It’s here – the 2024 $5 Travel Gift Guide! This is my favorite gift guide I do every year because it’s – I hope – super USEFUL for a variety of people and circumstances. While obviously it’s geared to travel, … Read More
A few years ago, when our eldest kiddo was almost 9, Dan and I decided we wanted some more one-on-one time with them, and also that we wanted to prioritize experiences together. We felt like our family had plenty of … Read More
After moving to London, I was fortunate enough to join a wonderful book club. I found out that they have an annual book club weekend trip themed around a specific author. Last year, they visited the Peak District in honor … Read More
I absolutely loved my short 3-day trip to Athens with K, my older daughter! When our kids turn 12, they get to take a weekend/long weekend domestic trip with one parent. Since we live in London now, the 3.5 hour … Read More
While I always say the best countries for you to visit depends on YOUR interests, I also know that it can feel overwhelming to decide where to go when you’re venturing to a new country, especially if it happens to … Read More
Like many of you, we try to focus on experiences over things, but there are certain items that have helped make those experiences easier and more fun over the years. These are things that are useful, durable, and stand the … Read More
I get asked so often where the best places are for a first international family trip and, for the most part, I’ll reiterate what I always say – it depends on YOUR interests! If you want tons of art museums … Read More
Over a decade ago, we had a trip planned to Egypt that we unfortunately needed to cancel due to political issues that began. We were so disappointed, as Egypt had already been on our bucket list for years. So it … Read More
I absolutely loved my short 3-day trip to Athens with K, my older daughter! When our kids turn 12, they get to take a weekend/long weekend domestic trip with one parent. Since we live in London now, the 3.5 hour … Read More
Visiting Virgin Islands National Park with kids is definitely a once in a lifetime experience! This was a special trip for our us, and Virgin Islands with kids was a hit with the whole family. We’ve loved finding the best … Read More
I often get asked for the most kid-friendly places to travel with kids. But in truth, our family’s travels rarely revolve solely around our kids’ needs and interests. Instead, we seek out places and activities that serve and are enjoyable … Read More
While London itself is amazing, there are also so many fantastic places nearby that make really wonderful day trips. For a first time visit to England with kids, I highly recommend leaving at least a couple days for the best … Read More
It’s here – the 2024 $5 Travel Gift Guide!
This is my favorite gift guide I do every year because it’s – I hope – super USEFUL for a variety of people and circumstances. While obviously it’s geared to travel, I hope it’s helpful whether you’re going out exploring near or far. I love finding new items each year that are inexpensive but also really practical, especially for travel.
I’m thrilled that the 2024 is the best yet! There are over 75 great items that are perfect for a sister, child, friend, neighbor, or coworker for an inexpensive but fantastic gift or as a stocking stuffer! (If you’re looking for some terrific travel gifts at different price points, check out my 2024 Ultimate Travel Lovers’ Gift Guide.)
Even better – this year we have a digital catalogue to make it easier to view everything together, as well as see my favorite items and links to other guides. I hope it’s helpful – just pop in your email and it’ll come straight to your inbox!
Want the digital catalogue for the $5 gift guide, with my favorite items and links to other guides? Pop in your email below and I’ll send the clickable PDF right to your inbox!
I’ve loved these little leather cord organizers for years – they’re perfect for keeping cords organized while on the go (or at home!) and are handsome to look at.
We really love these for preventing liquid spills when traveling. They’re excellent for something you want to cover up when traveling, especially if it doesn’t have its own lid.
I like to leave my travel toiletries separate so it’s easy to grab them when packing. But that usually means I end up leaving things in random Ziploc bags that can go through security! I finally purchased myself some of these clear bags that are TSA-approved and a definite upgrade over a cheap plastic baggie.
These would be great for anyone who uses a rolling suitcase – adds fun and helps keep wheels intact, and you can split them up between multiple people.
Love this for keeping track of a few medications for the kids when traveling or out and about for the day. We’ve had ours for nearly a decade and it’s still going!
I shared a little travel jewelry box on last year’s list, but I couldn’t resist including this personalized initial one. It’s so cute!
These little leakproof containers are great for storing various items when traveling and I love that the lids stay on the bottom and they can all hook together. Keeps everything so organized!
Everyone loves something personalized, and a luggage tag is always useful to someone who loves to travel – there’s always another bag and these tags tend to walk away!
These are terrific for keeping your clothing clear when packing shoes, but also being able to see what’s inside.
These are great for resting feet to sleep, or for kids to not kick the seat in front. Also great for being able to fit what you need under the seat but still be able to rest your feet.
Love this for watching a film on your phone while on the plane, without having to constantly arch your neck down. This is something else that will be going in Dan’s stocking this year!
I gave this exact thing to my brother-in-law and to Dan a couple years ago and it was a total hit. I love this little tool that has multiple functions, like a pen, stylus, screwdriver, LED light, and more. I’m putting one in each of my 4 big kids’ stockings this year!
I can’t believe how inexpensive these are and how small they get! Super convenient for travel or when spending time outdoors.
