Travel Gifts for Couples: 40+ Top Gifts for Couples Who Travel 2020

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Finding the right gifts for couples is hard, but locating gifts for the traveling couple can be even more challenging. After all, it’s hard enough judging the tastes, travel style, and preferred destinations of one person. With travel-loving couples, you need to make two people happy! Well, here’s some good news: there are plenty of travel gifts for couples to choose from, and I’ve listed up a lot of them here. Keep reading for a huge and varied list of wedding gifts for travelers and other travel gifts for couples at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, wedding anniversaries and more.

The Ultimate List of Travel Gifts for Couples

Let’s talk about couples’ gift ideas. Trying to find the right gifts for traveling couples is no easy task. That said, if you find the right gift for a couple, it can be something that they use and cherish for years to come. And they’ll think of you every time they use it! Travel-related presents are gifts for couples to do together. Here are our favorites.

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Table of Contents

The Ultimate List of Travel Gifts for Couples
Why Read My Couple’s Travel Gift Ideas?
What Do Travel Gifts for Couples Have in Common?
Couples’ Travel Gift Ideas by Category
Experiences: Gifts for Couples Who Have Everything
Travel Insurance
Books: Travel Gifts for Couples Who Read
- Our Full Travel Book List
Kindle Paperwhite
Gear: Gifts for the Traveling Couple on the Road
Luggage & Storage – Most Useful Gifts for Travelers
Camping Gear for Couples Who Love the Outdoors
Electronics
For the Home
What Other Couple’s Travel Gifts are There?

Why Read My Couple’s Travel Gift Ideas?

So I’ve written quite a bit about family travel as well as travel guides for many countries. But what do I know about traveling as a couple? Why should you read my recommendations about travel gifts for couples? Well, long before I was a traveling dad or even a traveling husband, I was the traveling boyfriend. Keiko and I dated for six years before marriage and kids, and we still travel as a couple any time the opportunity presents itself. Long before thoughts of weddings and children, we drove across the US, backpacked through Thailand, explored Cambodia and rode motorcycles in Vietnam. In fact, we’ve been traveling as a couple since 1996. Sure, a lot of that has been as parents, but we break off on our own whenever we get the chance. On top of that, we’ve lived in six countries together:

USA (1 year)
Malaysia (1 year)
Spain (2 years)
Mexico (2 years)
Taiwan (3.5 years)
Japan (13+ years & counting)
We’ve explored many other cool places together, as well.

Since 1996…that’s a lot of birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Days, and other gift-giving holidays! No, we don’t do travel gifts for Christmas every year. In fact, we don’t always exchange or ask anyone for gifts unless we need them. However, when looking for birthday or Christmas gift ideas, we’re usually talking travel-related.

What Do Travel Gifts for Couples Have in Common?

People are different, and with traveling couples, the variations expand exponentially. But what do all travel gifts for couples have in common? What differentiates gifts for couples that have everything from typical gifts? Here are a few characteristics.

They’re Portable: The best gifts for traveling couples are small, lightweight and be easy to travel with. Today’s luggage weight limits demand it.
They’re Durable: If it’s breakable, it’s left at home. An ideal gift for the traveling couple can withstand the wear and tear or normal travel. And if your friends are backpackers, it might need to be even tougher.
They’re Either Practical *or* Extravagant: Okay, so “practical” and “extravagant” seem completely at odds with each other. And they are, actually. In a different travel gift idea feature, I said the best travel gifts are practical. In general, that’s true. But I’ve discovered that there are times when it’s nice to consider gifts for couples who travel that perhaps they might not buy for themselves. Matching suitcases, perhaps, or some other nice piece of gear that they might consider a luxury.

Couples’ Travel Gift Ideas by Category

Travel gift ideas fall into many different types, so I’ve tried to divide them accordingly. We start with actual travel experiences: the travel gifts for couples to do together. Then we move into tangible items like books, travel gear, and more. This travel shopping list is far from complete. What’s missing?

