Finding the perfect travel gift for the women in your life can be hard. So we asked the experts: women who love to travel. These are the things we never leave home without. (OK. Some of them are the gift ideas we put on our own wish lists this year. I’m looking at you, cashmere scarf!)
Go ahead and forward this to the person who will be buying your gifts this year. We won’t tell.
Travel Experiences
Our travel experts are all about “experiences” over “things.” So when we buy gifts for our travel-loving friends (or make our own gift wish list!), experiences are what we like. Finding the right experience can be a challenge, though. That’s why we were so excited to discover Tinggly’s unique “experience” gift boxes. It’s a gift that lets the receiver choose the experience she covets most.
Tinggly has boxes for travelers who like self-care, food, culture, romance or adventure. We vote for the “bucket list” box. It lets the receiver choose from among 600+ travel experiences around the world — from a hot air balloon ride over Temecula California to a photography tour of New York City’s Central Park to a food tasting tour of Naples, Italy, by vintage Vespa. So, essentially, you’re giving the experience-loving woman in your life a travel gift she can customize to fit her next trip.
AWAY The Large Everywhere Bag
For short weekend trips, nothing beats this space-saving and easy-to-carry weekender travel bag for women. Thoughtfully designed and with pockets galore, this stylish bag is ready to go with her everywhere. It’s not hard to see why this bag also made its way onto our Best Travel Bags for Women 2023 top pick list!
Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker
Not much brings more caffeination joy than being able to make a great shot of espresso on the go. With the Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker, she’ll be able to savor a delicious cup of espresso anywhere (camping trip included) with one of the best layers of crema we‘ve seen come from a portable espresso maker!
PacSafe Citysafe CX Anti Theft Backpack
Gift her peace of mind with the PacSafe Citysafe CX Anti Theft Backpack. This bag made it to our list of Best Travel Backpacks for Women because of its added safety features like interlocking zippers, RFID blocking pockets and cut-proof material.
Waterproof Phone Pouch
Long gone are the days when the photographer is stuck on the sidelines taking the photos! With this Waterproof Phone Pouch, she can be front and center for the fun while still capturing the memories with her phone. This waterproof phone pouch is perfect for a day at the waterpark, kayaking or any adventure where her phone needs to stay protected and hands-free.
Bagail Set of Packing Cubes
We love, love, love, these packing cubes! They make packing so easy. We can pack more into each travel bag and suitcase and unpacking in the hotel room is easy — simply slip the packing cube into the drawer. Our travel experts recommend buying different colored cubes for everyone in the family. That makes it easy for every to identify their stuff. (We covet those zebra-striped bags!)
In-Car Air Purifier
We’ve all road tripped. We KNOW what the car smells like during a long road trip. This air purifier is the answer. And when the traffic backs up and road rage threatens, you can instead pop in a nice, soothing lavender scent to calm your nerves.
Language Lessons with Babbel
Surprise her with a gift that she can keep in her heart forever—a new language. Whether she has a BIG trip coming up or just loves to learn new things and expand her horizons, a gift subscription to Babbel is sure to delight. With a subscription to Babbel, she can choose from 14 different languages and you can decide whether you’d like to gift a 6-month, 12-month, or 24-month package with no recurring fees.
Travelambo Women’s Wallet
We love how simple, sleek and functional this wallet is and we love that it has a zipper pocket and an RFID-blocking bifold to protect personal information and credit cards.
Scratch-Off World Map
We haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list! This unique gift is a fun way for any frequent traveler to keep up with where they’ve been and where they want to go next. Right now, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of! If she isn’t already a world traveler this will motivate her.
Personalized Passport Holder
This passport cover will go everywhere with her. Frequent travelers love the stories that their passports tell. That’s why we think this is such a great gift idea!
Wanderlust Airplane Necklace
We love this airplane necklace because it’s a beautiful and practical way to celebrate her love of travel! Pick one up for yourself, your friend or that special wanderer in your life.
Womens Foldable Brim UV Sun Protection Hat
One of my favorite travel accessories is my foldable wide-brim hat. I keep it in my purse or backpack and have it ready at all times for a day at the beach or shopping downtown.
Travel-Ready Wearables by XCVI
Disclosure: This section is sponsored by XCVI.
Not only are the clothing options at XCVI stylish, but they’re breathable, moveable, comfortable and ready for adventure! With XCVI, she’s going to love just how good she feels in her clothing while she’s out exploring the world. XCVI is fashion she can LIVE in.
Personalized Heart Map Print
Turn your favorite memories into a beautiful handcrafted gift with this Personalized Heart Map Print. This custom-made gift can showcase your favorite vacation memories, home locations or even bucket-list destinations.
Portable Indoor/Outdoor Lock Box Safe
Help her keep the things she cares about safe while traveling or spending the day at the beach. Keys, wallets and air pods can all get locked away in safety with this portable lockbox safe. Anyone who has had important items stolen while traveling knows that this gift is one that keeps on giving.
Travel Journal
I remember a group trip that included a British woman who spent her afternoons painting watercolor pictures of the Galapagos Islands in a beautiful travel journal. I can’t paint, but I can write and I love recording my trip highlights in travel journals. I still sometimes wistfully re-read my journal from my first big international trip — a five-week journey around Australia.
Carry on Cocktail Kit
This fun cocktail kit is perfect for her next flight. It has everything she needs (minus the alcohol) to make her favorite drink on the plane. Choose her favorite-Moscow Mule, Margarita, Bloody Mary or even an Old Fashioned! In case she doesn’t have a flight booked soon, give her the bottle of booze, too. That way she can make the cocktail at home while she dreams of her next trip.
