Trending Gifts for Travelers

Do you know someone who is leaving for a summer trip? Visiting Europe for the first time? Maybe a student heading to study abroad? Maybe traveling for a destination wedding? Going on a business trip? Planning a solo travel trip to check off bucket list items?

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Set yourself and others up for success with one of these curated travel essentials that combine productivity, style, and convenience. Add these items to your getGFTD wishlist to stock up on essentials or to stay connected to loved ones abroad. getGFTD can be used both domestically and internationally as a secure gift-giving platform to keep in touch!

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1. Once the destination is identified, look for a travel guide for that country or city. With a niche selection of restaurants, hotels, attractions, activities, and more, well-known travelers, writers, and professionals curate the destination. Giving convenience to finding your itinerary or ideas, travel books provide insights into history, geography, sociology, and anthropology. Well-loved publishers are Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Time Out, Blue Guide, and Wildsam.

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2. Being practical and an eco-friendly option, a reusable water bottle is an easy gift to ensure hydration on the go. With brands like Hydro Flask, Owala, Stanley, Nalgene, and Swell, water bottles become the gift for keeping hydrated. A variety of colors and sizes allows for personality and convenience. LifeStraw and Brita sell bottles with included filters that remove 99.9% of contaminants and protect against common waterborne pathogens.

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3. Keep your documents secured with a passport holder. With pockets to hold the passport and secondary flaps to hold boarding passes and ID cards, find a pattern or color that suits the recipient and add some personality to travel accessories.

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4. Supplying pocket-sized power, the Anker Nano Power Bank is the ideal size for quick charging. Combined with 12W power and a lightning or USB-C connector, no one has to worry about running out of battery in the middle of a hike or a long train ride. 

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5. A suitcase’s best accessory is packing cubes. By compressing clothing and other items, packing cubes help maximize luggage space. They can be used in suitcases, backpacks, duffel bags, and even carry-on bags, offering versatility for different travel scenarios. With different sizes and widths, the cubes can be organized based on the day's outfits or clothing items.

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6. Collecting and journaling for a trip takeover in a travel journal. Probably one of the best things I did when I studied abroad was documenting every experience I had. Galavanting around, collect every postcard, menu, sticker, stamp, and receipt there is. In the end, combined with written experiences, you’ll have a personal record of your trip. Moleskine and Leuchtturm sell notebooks in a range of sizes and page styles but also look out for notebooks from museums and local stores.

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7. Enter the fanny pack, now branded as a belt or crossbody bag. For travelers who want to keep their belongings close by, these packs can hold a phone, passport, and wallet, and still have room for some extra accessories, like hand sanitizer or sunscreen. Leading in the belt bag market are Athleta, Lululemon, Patagonia, Brixley Bags, and Fjällräven.

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8. Luggage tags and Air Tags allow you to keep track of your bags and belongings. Easily identify a basic bag with a bright and/or patterned tag. The Bucky IdentiGrip wraps around the handle of the suitcase or duffel. With a variety of fluorescent colors and personalized options, this makes for an easy travel gift. Air Tags provide a secure mindset when traveling through an airport, train station, or wherever. Small enough to tuck into a pocket with tracking correspondence on the iPhone,  they offer security and convenience while traveling.

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9. Designed to reduce neck pain and improve posture, a neck pillow adds comfort to a long-haul flight. The TravelRest pillow shines with an angled back and memory foam sides. For a more immersive and cozy sleep, check out the Ostrichpillow, original napping version. It looks a little ridiculous, but customers swear by this cocoon-like pillow.

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10. Allocate time during plane, train, or car rides for quick games. Compact board games or a deck of cards can provide hours of fun when stuck in one place, bonus is a great way to meet people who also might be waiting. Contained to a card box, Backpacker explores different travel scenarios and countries or Basecamp which starts new conversations. 

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