Practical travel gifts that actually get packed, rather than gadgets that end up in a drawer. Everything here is something we've used ourselves or looked into properly for one of our guides.
The best travel gifts solve a small, real annoyance: a dead phone at the airport, a suitcase that's impossible to find anything in, a stiff neck after a flight. We've grouped these by the kind of traveller you're buying for. Where we've written a guide, there's a link so you can check it's the right choice first.
Trtl Travel Pillow
A structured wrap-around pillow for people whose head drops forward when they sleep sitting up. Much smaller to pack than a classic U-shaped pillow.
Noise-cancelling headphones
The single biggest comfort upgrade for long flights. They take the edge off constant engine noise, which makes a long journey noticeably less tiring.
In-flight Bluetooth transmitter
A clever add-on gift for someone who already owns wireless headphones. It plugs into the seat-back socket so they can use them with in-flight entertainment.
Thule Compression Packing Cube
A premium compression cube for someone who already likes packing cubes and wants something sturdier.
Amazon Essentials 4-Piece Packing Cubes
A good-value set for someone who's never tried packing cubes. Great for organisation, though not a magic way to fit more in.
BAGSMART Hanging Travel Toiletry Bag
Hangs from a hook or towel rail, so everything stays visible and off a tiny hotel shelf.
Etekcity Digital Luggage Scale
Small, inexpensive and genuinely useful for anyone who's ever had to repack at the check-in desk.
INIU 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank
Compact, fast USB-C charging and enough capacity for a full day of maps and photos without becoming a brick in their bag.
BAGSMART Travel Cable Organiser
Keeps chargers, cables and a power bank together, so nothing gets left behind in the hotel room.
MyTravelPal Pro Universal Travel Adaptor
One grounded adaptor with USB charging for someone who travels to lots of different countries.
GAIATOP Portable Handheld Turbo Fan
Rechargeable, compact and surprisingly powerful. A good gift for someone heading somewhere hot next summer.
SYNCWIRE Waterproof Phone Pouch 2-Pack
A two-pack, so it works for a couple. Keeps a phone, card and room key safe at the pool or beach.
Quick-dry microfibre towel
Packs far smaller than a cotton beach towel, dries fast and shakes sand off easily.
A small game is one of our favourite family gifts. It gets played on Christmas Day, then goes in the suitcase for every holiday after that.
The Crew: Family Adventure
Our favourite cooperative game with children, from around 8 right up to our 13-year-old. We got roughly ten hours of play from it on one holiday.
Hive Pocket
A brilliant two-player game in a small pouch. It works on a plane, outdoors and on any café table.
Bomb Busters
Our bigger present pick. Game of the Year 2025 and a tense, funny cooperative game our 10 and 13 year olds played every night of a caravan holiday. Too big for a flight, but perfect for car-based trips.
Looking for something smaller? See our travel games that make great stocking fillers.
Almost everyone packs a book. These are for the person who always runs out of something to read halfway through the holiday.
Dungeon Crawler Carl: Book 1 (paperback)
The funniest series we've read in years, and an easy gift for gamers and non-gamers alike. It's for adults, not children. We read all eight books in six weeks.
Amazon Kindle
A whole holiday's worth of books in about 158g. We'd pick the standard Kindle over the Paperwhite for travel because it's smaller and lighter.
Bright luggage tags
Inexpensive, useful and makes a case far easier to spot on the carousel.
Contoured sleep mask
Blocks light on overnight flights without pressing on the eyes.
Reusable earplugs
Tiny, washable and a big help on noisy flights and in hotel rooms.
A good power bank or a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Both get used on almost every trip, which is the best test of a travel gift.
Luggage tags, earplugs or a small game such as Dobble. They're inexpensive, take up almost no luggage space and are genuinely useful.
Anything bulky or single-use, unless it's for car-based holidays. If it won't fit easily in a suitcase, it's unlikely to come on a flying trip, but a bigger game like Bomb Busters is perfect when you're packing the car for a caravan or cottage break.
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