so I’d recommend going for the smallest standard size (55x40x20 cm), especially if your friend flies with budget airlines like Ryanair or easyJet. Also pay attention to weight — the lighter, the better.
- Where to buy them? American Tourister cabin bags are available here. Samsonite cabin bags can be found here. The Ferrino Tikal 40 travel bag is another great option.
- Who it’s for: All travellers — except those who fly ultra-light with hand luggage only (7 kg limit, no cabin bag).
- Do we own one? We have several American Tourister suitcases, but we’ve been struggling with one of our cabin bags recently — the wheels stick out past the size limits — so we’re planning to replace it.
7) Packing Cubes
This year I used packing cubes in my backpack for the first time and I’m absolutely hooked. No more rummaging through everything — I just pull out the cube with trousers or underwear, depending on what I need. Even Lukáš, who’s a master at folding, has been eyeing them up and thinking about getting some.
- Where to buy them? A quality packing cube set is available here. If you’d prefer individual cubes, check this link. Amazon also has excellent budget-friendly sets.
- Who it’s for: Any traveller — they work brilliantly in both backpacks and suitcases
- Do we own them? Yes, though currently we’re using a borrowed set from mum. She got them from Tchibo (but they’re not always in stock).
8) Quality Outdoor Clothing
If you camp, hike, or cycle, you know full well how much quality clothing can make or break your experience.
That said, be careful before you dive into shopping. Ask yourself whether you know for certain what size your friend or family member wears. Have a scroll through their social media to get an idea of their style. Generally, it’s safest to buy items without big logos or busy patterns — a simple quality base layer or black leggings always works. If you’re worried about getting the wrong thing, go for base layers or high-quality socks. Yes, socks can genuinely be a brilliant gift.
Where do we recommend shopping?
- Merino wool socks from brands like Smartwool or Darn Tough are fantastic — we cycled in merino socks for six weeks and you can wear a single pair for four days without any smell issues
- For beautiful, high-quality outdoor clothing, check out specialist retailers and brands on outdoor shops
- My absolute favourite brand is Kari Traa — it’s a bit pricier, but nothing does your bum quite as much justice as their leggings
- Who it’s for: Anyone who loves camping, hiking, and outdoor sports.
- Do we own some? Yes, we wear all the brands we recommend. And we’re always happy to receive more.
9) Fitness Trackers
This one’s a classic. A fitness tracker is our best travel companion — we love checking how many steps we’ve taken, calories burned, and how well we slept. Modern fitness trackers don’t just count steps; they also monitor your sleep quality.
- What we recommend: Personally, we’ve been loyal Fitbit fans for years. We currently own the Fitbit Charge 2, which works seamlessly with both iPhone and Android. I also think it’s one of the most stylish fitness trackers out there, with some gorgeous colour options — great travel gifts for women especially.
- Who it’s for: Any traveller who hikes and enjoys staying active on the road.
- Do we own one? Yes, we both have a Fitbit Charge 2.
10) A Personal Gift for Your Travel Companion
Want a beautiful and deeply personal gift for the friends, partner, or family you travel with? It’ll take a fair bit of effort, but the result is absolutely worth it. Photo book services like Photobox or Shutterfly let you create some of the most tasteful albums around. Using their easy online tools, you can create a keepsake that’ll last a lifetime. Take your time, pick your best photos, and add funny captions or memories from your trips together.
- Where to get one: Services like Photobox, Shutterfly, or Vistaprint Photo Books are all great options.
- Lukáš and I can wholeheartedly recommend custom photo books — we even used them for our wedding. Everything always arrives beautifully packaged, too.
11) Polaroid Camera
This is another gift that Lukáš and I have been enjoying for years. The Instax is the perfect companion for trips with friends, parties, and even weddings. We still pull it out whenever someone visits, and it’s always a great laugh.
- Where to buy: The Instax comes in 9 colour variants — check them out here
- Who it’s for: If your friends love hipster cafés, enjoy photography, and make scrapbooks — they’ll adore this too
- Do we own one? Yes.
12) Mini Photo Printers
They’re all over social media this year, but we’ve actually owned one for several years already. Mini printers produce photos in that lovely Polaroid and Instax style, and they’re brilliant for creating albums. It’s a fun little gadget.
- Where to buy: The most popular option is the Canon Zoemini
- If Canon isn’t your thing, there’s also the HP Sprocket Photo Printer
- Who it’s for: Friends who love photography, scrapbooking, and that vintage aesthetic
- Do we own one? Yes.
13) More Than a Tripod: Gorillapod
My greatest travel love is the Gorillapod. It’s a flexible tripod you can attach to practically anything — a massive chunk of ice (yes, I’ve actually done that), a tree branch, a metal railing. Literally anywhere.
How to Choose the Right Gorillapod
Pay attention to the weight capacity when choosing. If your friend shoots with a DSLR, go for the 3 kg or 5 kg capacity.
For mirrorless cameras, a 3 kg capacity is sufficient, and for compact cameras, 1 kg will do. It also works brilliantly with smartphones — you’ll just need to add a phone adapter.
- Where to buy: Check the full range of Gorillapods here
- Who it’s for: Solo travellers and couples alike — anyone who likes taking photos
- Do we own one? Yes.
14) A Power Bank — The Gift You Can’t Go Wrong With
Every traveller uses a power bank. That makes it a safe bet as a gift for absolutely anyone who travels. But do be careful when choosing — we once bought a cheap one and binned it after a single trip (specifically, a Yankee brand started making a worrying buzzing noise while charging after just a month of use — trust us, you don’t want your external charger frying your phone).
