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UPDATED MAY, 1, 2020 — Know a mom who is always traveling? Why not satisfy her wanderlust with a travel-inspired gift. You don’t have to splurge for a trip to an exotic location to make the mom in your life smile. There are plenty of budget-friendly travel gifts for women that can make a trip more enjoyable or help create that feeling of traveling at home. We’ve compiled a list of our top travel gifts for moms who love to travel.
The best travel gifts for moms
While a mom will love any gift from her child or spouse, these thoughtful gifts for moms who love traveling are sure to be a hit on Mother's Day, her birthday, or any other holiday or special celebration.
Travel-inspired coffee mug
Whether you choose an actual travel mug that she can take on a trip or you get her a travel-themed mug for the home, anything that can hold coffee or tea is always a good gift for moms. Coffee is a staple in my life... probably because I haven't slept a full night since my daughter was born. Most moms are sleep deprived, so it only makes sense that a coffee mug would make this list of gifts for traveling moms. AirporTag makes great travel-themed gifts that are unique and customizeable, but you can find a lot of great travel mugs for mom on Amazon, as well. Choose a mug with your mom's favorite travel quote, airport code, or even customize a mug to make it extra special.
Baby or Child Carrier
Moms who travel with young children NEED a child carrier. Much more portable than a stroller, a child carrier is perfect for parents who love to discover the world with their young children. They're lightweight, adjustable, and position the weight of your child on the hips. A child carrier is much easier on your back than simply holding your child in your arms or letting them ride on your shoulders. We don't go on any trips without one of our child carriers. During the toddler years, we used the Deuter Kid Comfort child carrier. It was perfect for long walks and hikes and kept our daughter contained when exploring a new city.
If the mom you are buying for still has an infant, there are lots of great baby carriers for travel to choose from. We mostly used the Ergobaby 360. It went all over the world with us when our daughter was a baby. As a bonus, wearing your baby through airport security makes traveling with an infant much easier. You don't have to remove your baby from a soft-bodied carrier when going through airport security.
Convertible Travel Pants
When I travel, I don't want to compromise style for comfort. So instead of wearing jeans which can be restrictive and hot, I opt for pants made from a lightweight nylon material instead. Eddie Bauer makes a great pair of travel pants that have buttons on the sides so you can roll them up into capri pants if it gets too warm. I also have a pair of convertible Patagonia pants that zip off into shorts. They are perfect for hiking, sitting through a long flight or road trip, or sightseeing all day. They also pack up smaller and take up less room in your luggage.
Fun travel bag or day pack
Moms are always worried about their children. Long after the diaper bag stage, moms still find themselves stashing snacks, toys, or other items for their kids in their purse. That's why it's important for moms to have a high-quality day pack when they travel to carry items for their kids and for themselves. When we are out sightseeing in a new place I try to bring along essentials, like water, snacks, and a tablet or toy to fight my child's boredom in my day pack. I prefer a bag that can be worn as a backpack so my hands are free to take pictures or hold onto my daughter when we are on a busy street.
Travel experience gift card
You may not have the funds to gift a full trip, but that doesn't mean you can't give the gift of a great travel experience. You can purchase a gift card or gift certificate to a website like Get Your Guide that will allow the travel-loving mom in your life to book an excursion or tour on her next trip.
Selfie Stick
Moms are always taking pictures of their kids, but they rarely get to be in the picture. A selfie stick isn't just for solo travelers. It makes a great travel gift for moms because it allows them to be in the picture, too. And who doesn't want awesome family photos from your travels!
Luxurious Eye Mask
A luxurious eye mask can not only make those long overnight plane rides more bearable, but it can help set the stage for a good night's sleep at home, too. My favorite eye mask not only blocks out light and is silky soft, but it is also lavender scented, which helps with relaxation and stress relief.
5-Star Hotel Bedding
Speaking of setting the stage for a good night's sleep, 5-star hotel quality bedding will make any woman feel like she's sleeping in a luxury resort. It might be a bit of a splurge to buy the sheets, pillows, duvet, and duvet cover but it's a splurge the traveling mom in your life will certainly appreciate.
Portable Steamer
When you travel, it's almost impossible to keep your clothes from getting wrinkled in your luggage. That's why a small, compact steamer is a must! It's easy and quick to steam your clothing and doesn't require setting up an ironing board in the cramped hotel room. It's a practical travel gift and one that will ultimately make everyone look better in vacation photos.
Packing Cube Bundle
Moms are often responsible for packing for multiple people when going on a trip, and that's where packing cubes can be a huge time saver. Packing cubes keep everything perfectly organized in your suitcase or backpack. You can organize the cubes by person or by clothing type. However you decide to use them, packing cubes are great for keeping items separated and easily contained. Packing cubes not only make for great travel gifts for moms, they are ideal for any traveler.
Premium Travel Pillow
The older I get the more I value comfort when traveling. There were times in my life when an uncomfortable hostel bed was totally fine with me. A low-cost carrier with tiny seats with a worn down cushion? No problem, as long as the price was right! But sometime after motherhood, life became infinitely more uncomfortable. Moms are constantly wrangling a squirmy baby on airplanes or sharing a hotel bed with a small child who sleeps sideways. So, in the quest to find just a little bit more comfort when traveling I have given in and invested in a travel pillow for airplanes. It was a worthy investment! Hence why it makes my list of the best travel gifts for moms.
Travel Shoes
Most people walk significantly more when they travel than when they are home. My feet are my preferred mode of transportation when we are exploring a new city. You get to see much more of a place when you're walking. Naturally, a quality pair of travel shoes will make all that walking easier on your feet and your entire body. A good travel shoe should have a sturdy sole, be versatile to go with different outfits, and ideally, travel shoes should be water repellent. Keen Footwear is my favorite brand of travel shoes, not just for women, but for the whole family.