Experiences: Gifts for Couples Who Have Everything

Let’s start our shopping list with experiential gifts. This best travel gifts for couples to do together are actual travel experiences, don’t you think? It’s exactly what travel lovers want. It takes up zero room in their luggage and helps to make lasting memories. Here are a few experiences you can provide as gifts for couples at Christmas, anniversaries or other occasions.

Get Your Guide Vouchers

Get Your Guide is one of the largest and most reputable online travel booking sites in the world. From Paris to Palawan to Puerto Escondido, Get Your Guide can connect you with tours, cooking classes and romantic dinners all over the globe. Their gift voucher system is easy to use and flexible, allowing the traveling couple themselves to choose the destination and activity, or even to add it to a travel itinerary they’ve already created.

Check Price: Get Your Guide Travel Voucher

Flytographer Gift Cards

One thing that most traveling couples want is good pictures of themselves enjoying their trip. It’s hard enough just to get a pic of the two of you together, And if you’re relying on a self-timer or passer-by to take the shot, you run the risk of a less-than-stellar image to look back on. Here’s where Flytographer comes in. With a network of freelance photographers around the world, Flytographer helps you set up a location shot in exotic locales. Shoots range from 30 minutes (1 location) to two hours (multiple locations), and the digital files are yours to keep.

We used Flytographer in Lima, Peru in December 2018 and had a great experience. It wasn’t a couples’ gift really since it involved my entire family. Well, then again I guess it was a traveling couples gift. The loving couple was my parents, and it was their 50th wedding anniversary. The trip to Peru was for their anniversary, and my siblings and I decided to have a full-on photoshoot while we were there. After all, we’re rarely all in the same place at the same time, and we all wanted to be in the shots.

It was a fantastic experience and our photographer got some amazing shots. Even more amazing when you consider the time allowed, the number of people involved (a total of ten of us) and the fact that we were in a public place with people walking around everywhere. And each couple (parents, bro/sis & spouse and Keiko and I) all got our own couples’ shots as well. If their photographers can pull that off, then imagine what they can do with just two people. One of the best gifts for couples who have everything.

Check Price: Flytographer Global

Airbnb

Romantic getaways are even better when the accommodation is just right. Hotels can do that, but sometimes an apartment rental is the best gift idea for couples who love travel. In fact, you don’t necessarily have to travel far to enjoy Airbnb. The weekend apartment rental can be part of a staycation, a city escape, or a romantic weekend in the countryside near home, as well.

Check Price: Airbnb Gift Cards

Tinggly

Another travel experience provider is Tinggly. After you order a Tinggly experience set, a boxed gift card is sent to the recipient. Tinggly has a wide array of travel experiences to choose from and several packages that are designed specifically for traveling couples.

Fun Together – Tinggly Voucher for Two/Gift Card in a Gift Box

Just Married – Tinggly Voucher/Gift Card in a Gift Box

Happily Ever After – Tinggly Voucher/Gift Card in a Gift Box for Two

Travel Insurance

Not the most romantic of gifts, I know, but travel insurance is a very important component of any travel experience. Whether it’s a romantic weekend away for a long-term backpacking adventure, travel insurance plans make excellent travel gifts for couples, wherever they’re going.

More travel gift ideas below, but first: PIN THIS

Books: Travel Gifts for Couples Who Read

A lazy day at the beach. A hammock with a mountain view. The hours in airports waiting for a flight. Travel provides lots of time to read, and so we’ve always believed that books are great travel gifts for men, women, and children. The best travel books are ones you read on the road, but we’ve also included books that help planning a trip or that make great coffee table material as well.

Our Full Travel Book List

I could talk about this travel book or that one. I could talk about which books I think are best for traveling couples and everyone else. Oh wait, I’ve already done that! Follow the link below to see all of our recommended travel-related books.

