The holiday season is in full swing and many of you have probably not even begun your shopping. Well, I have the perfect list for those who have the travel bug in your life or those you know planning a big trip next year. Most of these gifts are under $50 which is great for those budget shoppers! Buy these gifts on amazon to get quick shipping!
1.Scott’s Cheap Flights premium membership
For those who have seen my last blog post, Scott’s Cheap flights are a great deal for those who want to travel internationally cheaply. It’s only $39for the year! This $39 could easily save you hundreds on your next international flight ticket. Click the link here: https://scottscheapflights.com/premium/
2. Neck Pillow
Traveling anywhere whether it be by plane, train, and automobile, sleep is always a necessity. But, traveling on the go means you don’t get the luxury of sleeping in your own bed. So having a neck pillow on the go is so important, but the key to buying one that is raised up one. The raised up one allows you to get the most natural-like position for your neck, it is a game-changer. Check out my favorites!
3. Travel-sized containers for cosmetics
With the 3oz liquid restrictions on all airlines, making sure you have those travel-sized containers is necessary, but many times those brands of things you love normally don’t come in the travel sizes. My hack is to always get these containers and fill them with my favorite shampoo, conditioner, toner, and lotion and you don’t have to change products because of the restrictions.
4. Scratch off Map
Documenting where you have traveled is so important because it reminds you of all those amazing memories you’ve had. These scratch off maps are so cool and make these beautiful colors once you’ve been to so many places. You can hang it anywhere in your house to show it off and it looks beautiful.
4. Portable Charger
This is the biggest necessity I think for any traveler. You never want to have to be searching for an outlet or afraid your phone is going to die when you are trying to be enjoying your adventures. Perfect for those iPhone photo takers and those who always seem to get lost in a new place.
5. Luggage Scale
Hitting that 50lb mark when your traveling and not having to check backs/backpacks is super important. A quick and simple luggage scale is honestly the best buy I have ever made. It’s very compact and easy to pack and will save you money to not have to pay for those extra weight fees.
6. Quality Pair of Headphones
Traveling near or far, music is always your friend on the road. A huge necessity is a quality pair of headphones that will last you and not crap out. Some people prefer chunky headphones and others prefer smaller ones. Here are my best picks for those who need new pairs!
7. Spotify Giftcard
This company makes the greatest selection of music and even allows you to listen to it offline which is so important in a foreign country. They allow you to listen to any song offline that you previously have downloaded. Also, their custom playlists they make are always on point. Music is always a great gift to people!
8. Global Entry Clearance
A more expensive gift, but it is perfect if you have that person in your life who travels a lot internationally. The Global Entry Clearance is a program that gives you TSA Pre-Check status and also when you go to immigration you don’t have to wait in any lines. It makes traveling way less painless. It is a $100 cost but some Delta Medallion Members might be able to get it for cheaper.
9. Travel Towel
For those cheap travelers out there, the hostel life is always the best deal. The downside is that you normally have shared bathrooms and have to rent or buy your towels there. And from experience, the towels aren’t normally large enough. These are also great for those avid campers and hikers out there.
10. Travel First Aid Kit
Something many people forget about when packing for an adventure is safety and cleanliness. You are most likely traveling somewhere new and accidents happen. These types of things are what you forget to buy at home and struggle to find when you get to a new place. So be that awesome friend and give these gifts.
11.Kindle/Audible Membership
For those who travel a lot, there are always going to be down times on planes, trains, or automobiles. During that downtime is a great opportunity to bring out the avid reader in yourself. You can use the Kindle app on any smartphone and it’s free to sign up! They have tons of free books but you can give the gift of reading through a kindle gift card. Maybe your favorite traveler loves audiobooks instead of physical books. Audible is a great way to full fill that gift. I’ve been giving my mom an audible membership for the last few years and she’s loved it.
12. Yoga/Workout App on the Go
Whether someone is traveling for work or for pleasure, many people in our society really value staying in good health during that time. You could give them the gift of that by helping them purchase a workout app to make sure they stay on track with their fitness goals while on the road. Here are some of my best recommendations/values! Also, this article talks about some great free ones you can suggest as a gift: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/702-best-workout-apps.html#s19
13. A Quality Lock
For many travelers, especially those who are on a budget, we want to make sure that we don’t get any of our items stolen while on our adventures. Many of the affordable places we stay at are hostels or micro-hotels and they usually provide lockers. With a locker, you still want to make sure you have a quality lock. This simple but yet necessary item can be your lifesaver for all adventures.
14. A Quality Backpack
After having weekend trips when studying abroad in Europe one summer, I never realized the value of a quality backpack. You can fit so many things in a backpack to make it compact and not have to pay those ridiculous cheap flight baggage fees. I’ve discovered the biggest key is making sure there are supportive straps and can easily be locked.
15. Foldable Water Bottle
I’ve never realized how important having a water bottle was while traveling until I lost mine running through a Paris train station. Having this water bottle allows you obviously to not only stay hydrated but save money because honestly bottled water is expensive abroad and it can add up! Having a regular water bottle is great, but it can take up space so I’ve discovered the beauty of the foldable ones and they are life-changing. Here are my favorite picks!
16. SD Card Reader for iPhone
Many travelers have amazing cameras to take beautiful shots of their adventures, but they don’t have the time to download them to their computer and then put them on social media where they want everyone to see it. A must buy gift this year is this SD card reader. It takes photos or videos from your nice camera and puts it immediately on your phone. Something so versatile and I know I’ve needed it for a long time!
17. Universal Power Adapter
Whenever you go abroad to another country about 95% of the time you need to have a power adapter because every country has different electrical systems. This is something many people don’t think about but it is a huge necessity because that is how you charge all the electronics you can’t live without!
18. TOMS
By far the best shoe to travel in my opinion. They are lightweight, they mold to your feet, and for every shoe, you buy the company gives a pair to a child in need in Africa. Make sure you don’t wear them when it’s raining though because they are made of fabric!
19. Pop-Socket for Phone
This is a trend I saw a lot of my students have, but it is actually one of the most brilliant things I have seen in a while. As someone who talks with their hands a lot, I want to make sure my phone doesn’t fly everywhere but always stays with me. This Pop-Socket is great for those with small hands or who need their phones to not slip out of their hands while searching on a map.
20. Deck of Cards/Travel Pack of Games
I think the hardest part about traveling that people don’t think about is the downtime. There might be downtime on the place, the train, or in the hotel room pending where you are visiting. During that free time, it is great to have a go-to option to do with a group. I always travel with a pack of cards, which is I think is something cool to buy as a souvenir in a city. But, it’s great to have travel versions of games to entertain yourself during those downtimes. Especially great if you are traveling with kids
