The annual Little Grey Box Christmas Gift Guide is finally here! Buying gifts for the travel lover, adventure seeker or eternal wanderer in your life can be very hard. That’s why, each year, I compile my favourite gift ideas to help take the guess-work out of finding the perfect present. They range from the small to large, the luxe to less and the practical to indulgent. So, here you have it, the official Little Grey Box Christmas Gift Guide, complete with 35 gift ideas PERFECT for travel lovers. (P.S if you need to drop a few hints to your family about what to get you, I suggest you share this on your Facebook wall and get to tagging!) One last thing, if some of the things on this list are above budget, use them as inspiration and find a great dupe at the right price!
- Gift your travel-loving friend a membership to Priority Pass and they’ll gain access to over 1,300+ airport lounges all over the world! Priority Pass subscription from USD$99 / year.
- For the traveller who loves to read, a Scribd subscription allows access to 3 books and 1 audiobook each month, plus unlimited access to magazines. Scribd subscription $8.99 / month
- Thankyou’s Christmas Gift Sets offer gorgeous products perfect for pampering and, best of all, give 100% of profits to help end global poverty. Thankyou Christmas Gift Sets range in price from $25 to $70.
- Tile is a very clever gadget for savvy travellers! Take the fear out of losing your luggage, camera, backpack and other travel gear by attaching a Tile. To find anything you put a Tile on, just open the app. Ring it if it’s nearby. Check the map for its last known location. Tiles range from $25 to $100 for single Tiles through to multi-packs.
- Give the gift of clean with The Laundress‘ non-toxic travel products. I love their fabric fresh (for when your clothing is musty in your suitcase), crease release (for getting out creases quickly and easily when you don’t have an iron) and the wash and stain bar (for getting out stains easily in your hotel sink!). The Laundress products range from $8 per bottle to $34 for the starter kit.
- The perfect stocking stuffer, a laundry bag and/or delicates bag is a great way to keep clean and dirty clothes separate and ensuring all underwear is securely zipped away. Trust me, it can save you from having a very embarrassing moment at an airport should your luggage bust open or be searched. Cotton On Get Organised Travel Bags, $24.99
- Another great, practical gift idea, a few high-quality reusable, air-tight plastic containers are great for keeping potentially leaky items (shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen and body wash) contained. They’re also great for storing jewellery, makeup, hair products etc in one easy, safe place. For bonus points, make labels! Food Storage Set from Kmart, $10.
- Spoil your wanderlust-filled friend with some bath and beauty products from Lush. The containers are recyclable and can be re-filled with their own beauty products from home, saving them the cost of purchasing travel minis and adding more crappy, unnecessary plastic into the world. Lush gift packs range from $14.95 to $385 (who knew!?)
- A good quality beauty bag makes all the difference to keeping your makeup clean, safe from breakages and well organised. I love my Lululemon beauty bag, especially as it has a removable, clear liquids bag that meets airline requirements so I don’t have to take my carry-on liquids out and re-bag them at the airport! Lululemon Everywhere Kit $48.
- Know someone who loves a good eye mask? Up their eye-mask game with a silk sleep mask. The skin around the eyes is particularly sensitive, regardless of what skin type you have. This smooth silk sleep mask will keep the skin around your eyes looking and feeling fresh. The Goodnight Co. silk sleep mask $39.95
- Know a travel lover who enjoys an inspiring read? TIME Firsts: Women who are changing the world is a groundbreaking collection of profiles of nearly 50 women across a range of endeavours: business, politics, science, sports, entertainment and more. In addition, iconic leaders in their fields like Oprah Winfrey, Madeleine Albright, and Sheryl Sandberg offer their own personal reflections, thematic quotes and perspectives on balance, perseverance and strength. TIME Firsts: Women who are changing the world $30.95
- Multi-USB adaptors and a DIY charging centre are life-savers for travel-lovers (trust me!) If you find yourself at an airport with no power or in your hotel with a short time to charge everything at once, these items can be a real game changer. This 4 Port USB Hub from Kmart, $15 and 4 Outlet Powerboard from Kmart, $2.50. So simple but so useful!
- Treat your sweetie to some rather fancy but affordable personalised luggage keychain! Available in a variety of colours they are customised with a name and if you wish, a phone number so luggage can be easily identified. This is great for carry-on, bags with soft handles or important things like your travel document wallet. Personalised keychain from KatieKimStudio on Etsy, $22.
- A travel wallet is a great way to help a travel-lover stay organised! Kikki-K has a gorgeous range of travel wallets, so you know they’re good quality. They also offer to monogram for an additional $9.95! Kikki-K travel wallet, $69.95.
- Style up their passport with a vegan leather passport cover, monogrammed with their initials. Available in a range of colour choices! Vegan passport holder by The Daily Edited, $69.95
- A great overnight bag is always useful, whether it’s for a quick weekend getaway, as carry-on luggage or in place of a suitcase. This classic Country Road tote comes in a wide range of colours and patterns and can be customised with up to 8 characters for $10. Country Road monochrome tote, $79.95
- The scent for those with wanderlust, Michael Kors’ Wonderlust perfume boasts notes of pink pepper, almond milk and spice. Michael Kors Wonderlust, $120.