Kindle Paperwhite

This may be the very best gift for everyone. Kindles are so light and easy to use. And they hold so many books! We love reading physical books, but Kindles will forever be part of our travel essentials. There are many types of eReaders, and I’m sure that many or most of them are good. However, we prefer the Kindle Paperwhite because it’s a reading device only. We already have phones, tablets, and computers — we don’t want our eReaders to distract us with all the internet has to offer. Besides, the Paperwhite doesn’t emit blue light like the LED screens of our other devices. Blue light can interrupt your sleep cycle, and we like to read in bed before dozing off. That’s why we choose the Paperwhite as the ultimate travel gift for her. Him too.

Check Price: Kindle Paperwhite – Now Waterproof (INCREDIBLE Travel Gift Idea)

Lonely Planet

I used my first Lonely Planet guide (Thailand) in 1998, and have used many others since. No, it’s not my only resource and yes, phones and internet coverage have forever changed the landscape of travel tips. Yet I still think the humble travel guide is a great resource for certain trips. We haven’t used one in every place we’ve visited, but they have been a part of many journeys over the years. To be honest, I think more new travelers should use them instead of relying solely on blogs, Instagram and Trip Advisor. They all have their place, of course, but travel guides like Lonely Planet often give you the history, background and cultural context that photos and other traveler opinions lack.

Destination-specific Guides

Japan — Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Spain — Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Bali & Lombok — Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Mexico — Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Europe — Lonely Planet Travel Guide

Other Great Lonely Planet Books

Lonely Planet USA’s Best Trips

Epic Hikes of the World

A Journey Through Every Country in the World

Ultimate Travel: Our List of the 500 Best Places to See… Ranked

The World’s Most Romantic Destinations

This drool-worthy coffee table book is a great gift for travel-loving couples to use when planning their next dream getaway. It comes complete with the exceptional writing and photography you’ve grown to love and expect from National Geographic.

Check Price: The World’s Most Romantic Destinations: 50 Enchanting Places

Ultimate Journeys for Two

If you’re looking for gifts for more adventurous couples, then consider this offering from National Geographic. Ultimate Journeys for Two was written by the world’s longest honeymooning couple. Chapters are divided by terrain (ie. deserts, mountains, beaches, etc) and cover amazing places all over the globe.

Check Price: Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations

If…(Questions for the Game of Life)

An ideal gift for newlyweds. I discovered this wonderful little book at a dinner party in Taiwan over 20 years ago. Soon after I bought a copy of my own and have carried it around ever since. I love it for its simplicity: each page has four unrelated questions that start with the word “If.” The questions range from the ponderous to the bizarre, each helping you get to know the people you read the book with. There are many versions of the book now. I’m only familiar with the original, but the others are possibly just as interesting. Great wedding gifts for travelers still getting to know each other.

Check Price: If… (Questions For The Game of Life)

Our Bucket List

Couples’ journals like this give travel-loving couples a place to organize their plans. Not only is this a gift for couples to do together but it also helps them make their travel dreams into reality and then a place to look back at it all.

Check Price: Our Bucket List: Inspirational Journal for Couples

Gear: Gifts for the Traveling Couple on the Road

Now let’s talk about general travel gear: the nuts-and-bolts practical items that help make getting from point A to point B easier. But just because these items are practical doesn’t mean that they won’t be appreciated. Indeed, some of the best travel gifts for couples and other travelers are the most pragmatic ones.

Manta Eye Masks

Despite having over two decades of travel under my belt, I didn’t discover the real value of a good eye mask until a few years ago. At first, I didn’t use them at all, then about a decade ago I realized how much better I slept when I covered my eyes and the world was dark. Even so, I spent another 5+ years wearing cheapo eye masks. You know the kind: thin, flimsy and made from vinyl or other plastic that presses against your face and makes your eyelids sweat. The kind they give out on an airplane. The kind where the elastic stretches out after a month of use.

