Personalized travel gifts make great presents for anyone who loves to travel – adding that extra custom touch can help their gear stand out from the crowd and make it easier to identify in busy airports or in hostels and hotels. It’s also nice to have a touch of home or a special memory with you for those sometimes lonely nights on the road. This list contains loads of ideas for personalized gifts for business travelers, travel industry employees like pilots and flight attendants, students studying abroad, digital nomads, traveling kids, someone preparing for their dream vacation, destination wedding participants, and anyone who has the wanderlust bug. Or, you know, you could always treat yourself (I did).
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Personalized travel gifts for the road
Custom travel journal
I never travel without a journal, and I love spending some downtime each evening or while on a train/plane to write down my thoughts and observations from the day in my journal. This beautiful leather-bound journal can be customized in a rainbow of colors and can have your traveler’s initials on it.
Ideas: pick leather colors that represent the flag of a country you’re visiting (ie. a navy journal with a red customization spot would be great for the US) – use your three customized characters to put a couple’s initials ie. K&A for a great honeymoon journal – leave off the customization and just have a nice leather journal
Personalized water bottle
I also never travel (or leave home, really) without a reusable water bottle. I love the variety of colors these come in and the double walled construction so that they don’t sweat. Or break. Because I’ve definitely dropped mine a lot. This style has more (and prettier) colors available, but the customization is done in more of a Monogram style with one large initial and text overlaying it. These have fewer color options, but give you more freedom for longer text.
Ideas: For a group trip, put each person’s name or initial on one with the destination as a second line or the centered text – get the option with longer inscriptions and put a favorite travel quote – customize it for an upcoming trip with a destination and year
Custom travel mug
Just like the reusable water bottle above, I always take a travel mug with me when I’m on the road. Especially on business trips, I don’t leave the hotel without my morning hot tea and it’s nice to have it in a well-insulated container that you can reuse.
Ideas: Get one for someone who travels a lot for business – customize them for a weekend cottage getaway so everyone’s mugs are identifiable – give one to a student preparing to study abroad
Embroidered curling/flat iron case
These are great for travel because you can protect your curling iron or hair straightener from getting tossed around in your luggage and protect the other things in your suitcase from being melted or burned by a hot iron when you’re packing up in the morning.
Photo by Southern SandDollars on Etsy
Ideas: These make great bridal party gifts – they’re perfect for frequent business travelers – choose a thread color that complements their luggage
Personalized travel pillow
Travel pillows are essential for red eye flights. You can get all kinds of fancy styles these days, but I’ve honestly always come back to the tried and true U-shaped ones that go around your neck. You can get your favorite traveler a customized one on Etsy for their next big adventure.
Ideas: Customize one with the destination for an upcoming trip – get one for each kid on a family vacation so on one is fighting over them – order one for a frequent flyer who travels a lot for work
Custom beach towel
Everyone needs a beach towel. This beautifully printed one is perfect for hitting the beach. Or the pool. Your choice.
Photo by Fabulous Vibes on Etsy
Ideas: Get matching ones for a spring break trip – customize it with your initials instead of your first name for safety – order ones for the whole family to keep at a cottage or beach house
Monogrammed travel umbrella
A small travel umbrella is essential for most places I’ve ever been. If there’s rain in the forecast, I throw mine in my day bag and stay dry without the bulk of a larger umbrella. You can get these monogrammed to keep them from getting lost in a hostel or umbrella room.
Ideas: Get one of these for someone traveling during a rainy season – order one for a frequent business traveler to keep in their carry-on – get matching ones for a bachelorette weekend or destination wedding
Custom flip flops
Flip flops come in handy for beach vacations, camping, and staying in hostels. I don’t like walking long distance in these, but they’re essential for using public showers or going for a swim. These flip flops come in different colors and can be customized with the recipient’s name.
Ideas: Get matching colors for a group trip – order some with nicknames for a bachelorette party or girls trip – customize them with a destination instead of a name
Personalized travel luggage and bags
Custom hardside carry-on
You can get a super personalized carry-on sized roller bag. This is as custom as it gets. The hardside luggage is printed with a photo of your choosing so that your luggage stands out from the crowd.
Ideas: Put a pet photo on it so you can bring your fur babies with you on vacation – have a family photo printed on it for a traveling parent – make a collage of your travel photos using something like Photoshop and have pictures of your past adventures on it
Of course, you could always go with one of those hilarious ones that print your face on your luggage skin.
