13 Christmas gift ideas for a girlfriend who loves to travel

13 Christmas gift ideas for a girlfriend who loves to travel

1. A quiz made of your trips Our product

   oin turns your story into a small 2D pixel game with her as the main character, generated from an authorized photo. Five quiz questions can all come from your journeys - the airport you almost missed, the hostel with the broken lift, the dish she still talks about - and each correct answer rewards flowers. Two letters from you open and close the story, and the final level is set in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a destination she can explore without leaving the sofa. New York and Tokyo are coming soon. It plays in a browser and is usually emailed within an hour. It costs $29.90. See how it works →

2. A surprise weekend

   Book two train or plane tickets for January, wrap a printed itinerary and tell her only the packing list. The plan is as much of the gift as the destination. From about $200.

3. A weekend getaway voucher

   If you cannot pick a date yet, a hotel or cabin voucher for two gives her something to look forward to once the decorations come down. Around $120-300.

4. An instant camera for the road

   An Instax Mini or Polaroid Now fits in a day bag and gives her a physical souvenir from every stop. Add two or three packs of film. Around $70-130 plus film.

5. Good travel gear

   Packing cubes, an Away-style carry-on organizer, a proper passport holder or a noise-cancelling travel pillow. Pick the thing she keeps improvising. Around $25-150.

6. Pajamas for the hotel

   A soft set she takes everywhere beats whatever the hotel offers. Silk from Lunya or a cotton set from The White Company packs small. Around $50-150.

7. A scratch-off world map

   A framed map where she scratches off every country she has visited. Cheap and satisfying; hang it where visitors will see it. Around $20-40.

8. A photo book of your trips

   Pick the best 40 photos from the last two years of travels and add one line each. Order before early December to be safe. Around $30-60.

9. A language course or an app subscription

   If she is planning a trip to Italy, Japan or Portugal, a year of Babbel or a few lessons with a tutor makes the next visit better. Around $60-150.

10. A board game for travel days

    A compact two-player game fits in a bag and fills long delays: Jaipur, Patchwork or Codenames: Duet. Around $15-30.

11. A good coat or a pair of travel-friendly trainers

    If she wears the same brand every trip, buy more of what works: the jacket that packs flat, the shoes that survived last summer. Around $60-200.

12. A travel journal

    A leather-bound notebook with the first page already written: where you want to go next. Around $20-50.

13. A letter about the places you shared

    Pick three moments from different trips and write what you remember. Put it inside the first page of the journal or a card.

Gifts for a traveller: what to avoid

Skip heavy or fragile things that will not survive a suitcase, and skip souvenirs from places she has not been. The best travel gifts are light, personal and useful on the road.

If she travels often, think about what she complains about. A broken suitcase wheel, a camera that never works at night, a charger that is always in the wrong bag - fixing the annoyance is a gift she will thank you for on every trip.

Order dates

Photo books and anything shipped from abroad should be ordered in November or the first days of December. Bookings, vouchers and digital gifts can be sorted almost up to Christmas Eve.