Manta Eye Masks are different. They’re made from soft, washable cloth. The eyecups are adjustable to fit your face. Best of all, they are actual cups, so your eyes have room. Nothing presses up against your eyelids/eyelashes. I love my Manta Eye Mask so much, and plan to buy a spare soon just in case I lose one. Great travel gifts for couples who fly and stay in hotels often.

Check Price: Manta Eye Mask

Luggage Tags

Sometimes it’s the simple things. A few sets of matching luggage tags help you locate your suitcases at the baggage claim quickly, but it can also be a way to show a little personality as well. Travelambo has over two dozen colors to choose from, while the Fintie line of luggage tags have more extravagant patterns. Both are made from rugged material and come with a privacy flap.

Check Price: Travelambo Leather Luggage Tags

Check Price: Fintie PU Leather Name ID Labels with Privacy Cover

Passport Covers

Like the luggage tags above, a nice set of passport covers is a way for couples to have something matching without being too cheesy about it. These covers have specialized slots for cash, credit cards, and boarding passes and use RFID technology to protect your cards from ID theft.

Check Price: Famavala RFID Blocking Passport Wallet

Check Price: Fintie RFID Passport Holder

Travel Pillows

Like a good eye mask and set of earplugs, the right travel pillow can mean the difference between sleeping on a long-haul flight and staying awake for 10+ hours. There are so many travel pillow designs today. Which one is best for the traveling couple in your life?

Luggage & Storage – Most Useful Gifts for Travelers

The most practical gifts for traveling couples have to be luggage. After all, you have to carry your stuff somehow, right? Below we list up (or link to) some of the best luggage gifts for the traveling partners on your holiday shopping list.

Hanging Toiletry Bag

Toothbrushes and floss. Razors and a hairbrush. These are just a few of the toiletries you’re likely to carry with you when you travel. So why not put them all in one place? A nice hanging toiletry bag like this one helps keep everything organized and in one place. Keiko and I can fit all we need into one of these, but we don’t carry a lot of creams and grooming supplies. One may be enough for some traveling couples. If not, a matching set could work. We particularly like having a hook on top so that it can hang instead of sit on a wet sink.

Check Price: ProCase Hanging Toiletry Bag

Laundry Bag

Stay focused on spanning the globe even while you do the wash! This map-emblazoned laundry bag folds up into itself for easy carry. No matter where your travel couple plans to visit, they could use a little extra storage for dirty clothes or souvenirs.

Check Price: Kikkerland Travel-Size Laundry Bag, World Map

Packing Cubes

We’ve been recommending packing cubes as travel presents for years now. These keep everything organized for easier packing and unpacking. Some people buy different colors for each person, while others can fit everything into one set. Check out our full feature to see all the different packing cube sets we recommend.

Carry-on Suitcases

Any couple flying to and fro will appreciate a nice carry-on suitcase. The best carry-on luggage can hold your vital electronics and enough clothes for a weekend trip. You might not even need to check anything in! See our full feature for more details.

Read More: Carry On Luggage Reviews

Check-In Suitcases

Some trips require more stuff. Perhaps you’re visiting multiple climates. Or maybe you want room for souvenirs. Heck, maybe your favorite couple is going on a cruise or other luxury holiday and want to have all the clothes to match. For trips like these, consider a check-in suitcase. Here are our top recommendations.

Backpacks

Some traveling couples go on luxury cruises, while others go on backpacking adventures. If your favorite duo is planning the latter, then consider the backpacks we’ve listed as some of the best gifts for the travel lovers in your life.

Fanny Packs

The fanny pack is back. That’s right: straight from the 1980s comes the little bag that could. Today’s fanny pack styles are so wide and varied that we wrote up an entire feature on our top picks.

Read More: Best Fanny Packs for Travel

Sling Bags & Shoulder Bags

Another daypack option is the sling bag — a.k.a. the shoulder bag, the cross-body bag, etc. I use a sling bag myself because it carries a bit more than a fanny pack and it’s ergonomically designed to wear over one shoulder. It slides back-to-front easily, as well. So whenever I get in a taxi or board a crowded train I can swivel it to my lap without taking it off.

