Got a special occasion coming up for a travel lover in your life? Knowing what present to get them can be confusing, especially if they’ve got a bit of travel gear already.
We’ve got some ideas for your next gift, from travel tech and practical gifts to sentimental mementos, all under £30!
Give a thoughtful token to your favourite globe-trotter – take your pick from our top gifts for travel lovers.
1. Slogan cap
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Anyone jetting off for some sun will love the gift of sun protection combined with classy headwear! We like this Out of Office slogan cap, or you could choose a customisable version and get one made up with a favourite phrase.
2. Travel wash kit
Give the ultimate gift of extra liquids space by giving someone a cute eco wash set from The Natural Spa. The soap, shampoo and conditioner are all solid, and all of the packaging can be reused or recycled. There are six different scents to choose from.
3. Travel prints
These vintage travel posters are such a nice memento of someone’s favourite country or destination. You could even get a photo they took themselves whilst they were away printed out as a wall print. However if you’re looking for a specific style, Etsy has got loads of really talented artists with amazing travel prints.
4. Neck pillow
A long travel day is so much more bearable with a neck pillow – plus, as CHE readers know, they can also double up as extra luggage if it comes with a zip and removable padding like this Amazon Basics one! There’s loads of different ones on the market all at different price points – check out our in-depth reviews of the best of the bunch – but if you’re looking for something a bit special, the EverSnug ones come in a six different colours and have a blanket inside so you can use one or the other.
5. St Christopher pendant
Officially the patron saint of catching flights not feelings… We jest of course – but people have long treasured the protection of St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers. This solid silver one is a good gift for someone who is sentimental but doesn’t always like to show it.
6. Luggage tag
You can get really cute luggage tags to suit every person’s personality and plenty of sellers even offer personalisation for these tags. These Samsonite ones come in four different colourways. Gone are the days of a ribbon tied around their suitcase! A cute AND practical present? Sign us up.
7. Scratch map
We’re big fans of scratch maps here at CHE. It’s so much fun to be able to scratch off the countries you’ve been to and really easily see where you’ve been in the world and where you want to go next. They come in different colours, styles and sizes too! Luckies of London seem to be the most popular brand for these but you could find smaller businesses on Etsy or even maybe your local book store.
8. Jewellery box
Tangled necklaces and lonely earrings will be a thing of the past when you give your loved one this gorgeous box to keep their shiny things tidy and safe.
9. Surprise boarding pass
This cute scratch-and-reveal boarding pass is perfect for making a voucher or cash gift that little bit more special. Give the globe-trotter in your life a gift that will make their Christmas! Sites like Etsy have lots of versions to choose from with different customisable details.
10. Flight gift card
This is great when you want to gift someone a trip away but you can’t begin to figure out where or when they’d prefer to go. You can get digital and physical gift cards from Ryanair and digital ones from WizzAir, or use a site like flightgift.com to generate a voucher that can be used on over 400 airlines.
11. Silk eye mask
You can’t beat a silk eye mask for a touch of luxury. Whether it’s for catching 40 winks on the plane or taking a jet-lag induced nap, the comforting feel of silk will help with drifting off. It’s perfect for someone who has all the gear but deserves something a bit special.
12. Portable Speaker
Whether they’re off on a lads trip, girls weekend or a backpacking adventure, every traveller can benefit from a portable charger. Great for a sing-a-long session for bonding or getting ready in the evenings, plus this one from Anker is small but mighty, and surprisingly affordable.
13. Packaway jacket
A lightweight jacket is sooo useful, it’s a great gift for the frequent traveller in your life. Get one that packs down small and they can chuck it in every time they go away. These can be quite pricey but are often on sale – including Uniqlo and Regatta. Also, why not see if you can get one on Vinted or eBay!
14. Coffee table book
For the worldy book lover in your life, a great gift is a travel-themed coffee table book. Coffee table books are typically large, hardback and aesthetically pleasing – great for doing justice to fabulous photgraphy. They also serve as much for decoration as inspiration, and Lonely Planet does these really well.
