The 36 Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers

Watching an in-flight movie with freebie airline earbuds is an exercise in missed dialogue and muffled music. The 1Mii ML300 allows travelers to connect their own Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to the plane’s audio system with a standard jack. This little gadget has a solid, 10-hour battery life, support for the aptX Low Latency Bluetooth codec (to improve the sync between audio and video), and the ability to pair to two sets of headphones at once. Like all the Bluetooth transmitters our audio team tested, it can produce some audio lag. Although it isn’t a flashy gift, it can make your giftee’s travel more pleasant.

If your sojourning friend is about to travel internationally, they’ll need a reliable plug adapter. The Epicka Universal Travel Adapter contains the three most common international plugs and a US-style plug, which together cover the majority of countries around the world. It has the most USB ports—four USB-A and one USB-C—of any universal adapter our travel team tested, and it charges more devices faster. A replaceable fuse and an included spare should take care of any shockingly bad connections. Still, it doesn't cover every possible plug around the globe. For someone who is truly bopping from country to country, a multi-plug set like the Ceptics International Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter 5 Piece Set contains five different plugs, and it offers sold-separately add-ons for countries such as Brazil, India, Israel, and South Africa, which aren’t covered by “universal” adapters.

Ah, the ideal “personal item”—the bag that’s small enough to stow under the seat in front but large enough to hold headphones, hydration, extra layers, reading material, a laptop, lunch, and whatever other items one might deem essential. It seems nearly impossible, but it can be done. Away’s The Everywhere Bag, made of water- and abrasion-resistant nylon, is our personal-item pick. It has a removable shoulder strap and a sleeve for slipping over the handles of a carry-on suitcase. Inside, your gift recipient will find a roomy interior pocket for clothes and toiletries, plus six smaller pockets and a 15-inch laptop sleeve. Outside is a single slim pocket for tickets and travel documents, and at the bag’s base is a waterproof umbrella pocket. Truly savvy packers could easily get a weekend’s worth of stuff in this bag.

One needn’t be a painter to enjoy the craft while traveling. Set a burgeoning artist up right with a few excellent tools of the trade. The compact Hand Book Paper Co. Travelogue Watercolor Journal is designed to absorb watercolors but lends itself just as well to pencil, ink, or gouache. Covered in natural linen, it has pouch-ready rounded corners and an elastic strap to keep it closed. Pair it with a set of gouache paints such as those in the Caran D’Ache Gouache Studio Set, which have a satisfying opacity and don’t require the patience, foresight, or skill of watercolors. Of course, some people prefer the abstract flow of watercolors, in which case the Kuretake Gansai Portable Watercolor Set is a better bet. Both palettes come with serviceable brushes; a more experienced painter might add a few extras as their skills progress.

For adventurers who camp, stay in hostels, or otherwise travel rough, a personal towel is essential. Our pick is the PackTowl Personal, primarily for its odor-preventing antibacterial treatment, ideal for when laundry opportunities are few and far between. At 25 by 54 inches, it’s large enough to wrap around most folks, and it feels soft and substantial against the skin. It dries quickly, shakes free of sand readily, and weighs only 6.4 ounces—a primary concern for anyone carrying it in a backpack.

Gone are the days of carrying around dog-eared guidebooks to find hotels and museum hours. But there are still some things you can’t find online. The beautifully designed and lovingly written Herb Lester Guides provide travelers and armchair travelers alike with utterly unique ways to explore a new place. Serge Gainsbourg’s Paris doesn’t provide the entrance fee to the Louvre, but the gorgeous, 16-by-27-inch fold-out map, packaged in a printed cardstock case with a Gainsbourg cocktail napkin, does lead you to Studio Ferber, where the multitalented musician, actor, and director recorded the soundtrack to the hit movie Tenue de Soirée in 1986, or to L’Hôtel Meurice, where Gainsbourg often visited Salvador Dali. The series also includes John le Carre’s London; The World of Patricia Highsmith, which touches on locations in the US, Mexico, and Europe; Andy Warhol’s New York, and dozens more.

Anyone who travels has surely precariously perched their carry-on atop their rolling suitcase, only to have it topple, swivel, or lurch. Solve that annoyance with the Cincha Travel Belt, a useful offering that comes in some snazzy colors and patterns. The concept is simple: This adjustable nylon strap cinches a smaller bag to the telescopic handles of a suitcase, thereby freeing up a hand, shoulder, or back. Yes, your traveling friend could use a bungee or even a rope for that purpose, but this item has a few touches that make it worth the upgrade: The sturdy metal buckle releases like butter, and a hidden elastic loop keeps the belt attached to the suitcase, even when it’s unclasped. Yes, this is a practical gift, but for the right traveler, it will be a real gem.