Travel Scarf
No matter where she goes, make it easy for her to bring along a lightweight travel scarf. It can act as a blanket, roll up into a travel pillow, become a head covering or fashion accessory. This high-quality version even has a hidden pocket at the back of the neck for inserting hand warmers to keep her warm on that frigid plane ride or on a long road trip. It’s super soft and machine washable! A great travel accessory for anyone.
Lay-N-Go Cosmetic Bag
Our 20-something travel expert loves this one! She uses it every day at home and always takes it on the road with her. It’s one of her travel essentials. The Lay-n-Go Cosmo Bag’s brilliant design lets her see all of her cosmetics and skincare essentials and clean up with the pull of a drawstring. This toiletry bag rolls up for packing then flattens to a 20” diameter circle that makes it easy to see everything inside. To sweeten the deal, this makeup bag’s collapsible pouch design is machine washable for those inevitable product spills and powder breaks.
Moon Lamp
No matter where she goes, you love her to the moon and back. This is a great gift that will remind her of that.
Inflatable Travel Foot Rest Pillow
Have you seen these inflatable travel foot rest pillows? What a brilliant travel gift idea! It should become a best seller! It can be used to take a load off and to rest feet and legs while on a train, bus or airplane. Or, our favorite, at the airport during those agonizingly long layovers between flights. Way more useful to travel lovers than a neck pillow.
Wooden Wall Map
This is one of the coolest travel gifts that we’ve ever seen. This unique piece will be her new favorite home decor item! Not only does it look amazing but it is also a fun way for her to keep up with all of the places she’s traveled to — and dream about the places she still wants to see.
Personalized USA Travel Photo Map
Looking for a one-of-a-kind gift? She’ll love this fun and decorative Personalized USA Travel Photo Map to showcase her memories of adventure!
Anker PowerCore Essential
We love this Anker Powercore Essential. This portable charger is slim enough to slip into a jeans pants pocket but powerful enough to quick-charge 3 devices at once! Everyone needs a power bank for juice on the go.
Tile Mate Key Finder
When you’re staying in a vacation rental or hotel, away from your normal key storage solutions, it’s easy to misplace important items, like your car keys. It’s never a happy day that starts with a frantic search for the car keys! Tile Mate is a Bluetooth tracker to help you locate anything you don’t want to misplace while traveling. Pro Tip: Buy several and attach them to your kid’s backpack, your car keys, your purse and more.
Long-Distance Friendship Lamp
Stay connected to those who are far away with this WiFi Touch Lamp. When either person is thinking of the other, they can simply touch the lamp and the lamp will illuminate at both locations.
North Face Travel Backpack
She needs a durable backpack that can get her through every adventure! This North Face one is great because it can hold a lot and was specifically created for women.
A Year of Universal Yums
Does she still talk about the food she had while traveling or love to try new foods from around the world? Delight her taste buds with a single gift basket or give her snackable joy month after month with a yearly subscription to Universal Yums.
Allbirds Shoes
Frequent traveler Kim Orlando raves about these travel shoes. “I can walk for miles (and I do!) with no issue. They wash up perfectly,” she says. Every member of her family has at least one pair. They’re easy to pop off for TSA and are comfy enough for a long flight.
Digital Photo Frame
This is NOT your typical digital photo frame. What makes this photo frame “special” is that you can send photos to an email address and then those photos will instantly appear on the frame. The Skylight Frame is a great gift for travelers who want to share their adventures with the folks at home. It’s also a lovely gift for a grandma who wants to see updated photos of her grandchildren. What a beautiful way to stay connected with the ones we love and miss the most!
USE CODE: SheBuysTravel for $10 off this incredible digital frame!
Cashmere Travel Scarf
Elevate the scarf by choosing this luxe cashmere version for double duty. It will keep you warm on the plane and becomes a go-to accessory after landing, serving as everything from a throw blanket to a fashion wrap.
Vitamix Blender
Do you know a woman who loves blended drinks-either the healthy ones or the kind they serve poolside? Gift her a Vitamix blender! It’s a favorite that she’ll want to take with her everywhere. Vacation rental? Cabin? Hotel? You bet! Plus, with the Vitamix 10-year full warranty, she’ll be able to treasure it just as long as she treasures the memories created.
Professional Photos
Frequent traveler Breeze Leonard says that two of her favorite things are her family and the travel memories they create together. Her absolute favorite gift? Professional photos taken on an annual family vacation or on a once-in-a-lifetime trip! That’s the beauty of Flytographer. You can book a photographer to meet you almost anywhere you plan to go.
Flytographer gift cards are easy to give and the one receiving the gift can control when and where they are used! Photographers are available at over 350 destinations worldwide.
Romantic Vacation Just for 2
If you’re looking for the ultimate gift idea, treat her to an adults-only Sandals Vacation. It’s all-inclusive, so she won’t have to lift a finger and there won’t be any end-of-vacation budget surprises. This resort has everything she needs for the perfect escape from all of her many responsibilities.
The Gifts Frequent Travelers Covet
As busy travelers and adventurers, our go-to travel products, gadgets and accessories are the ones that make our travels easier and more fun. From tote bags to hot tech, water bottles to weekend getaways, comfy travel clothes to a cute face mask chain, these are the best gift ideas that make our gift wish lists every year. We want your mom, sister, wife, daughter or best friend to have them, too.
These great gifts sell for as little as $15 right up to splurges of $200+. (But you know she’s worth it, right?)
Forget the gift card this year. Buy her a gift set of travel dreams.
And remember, these gifts work no matter the giving holiday — Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day gifts, Christmas, birthday, and, well, you get the idea.