Travel Buddy Gift Ideas
Travel buddies are the best, right!? I mean, not all friends make good travel buddies. They’ve got to match your travel speed, travel style, and most of all your special kind of crazy. Ok, maybe that last part is just me.
Anyway, I’ve learned this little gem of wisdom the hard way. So once you find that special friend that also makes for a good travel buddy, you know you found someone very special, and you want to keep them around.
If you’re like me, the best gift to give your travel buddy would be an actual trip or adventure, but sometimes that’s a little out of the budget. Here are a few gift ideas that work well for holidays or birthdays and should get your gift-giving juices flowing.
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Unique Coin Jewelry From Somewhere You’ve Been
I’m all about thoughtful and meaningful gifts, and this is one of my favorites. Coins from countries you’ve visited not only make great souvenirs but a woman I know creates beautiful jewelry from them. These gifts create a simple and unique way to carry your memories around with you.
Kelly Annie over at KellyAnnie.com makes handmade vintage necklaces, lockets, bracelets, rings, earrings, cuff links, tie tacks, money clips, keyrings and cuffs all from coins from around the world. There is always a thoughtful story or meaning behind the coins she uses, and you can browse by country. She even has a few pieces created from subway tokens from New York City, San Francisco and trolley tokens from Salt Lake City.
If you’re looking for an even more uniquely rare gift, she has a collection of jewelry made from rare and limited coins, like a Beatrix Potter coin bracelet. It’s worth checking out just for the awesomeness!
Prices range depending on what kind of jewelry and how rare the coin is. Keep in mind she hand makes these and you most likely won’t find anything out there like them.
Cost Range: $15 and up
Earrings: $15 – $40
Rings: $25-$50
Bracelets: $25 – $250
Necklaces: $28 – $84
Where to Buy: KellyAnnie.com
Follow her on Instagram to see her beautiful coin jewelry and her fun behind the scenes videos.
Luggage Tags
Having a fun way to make your luggage stand out is always a good idea. Having your own luggage tags, not from the airline ticket counter (the paper kind that break after the first trip) is also a good idea. Personalized luggage tags make a great gift for anyone who travels, but especially for your travel buddies.
Here are a few of my favorites. Some were gifts that I’ve given, and others were gifts I’ve received.
Cost: $12 to $24
Where to Buy:
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Etsy: Pictured above is from JanePersonalized’s shop. Lots of customizable options.
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Amazon: Travel Themed Metal Luggage Tags
Passport Cover
My passport is one of my very favorite things. I love to look through the pages and see the stamps from my various adventures. Fond memories are printed on those watermarked pages. So to protect and keep my passport in the best shape possible, a passport cover is a must. Plus, they look cool and like you’re a seasoned traveler.
Many passport covers give you the option to personalize them with a map of your travel buddy’s favorite country, their favorite wanderlust quote, and in their favorite color. Passport covers often have extra pockets to hold extra essentials, like airline tickets, train tickets, checked baggage stickers, customs forms and other things you seem to need when traveling.
I’ll bet your travel buddy feels about the same so here are a few ideas of some unique passport covers that make for a fun gift idea.
Cost: $9 to $56
Where to Buy:
Etsy: Pictured above is from JanePersonalized’s shop. Lots of customizable options.
Amazon – World Map Passport Cover
Chat Packs | Conversation Starter Cards
A friend gave me my first chat pack about three years ago before my trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. I was going alone, but meeting up with a group of like-minded adventurers from around the world. She thought it would be a fun down-time activity and an easy way to get to know others in my trekking group. I’m very much an introvert, and small talk does not come easy. These conversation cards with their interesting, curiosity-sparking and entertaining questions helped make getting to know the group a lot easier.
I’ve used these chat pack cards on road trips, at family gatherings, and other adventures where people were involved. It’s a great way to get people to put their phones down and get to know each other in a fun and effortless way.
There are different versions available with questions related to travel, for kids, and your favorite things. They’re small, light, and come in a sturdy plastic case that is made to travel well. I’ve loved mine so much I have often gifted these to others.
World Maps & Globes
Is it just me or do other adventurers/travelers/wanderlusters adore maps and globes like a bear loves honey? I mentioned in my Little Adventurer Gift Ideas post that I’m a little obsessed with maps and globes and my grandmother’s illuminated world globe is probably part of the reason I’m an adventure craver.
I have atlases, globes in different sizes, a world map that covers a wall, I even have a few different scratch maps. Some I bought for myself, and some are treasured gifts from family and friends.
There’s something magical that sparks feelings of adventure and wanderlust. I know it’s not the most unique gift idea ever, but there are so many different kinds out there that the variations make them unique.
Here are a few ideas that you may find are exactly what you’re looking for.
Cost: $15 to $50
Where to Buy – Amazon:
Pastries, Drinks, Candy, and Sweets from a shared adventure
I will have to write an entire post dedicated to my favorite pastries, drinks, candy, and sweets I’ve discovered while traveling. Food is a HUGE part of any adventure and one that I very much enjoy.
So a fun gift idea is to find your travel buddies their favorite treat from one of your shared adventures. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but here are just a few of our favorite treats from our adventures and where to find them online and offline.
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Milka Chocolate – Some of the best chocolate I’ve ever had. Once you’ve had European Chocolate, you never go back to nasty, waxy American chocolate. Find Milka chocolate at World Markets, Harmons, Amazon, and most European markets.
