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What do you get the girl who has everything?
Buying gifts for a solo female traveler can be difficult.
- She may pack light and doesn’t need more clothing items or heavy books, but you don’t want to give her something as impersonal as cash.
- She might not be a carry on traveler, but her personal safety is important to her.
Check out some of our favorite travel items that will make great holiday travel gifts for the solo traveler in your life.
1. Personal Security Alarm
A personal security alarm makes for a good stocking stuffer. They can fit on a key chain and ward off potential thieves as well as aggressive animals like monkeys in Southeast Asia or dogs. You also don’t have to worry about it being confiscated like mace or pepper spray.
Personal security alarms may require batteries, so you might also want to choose a real whistle instead, which you can buy online or at your local outdoor store.
2. Travel Games
It’s easy to make friends as a solo traveler with games you can play at your hostel.
A nice deck of waterproof cards is good to have, as are magnetic checkers and backgammon. Mad Libs are a crowd-pleaser but can be fun on your own. And if you’re a fan of Cards Against Humanity, you can also get a travel case for the cards for playing on the go.
Adult coloring books are a way to stay calm while traveling as well as keeping your mind occupied. Pair this gift with a box of colored pencils.
3. Encircled Chrysalis Cardi
Any garment that can be worn in 8 completely different ways is a win in our book!
Encircled’s Chrysalis Cardi is one of our travel favs and can be styled as a scarf, cardi, tunic, dress, and more. This all-in-one clothing item is ideal for solo travelers with limited space in their bags.
It’s not a cheap gift, at over $200 USD, but is a valuable piece of any solo female traveler’s wardrobe.
4. Clever Travel Companion T-Shirt
Prevent theft with a shirt from Clever Travel Companion, a company that makes shirts, leggings, and even underwear with zippered pockets to store small amounts of cash, cards, your phone, and your passport.
The solid colored t-shirts come in v-neck styles and go with just about everything. They make for great base layers for colder climates and keep your essential items close to you.
5. Airbnb Gift Card
For solo travelers who prefer to stay in apartments and homes rather than hotels and hostels, you can purchase gift cards for AirBnB credit, which start at $25 and go up to $500. Apartment rentals from companies like Airbnb allow solo travelers to have their own space, often cooking for themselves. If you work on the road, they’re also ideal for setting up a temporary office.
A gift card is like giving the gift of travel, so the person will think of you when they’re in a far-off destination.
6. Quality Handbag
You don’t have to buy a travel-specific handbag, but a purse that has features that translate for travel is a great gift.
Brooke’s Baggallini Bryant Pouch is a perfect example. It’s compact, lightweight, water-resistant, and has RFID-blocking technology. You can wear it over your shoulder or at your waist. Brooke used this as her travel purse on a 2.5 week international trip and was thankful for the compact size.
You can also check out our Top Travel Purses for more inspiration.
7. Headlamp
A headlamp, or torch to those of you across the pond, is great for female travelers who like to stay up late reading or go camping. It can help keep you a respectful hostel dorm mate by not flipping on the room light at 3 am, and it can keep you aware of your surroundings on a dark street or hallway.
They’re also smaller than traditional flashlights, making them easier to throw into a bag. There are many brands sold at outdoor stores, but my personal favorite is Petzl.
8. Inexpensive Jewelry
When it comes to mixing up, or dressing up, an outfit, nothing does it better than a bold piece of statement jewelry.
For travelers, it’s always best to stick with inexpensive pieces for two reasons:
- To avoid becoming a target of theft.
- To avoid disappointment should your belongings get lost or stolen.
Try Etsy for some affordable pieces. Bonus points if they’re map or travel themed.
9. Power Bank
No traveler wants to be stranded with a dead phone, least of all a solo traveler!
The solo female traveler in your life will appreciate a power bank. At HPL our top choice is the Anker PowerCore 13000 Ultra-Portable Charger because of its large capacity and quick recharge time. Plus, it only weighs 240g.
- You can take a look at our other power bank choices in this blog post: 10 of the Best Power Banks for Women Travelers.
10. A Place For Memories
Having an outlet for your personal thoughts and feelings when you’re traveling without friends can be a lifesaver, especially in places where the main language spoken is not English.
Get your solo traveling friend a nice journal to record their thoughts, or help them to set up their own travel blog in advance.
If you’re still looking for some more inspiration, we have some more gift guides for female travelers that you can check out:
- 99 Gifts for Women Who Travel Under $99
- 10 Gift Ideas for the Carry-On Traveler
- 35 Stocking Stuffer Gifts for Female Travelers
- 10 Gift Ideas for the Female Traveler
- 10 Gifts to Pack for Your Host or Hostess (plus how to avoid packing them at all)
What would you buy a solo female traveler?
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Tickets. Give me airplane tickets and I’ll love you forever.
Hahah so true 🙂 It’s hard though because you have to be certain people can go at a certain.
I want all of those things. Though just straight up money to CHOOSE what kind of fun I want, well that’s always appreciated too 🙂
Can’t argue with some good old fashioned $$$$ 😀
I’d never recommend a journal as a gift for travellers. I got one as a farewell present when I left my job to go overseas a few years ago and I’d just thrown out or given away a bunch of journals because I had so many already!
I didn’t know about the Airbnb gift cards. I might have to drop a hint on social media about Christmas.
Bummer! I love journals, even if I don’t use it on my travels, I find so many uses in my normal life… business/work ideas and planning for example. You can give yours to me next time 😉