This past summer, heat records broke across the globe, and many travelers reported that they found it difficult to stay cool and comfortable on the go. New York City’s heat wave prompted staff writer Thom Dunn to explore the world of wearable neck fans, including the Penkou Portable Neck Fan. And the Penkou model, with a ring of 72 air slots that softly blow air up toward the head (but not directly into the face), was his pick. It weighs only about half a pound, and because of its smooth plastic design, it’s barely noticeable against the neck and shoulders. One large button on the front right makes it easy to cycle through the fan speeds. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 16 hours, and the fan is compact enough to slip into a carry-on.

Traveling requires a lot of surface touching: airplanes, subways, taxis. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was that we should clean our hands as often as possible. The lovely-smelling Noshinku Hand Sanitizer is an FDA-compliant germ-killer that also contains stuff like jojoba, rosehip, argan oil, and aloe, to keep skin from drying out. Each canister is about the size of a credit card, though not quite as slim. So it can be slipped into a back pocket or a purse pocket. The best part is the canister is refillable, so your recipient can continue to use it for a long time.

Whether your favorite traveler is reading on a plane, train, or bed, or they’re just rifling through their suitcase, they will surely appreciate some extra light. The tiny Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light is our pick because it’s so lightweight and easy to carry. It twists and adjusts, so the light covers a full page, and it has simple buttons, for changing the brightness and temperature of the lighting. This lamp is so small it can clip to a paperback without weighing it down, and it fits in a pocket.

Graphically exuberant and endlessly inspiring, Lonely Planet’s Where to Go When is arranged by month, so travelers can figure out where to head on any given day. Miami’s Art Deco Weekend is in January. Consider Botswana’s Okavango floods (the best time for dugout canoe safaris) in June. This book further categorizes potential trips by budget, family-friendliness, and “expensive but worth it” (a July road trip along the Westfjords of Iceland, for example). Even if the recipient is more of an armchair traveler than a frequent globe-trotter, this book is sure to kick their wanderlust into full gear.

Whether it was misrouted by the airline or left behind in a station waiting room, a lost suitcase can really dampen a trip. The Apple AirTag—our favorite Bluetooth tracker—does not work with non-Apple products. But if your beloved traveler owns an iPhone, AirTags are better than their competitors in just about every way—from ease of setup to location accuracy. They track belongings almost in real time. And if an airline does lose your favorite traveler’s suitcase, they will have an accurate map to point to when trying to locate it. Wirecutter staffers have also had success with slipping AirTags into the pockets of their restless kids.

Nobody looks—or feels—as fresh as a daisy after a flight. But the Peace Out Puffy Eyes cooling under-eye patches—a longtime favorite of supervising editor Hannah Morrill—can help with both. Each box contains six pairs of crescent-shaped patches, made of a gelatinous (but not icky) biocellulose gel. The cooling effect is certainly pleasant enough. But the ingredients (caffeine, for a temporary tightening effect, and hydrators glycerin, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid) are what really do the trick for travel-worn eyes.

To turn non-potable water into fresh, clean drinking water, staff writer Samantha Schoech swears by the LifeStraw Go Series water bottle (she recently sent her son off to Central America with one). Its replaceable filter removes 99.9% of contaminants and protects against common waterborne pathogens. This bottle is a little pricey, but it eliminates the need for single-use plastic bottles. And each filter cleans 1,000 gallons, which translates to roughly five years of daily use. LifeStraw also makes a 1-liter collapsible bottle for when space is tight. (To learn a little more, see our article on the LifeStraw Max Water Filter.)

A person can only watch so many in-flight movies. On long hauls, we find these Nanoblock mini building sets to be just the ticket for restless hands and minds. They’re engaging but not mentally taxing, and the sets (ranging from about 100 to 200 pieces) are small enough to lay out on a tray table and later carry home in luggage. Finished pieces—from musical instruments to cats to pizzas—are only about 3 inches tall.

At some point, your constantly on-the-go pal will require some extra juice, and a portable charger will ensure they have it when they need it most. We like the slim and petite TravelCard Plus, which also happens to be the smallest, lightest USB portable charger we tested. But there’s more to love than just its pocketable size. The TravelCard Plus’s USB-C PD port, built-in USB-C cable, and built-in Lightning cable can fast-charge most smartphones or other handheld devices (though it recharges more slowly than our other picks).

