This post is always so easy to write because I just put my favorite things that I use when I travel. I have items on this list from $4 and $5 and up to $200 but most are very affordable. All are useful! I hope it gives you some inspiration (or just buy something for yourself).
Prices may change. This are from when I searched the items and linked to them, but it’s up to the brand how the price will vary.
30 Christmas Gift Ideas for Travelers at Any Budget
1. Personalized Leather Cord Straps from Etsy (set of 3, $26)
When you look on Etsy, there are several shops making these so see which style suits you best. I got a set of three, but a single one is around $4-$12 depending on which shop you go with, then an extra cost to have something inscribed which I went ahead and did. The sizes are large for your computer cord and two small for your phone cord and headphones. I love these! So good for Type A travelers.
2. Travel Perfume Carrier ($12.99)
This little perfume travel carrier is so clever. You just take the clear bottle and put it on top of your perfume you use at home, then pump. It will fill up and then you put the pink back on and can have your perfume in travel size. I love this beacuse then you don’t have to go buy travel size stuff! It’s cheap and thoughtful; a great and helpful gift for a traveler.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07DZSC2WQ” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
3. Handpresso ($77)
The Handpress is a favorite among travelers who hate leaving their favorite strong coffee at home. When traveling in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America (okay basically everywhere) it’s common to only get instant coffee in hotels and hostels or even homestays. You can bring this handheld espresso maker with you. I have one in pink! This is also great for campers and those cool kids traveling around by RV!
4. COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch (24 for $5.00)
Traveling in India for me meant breakouts with the pollution there and stress. India isn’t the only place and backpackers that are a bit grubby, trying to do their best in hostel showers or with bucket baths, tend to get breakouts. It doesn’t help that we have to use sometimes not-so-clean bedding which our faces cozy into. This patches are CHEAP and WORK. They even draw out deep pimples, like cystic acne. They are clear and you cannot see them on your face. My bestie and I have been trialing them and love them – she just bought herself some more!
Buy here & Read my COSRX Pimple Patch Review here
5. Belkin Leather Tassel USB ($15.99)
How genius is this little darling tassel USB!? I found this on Amazon (it popped up as a suggestion) and for under $16, I got it without hesitating. This goes onto my personal item when I travel and then I move it over to my purse when I’m not traveling. It’s so great when you are at someone’s house or in a car that you want to charge up – no more worrying if they have a charger or digging into your carry-on (or carrying around your charger) just use this! Obsessed. Belkin is such a good brand, the quality of the leather is great, and you cannot see the charger pieces hanging there. It also weighs hardly anything.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B012RVZMGG” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
6. Herbivore Travel-Sized Rose Face Mist ($16)
I have been using this face spray since I went to NY this fall. I love it! I even took it with me in my purse to spray on during the day. It just refreshes your face, makes you feel clean, and gives off a dewy glow. This is so perfect for not just travel days but long days sightseeing. The travel size is $16 but the large is around $32, depending on where you buy it.
You can get it at Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Sephora, and Amazon
7. Tesalate Towel ($59)
I love my Tesalate towel! Right now you can only get it on their website; it’s not on Amazon yet. This towel is sand-resistant. I just hate to be all oily and sweaty with sand stuck to me and when I lay on my towel, I want it to be clean – this towel literally can’t have sand stuck to it! So, after you lay out you can shake it off and it’s clean as can be. Then you can rinse off at the beach shower and re-use this towel. Just so perfect! Also, very lightweight similar to a microfiber towel so I’ve been using it for showering too when I travel. The color options are so fun and they are different on the other side. You can use code “hippieinheels15” for 15% off.
8. Portable Jewelry Organizer ($26)
You can’t go wrong with getting a girl a travel jewelry box. In my travel packing hacks, I give some tips on traveling with jewelry but this box makes it all that much easier. I always travel with my standard gold-plated jewelry favorites and hate to have the bracelets or necklaces tangled. I also used to forget to wear them, so now with this box I can see what I have available and change up my jewelry more often.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B079DQPLZN” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
9. Que Collapsible Water Bottle ($24)
With people being a lot more conscious about traveling eco-friendly, this is a great gift. It’s a collapsible bottle so you can have it tiny in your hand luggage then once you go through security at the airport you can fill it with water to take on the plane and avoid buying plastic water bottles all the time. You can then use it all throughout your trip. It pays for itself really fast (and it’s also really cute). Here are some other eco-friendly gift ideas.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N2ATEF5″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
10. Water2Go Filtered Water Bottle ($38)
If you are going somewhere that you can’t drink the tap water, that’s okay there is another water bottle that can help you stay eco-friendly but also healthy. This water bottle says it kills “99.9% of waterborne parasites & bacteria from water sources in countries where water quality can be an issue.” There are two stage filter options and you’ll want to get that one because it takes out the Chlorine and any other weirdness in the water. I’ve been using this in Mexico and will be using it in India, too. It’s perfect for a traveler, especially an eco-conscious one! Read more about filtered water bottles here.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00L5GVT6M” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
11. Patchology On the Fly Travel Kit ($20)
Patchology is a great brand and I’ve always loved their eye patches, but they have this cute little travel kit that has several masks for hydration and illumination, as well as eye and lip masks. It’s so fun to gift to someone that travels often. They can refresh on the plane, at their hotel, or after their trip. This kit is also a great value for money offering several of their best products.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07B54B4XC” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
12. Everlane Leather Zip Pouch ($65)
So many cute colors and such a practical, classy gift! I love my tan leather pouch from Everlane. It’s so high-quality and I throw in all the small things I travel with like face wash, jewelry, hair clips, chapstick, lip gloss, a face mask, headphones, and more! It is very thin and slides into my personal item keeping things so organized. It can also be used then while traveling as a clutch when you go out!
