Gift ideas for a travel addict has become a bit of an exhausted blog topic.

At the best of times, buying gifts for people is always a bit tricky unless:

A) You just buy run of the mill ‘predictable’ gifts with very low risk of getting it painfully wrong, or

B) You know their personality, likes and dislikes inside out – and choosing a gift is a piece of cake

Aside from giving them an ‘all expense paid trip’ (always welcome), then the travel addict can be trickier still because if you buy them something ‘to do with’ travel, there’s a real danger that a travel addict might already have it, be very opinionated about it, or feel underwhelmed by it.

That said, if we decide to risk it….these 12 gift ideas might be worth considering:

1. Portable/Travel Expresso Maker (posh)
2. Portable wine glass (classy)
3. Cordless hair straighteners (a gift from above)
4. Portable solar charging panel (eco friendly)
5. Scratch off world map (cliche but nice)
6. Detachable phone lens (for the super light traveller)
7. Power bank hand warmer (for toasty fingers)
8. Fancy notebooks and journals (for the travel writers/bloggers)
9. Folding kettles, cups and mugs (well I’ve seen it all now…)
10. Clothing (travel themed of course)
11. Photo books (thoughtful, but requires a bit of time and effort)
12. Gift vouchers (for the lazy shopper – unless the website/shop is unique and bespoke)

Let’s take a closer look 🧐

1. A Portable/Travel Expresso Maker

Never knew there was such a thing – clearly I’m not a coffee drinker, but a lot of travellers are – so a portable expresso maker could be be a winning gift.

They seem to come in a range of prices.

It might help to compare a range of reviews before choosing one since they’re not exactly thrifty gifts.

2. Portable Wine Glass

Needs no explanation.

I’m sure there’ll be plenty of takers for this one – Prezzybox and Firebox are just two random sites that sell portable wine glasses, but there are plenty more so shop around.

3. Cordless hair straighteners

Dyson have some of the most expensive hair straighteners I’ve ever seen 😱 but you can get more sensibly priced equivalents elsewhere – if they’re cordless they’re heaps more versatile and convenient to use on the go.

4. Portable Solar Charging Panel

No plug sockets required.

These could come in handy if you get lost in the wilderness with a low battery, and just generally serve to help reduce your carbon footprint if they work well. I’ve never tried one.

5. A scratch-off world map (and frame)

These maps are quite common nowadays but I haven’t seen many people framing them – gives it a more personal touch.

Go for a frame that they can easily remove to update the scratches each year…or whenever.

6. Detachable Phone Lenses

For people who use their phones for all their photography (I’m not one of those people – not really).

I’ve never tried a detachable phone lens but since I’ve never seen anyone using one either, I’d gamble fairly confidently that the person I’m buying it for probably wouldn’t have one either.

7. Power Bank Hand Warmer

Yes – apparently it does both.

Warms your hands and charges your phone. I’d bet money that not many people have one of these tucked away – so if you’re buying for someone heading for chillier climates, this might be a novel idea.

8. Fancy Notebooks and Journals

Great for travel writers/bloggers and those who like to keep private journals of their travels (or for those who you think ought to start).

9. Folding kettles and collapsable cups/mugs.

I’ve never tried these before but I’m guessing anyone could always find a good use for them, and they’re quirky – surely quirkiness scores extra points?

10. Clothing

Whether it’s a novelty hoodie/T shirt (Etsy probably has lots) or something linked to the type of travel they’re into (skiing, hiking, sun-seeking, etc.)

11. Photo Books (or other photo related things)

I love photo books. You can get really creative with them and they’re priceless.

If you’ve got photos of the person or from trips you’ve shared together – get some printed into a photo book with your own personal captions and descriptions.

12. Gift Vouchers

Easy option, and no creative thought required. Wrong.

If you choose a website with a travel related section – points scored.

Hotel gift cards are probably another rare thing to receive (if you fancy digging deep).

Note: This post isn’t intended to promote any particular brand, and prices for each item often vary so please shop around (I’m sure you will anyway).

More ‘Typical’ Traveller Gift Ideas – would you buy these for someone else?

Luggage

I wouldn’t dream of buying luggage for someone unless I knew exactly what they wanted (and could afford it 😬).

I know what I’m like when I buy luggage, I’m quite fussy and spend ages shopping around before making a purchase.

Packing cubes

Well maybe I might, but not as the main gift…a stocking filler perhaps – you can never have too many!

Passport holders and luggage tags

Maybe – you can get some nice ones, novelty/funny ones to match the person.

Candles

Well they’re a nice gift but I probably wouldn’t pack them since the nice gift-type candles are usually very heavy (and I’m no friend to travelling light as it is 🤪) so I’d more likely buy some when I get to where I’m going.

Don’t light them in hotel rooms though – they’ll set the smoke alarm off (take them outside).

Happy Gift Shopping

I find it’s always helpful to ‘pin’ (or buy and stash away on a ‘prezzie shelf’ ) anything you come across that you think might make a nice gift for someone later – then you can go back to your bank of ideas when needed at short notice.

Hopefully I’ve helped get some ideas flowing.

I know, a lot of similar posts tend to repeat the same gift ideas for travel addicts over and over again – I’m going to keep a look out for new ideas!

Finding something a bit different can be challenge.