There are a few features that make the Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag superior to pricier models in our testing. For starters, due to its sturdy, silicone-and-metal cable construction, it can withstand crowded overhead bins and rough tarmac treatment. Then there’s the issue of privacy: Although the owner’s name is always fully visible, address details are revealed only after you unscrew and remove the metal cable. Also an upside: This tag comes in a range of eye-catching colors. So it can help someone spot an otherwise-nondescript suitcase on a fast-moving carousel.

For all manner of travelers, the State Bags Bensen Toiletry Kit is the most versatile one we tested. If your traveling pal takes longer trips and often checks their luggage, this bag folds up to stash larger items, like full shampoo bottles or contact solution; the hook hangs smoothly from a towel bar, for easy access. Our favorite feature for light packers: a removable translucent plastic pouch that holds up to four 2.7-ounce travel bottles (ideal for carry-on security checks). Available in a dozen prints and patterns, the bag also looks great and feels like a fancy, will-last-a-lifetime gift at a relatively modest price.

If your favorite excursionist wouldn’t dream of using hotel shampoo or missing a day of their skin-care regimen, a set of Cadence Capsules will serve as an anxiety-abating treat. (Less-particular travelers will appreciate our favorite simple toiletry bottles.) All six hexagonal cases are leakproof and magnetic on every side, and they can be filled with about a half-ounce of whatever the traveler’s heart desires—from serum and dry shampoo to omega-3 capsules and CBD gummies. The well inside each capsule has rounded corners, so the recipient can scrape out every last daub of their precious potions. Each vessel can be customized with a “tile” or label. But unless you know your recipient very well, we suggest giving a gift card, which will allow them to choose their own colors and tiles.

Even for the most enthusiastic traveler, packing remains an uphill battle. The Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set (one of our favorites) can make the task infinitely less arduous, and some of our testers found that this set made packing borderline pleasant. The three cubes are made of sturdy polyester, so they stay upright when empty, and the mesh windows let travelers easily scope the contents. With a clamshell design, these cubes fully open on three sides, so deeply stashed items are easily accessible. Another welcome note in the age of lost luggage: Pouches can help your favorite traveler compress stuff into a single carry-on.

For a true frequent flier, wearing a great pair of compression socks is both a safety and a comfort measure. Long flights can cause deep vein thrombosis and gravitational oedema (the technical term for swelling caused by sitting around too long); compression socks facilitate circulation and reduce the instances of both. SockWell Lifestyle Firm Compression Socks (available in both men’s and women’s sizes) are comfortably snug, and they’re made of a luxe, merino wool blend that hugs without constricting. The socks are cozy on a nippy flight, and they come in a handful of prints and colors that aren’t as institutional-looking as those of other compression socks we tried.

For those who like to explore new places but don’t want to carry a purse, a modern, cool fanny pack is just the right accessory. Of the 22 we tested, the Dagne Dover Ace Fanny Pack offers the best marriage of handsome looks (eight suave colors!) and plenty of storage space—it can readily hold a smartphone, a passport, a wallet, and hand sanitizer, and there are extra pockets for a transit card and some change. Wide straps make this bag comfortable to carry, and the neoprene material (think wetsuit) will keep gear dry if the weather shifts unexpectedly.

There is nothing worse than boarding a flight and realizing you miscalculated just how chilly airplane AC can be. One of our favorite cashmere sweaters, the White+Warren Essential Cashmere Trapeze Cardigan is a simple and luxurious piece that will keep a traveler cozy both in transit and once they’ve reached their destination. This sweater is lightweight and soft enough to nap in (it can double as a blanket, thanks to its drapey shape), and it looks polished when layered over a tee or under a jacket. Available in six muted tones, the cardigan has an airy construction, so it can fold down smaller than expected for easy packing.

Not all travel journals need to be works of art, layered with watercolor and ink. The Pantone 10 Notebooks set includes 10 brightly colored, 4-by-5.5-inch softcover notebooks that are perfect for jotting down ideas, an itinerary, or travel memories. Each notebook slips nicely into a tote or a pocket and has 48 grid-dot pages of decent-quality paper. Send your traveler out into the world with a couple of these and a good pen, and see what they return with.