No one wants to think about horrible emergencies happening, especially when traveling, but it’s definitely best to be prepared. Get one for every car you own and an extra to leave with your suitcase so you don’t forget it when traveling. Or grab a few extras and give them out as the most useful neighbor gift they’ll ever receive. (I got this for Dan’s stocking this year.)
We always keep one of these gauges to check tire pressure handy in our car and our house for vehicles, bikes, and more. It’s a perfect stocking stuffer or inexpensive but useful gift.
These little canisters are terrific for anyone who likes wearing perfume or cologne but also travels. It’s always a bit of a pain to find smaller versions of favorite scents (and they’re usually more expensive per volume), so these are perfect for simply filling with your favorite to take along.
We are usually really good about remembering to take one of these along when we travel but we forgot on a recent trip and REALLY regretted it. It makes it so much easier to navigate! This is a great one for travel as it can easily be moved around from car to car and doesn’t use adhesive to attach permanently.
This is really excellent for people who prefer packing minimally and doing laundry while traveling. Also great for anyone traveling with a baby, because there’s always inevitably something that needs to be washed!
Everyone’s phone gets gross and germy when traveling – these are perfect to keep on hand for a quick wipe down and would be great for a stocking or for a simple but useful neighbor gift.
Another fun little tool! This 3-pack with multiple wrenches and screwdrivers is also great and comes out to less than $3 each. It would also be terrific for a useful neighbor gift – we may do these this year!
Similar to the multi-tool pen, I’ve also given this card multi-tool to Dan and he still keeps it handy in his wallet years later. This one includes a survival knife, saw blade, bottle opener, and more.
Every time I see one of these, I think that I need to get myself one so I can easily keep my phone secure but still have it out and available for photos, maps, and messages. It’s way safer than keeping in a pocket and easier to access than in a bag.
An S-Biner is the next step up from a carabiner and we love these for hooking on backpacks to attach coats, water bottles, snack bags, and more when traveling. I like the #4 and #5 sizes, but the littler ones are good for smaller items, too.
With having your phone out (whether or not on a lanyard), all kinds of dust tends to collect when traveling. This helps protect your phone and keep it clean & also prevent any issues from debris getting in.
A must for any traveler!
My phone always gets gross when traveling, and I’m sure gets absolutely covered in germs. This cleaner is super portable & easy to take along. This would be great to gift to a girlfriend, maybe with a tube of lip balm or bottle of nail polish.
I love this little container that holds multiple spices at a time. This would make a great gift for someone who loves to cook when traveling, or if they’re going on a road trip and don’t want to pack a ton of spices along but still have the basics.
It’s honestly shocking to me how inexpensive these are for the fantastic quality. I’ve had mine for a couple years and absolutely love them – maybe even more than my expensive Darn Tough/Smartwool socks. They’re stretchy and warm and hold up really well. I especially love them for travel because wool is odor-resistant and so comfy for walking around. Split them out for some really excellent but inexpensive gifts for anyone who wears socks.
These are so handy for travel, the beach, the lake, camping, or anything else. I love that they dry fast and don’t collect sand/dirt. This one has stellar reviews, weighs barely over half an ounce, and is currently on sale for half off (making it under $5), or here’s a 3-piece set for just over $5 per set, which is WILD.
Dan absolutely swears by this kind of eye mask – they put less pressure on your eyes and are much more comfortable. Especially important when sleeping in new places or on airplanes!
I’ve heard these are really fantastic if you have some trouble with pressure when flying!
It’s always a good idea to take a few extra safety precautions when in new places, so I love that this slim wallet is both easy to pack along and has RFID blocking to help with any information theft.
Speaking of wallets, I absolutely love this pretty accordion card case to keep all your cards organized when traveling. The colors and texture of the case are so pretty!
These are inexpensive and super packable, but still sturdy. Especially great if you know someone traveling somewhere that won’t have tons of rain but to keep as a backup. Comes in a 2 pack to divvy up.
These are great for warm weather travel, but I also saw a couple people using these on the plane on my last flight, which was very warm despite the cool weather. Helpful to have on hand if you run warm!
My shoes are always a little worse for the wear by the time we return from a trip. I usually pop them in the wash, but sometimes I need them more quickly and don’t have time to let them dry out. These are a great solution for a quick clean or if you don’t want to wash yours.
My skin tends to get really dry when traveling, especially when flying on an airplane, so this is a lovely rejeuvenation for that.
Similarly, this foot mask is perfect for pampering for someone who’s been walking a ton on a big travel day. Gift it with some new shoe inserts and you have a really useful gift for a travel lover.
An absolute must for any cold weather travel. I love popping these in my kids stockings!
Speaking of staying warm, if you know anyone visiting a cold area, these are excellent to pop into shoes. Functional and helpful! These toe warmers are another great option to split up between multiple people.
Dry shampoo is always helpful when traveling when it’s harder to wash hair or you just need to revive your hair a bit after a plane/car ride. I love this brand and these mini ones are great for stockings or little gifts.