Photo by Firebox.com
Monogrammed bathroom bag
I always have a bathroom bag packed and ready to go with essentials like toothpaste, deodorant, and a toothbrush. A monogrammed bag like this would be the perfect personal touch. The utilitarian design is great for both men and women too, and I love the hook for hanging in spots with little counter space. Or, go with a smaller, simpler version for those who like to pack a little lighter.
Ideas: throw in a set of reusable travel sized bottles – pair it with a matching luggage set – fill it with travel sized items like mini toothpaste or folding toothbrushes
Monogrammed weekender bag
Bags like these are great for weekend trips and camping, but it’s good to have some distinguishing features if you’re going to be traveling with a group. This weekender bag can be monogrammed or embroidered with initials so you can tell which bag belongs to everyone.
Photo by Charley Jo’s Creations on Etsy
Ideas: These are awesome gifts for members of a bridal party (whether you’re traveling or not) – they’re perfect for kids who go on weekends away to grandma/grampa’s house – get matching ones for a girls trip
Custom embroidered backpack
I prefer to use a backpack as my carry-on to keep my hands free while I’m walking through the airport. They can hold a lot of gear and almost always fit under the seat in front of you so you don’t have to fight over overhead bin space.
Photo by Embellish Monograms on Etsy
Ideas: Get monograms in everyone’s favorite colors for a family trip – add the customized packing cubes below to maximize your space and keep organized – get monograms in the same colors for a team or class trip
Monogrammed leather daybag
Picking the right daybag is an important part of every trip. These stylish, fake-leather bags come in a variety of colors and can hold your essentials while you’re out exploring.
Photo by Simply Embroidered on Etsy
Ideas: Get matching colors for a group trip – pick a color that represents the country you’re traveling to – get university colors for a student studying abroad
Custom laptop bag
Most of this list slants toward women (just wait til you get down to the personalized jewelry section), but this laptop bag is perfect for traveling men or women – the Etsy shop it’s from is dedicated to men’s gifts, but as a lady, I still love the look. I love the two-toned design and casual yet not cheap feel of it.
Photo by Gifts for Guys Co. on Etsy
Ideas: Get one for a frequent business traveler – order one for a student preparing to study abroad – it’s perfect for a digital nomad
Embroidered packing cubes
Packing cubes are a great way to keep your suitcase organized. It makes digging for things simple – you can group things like socks and underwear in one, shirts in another, etc. or pack each day’s outfit in its own cube. The possibilities are endless.
Photo by Sweet Destiny Favors on Etsy
Ideas: Get these for someone heading off on a long trip or adopting the digital nomad lifestyle – these are perfect for a business traveler – personalize them with initials and names for families that travel together and share suitcases
Personalized jewelry roll
If someone you know likes to travel with jewelry, a jewelry roll like this is a good way to protect and store it. You can get it customized with a monogram or just their initials.
Ideas: These are perfect bridal party gifts – pick colors that match their luggage if you’re familiar with it – include one of the special jewelry items in the next section inside of it
Custom garment bag
My typical trip doesn’t necessitate a garment bag, but they really come in handy for those times when you need one. Business travelers who need suits will want one, and let’s face it, everyone is traveling for things like weddings these days, so it’s a good idea to keep one on hand. They come in a variety of styles, from more heavy duty ones with interior pockets (pictured below – click the button below for pricing) to thinner ones that I’d recommend more for road trips.
Photo by Label Imprints on Etsy
Ideas: Order these for wedding party members at a destination wedding – buy one for a frequent business traveler – get one for a cruise that has a formal night
Overnight bag for traveling dogs
Don’t forget the dogs who love adventures. Whether you take your pup with you or pack him/her a weekend bag for a stay with a caregiver while you’re out of town, this customized bag is perfect for transporting treats, toys, medications, and more.
Photo by Ace’s Dog House on Etsy
Ideas: Stuff the bag with the dog’s favorite treats or a new toy – order one for someone who loves to travel or camp with their dog – use it to carry essentials to a friend or family member’s house when they’re dogsitting
Personalized travel jewelry
GPS coordinate compass necklace
I’m so glad compass necklaces are common now because I spent months searching for one about a decade ago and finally had to resort to buying craft supplies and making one myself. Save yourself the trouble and get a pre-made one. This one can be customized with GPS coordinates and a birthstone if you want. Google Maps is handy for finding GPS coordinates if you don’t know them all offhand (who does?).