- 18 For the ultimate comfort on long-haul flights, a pair of perfectly comfortable pyjamas never goes astray. My usual pyjamas aren’t fit for public viewing, so having a nice pair that can be proudly worn on a plane is a thoughtful idea. Monogrammed pyjama set from Jasmine and Will sleepwear, $159.00
- Set someone up with brand new, top-quality luggage from Lojel. I’ve been using this luggage for the past year or so and find it’s durable, reliable and sleek! Lojel luggage ranges in price, depending on size and style, from around RRP $365 to $450.
- A great beach towel is always put to good use by a true traveller. The Turkish Towel Co produces beautiful towels spun & woven from pure Turkish Cotton, making them soft, breathable & highly absorbent which allows them to dry extremely fast. Turkish Towel Co towel, $25.95 and up.
- A new set of headphones are always put to good use when travelling. If budget allows, over-ear, noise-cancelling headphones really do make all the difference on long-haul flights, during long travel days and in noisy accommodation. If not, you can pick up a new pair of flash headphones affordably from somewhere like Kmart. Bluetooth headphones from Kmart, $15 and Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Smart Headphones, $499.
- Another great stocking stuffer, a luggage scale comes in very handy when packing for a trip with checked luggage. Rather than clicking your heels three times and hoping your luggage isn’t under 20kg, you can check and arrive at the airport with confidence, taking away one big travel stress! Terminal 2 Portable Luggage Scale, $24.95
- A gift you don’t really know you need but will always use, a deck of Uno cards is an affordable, easy and fun idea! It’s a great way to make new friends and stay entertained on long-haul flights. UNO card game from Kmart, $7.
- If you want to really help a traveller out, a great travel backpack is a fantastic gift idea! I’ve gone through some really dodgy, poorly made ones and know the benefit and relief of finding a good one. My personal favourite is the Millican Smith ‘The Roll’ Pack, which easily houses my laptop (in a special compartment) plus all my camera gear, carry-on and essentials. My advice for buying the perfect travel backpack: it needs lots of pockets, has to be very well made and offer enough straps to ease back strain. Millican Smith ‘The Roll’ Pack from Mountain Designs, $160.95
- Another great purchase that will stand the test of time and come in useful year after year is a great all-weather coat for cold climates. I got my North Face coat many years ago and still use it, year after year, as it never goes out of style, is waterproof, incredibly warm and versatile. North Face Women’s Arctic Parka II, $600.
- A great, simple gift idea, you cannot go past is a brand new travel journal. Of course, Kikki K has a beautiful range or you can pick up something a little cheaper from places like Kmart or OfficeWorks. What I like about the Kikki K journals is they come with journalling prompts, stickers and more to keep you inspired. Inscribe a personalised message in the front and, voila! A5 Adventure Journal by Kikki K, $19.95
- Bluetooth speaker’s really do come in very useful when travelling. They’re great for filling the silence if you’re travelling solo and help get you pumped for a big day of adventures as you get ready in the morning. SONY SRSXB20 Portable Wireless Speaker, $97.
- A simple but very useful gift idea, a great-size travel mirror comes in very useful for touching up make-up in-flight or in places where you don’t have a mirror or have to share the bathroom. Makeup mirror with stand from Kmart, $5.75
- How about getting creative with a DIY in-flight travel kit. Pull together individual pieces into a tote bag for in-flight cosiness. Pop in a warm blanket, cosey socks, eye mask, earbuds and a travel-size pillow and you’re good to go!
- Help your travel-loving friend save money and the environment! Bobbi Brown Empties are TSA approved and feature lightweight bottles and jars ready to be custom-filled with your skin care favourites, along with self-adhesive labels to record their contents. If these aren’t an option, you can pick up cheaper versions! Reusable travel size toiletries of varying prices and brands here.
- A Polaroid camera is the perfect gift idea for anyone with a love of photography, especially those who aren’t professional and just love to take fun snaps. We use ours everywhere we go, capturing unforgettable moments in a really fun way. It brings your travel memories into the now, rather than having them stored online or on a hard drive. Fuji Instax Mini 8 Camera, $89.
- Stylish and functional, the Pattern Ladies Travel Pouch Set contains a functional and unique set of products designed for ladies (though men can use them too!) The Pattern Ladies Travel Pouch Set can help you organise your luggage in the most efficient way, keeping everything in its right place and stopping you from having to constantly re-pack. The PatternLadies Travel Pouch Set $88.65
- If they don’t already have one, a GoPro and a Shorty (mini extendable pole and tripod) are a fantastic gift idea for those who love to travel. If they do have one, a great accessory for it that we use and love is the split shot dome, which allows them to get those above and underwater photos. KNEKT Dome Port, $349 (you can find cheaper versions online).
- A piece of travel-themed jewellery is a thoughtful gift that can go with them on their adventures. A bracelet with a little globe, a necklace with a love heart that reminds them of home or simply a beautiful crystal to keep them safe on their adventures. Travel Gift Bar Neckless from SevenBlueberries on Etsy, $57.
- Fill their home with dreams of travel and memories of adventures past by hooking them up with a gorgeous fine art print. A map of a city, maybe even a framed subway map from their trip to New York or maybe something more artistic. They’ll hang it on their wall and dream of far of destinations each time. Vintage Style Bondi Seaside Travel Print by Seascape Prints Studio on Etsy, $29.
Need more inspiration? Check out last year’s 56 Brilliant Christmas gift ideas perfect for travel lovers or 31 Insanely wander-full travel gifts hiding on Etsy.
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