Cross Body Bag
It only takes one pickpocket to ruin an entire trip. Every savvy traveler knows the importance of a cross body bag. A cross body bag puts your most valuable items (like cash, credit cards, and passports) in a hard to steal location. A thief can't snatch your bag and run if it is worn across your body. Choose one that securely closes with a flap or zipper to make it even harder for a pickpocket to access.
Compass Necklace
Turn the love for travel into a fashion statement with a simple, understated necklace, ring, or bracelet. A compass, an airplane, or even the coordinates of one of your favorite places to visit together all make unique and fashionable jewelry. And jewelry is one of those gifts that all women love and cherish.
Comfy Travel T-shirt
A soft, comfortable t-shirt that fits well can make even sitting in a cramped seat in coach a little more bearable. Every woman needs a go-to travel shirt. You can find a wide variety of travel-themed t-shirts on AirporTag or Amazon that would make for a great gift for traveling moms. For extra softness and comfort select a shirt that is a cotton/polyester blend rather than 100% cotton.
Selfie Light
Call me vain, but no one wants to look like crap in a picture when standing in front of an iconic landmark or scenic backdrop. I am not one to wear a ton of makeup, dress up, style my hair (or wash it for that matter) when I travel. But a selfie light can do wonders to make you look a little more "Instagrammable" when you've been sightseeing all day. The small circular light reflects in your eyes giving them a really cool illumination. Instant sparkle and bye bye under eye circles!
Travel-themed coloring book
Coloring is a great way to unwind and let your mind wander when you cannot. Plus, it's another great way to pass the time on a long flight. I have several travel-themed adult coloring books that always give me the itch to explore somewhere new. Don't forget the gel pens! I prefer them over markers or pencils.
Travel inspired Yankee Candle
Longing for the beach? Bring the familiar scents of your favorite places into your home with a Yankee Candle. They have an entire World Journeys Collection, and dozens more travel-inspired scents in the typical rotation. Choose from fragrances like Kyoto Autumn, or French Countryside. Burning one of these candles is sure to create those vacation vibes at home.
Photo books
After each major trip, we compile our memories into a photo book and routinely look back at those books to reminisce about the great times we've had. Surprise the travel-loving mom in your life with a personalized photo book of a special trip together. I usually create mine on Amazon. If you have Amazon Prime, you'll have access to Amazon Prints where you can design a personalized photo book using a variety of themes and stickers.
Not a Prime member? Consider signing up or even give the gift of Amazon Prime! There are a lot of great benefits that traveling moms will love, including video and music streaming, and free Kindle book and magazine downloads, and of course, free shipping on purchases.
Washable Reversible Fabric Mask - Vacation Travel Print
If this one isn't a sign of the times, I don't know what is. With travel being so greatly impacted by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, who knows what travel will look like in the future. But with face masks being a new norm, might as well wear your passion on your face. Nowadays you can find face masks with all kinds of cute prints on them including maps and travel prints. If you're a crafty person, you could make your own!
Need more ideas? Checking out our gift guide for traveling dads and our travel-inspired gifts for kids, too.
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What are your favorite travel-inspired gifts for mothers? Let us know in the comments below.
16 comments on “20 best travel gifts for moms who love to travel”
There are many things I love on this list. The fish eye lens I found fascinating and is something that we could all use. And this is the first time I’ve seen the selfie light. The Compass Necklace though is probably something my mom would like.
I can thank Kim Kardashian for the discovery of the selfie light. π A lot of production companies use circular lights, too when shooting interviews.
Great list – not just for travelling mums but there’s a few things on here that I’d buy for myself – The genetics kit would be great as I’m quite keen to learn about my heritage. I haven’t seen the selfie lights before, although maybe it’s best I don’t light up my face or selfie, no one wants to see that!
Thanks for sharing this! I am a traveling Mum myself and I love all of these ideas. I will leave this list as a hint to my husband :p
Haha! That’s part of the reason I wrote this post… it’s a not so subtle hint for my husband. π
These are such cute thoughtful gifts. I will prefer to get the magnetic sudoku. π
It’s a great way to pass the time when traveling! They have a lot of cool world-themed games too.
This is a great list for gifting something to travel moms which they can relate to and can make the most use out of. The compass necklace looks like a lovely gift.
I love the ideas here. However, my motherβs day gift to my mother is that I have decided to spend 20 days with her at her home. I live in another city. I also keep taking them for travels to exotic locations as a gift.
Both of those gifts would be fabulous for any mom. Enjoy your time with your mother!
Loved these gift ideas. The child carrier sounds like a great idea for mother’s traveling with their toddler. The sudoku and the coloring books sounds fab too to keep the kids entertained during the journey, would help the moms a great deal.
I’m always running out of ideas of what to give my mom. This post has given me some great ideas what to buy for next year! I think my mom would particularly love the selfie light to make her look a little younger π
Who doesn’t want a selfie light to look younger?! I’m not even that old and I want one. π
I totally thought about getting my mom the DNA test kit!! She is always on Ancestry.com so I think she would love it. We are celebrating in a couple weeks actually so I still have some time!! I wish my mama could travel more with me though…she would love all of it.
I hope when my daughter is older she still wants to travel with her mom. At this stage in her life, she has no choice. Lol.
Hi I was looking for last minute gift ideas, I really like your list. I feel like I always end up getting a spa card or flowers or making dinner.
This year I did something different and went with a wine gift on Amazon. Thoughtful but will be used for a long time, good gift for guys to get their wives/monthers. Thought I would share this for those looking for last minute gifts, if you want to add it to your list of ideas!