Looking for fun travel gifts for friends they’ll actually use without breaking the bank? You’ve made it to the right place.
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Whether you’re shopping for Christmas, birthdays or for a travel send-off party, you can find some of the best travel gifts while still staying on a budget.
Curated here, you’ll find the 20 most thoughtful, most practical and overall best travel gifts for friends that all cost less than $25.
1. Disposable Film Cameras
Disposable film cameras are the perfect budget-friendly alternative to gifting an Instax Mini instant film camera or other travel camera gear.
With this disposable film camera, you will enable your friends to capture all of their travels in a unique vintage way.
2. Portable French Press Coffee Maker
Furthermore, when traveling on a budget, sometimes travelers have to settle for free, not-so-great hotel room coffee.
This insulated portable travel mug and french press coffee maker will take away the temptation to find the nearest Starbucks and instead provide your friends with a delicious morning beverage that far exceeds cheap hotel-room coffee.
3. Stanley Travel Mug
Likewise, instead of spending money unnecessarily on plastic water bottles, it’s always best (for the bank, Earth and our health) to use a reusable water bottle.
The Stanley brand of reusable travel bottles has gone absolutely viral over the last year, and for good reason.
For less than $25, this Stanley travel mug will keep your friends’ hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold — no matter where they are in the world.
4. Keychain Reusable Straw
Similarly, with the controversial yet sustainable increase in paper straws across the globe, reusable stainless steel straws would make a perfect travel gift for friends.
What I love about these exact stainless steel straws is that they are compact in size and built into a keychain for maximum portability.
Plus, they come in a pack of four, which you can divide between four different friends (or keep one for yourself). I just ordered these straws for our upcoming Disney World trip, and I cannot wait to use them.
5. Scratch-Off World Destination Map
Next, all travelers want one of these scratch-off world destination maps to check off all of their adventures.
You really can’t go wrong with this travel gift for friends.
6. Passport Holder And Wallet
You can’t go wrong with this No. 1 bestselling leather passport holder and wallet either.
It holds credit cards, vaccination cards, boarding passes, a pen for customs forms and, of course, a passport. Plus, it comes in a ton of colors so you can keep this practical travel gift totally personalized.
7. Luggage Scale
Another completely practical, useful travel gift for friends is this digital luggage scale.
There’s nothing worse than getting to baggage drop, weighing your suitcase for the first time, learning your bag is six pounds over the allowed baggage weight and having to shove clothes into your nicely packed carry-on.
Save your traveling friend the trouble by buying them this super convenient, portable luggage scale.
8. Travel Planner
Next, this travel planner journal will not only make your friends’ travel planning more fun and organized, but it will also help them stay on budget so that they can travel more as soon as possible.
9. Packing Cubes
We all have that friend whose suitcase is always vomiting clothes out everywhere.
Help this friend stay organized — and sane — with this travel luggage cube set from Amazon, recommended by thousands of professional travelers worldwide.
10. Personalized Leather Luggage Tag (Travel Gifts For Friends)
Moreover, you could also give your friends personalized leather luggage tags to help them easily identify their suitcases at baggage claim.
I love that these tags look more sophisticated, luxury and first class than most cheap luggage tags — and for an extremely affordable price.
11. Hands-Free Suitcase Drink Caddy
This next travel gift for friends would make fantastic travel-themed white elephant gift.
What I particularly love about this suitcase cup holder is that it has a harder shell to keep your friends’ coffee, water bottle, phone and other belongings secure.
Also, there’s a pocket on either side of the holder where your friends can keep their ID, passport and boarding passes readily available.
12. Silk Eye Mask (Travel Gifts For Friends)
Did you know silk is better for skin than cotton or other fabrics?
It’s true. Silk absorbs less moisture than other materials, which means this silk eye mask keeps skin moisturized on dry long-haul flights. This is something all travelers can appreciate.
13. Portable White Noise Machine
In addition, this portable, rechargeable noise machine will have all travelers sleeping like babies in every hotel room.
Its small size compacts perfectly as a gift for friends who travel, and its wireless functioning will free up those limited hotel room outlets needed for charging other electronics (like phones and travel camera gear) overnight.
14. Perfume & Refillable Travel-Sized Perfume Bottles
Next, these refillable travel-size perfume bottles are super affordable, easy to use, very high quality, and perfect for when your friends can’t bring their favorite full-size perfumes or colognes through security.
Bonus friend points for adding a new perfume or cologne to the gift!
My signature perfume that I wear daily is the YSL Mon Paris. This scent is perfect for the traveler who prefers a sassy perfume over a flowery or musky one. I love it so much that I even wore it for my wedding day.
It comes in a 3.04 OZ size, 1.6 OZ size (TSA approved), 1 OZ size (TSA approved) and a 0.34 OZ mini rollerball size (most affordable and TSA approved, no refillable bottle needed).
15. Travel Size Razor With Case
This Venus mini razor set is genius for travelers, and the practicality in the gift is pretty self-explanatory.
It even comes with a travel case and three refills!
16. Travel Jewelry Organizer (Travel Gifts For Friends)
When packed in luggage, necklaces tangle. Earrings are lost. And tears are shed when the ruined jewelry is valuable.
Protect and keep your friends’ jewelry organized on all their trips by gifting them a travel jewelry case or two.
This mini travel jewelry box is compact, which is perfect for packing, has multiple ring and earring compartments, and has hooks to keep necklaces detangled.
Furthermore, this larger travel jewelry box holds more jewelry than the compact version, while simultaneously laying flat in suitcases.
17. Fjallraven Kanken Key Ring
Because you’re reading this list of travel gifts for friends under $25, I already know you don’t want to spend the cash on a trendy Fjallraven Kanken backpack for your friends. So, why not get them a branded Fjallraven Kanken key ring instead?
The key rings, as well as the backpacks, come in tons of colors, so you’ll definitely find the perfect one for each traveling friend.
Plus, Fjallraven products are built with the traveler in mind. The whole Fjallraven clothing and practical accessory brand revolves around the outdoors, hiking and adventure.
18. Travel Blogger Hat (Travel Gifts For Friends)
Similarly, this wide-brim fedora is every travel blogger and travel photographer’s staple fashion piece.
Not only do these hats act as perfect travel photo props for both male and female travelers, but they’re also saviors for long shower-less, greasy-hair adventures.
19. Travel-Friendly Card Games
When I found these language playing cards, I had to add them to this travel gifts for friends list.
I hate to admit it, but I’ve been addicted to Monopoly Deal (which is totally portable, and you can play it in less than 15 minutes) lately. You can also buy travel-friendly UNO, Clue and our new favorite Exploding Kittens.
20. Carry-On Cocktail Kit (Travel Gifts For Friends)
Lastly, save your friends time in over-priced airport bars and money on expensive in-flight beverages with this fun TSA-approved carry-on cocktail kit.
Although your friends can’t legally bring their own alcohol through security and onto the plane, they can use the mix inside this kit with a simple drink from the onboard services to make a delicious cocktail (or mocktail)!
Have any questions about these travel gifts for friends? Ask me by leaving a reply below or sending me a message on Instagram. I’m here to help!
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