They bring out a yearly ‘Best in Travel’ book, as well as having others like ‘Where To Go When.’ Or you could splash out on one of the Assouline books. They’re more than £30 but are a really pretty present full of stunning photographs of each destination.
15. Tripod
For budding content creators, or your mate that always has to get the perfect shot, gift them a tripod so they can get great content every time. This one doubles as a selfie stick and comes with a Bluetooth remote.
16. Water Bottle
This 500ml stainless steel waterbottle from Lund is super compact, perfect for sliding into a side pocket or cup holder. It’s also super light, so won’t weigh you down when empty. Choose one of the bold colourways and you won’t accidentally leave it behind either!
17. Long distance light
This is a very cute present for someone you love who has travelled far away – perhaps your best pal doing a semester abroad, your offspring who’s gone off to find themselves or your long-distance love. It gives us the warm and fuzzies!
18. Travel journal
Even if you know someone who curates their travels obssessively on the ‘gram, a written account of a trip that you can hold in your hands is a great way to keep a special memento of the journeys you’ve taken. Get them a gorgeous travel journal they can document their adventures in.
19. Uniqlo crossbody bag
These super-popular bags fit all your essentials for a day out, sit snuggly against your body for safety, are unisex and come in lots of colours. They also take up pretty much zero room in a bag, great if you’re tight on luggage space but want to take a day bag.
20. Packing cubes
These aren’t just for backpacks – once you try these in your suitcase you won’t look back.
These come in so many different varieties, there’s the Amazon basic packing cubes (simple and effective – we like the mesh front where you can tell what’s inside), TRIPPED compression packing cubes (squeezes your clothes together to make more space), or the slightly unconventional vac bags.
These Packmate ones are roll by hand to squeeze the air out so you don’t need to ask your hotel’s cleaning staff for their hoover.
21. Photo album
If they’re an avid photographer, why not gift them a photo album? There’s loads of cute travel themed ones and in this age of digital photos it’s really nice to print off photos and memories and store them together in a Vienrose photo album. Any time they’re reminiscing on their trip, they can just get their photo album out!
22. Scrapbook
Again one for the creatives, scrapbooking your travels can be a great creative outlet whilst creating a physical thing that you can revisit for years to come.
The Bstorify Scrapbook has a plain front so the recipient can decorate it however they like. You could even create a little ZEEYUAN scrapbooking hamper with the book, some washi tape, travel stickers, gluesticks, scissors and backing paper. All ready to get started!
23. Apple AirTag
Ensure your loved one’s travels go smoothly with an Apple AirTag. They can track their luggage and make sure it gets on the plane safely – and if it doesn’t turn up at the other end, they can show airport staff exactly where it is. These are technically £35 but keep an eye out – they’re often on sale for under £30. Tile also do a bluetooth tracker for under £30.
24. Guide book
We love these at CHE because not only are they educational, but they’ll get the recipient so excited too! If they’ve got a trip coming up, gift them a Lonely Planet guide book of the destination they’re going to so that they can plan and research their itinerary and things to do. It’ll also have stunning photos inside and get them pumped for their getaway!
25. Hanging toiletry bag
A hanging toiletry bag is a great gift for anyone who cannot be without their 5-step skincare routine. See-through compartments make it easy to see what’s what, and you can hang it all up on the bathroom door – great when counter space is tight. This Narwey one comes in loads of colours, and there’s a medium and a large size too. If you want to splurge on something more deluxe, Stackers have lots of options in various cute shades.
Snap Up the Best Gifts for Travel Lovers Under £30
Get ready for your loved one’s birthday, Christmas, or special occasion with this list of gifts for travel lovers. Whether they’re in the resting, inspired, planning or travelling stage these gifts are sure to make their trips more enjoyable and comfortable. Enjoy!
