In our household, Mom is the one who organizes the trips. She’s the one who keeps the mental and physical checklists of what to pack, what bags to bring, where to stay, what to do, etc. Kids and dad help, but mom is the organizer. With that in mind, I put together this list of gifts that moms who loves to travel will love. It has gear to keep her organized and everyone packed, fashion that will look good at the airport or on the road, and fun ways to keep memories of the trip for years and years. In all different price ranges, this guide will help you find the prefect gift to thank the traveling mom for all she does.
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Under $20
Under $50
Under $100
Splurge Gifts
Under $20
These clear bags are TSA approved and hold all the toiletries you need to travel carry-on only. We have one for everyone in the household.
In our household, mom is the one carrying all the documents and keeping track of all the paperwork. I bought this Family Travel Wallet and use it on every trip. It to carries all four passports and tickets in one easy to access place.
There is too much plastic in the world today. Save some, but let mom keep all the toiletries she needs every day with these cute refillable bottles that are TSA friendly. there is even a funnel to fill them and a brush to wash them.
Is that suitcase is always overweight? This little scale can weigh luggage and let you avoid the re-packing shuffle at the airport.
When traveling with multiple phones, tablets, computers, etc. the wires can get out of control. This nice cable organizer will let Dad keep everything under control and find the right wire for the right device any time.
A powerful portable charger is something that anyone will want. Phones die and you DON’T want that happening on a long flight or road trip. I like having one that has two USB ports so I can charge two devices at once.
There are never enough wall outlets for all the items that need to be charged. Once your kids have devices as well, you need to be able to charge a lot of items, usually with one or two outlets. After a practically difficult trip in India, where we were all fighting for the outlet to charge, we purchased this amazing 6 USB port charger. Dual voltage, one outlet, and it fast charges up to 6 devices.
Under $50
Cross body bags and convertible backpacks work great as day bags while traveling. Mom will love a cute bag with lots of anti-theft features such as locking clips, slash-resistant straps, and RFID blocking. I purchased this red convertible backpack over a year ago and I’ve used it both traveling and everyday. But if this isn’t Mom’s style, there are lots of great brands and options available.
Once you start using packing cubes, it changes your life! In our house we now each have a set in our own colors, and we use it to keep the luggage organized and make it easy to find things when packing. I find a set with small, medium and large cubes is perfect, there are lots of color and size combination options.
Women love pockets. A cute cardigan is always nice on the cold plane flight, and pockets is always a plus.
Leggings are a favorite plane outfit for mom (who am I kidding, it’s a favorite mom outfit in general). Add pockets and it’s perfect for mom’s next flight. These pair from Amazon are consistently on a the top of people’s lists of affordable, comfy leggings.
These cute maps allow you to track where you have been. You can buy ones that are for the world or the US, and you can scratch off places so your kids can see how much of the world or the US they have traveled. We have one hanging in our entryway, and it’s a conversation piece with each new person who visits.
There are a few brands I swear by and Skechers is one of them. I’m on my 3rd pair of Go Walk Flats. They have the look of flats that can go with jeans or dresses, but the bottoms of a sneaker, so you can walk all day or run after a toddler taking off down a cobblestone street.
I found Merino Wool sweaters thanks to the Travel Fashion Girls Facebook Group, and I love them for travel! They are warm but thin so it’s perfect for spring, fall and even winter travel. It’s a great price, and comes in a lot of colors and sizes.
If you have a nice rain coat, a packable down jacket is always something that is nice to add to the mix. A down jacket will keep you warm when traveling somewhere cold, but can be squished into a little ball to fit in your suitcase. I love and own this 32 degree jacket that is long and covers the bum, but kept me warm in the NJ winter.
Under $100
A good quality rain coat is a necessity for travel in any place that experiences rain. After buying a number of “rain-resistant” jackets, I invested in this quality Colombia jacket and love it. Has a hood, covers the bum, pockets inside and out, and is size inclusive. A great jacket for any mom.
Splurge Gifts
There are a lot of brands of noise canceling headphones, but the best I’ve ever experienced is Bose. These are a necessity for red-eye flights, or just working from home and taking a meeting.
I’ve been a Samsonite fan for years. I’ve had a number of suitcases and the ones that always held up the best are my Samsonite Luggage. While I always advocate carry-on luggage, sometimes it’s just easier to have one big suitcase you check in. This gorgeous, stylish set comes in some great colors, and has the perfect set of a carry on and matching checked in size suitcase.
My husband, the photographer in the family, loves Nikon and that has always the brand of camera we use. The Nikon D3500 is a great entry level DSLR that is light weight, but has all the features you want in a professional quality camera.
When I went into an office every day (you know, pre-COVID), I worked in an office that turned me onto Rothy’s shoes and I became obsessed. I own 3 pairs of point flats and 2 pairs of the sneakers. They are machine washable, and comfortable but also stylish. I posted a picture of the sneakers because that’s what I find myself wearing most days. These sneakers have passed the walk all day in New York or San Francisco test. (Clicking on this link gets you $20 off your shoes)
If the mother in your family is a reader, then she would love the Kindle Paperwhite. Yes, you can download books on your phone, but the paperwhite kindle lets you read without the harsh backlight. It’s also super small and compact, so it fits easily in her bag of tricks when traveling.
If you like action and adventure, a GoPro is the way to go to capture those memories. With it’s stabilization software, it captures amazing videos as you are mountain biking down a mountain, or ziplining in Costa Rica. And it’s waterproof so you can take it on your next snorkeling adventure.
If you are an Apple User, I hear great things about the wireless Apple AirPods. I personally love earbuds for listening to audio guides when wandering a museum. They are less obvious than headphones, and let and take up less space in your bag.