13. Trtl Pillow ($29)
You’ve probably seen me mention this pillow on the website before. I did a round up of my favorite travel pillows and Trtl was my number one. People were really interested, so I did a full review of the pillow to show how it works and share the pro’s as well as the cons. Overall, it’s a great pillow that takes less space than a traditional travel pillow. It has better neck support and is cozy – I do NOT travel without even on a 3-hour flight. It’s my favorite travel item!
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00LB7REFK” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
14. Journeys of a Lifetime Coffee Table Book ($27)
I got this book when I was in college and used to read it over and over. For someone that is new to their travel journey this would be the most amazing bit of wanderlust to help them decide where to take their first trip or for someone who seems to go everywhere, it will give them some new inspiration. The photos are beautiful inside. The gist is that it’s the 500 best trips you could take in the whole world – better get started, that’s a lot of trips!
[easyazon_link identifier=”1426201257″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
15. GoToob Travel Containers ($13.69)
These little 3-oz guys are great. Instead of buying travel-sized stuff (usually in a brand you don’t even regularly use and priced higher than makes sense for the small size) you can just fill these up with your normal shampoo and conditioner. I also fill them up with my It’s a 10 Miracle Spray and body lotion. They are silicone and should last pretty much forever.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B002VS8H3G” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
16. Lo & Sons Hanover Backpack ($128)
Full review coming soon! I AM IN LOVE with this backpack. It’s not cheap at $128 but is worth every penny. What makes this backpack unique is the insert inside of it. You pack this up with all your stuff for the plane (with this as your personal item) like your laptop, chargers, kindle, camera, socks, eye mask, travel pillow… you name it. Then when you get to your hotel, you slide out that insert with everything still inside it, organized. Now your backpack is empty and you can use it for hikes, the beach, and more! I love this. I am just so Type A this is my dream backpack. I’ve always been a fan of Lo & Sons but this is my new favorite item from them.
17. LifeProof FRE Case ($39 and up)
I love my LifeProof FRE case which makes my phone nearly indestructible. It’s huge, yes, and looks likeGameboyboy now haha but it’s worth it to know that I can take this swimming with me down to 3 meters and if I drop it, it’s shockproof and won’t crack the screen. The price depends on which phone you have.
[easyazon_link keywords=”lifeproof fre” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Pick which one suits you best here[/easyazon_link]
18. UGG travel kit $88
If you have a travel buddy who loves their luxe touches, then a UGG travel kit is a great gift. They come with a blanket and matching eye mask in a variety of cozy colors in that typical UGG material. Last summer, UGG sent me one as a gift and although it’s too warm to bring the blanket here to India, I do use the eye mask nearly every night and take it on flights – why not have a baby pink fluffy eye mask!? They also have them in grey and cream. I linked the grey because it’s a cozy winter color!
Get at the UGG site, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, or Amazon
19. Airbnb Credit
[easyazon_image align=”none” height=”500″ identifier=”B01ESBMY3W” locale=”US” src=”https://hippie-inheels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/51392BsCtYBL.jpg” tag=”Hipinhee-20″ width=”372″]
The best gifts are ones that are useful and save money. Did you know you can give someone credit for Airbnb by buying them a gift card on Amazon? This is great for when you do something small for people – you can give $10 to your five besties or maybe $25 to your favorite travel buddy. I mean, go for it and do a big gift if you want but this is great if you are on a budget and when you traveling every penny saved is appreciated so that person will definitely be happy to basically have a coupon of their Airbnb, even if it’s small. Buy a $50 Airbnb credit on Amazon[easyazon_link identifier=”B01ESBMY3W” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″] Buy a $50 Airbnb credit on Amazon[/easyazon_link] or go to Airbnb’s website and send any amount.