Ideas: Use the GPS coordinates of their house for a nice reminder of home – customize it with the coordinates for a favorite travel destination or family cottage – use the coordinates of a destination wedding location or honeymoon spot for a newlywed
GPS coordinate ring
GPS coordinate jewelry is really trendy right now, and I love the secret touch it brings to a memento of a special place. These rings come in silver, yellow gold, and rose gold, and are nice and thin, which I love in a ring.
Photo by Emily J Design on Etsy
Ideas: Use the coordinates of your favorite travel destination – get the coordinates of a location associated with a special memory like an engagement engraved – pick coordinates from home for a memento for someone who lives abroad or travels a lot
Birthstone airplane necklace
I also love airplane pendants since I fly so much. This one offers simple customization options with one initial and a birth stone.
Photo by The Charm Castle
Ideas: It’s great as a graduation present – buy it for a flight attendant or pilot – get matching ones with your BFF
Vintage globe locket with photos and inscription
I love the look of this very vintage locket. You can get it made with 1-2 photos or messages, or one of each inside so you can keep loved ones or inspiration nearby at all times.
Photo by Percival and Hudson on Etsy
Ideas: This makes a great gift for moms or grandmas who travel – put a pet’s photo inside of it for animal lovers who travel – include a vacation photo and dates/location of a special trip
Travel photo necklace
If the locket style isn’t quite to your taste, you can order a custom made travel photo necklace. Since your photo and/or text are visible on the outside so you can really showcase your photo from a special spot.
Photo by Girl Power Pendants on Etsy
Ideas: Make one with a honeymoon photo – turn your favorite artistic nature shot into a necklace – personalize it with an inspirational travel quote on the back
Custom GPS bracelets
I love these dainty coordinate bracelets. The sample looks great with them stacked on the same wrist and with their thin design, you can get away with wearing multiples.
Photo by Mignon and Mignon on Etsy
Ideas: Order one for each of your favorite cities – design one for different locations that you’ve called home – get one for an engagement location, wedding site, and honeymoon destination to wear together
Map snippet charm bracelet
Photo by BrassAndChain on Etsy
This charm bracelet allows you to pick the cities whose map snippets will be included in the charms. It’s the perfect piece of jewelry for someone who travels all the time because they’re sure to have plenty of favorites to pick from.
Ideas: Choose different cities that someone who’s moved around a lot has called home – pick one city from each of the inhabited continents for someone who’s hit them all – pick your five favorite travel destinations
Personalized travel stocking stuffers
Custom passport case
I have a case for my phone, for my camera, for my laptop – basically everything of value that I own – so of course I also have a passport cover. You can get your favorite world traveler (even if that favorite traveler is yourself) one of these adorable customized passport cases. Several designs are available with or without customization, but this passport stamp one is my favorite.
Ideas: Get different designs for everyone in your family so you can easily tell your passports apart – some of them are themed to a specific country, so pick your destination if you happen to be visiting one of them – pick either a first name or initials for customization
Personalized luggage tags
Luggage tags are important if your luggage ever gets hopelessly lost and having unique ones can help your suitcase stand out among the crowd on a baggage claim carousel. You can put a photo of your choice on them, so you can pick family members, pets, or favorite vacation destinations. And, even better, they’re made by an old friend of mine.
Photo by AitSaidCreations
Ideas: pick colors that are complimentary to their luggage if you know what it looks like – order a couple so they can put them on different bags or add them to carry-ons too – put a photo of them making an angry face like that hilarious luggage cover listed above for a cheaper yet still funny alternative
Custom camera strap
This is great for anyone who travels with a larger camera (ie. not a point and shoot or their phone). The first thing I did when I got my spiffy new Sony AS600 was replace the boring camera strap with a cool one. Travel photographers or casual photography fans will love this unique touch on their camera strap.
Photo by So Good So Wood on Etsy
Ideas: Coordinate your color choice with their camera bag – have it customized with a business name for a professional photographer – add an Instagram handle for a serious ‘Grammer
Engraved compass keychain
I like this keychain because it’s not your typical keyring design. You can pick from a standard inscription, or write your own customized words. You get up to three lines with 18 characters each, so while you can’t write a novel on it, you can get several words in there.