Players journey along the Tokaido road with other travelers, stopping at hot springs, stores, temples, and inns (and collecting souvenirs and eating delicious meals as they go). The ultimate goal is to be the “best traveler,” or to have the richest experience by seeing, eating, or doing the most during your trip. The game itself is beautifully designed and simple to play; it’s not deeply competitive, though there is some strategy involved in attempting to win. The pleasure of playing Tokaido comes from relaxing and accepting the pace of the board, and letting the game reveal surprising discoveries—much like travel itself.

Sometimes the best gift is to remind someone that the world is both larger and more accessible than they realize. The strangely addictive WindowSwap allows viewers to take a break to stare out a window in cities such as Copenhagen, Manila, and Prague. Some of the window scenes are tranquil, others are not, but all suggest that there’s an infinite number of new things to see, wherever you are. The app is free, but for $5 a month, your armchair traveler will be able to look out all the windows ever uploaded, create unlimited bookmarks and playlists, and even access a back button so they can spend a little more time gazing out a favorite window.

It’s perhaps an indictment of air travel in general that many travel items are designed to mitigate the environment, whether it’s the noise, the light, or the cramped seats of an airplane. The Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask, a Wirecutter favorite, features contoured eyecups that rest around the eye sockets, instead of directly on the eyelids. By combining this mask with noise-cancelling headphones and a pillow, a traveler will be about as close to a sense of privacy as one can find on an airliner. For a headrest, we like the Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow. It’s simple to wear, doesn’t interfere too much with headphones, and provides support even when the wearer is sitting upright.

There’s no guarantee that your beloved traveler’s hotel or Airbnb will be as quiet as it promises to be. A small, portable sound machine may create enough white noise to drown out sleep-disturbing intrusions. The Yogasleep Travel Mini Sound Machine is from the same company that makes the classic Yogasleep Dohm Nova, which we recommend. The Travel Mini has six sound options, including white noise, brown noise, and three nature-inspired sounds. It also acts as a gentle night-light, with three dimmable options. What’s better than the gift of a good night’s sleep?

Part of the experience of traveling to another country is feeling lost in its language, and Dialect can help fill the gap. This game involves the birth (and eventual death) of a language and the culture that created it. At its heart, Dialect—which requires almost no setup but plenty of imagination—is as much a discussion of what language is and why it exists as it is a game. It’s also good for last-minute shoppers: Order the standard physical edition, and you’ll get a digital copy, too (online access is emailed immediately, so your loved one can start figuring out how the game is played).

Years ago, senior staff writer Kit Dillon’s father went to Cuba and saw a clay statuette of Fidel Castro for sale. Kit said that when the vendor told his father the price, he said, “Castro no vale tanto” (translation: Castro isn’t worth that much). That may seem risky for an American to say while traveling alone in Cuba, but the statuette is here now looking at Kit, so somebody appreciated the joke. Ever since, Kit said when he finds a small token of Cuba—like this art print—he sends it to his father to remind him to take the trip again one day, only this time with Kit. For its World Travel Poster series, the Anderson Design Group created nostalgic images that harken back to another era of travel—and they make an excellent promissory note for a trip to come. The collection currently encompasses every country in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Central, South, and North America, and it will eventually include every country in the world. The prints come in six sizes, and the images are available on canvas or metal.

Airport food has come a long way. What hasn’t progressed: the flimsy and environmentally deplorable single-use plastic utensils you have to eat it with. Portable cutlery will give your recipient a dignified way to dine on the go. Wirecutter editor Ria Misra recommends the sturdy stainless Hydro Flask Flatware Set, which comes with a full-size fork, a knife that’s strong enough to butter a muffin (but that won’t alarm the TSA), and a spoon that’s perfect for slurping soup. This set also comes with its own carrying case, so it won’t get lost (or separated) in the dark recesses of your carry-on.

A bright passport cover will make it easy for your traveling pal to quickly locate their passport in a bag at the airport (or at home, when it’s shoved in the back of a drawer). Supervising editor Hannah Morrill loves the Tusk Siam Passport Cover, which is made from supple goatskin leather and comes in nine cheery color combinations. (Some other versions we’ve tried have a translucent pouch; in theory, this sounds ideal for flashing the relevant page at customs, but in practice, the cover ends up smudgy and embedded with crumbs.) Hannah reports that even after years of use, the slim folio looks clean and crisp. Plus, there are two inner card slots, which are excellent for stashing any stray forms you’re asked to hang onto at the airport or on the plane.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.