20. Anatomie Travel Pants ($225, I know, but really)
I love these pants! I know they are “traveler” pants, but I’ve never loved a pant more than these when I was in Panama and wore them on adventure activities. These are pricey! I think you would want to try on a few pairs to see which suit you best. They are SO thin but don’t look thin when you put them on. I sorted by high-waisted styles as that’s what I prefer but they make all kinds.
21. The New Amazon Kindle Paperwhite ($129.99)
I cannot travel without my Kindle. It’s the most important thing after my passport and glasses! I never thought I’d be a Kindle person, but it’s the best thing I ever did. Now I read 10x more than before, and it kills downtime when I’m traveling. I hate aimlessly scrolling Facebook or Instagram and love to read, so it was a logical step. I’ve talked all my friends in Goa into getting them, too.
So, why the Paperwhite? The fancier ones have screens like a phone with backlight all the time and WiFi so you can use apps and everything like a tablet – but that’s not good to read on! Everyone I know with a fancy one complains about the glare. This still has WiFi to download books – but not for surfing the web. Now there’s a whole new Paperwhite that’s waterproof, which means more pool reading and it also has a backlight you can turn on as you wish!
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07CXG6C9W” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
22. Bath & Body Works Hand Lotion $4
I’ve been a fan of Aveda for years but went ahead and got this cheap one and now there’s no going back. The quality is there, the smell is to die for, and it lasts for ever! Plus, did you see it’s $4?!
23. PowerCube Portable Power Strip ($31.82)
This is for the person who has a LOT to charge, like us bloggers! The cube style is nice because some plugs are too big to fit on a strip next to each other. It can handle 110-240 volts, so you can travel with it anywhere. it has four regular plugs as well as two USB plugs. As for plugging the block in abroad, it comes with it’s on plugs to add for most countries you might travel to.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00IOEOTSS” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
24. Classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers or Clubmasters ($88 and up)
Raybans are just classic and I have both the Wayfarer (in black and brown) and the Clubmaster (in black). If you get polarized the price will go up, but right now with all the sales on you can get a steal. I saw them at Sunglass Hut 50% off on Black Friday so you can shop around or just get them now on Amazon.
25. El Camino Travel Bracelet ($31)
El Camino makes custom ordered travel bracelets which let you add “steps” like India, for me. I also added “Hippie in Heels” to mine just for fun. You can add where you are from, your favorite place to travel, or just your name. There are color “steps” to add as well as ocean steps that are so pretty! I guess it’s like Pandora for travelers. You can buy them on their website starting at $31.
26. Ebags Slim Professional Backpack ($119)
Yes, another backpack! I am in love with this backpack from Ebags! It’s called the Professional Slim and I wrote a review about it over the summer where I called it my new personal item. Since then, it’s come everywhere with me – currently in Mexico. The reasons I love the backpack are all in the review but to sum it up, it has a secret bottom pocket 100% padded that I can keep my extra lens or sunglasses safe, it has a million pockets to stay organized, and it fits a TON.
27. Rosetta Stone Subscription ($50 for six months)
I’ve been loving re-learned Spanish with my Rosetta Stone app. This app is easy to you and you can read my full review here. I also have a discount code so you can get someone an account for $50 for a three-month subscription but they will give you another three free – or you can pay up to $150 for a full two-year subscriptions. How awesome!
28. Ebags 6 Pc Packing Cubes Value Set ($29.98)
Of course, packing cubes! Did you think I could make a list and not talk about them? You can’t go wrong buying these organizational cubes because no one can have enough of them. It won’t matter if the person you buy for already has a set.
They don’t last forever (they are really thin so they can be lightweight) so people will always appreciate a new set, plus I use two sets when I travel.
29. Encircled Dress ($138)
I got this dress as a gift from the brand Encircled in order to review it on my website, which I did here. I’ve worn this in India, Bali, and Greece so far. It can be worn as a shawl so was amazing to have in Greece where it was a lot cooler than I thought it’d be last Spring. This is a multi-way dress above, but they make all kinds of items geared toward travelers. You can buy directly on their website for $138.
30. NET-DYN 300M Wireless Range Extender
A WiFi extender is something that you can use to make WiFi that is already there, stronger. There are many types, but this is cool because it plugs into the USB of your laptop. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it has great reviews and is something I hope to buy soon. I hate when my hotel room doesn’t quite reach the WiFi at top strength because my room is too far down the hall.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01K0CJV8E” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Buy here[/easyazon_link]
What’s on your Christmas wishlist?
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What a great list! A lot of things I’ve been thinking about myself — that dress especially )and my life has changed with my Tieks). I need that adapter; I’m having a tough time finding something so good here in Europe. You’ve given me a lot of ideas for my niece’s Christmas (trying to convince her to come with me to Italy in the Spring). Thanks!
Awesome – I hope she decides to come to Italy! Sounds amazing.
I love thos ideas so much. Handspresso just stole my heart because I love coffe but I prefer just few brands. I don’t like buying coffe then. This tool would save my trips…