I always like throwing in a few of these with our luggage when traveling somewhere cold. They’re stretchy so they work for a variety of family members and help with extra warmth if it gets chillier than expected.
I’m definitely more likely to slip when I’m not paying attention when in a new place, or am distracted trying to figure out where to go. Non-slip pads are so helpful, even on shoes that have no tread.
While you’re at it, heel cushions are really helpful for saving feet when walking a ton in a new city!
On the shoe theme, I think I need to pop a few of these into my teen’s stocking! Shoes get stinky when walking and then storing them in luggage, so these are great to pop inside a shoe while they’re packed up.
These are the best for detangling hair, and we love the mini version for travel.
Great to pack along for dark spaces and takes hardly any space.
Everyone needs the toilet, and these evironmentally-friendly portable toilet gels are super convenient for anyone who loves the outdoors like camping, boats, hiking, and more. Great to split up between a few people, too.
This would make the cutest little gift for anyone who enjoys vanlife.
Always good to have on hand, especially when traveling, for splinters or other situations.
Make it super easy for anyone who loves camping or cooking outdoors.
Speaking of campfires, how fun are these?? My kids would go nuts to see the campfire change colors!
These are really great for anyone who is into camping or hiking. A really great but small emergency item to keep on hand that could be life-saving. Would also be great to gift so someone as part of an emergency kit, or would make a terrific gift for a neighbor.
My kids really adore any sort of flashlight but somehow they tend to go missing? These little ones are really handy to have on hand when outdoors in the dark and are small enough to easily tuck in a bag or pocket.
Paracord rope is helpful in so many outdoors situations, from tying things together to emergency usage. We love having some handy and it’s perfect for a an outdoor tool kit. Plus, my kids just love doing projects with it, like bracelets – perfect to keep them occupied at the campground. 😉
Always useful for anyone who spends time outside, whether in the backyard or further afield.
These are so cute and would be great for anyone into camping or the outdoors!
I love that sand falls off these so easily and they dry fast. They were our favorite towels to use in our RV!
This is a great way to make sure you can always stay protected from the sun (or just comfortable in the heat) without having to take up a bunch of space. Love that it has a slot for a ponytail!
I think this thing is a little bit hideous but it works! Dan absolutely loves his and never travels without it.
This is a perfect little item to gift someone who spends a lot of time outdoors to be able to easily repair tents, backpacks, jackets, & more. It’s currently half off, making it under $5!
I always have my kids keep a journal on our trips and this little mini one is perfect. Love that it comes with a pen and an elastic close. Perfect for writing or sketching about the day. Comes in a 3-pack so it’s perfect for splitting up between a few people – it would be lovely for a girlfriend with a couple packets of tea, as well!
Since I force my kids to write in their journals 😉 and it’s not their favorite thing in the world, they have a habit of losing pens so they conveniently can’t write. 😉 I think these would make it much more appealing and they definitely wouldn’t lose the pen! My eldest saw these and said, “M would LOVE those.” about my 4yo so I’m almost certain they’d be a hit. This will be going in her stocking this year!
I’ve only mentioned these about 8 million times but it’s because they’re awesome, especially for travel. My kids adore drawing on them and erasing or storing their work, and they’re so portable to take along. The two pack is so affordable and currently ends up being less than $4 per board!
We love having a couple games on hand for airports, restaurants, and waiting in lines, and this one is a classic. The travel version is perfect to take on the go!
So cute and compact. My kids are getting these this year!
When I think of suction toys, my mind usually goes to toddlers, but this one is honestly perfect for the plane for kids of a variety of ages. The animals are adorable for younger kids, or the robots are so fun for kids who are a bit bigger. Perfect for not constantly dropping things on the plane and to suction to a tray table! My younger kids will be getting these in their stockings.
Separate these out for a really practical and cute gift that will be well-loved. We also love THESE and THESE for older kids.
We’ve owned and loved these goggles for years – they’re great for kids with sensitive heads because they don’t pull hair since they snap in the back. Perfect if you’re headed on a warm-weather trip!
These are great to take on the go so they don’t get destroyed by the pool, beach, or a spilled drink on the plane.
I purchased this for my kids at least five years ago and it was an immediate hit. I need to get another copy for my younger kiddos!
Grandparents gave this to M for her 3rd birthday and she still loves it and uses it regularly a year and a half later. So fun to see the colors come through.
My kids’ water bottles get SO gross when we travel but it’s always a pain trying to get them clean after. These little cleaners are small and adorable and will hopefully encourage my kids to clean their own. 😉
Always a win with my toddles (or even older kids). They could do this for ages! This light up one is really fun, too.
These are my favorites for airplane travel since they don’t roll!
A perennial favorite! I especially love this one for travel since it really encourages noticing new surroundings.
We love having this as a safety feature when traveling with kiddos. We once had a toddler figure out how to open a hotel door in the middle of the night – so we always like to be extra sure we’ll notice now!
Love that these come with a cover and in fun colors.
Here’s last year’s $5 travel stocking stuffer gift guide if you need some more ideas!
And here are the lists of gifts we’ve ACTUALLY given over the years!