Which Ones Do We Recommend?
- Premium option: Ravpower RP-PB095 20,000mAh — The best power bank we’ve ever owned. Ours is a proper veteran at this point and still going strong. We’ve thrown away plenty of others over the years, but this one seems to survive absolutely everything.
- Budget option: Xiaomi Mi PowerBank 2C 20,000mAh — We haven’t used this one personally, but it’s one of the most recommended power banks by fellow travellers we know.
- Do we own one? Yes, but we could definitely use a new one :))
15) Portable Bluetooth Speaker for the Beach
We never thought we needed one, but ever since we received a portable speaker as a gift, we use it every single day. We take it outdoors for meditation, bring it to the beach, and blast music in the kitchen while cooking. We were genuinely surprised by how good the sound quality is from such a tiny speaker.
There are hundreds of options out there, but we’ve picked two that are truly worth it:
- JBL Clip 3 — the pink version makes a lovely gift for her
- Sony SRS-XB10 — available in red or black
- Who it’s for: Any traveller who loves music, enjoys beach holidays, or lives the digital nomad lifestyle
- Do we own one? Yes.
16) Travel Hammock
The brave ones sleep in them; the less adventurous use them for lounging. You can also use a travel hammock as a picnic blanket or a sunshade.
- Which hammock to buy: The La Siesta Colibri Single or the Hamaka travel hammocks
- Who it’s for: Anyone who loves camping, or if you know a dedicated hammock enthusiast…
- Do we own one? Not yet, but we’d love one (well, I would — Lukáš isn’t quite as obsessed with hammocks)
17) Inflatable Travel Pillow
Yes, I absolutely love mine. I finally treated myself to an inflatable travel pillow and my journeys by plane, coach, and train have never been more comfortable. My only regret is that I didn’t buy one sooner — or that nobody bought me one as a gift.
- Where to buy: I personally use the Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Traveller, but you can find more affordable options on Amazon too.
- Who it’s for: Anyone who frequently travels by plane (economy class!), coach, or train.
- Do we own one? Yes.
18) Water Bottle
Wait — seriously? Everyone already has one! Well, that’s what we thought too, but our supposedly indestructible Contigo bottle finally gave up the ghost after years of use and started leaking. Not all bottles are created equal. For travel, you need a quality bottle that’s lightweight and absolutely won’t let you down. A really good water bottle will be genuinely appreciated as a gift. It certainly would be by us.
Which one to get?
We’ve recently been most impressed by the Hydrapak Stash, particularly because it folds down to fit in your pocket when empty. But the real game-changer is that you can fill it even under those annoyingly small bathroom taps (you know the eternal struggle of trying to wedge a bottle under a tiny sink, right?).
Although our Contigo eventually wore out after many years (and honestly, the biggest issue was probably that we’d been using it for protein shakes), we still believe it’s one of the most reliable brands on the market.
- Where to buy: This time around, we’d go for the Contigo Ashland 750. You can also find it on Amazon.
- Or the Hydrapak Stash 750ml — these tend to sell out quickly, so check Amazon or specialist outdoor retailers for availability.
- Who it’s for: Literally everyone
- Do we own one? Yes, but we need another one.
19) A Leather Backpack That Can Handle Anything
I thought long and hard about going for leather. It’s always been a complicated relationship for me, because I genuinely value every animal’s life — we don’t even kill spiders or beetles at home. But after years of travelling, I’ve come to reassess my view on leather. The problem with faux leather is that it takes around 150 years to decompose. What I love about Bagind is that their backpacks are made from goat leather in India. In developing countries, goats are incredibly important — people care for them, value them for their milk, and when the time comes, it’s a significant event when the goat is eaten. I’ve been asked many times, in Uganda and Albania alike, whether I have a goat at home. In many parts of the world, goats are simply central to daily life.
What’s also great about a leather backpack is that it goes with everything — dresses, sportswear, you name it — which wasn’t really the case with my old Herschel. And it looks absolutely stunning in photos.
- Where to buy: bagind.cz
- Who it’s for: Any traveller — just make sure they’re comfortable with leather first
- Do we own one? Yes, we both have a Bagind.
20) Metal and Collapsible Straws
We’ve been on the hunt for a proper reusable straw for months. The amount of plastic waste generated by single-use straws worldwide is truly staggering.
Which ones to choose and where to buy:
- Stainless steel straws: Made Sustained Stainless Steel Straw Set with cleaning brush (5 pcs)
- Bamboo option: Mobake Set of bamboo straws (10 pcs)
- But the best option for travellers, in my opinion, is a collapsible straw — compact enough to keep on your keyring
21) Bum Bag — An Essential for Asia
Before we travelled to Asia, we never thought we’d need one. Now we can’t imagine travelling without one. After reading about how easily pickpockets operate in busy cities — some thieves can even scan your card details wirelessly without touching your wallet — we never leave the door without a bum bag or money belt.
- Where to buy: Even better than a standard bum bag is a money belt that you can tuck under your shirt. We got ours from an outdoor shop, but it wasn’t great (the clasp was annoying), so we’d recommend looking for a better one from Herschel.
- For women, I’d recommend a proper bum bag — especially if you often wear dresses. I’d pick either this pink one or this bright yellow one.
- For men, I’d go with classic black.
- Who it’s for: Anyone who travels to big cities — and an absolute must for trips to Asia
- Do we own one? Yes, we have money belts, but we’re not entirely happy with them. We bought them in a rush and will probably swap them out at some point — me for a bum bag, and Lukáš for a better money belt.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