Ideas: Get a funny quote or inside joke from a trip inscribed – engrave a honeymoon or destination wedding location – inscribe a bucket list trip destination to keep the dream close at hand
Custom luggage straps
Luggage straps can help keep your checked bags more secure during transit, and these customizable ones can have the added benefit of helping your suitcase stand out in the crowd.
Photo by All Prints UK on Etsy
Ideas: Get one for everyone on a group/team/school trip to make sorting luggage easier – go the opposite route and order them in team/school colors with the team/school name printed on the strap – instead of putting a name on them, use something a little sassy like “hands off”
Monogrammed luggage handle wraps
Like the luggage straps above, these can help your bag stand out from the crowd on a baggage carousel. They come in a handful of cute patterns and colors and can be used on roller bags and duffel bags with straps.
Ideas: Get a bright one for a pop of color on a black roller bag – order one for an athlete so their team bag stands out from the rest – order matching ones for each piece in a luggage set
Personalized travel gifts for kids
Monogrammed kids backpack
These kids backpacks come in all kinds of fun colors. As a bonus, you can have them reuse the backpack for school. For safety, I’d recommend going with their initials instead of their names.
Photo by Counting the Blessings on Etsy
Ideas: Get your kids matching backpacks for a family trip – give them each one of these full of books and coloring books (see below) for the trip – pick a different design for each kid’s personality
Embroidered kids luggage
These come in a variety of styles, so you can pick from whichever suits your kid’s taste. These small bags are great for kiddie sized clothes and short trips.
Ideas: buy some for kids to use for weekends at grandma and grandpa’s house – get each kid a different design so they’re easy to spot in a pile – pick sporty designs so they can be easily used for leagues or meets
Customized coloring book
(Ok, this one is great for fun adults too – if there’s one thing Millennials have been successful at, it’s reclaiming the coloring book for grown ups.) This Etsy shop allows you to turn your favorite photos into an ultra unique coloring book, which is perfect for filling hours on the road.
Photo by Colored Moment on Etsy
Ideas: Use your favorite travel photos to make a vacation themed one – fill the book with pictures of family members and pets so kids won’t miss them while traveling – find creative commons stock photos of specific destinations for your trip so they can enjoy coloring the places you’re visiting
Personalized book
There are all kinds of options out there for personalized books, and they all make for great pastimes while you’re traveling. You can get them in a wide variety of interests from dinosaurs to holidays. How cool is that?
Ideas: Order a city based book for a kid about to visit the city – order a book about animals for a safari trip – get a holiday book for a family vacation over Christmas or Easter break
Personalized travel gifts for the home
Customized travel map
I love marking off the places I’ve been, but I do mine on a cheap map I got at the library book store. I’m going to have to upgrade to this customized world map just calling for pushpins to be added to all of the spots I’ve visited over the years. Check out my full review of one of these gorgeous pushpin travel maps here!
Ideas: Include some colorful pushpins so they can start pinning immediately – color code the pushpins for a couple so they can mark where they went individually and together in three different colors – use the marriage year of a couple for an inscription reading “est. 2018” in the compass
Hand-painted globe
If a map is too two-dimensional for you, try a customized globe. You can get them in a style where you can add pushpins just like the maps above, or go for a gorgeous hand-painted option like this one. It even includes pushpins and string to mark different journeys.
Photo by Wendy Gold Studios on Etsy
Ideas: This gift is perfect for someone returning home after lengthy travels or living abroad – it makes a great wedding or anniversary gift – buy it as a graduation gift for someone who has the wanderlust bug
Countries visited map t-shirt
This awesome personalized travel t-shirt allows the wearer to show off all of the fabulous places they’ve visited. With one hemisphere on the front and the other on the back, they’ll have the whole world covered. You can customize it by creating a map checking off all the countries you or your intended recipient have visited using a quick web app or send a typed list to the creator. If you’re not sure about your giftee’s full travel history, the seller also allows you to gift a credit so they can send over their country list later.