Camping Gear for Couples Who Love the Outdoors

You don’t have to get on a plane to travel. In fact, some of the best couples travel Keiko and I’ve done is drive overland across the US, camping along the way. We’ve stayed in tents and cabins in other countries, as well. If you’re looking for camping and hiking gifts, then here are a few suggestions.

Black Diamond Headlamps

While often considered gifts for camping and hiking, a good headlamp comes in handy in many situations. You can use them on unlit side streets as well as in your hotel room when you don’t want to turn the light on and wake your partner up. For this, we prefer headlamps like Black Diamond that have a red light function: I can navigate a dark room without disturbing Keiko’s sleep. We’ve had Black Diamond headlamps in our bags for over a decade now.

Check Price: Black Diamond Headlamps

Waterproof Cellphone Pouch

Sure, you want to snap a selfie of the two of you from the trail. But what if it rains along the way? Or what if you have to cross a river? Waterproof cellphone pouches like this one from JOTO come in handy in lots of situations. One situation couples and solo travelers experience is at the beach: you both want to get in, but then no one can watch your stuff. You don’t want to leave your phone on the sand where anyone can grab it. Instead, carry it into the water with you using one of these pouches.

Check Price: JOTO Universal Waterproof Cellphone Dry Bag Case

Aeropress Portable Coffee Maker

There’s nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning. Drink that coffee in the woods and the pleasure doubles, in my experience. Aeropress makers deliver an excellent cup o’ Joe, and this kit is easy to carry and clean. A great travel gift idea for couples who want their morning boost and Nescafe won’t do.

Check Price: Aeropress Coffee Maker

Hammock for Two

Snuggle up in the Eagles Nest DoubleNest Hammock from Eno. It packs small and weighs only 19 ounces. Yet it can hold up to 400 pounds/180 kilograms. Super easy to carry, pack and unpack, they’re a perfect gift for camping couples.

Check Price: ENO – Portable Hammock for Two

Electronics

Now let’s get into the tech. In years past, travel required very little electronics. Today, however, travel can be optimized and enhanced with the use of the many digitized tools at our disposal. Here are a few of the top electronics gifts for traveling couples.

Fitness Tracker

It’s easy to let yourself go during travel: one more croissant, one more beer, one more nap. With Fitbit fitness trackers around their wrists, traveling couples can keep up with calories burned, steps taken and hours slept.

Read More: Fitbit Charge – Fitness Tracker

Headphone Audio Splitter

It could be during a long layover. Or perhaps on a rainy night at your hotel. There will come a time where you may want to watch a movie together. For this, we recommend always carrying a headphone splitter with you. That way you always have the option to share an audio feed on your laptop or tablet without disturbing others. It could be binge-watching your favorite TV show on an overnight bus, but it doesn’t have to be only for video. Instead, share an audiobook or podcast. Listen to language-learning programs together. This may be the simplest travel gift for couples, it’s also one of the most practical. There are audio splitters built for two, but I’m recommending this 5-Jack model since it costs relatively the same and there are occasions where you may share the audio with friends, family or new people you meet along the way.

Check Price: Belkin RockStar 5-Jack Multi Headphone Audio Splitter

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

Sometimes you want your music out of your headphones and filling the entire room. For this, we recommend the Wonderboom 2. This fantastic portable Bluetooth speaker is rugged, has a rich sound and can go with you everywhere. It provides the soundtrack for a beach picnic, a romantic candlelit dinner, and impromptu dancing in your apartment rental. It’s waterproof and dustproof. It floats and keeps playing for up to 13 hours. An ideal travel gift for couples who want to carry their tunes with them.

Check Price: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

More Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Travel

The Wonderboom is just one of many fantastic speakers for travel lovers. Read our buyer’s guide for more portable Bluetooth speakers spanning a wide range of functions and budgets.

