My 2024 Holiday Gift Guide for Travel Lovers

Need inspiration for gifts for the frequent traveller in your life this holiday season? Look no further than my list of the best gifts for travel lovers. From old favourites to new discoveries, my gift guide has ideas for every travel lover and every budget, from luggage and bag recommendations, to tech and long-haul flight essentials, fun stocking fillers and more.

Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I own or would love to own — this is particularly important when travelling light and every item must earn its space!

LUGGAGE & BAGS

I caution against buying a suitcase or backpack for a friend or loved one unless you know which one they want. There are so many options, from hard-shell to soft-shell and cabin-size to pack-the-kitchen-sink, not to mention colour, functionality and style. But if the traveller in your life is looking for inspiration for a new travel bag to add to their collection, I have a few recommendations. 

My carry-on suitcase. I've had my Away Carry On Suitcase for two years and have used it on trips ranging from four days to two weeks. It's small, lightweight, easy to steer and pick up and has lots of pockets, built-in compression and other thoughtfully designed features. Get £40 off your first Away purchase with my referral code!

Brilliant backpacks. For short trips or as an under-seat bag on longer adventures, the Patagonia Refugio Daypack 26L (left in the photo below) has been my go-to for six years. The build quality is great, the padded straps are comfortable and there are lots of pockets and compartments for organisation. For a more professional look, the Tumi Voyageur backpack (right in the photo below) has been my mainstay for seven years. 

On my next trip, I'll be testing out the hugely popular Osprey Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 (middle in the photo above). Unexpanded, it will fit under most aeroplane seats, but it expands up to 32 litres (perfect for longer trips or souvenir shopping). NB: it is often out of stock so if it's available when you look, don't delay!

Practical purses. I'm a big fan of Longchamp's Le Pliage bags, and I've also started using smaller crossbody bags. The Baggu Small Crescent Bag was the hero of my recent trips to Sri Lanka and New York, particularly in airports/on planes and on nights out. Its small size belies the amount of things I can fit inside! Uniqlo's viral Round Mini Shoulder Bag is cheaper and makes a great gift too.

Tiny totes. Nanobags are great! They pack into impossibly tiny pouches, are strong and come in a range of cute colours and patterns. I use the 12L Micro for organising small items and the 19L Standard for groceries and souvenirs.

Impeccable packing cubes. I recently upgraded to Eagle Creek's compression cubes, which help me to fit even more clothes into my luggage. Tripped offer a more budget-friendly version and Peak Design's cubes also come highly recommended.

TECH GIFTS

Noise-cancelling headphones. I've had my Bose Quiet Comfort 35 over-ear noise-cancelling headphones for six years. They are extremely comfortable and effective and I always take them on flights and long journeys. I've been hugely impressed by the Apple Airpods 4, which are as comfortable as previous iterations and the noise cancelling works well whether I'm walking around cities, at the gym and on the train.

Chargers and power banks. Anker is one of my favourite tech brands. Their 3-in-1 Magsafe Wireless Charging Station fast-charges my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods and folds up into a small, tactile puck. I keep my electronics charged on the go with Anker's 10K or 20K fast-charging power banks; both have a built-in USB-C cable. Get 10% off on the Anker website with my referral link.

Rolling Square's 6-in-1 fast-charging cable is another great gift idea. You can use it to charge almost any device and it's small enough to slip into any EDC pouch or attach to any keyring.

STOCKING FILLERS

In-flight comfort. I've tried a lot of eye masks and always return to my Lewis N. Clark Comfort Eye Mask, which has the best combination of comfort and light-blocking. Eagle Creek's Exhale Neck Pillow is my favourite travel pillow — it inflates with just a couple of breaths. It can be hard to find outside the US, so Sea to Summit's Aeros Premium Neck Pillow is a good back-up.

Coffee anywhere. Coffee-loving travellers — or travel-loving coffee connoisseurs — will love the AeroPress Go. Read my full review for more details, but the TLDR is that it's the most convenient and consistent way to brew coffee on the go. It's pictured below on my balcony in Ella, Sri Lanka, accompanied by my KeepCup — another fab gift for coffee drinkers.

Perfect pouches. Side by Side's RFID passport pouch is ideal for travel — it was on my wishlist for months, so I was delighted when Side by Side kindly sent me a sample. It fits my passport and iPhone 15 Pro in the RFID-blocking front pockets and has two stretchy pockets on the back for other small flight and EDC essentials. It comes with a neck strap, small hand sanitiser bottle (attachable with a carabiner) and double-ended mini-pen (ballpoint pen on one end and a touchscreen pen on the other).

I spotted this cute NYC beaded pouch in Anthropologie. The one pictured with my Nanobags above is from Barefoot in Sri Lanka and it's great for my everyday carry; these colourful pouches are a similar size.

Travel tripod. The best tripod is the one you have with you. That's why I always carry the credit-card-sized Pocket Tripod in my wallet. It's easy to use and comes with a set of adapters that work with (almost any) smartphone.

Tiny torch. I always carry a torch when I travel and the Nitecore Tiki is teeny (smaller than my pinky finger), very bright and USB-C rechargeable. Their TINI torch is a little bigger and even more powerful.

Petite pen. It's always good to have a pen or two on hand when travelling. I love my Caran d'Ache neon pink pen and I recently bought a mini pen (8 cm long) for my EDC pouch.

Foldable water bottle. Vapur bottles are great for travelling light. They come in 700ml and 1L sizes and you can fold or roll them up once you've finished drinking. They come with a carabiner to attach them to your bag.

Special sanitiser. Since Covid, I've always kept a hand sanitiser on hand. Not the most exciting of gifts, perhaps, but when it's an Aesop hand sanitiser it smells gorgeous and looks classy. They do a gel version too but I find the mist absorbs better.

Teeny toiletries. I like Muji's 15ml spray bottles and pump bottles when I'm travelling super-light. My Human Gear GoToobs and GoTubbs never leak, and I'm trialling the Matador Soap Case (through some witchcraft, soap dries inside the leak-proof pouch) and Flat-Pack Toiletry Bottles. To elevate the gift, pack the bottles inside a cute wash bag, like this gorgeous one from Liberty, which I use for my everyday carry.