Photo by No Small Plan on Etsy
Ideas: Get matching ones for a family photo – order one showing one year’s travels for a frequent jetsetter – get matching his and hers shirts that show a couple’s travels together as an anniversary gift
Personalized travel crossword print
Crossword puzzles are one of my favorite ways to pass time while traveling or really just any time. I love this super-customized travel print that you can use to commemorate travels through the years. You get to pick the words that make up the print and the clues that appear at the bottom. And of course, the color can be picked to match your décor or tastes as well. I love it.
Photo by Eleven Corners by Etsy
Ideas: For an anniversary gift, use vacation destinations as answers and the years of the trip as clues – use cities as the answers and favorite foods or attractions as the clues – make one for each big trip you’ve been on listing all of your favorite attractions and activities
Engraved decorative compass
I can’t remember the last time I used an actual compass to navigate (thanks, GPS), but I’m kind of obsessed with this beautiful wooden one. It’s not ideal for digital nomads, but it would be perfect for a shelf in the home of someone you know who has a bad case of wanderlust. You have three lines of customization available, so you can go beyond just a name or initials and have something more detailed engraved.
Ideas: Names for a newlywed couple with their wedding date and honeymoon location – an inspirational (but not too long travel quote) – inscription commemorating a first trip overseas
Custom photo album
I’m obsessed with photos and on a good vacation, I’ll easily snap more than 200 a day. I also love putting my pictures together into a nice album. These come with custom inscriptions that you can use to commemorate a specific trip or event.
Ideas: Give one as a wedding gift for a honeymoon trip – order one for your parents and include pictures from family vacations through the years – customize one as a graduation gift or for a student preparing to study abroad
Shutterfly memory book
If you have access to their digital files or went on the trip together (don’t go hacking their hard drive or anything), a customized photo book from a site like Shutterfly is an awesome gift. My mom has been making them for each trip she takes and will order multiple copies to give as gifts to everyone who went on the trip. It’s a great, compact way to store your photos and the design interface is pretty easy to use.
Some of my Shutterfly books (and my coordinate necklace – don’t bother stalking me because the numbers are blurred out)
Ideas: Make one showcasing vacations through the years for your parents – order a copy for everyone on a group trip or every couple on a family reunion – design one about a couple’s honeymoon for a first anniversary gift
Personalized savings box
The biggest downside of travel is that it can get really expensive – especially if you live in a place like I do where flights to anywhere are inexplicably expensive. This personalized savings box can help you or a giftee save their dollars and change for upcoming trips and serve as a constant reminder of future vacations.
Photo by The Customise Company on Etsy
Ideas: This is perfect for a wedding gift – buy one for a student during their final year of college so they can travel after graduation – customize it with a specific destination you’re saving up for
Travel destination throw pillow
I have a weird thing for throw pillows, and I love the idea of customizing one with travel destinations. This style on Etsy gives you lots of freedom to pick your locations, so you can be more creative than you can with most of the other products I’ve included here. Once you have your pillow, you can lay back and dream of places you’ve been.
Photo by Miss Hettie on Etsy
Ideas: Add the names of cities/countries you visited on a longer trip – have bucket list destinations printed on it so you can dream of future travels – if family/friends are scattered in different places, get their homes printed on the pillow
Custom Christmas ornament
I always try to get a new Christmas ornament from each destination that I visit, and I love this one that features the whole family. It reminds me of a store that I wandered into in Rome. They even have an option with enough people to fit my whole family.
Ideas: Inscribe it with a travel pun – write “Merry Christmas” in the local language of a destination you visited as a family – order one for your parents to celebrate all of those family vacations
If none of these personalized travel gifts caught your fancy, check out one of these other gift guides:
- The Best Gifts for Business Travelers
- Travel Gifts for Nerds and Geeks
- Unique Disney Gifts to Make Your Next Trip to Disney World Extra Magical
Kris is a girl whose suitcase never rests. Follow her adventures around the United States, abroad, and to her beloved Disney parks. Traveling the world, camera in hand, and sharing all of her best adventures is her ultimate dream.
I love that vintage globe locket, it would be such a lovely and thoughtful gift.
I. LOVE. ALL. OF. THESE. This is the most awesome gift list I’ve ever seen! Thanks for putting this out there for all of us. P.S. I totally just bought a couple of these 😀
GREAT NOW I CAN GIVE A MEMORABLE GIFT TO MY FRIENDS WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL GIFTS
great gift altogether, you simply won a new reader.