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Chocolate Digestives – I don’t know why we don’t have these in America. They’re serious happiness boosters. Biscuit means cookie in American English. Digestives are a crumbly cookie that is best eaten with hot chocolate, but I eat them straight from the package because they’re wonderful. I get my fix from Amazon, at World Markets, and British markets.
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Stroop waffles – My favorite caramel Dutch treat and best eaten when warm. Find them on Amazon, World Market, sometimes Costco, fancier grocery stores around the holidays, and European markets in your area. If you’re anywhere close to Salt Lake City, Utah you can find them at the downtown Harmons and The Old Dutch Store which is a Dutch, German, and Scandinavian market.
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TimTams – Made in Australia and essential for the TimTam Slam (see video explanation) which I do with hot chocolate – find TimTams online on Amazon, sometimes at World Markets, Australian markets, and sometimes Costco.
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Bundaberg Ginger Beer – non-alcoholic Australian goodness – This is starting to catch on this side of the world and is easier to find than it used to be. Find them at Walmarts, many grocery stores, World Markets, and Amazon.
Amazon and the World Market have a lot of tasty international goodies. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for something specific.
If you happen to have tips on other places to find goodies, please comment below and share the love.
Leatherman Squirt Multi-purpose Tool
I love practical things, and having a multipurpose tool is one of the most used gifts I’ve ever received. I mean who knows…you may need to use it to save the world. Here’s a fun clip from the most recent Ghostbusters movie with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon that references a Swiss army knife.
I don’t have a Swiss Army Knife, but I do have a little Leatherman Squirt that does the job. It’s the perfect size to take on camping, backpacking, trekking, and sailing trips. It has a straight knife, bottle opener, pliers, needle-nose pliers, scissors, Philipps and standard screwdrivers, tweezers, and wire cutters.
It has come in handy more than once. Comes with a little ring that I’ve connected to a key ring and small carabiner to make it easy to attach to my backpack.
Leatherman’s are a reputable brand and for good reasons. They create good quality, long lasting, and useful multi-purpose tools. They’re handy to have around the house, in the car, or on an adventure. They’re well priced and make a great gift. I know I’ve loved mine.
Photo Prints
Prints of your pictures taken from your adventures are thoughtful and wonderful gifts. With everything digital these days, it makes having something tangible that you can hold in your hands extra special. It’s a fun and meaningful way to keep those priceless memories alive.
For photo gifts, I like to go with high-quality prints that are on heavier paper with a white border. It gives it a polished and fine art feel. There are a lot of places that do photo prints, but I have a few favorite online printers that are my go-to.
Where to Buy:
Inkifi – based in the UK, but ships worldwide – Their square prints are my favorite and are what I have hanging up in my cubicle at work. They have lots of other sizes to choose from and excellent prices.
Inkifi Prices: Starts at £0.30 or $0.40 USD for 4×4 square print
Artifact Uprising based in the US, but ships worldwide – Lots of different sizes, border and no-border options, and fantastic sales around the holidays.
Artifact Uprising Prices: Starts at $0.80 USD for 4×4 square prints. $8 for set of 10. Price per print decreases the more you buy.
Photo Books
If you want to step your gift giving up another notch, a photo book with your witty captions and unforgettable stories is another thoughtful gift. I usually always get at least two; one for my travel buddy and the second one for me. It’s a gift that is loved for years, especially if you go for a high-quality photo book.
Blurb is my all time favorite online photo book creator. I’ve tried Walmart, Walgreens, Costco, Snapfish and others and they’re fine, but when it’s a gift, I’m looking for high quality for a great price. Blurb is easy to use, has great-looking templates to choose from, but the freedom to create your own look if you want. They also have a beautiful hardcover image wrap option that is the best looking and longest lasting photo book I’ve ever seen.
Blurb also have amazing sales and promo codes that make it so you pay about as much for high-quality photo books as you would for the lower quality photo books from the other places. So check them out and sign up for their email list to get their holiday promo/coupon codes.
Blurb works best if you have high-res versions of your photos. Photos pulled from social media still work, but they work best when printed smaller on the book pages. This just means these photos won’t be used as full-page images.
If all you have available are photos on social media, Chatbooks is a great option. The books are smaller than what you get from Blurb, but still creates a quality photo book on quality paper. Sizes are 6×6 and 8×8 for a hardcover or softcover.
It’s crazy easy to sync up with your Facebook or Instagram accounts and choose the photos you want in your photo book. You can also pull in photos from your computer or phone (if using the Chatbooks app).
Cost: Depends on how many pages, book size, type of paper, and type of cover
Where to Buy:
Lokai Bracelet – Mt. Everest & The Dead Sea Connection
The Lokai Bracelet comes in different colors and styles these days, but they all have one white bead and one black bead and a powerful meaning behind each.
Here’s where you and your travel buddy may get a little giddy. The white bead carries actual water from Mt. Everest, the highest point on earth, and is a reminder to stay humble. The black bead holds real mud taken from The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth and is a reminder to stay hopeful. The Lokai bracelet represents finding balance in life throughout the highs and lows.
I have one that I received a few years ago and love wearing it. It serves as a daily reminder to continually find that balance and to stay hopeful when I’ve hit a low point or to be humble when I’m riding high.
It’s a simple gift, but one that is full of symbolism and is especially meaningful if you’ve been to either Everest Base Camp or The Dead Sea.
Cost: $18 for the Classic, $54 for metal cuffs
Where to Buy:
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Lokai Website – Classic Bracelet
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Lokai Website – New Metal Cuffs
Thanks for the shout out!
Anytime!! I love what you’re doing and love telling others about it. Keep rockin’ it!!