Multi-Port USB Charger

From the cabin of a cruise ship to that cute little loft you’ve rented for the weekend, some accommodation just doesn’t have enough power outlets. That’s why we love our Anker 6-port charger. All our USB devices charge in one place, and all charge at once. For us, that means phones, tablets, Kindles, one pair of Bluetooth Headphones and a portable speaker. For others, it might be hair clippers, flashlights, fans, electric toothbrushes, or rechargeable batteries. What would you charge with six USB portal like this?

Check Price: Anker 60W 6-Port USB Wall Charger

GoPro Action Cameras

With their wide-angles and indestructible build, it’s no wonder that traveling couples around the world use the GoPro to document their adventures. They’re small, tough, and produce amazing images and videos. They’re ideal travel gifts for couples on an international adventure, but can be just as easily enjoyed at the neighborhood pool.

Check Price: GoPro Hero7

Canon Gx7 Mk II

This has been my go-to camera for a few years now and I still stand by it. It’s rugged enough but takes great images and movies as well. It’s a great little camera for traveling couples because the back LCD monitor flips all the way around to face the front. This super helpful when you want to get a shot together without using a timer, a selfie stick, or asking a stranger.

Check Price: Canon PowerShot Digital Camera G7 X Mark II

More Travel Cameras

Canon and GoPro are just two names amongst the many great cameras for travel being produced today. If you’re keen to see a wider variety of cameras for travel lovers, follow the link below.

Travel Tripod

Looking for more versatility in your photography? Want to try something more creative? Or maybe you know you’ll be shooting in low light and want to take steady shots? Consider traveling with a tripod. GorillaPods can give you a wide variety of steady angles, and they also give you a little more reach and distance in a selfie shot. Monopods like the Manfrotto are useful too. With one leg, they’re not as versatile, but take up less space and keep you agile in crowds and on hillsides (mine doubled as a walking stick). My monopod has been jungle trekking in Sumatra and night shooting in Barcelona.

Check Price: JOBY GorillaPod 3K Kit. Compact Tripod

Check Price: Manfrotto Lightweight Element Monopod

For the Home

Here are some fun items to return to after a long trip. Few travel-loving couples are perpetually on the road, so consider a few travel-friendly gifts to decorate their home with.

Scrapbook

Three of my favorite stages of travel: the planning, the trip itself, and the subjecting friends and family to all my favorite pictures afterward. Maybe the couple you have in mind isn’t as boring as I am. However, they may still want a physical repository of their favorite travel pics — even if only for themselves.

Check Price: Premium Our Adventure Book Photo Album Scrapbook

Scratch-Off Map

Yes, nearly every travel-related gift list has some version of this scratch-off map on it. One reason is that they’re really popular and fun. Another reason is, well duh: it’s a map that lets you show off where you’ve been. Of course, this should only be given to the traveling couple that has been many places. Otherwise, the map will remain unscratched.

Check Price: Maps International Scratch The World Travel Map

Magnetic Globe

Like the scratch-off map above, this magnetic globe from Waypoint can indicate where you’ve been, where you’re going and places you want to go next. The magnets come off and on easily without scratching or puncturing the surface. A lovely addition to any travel-loving couple’s home.

Check Price: Waypoint Geographic Magnetic World Globe with Stand

What Other Couple’s Travel Gifts are There?

These are just the travel gifts for couples we know, but we’d love to hear your feedback. What’s missing? What other gift ideas for couples would you add? Have you received a travel gift for Valentine’s Day, Christmas or an anniversary?

Further Reading:

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which cost you nothing. However, when you use our links, we might receive a small commission if you book a room buy some of the travel gifts we recommend. My opinions are my own and I only recommend travel gifts ideas that I believe in.

Photo Credits via Creative Commons CC-BY or other Royalty-free image sites. Some images may have been altered slightly via cropping or color enhancement: #1, #2, #19, #28, #37, #47, #48, #49, #59, #68, #69, #70, #71, #72