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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. Safety Whistle
This safety alarm also comes with a backup whistle.
An electronic safety whistle 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. They may require batteries, so you may also want to choose a real whistle instead, which you can buy online or at your local outdoors store. You also don’t have to worry about it being confiscated like mace or pepper spray.
Adult coloring books and some mini colored pencils can be a nice gift.
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.
Tam demonstrating the many ways to wear the Versalette
Guest writer Tam sung praises of Versalette, the all-in-one clothing item that is ideal for solo travelers with limited space in their bags. It can be worn as a top, pants, skirt, scarf, dress and even as a head covering to keep light out on a long flight or to show modesty in a religious building. It’s not a cheap gift, at over $100 USD, but is a valuable piece of any solo female traveler’s wardrobe.
Prevent theft with a shirt from Clever Travel Companion, a company that makes shirts and even underwear with zippered pockets to store small amounts of cash, your phone and 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.
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 starts at $25 and goes 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.
You don’t have to buy a travel-specific handbag for her, but a purse that has features that translate for travel is a great gift. Brooke’s Sonoma cross body bag is a perfect example, as it looks great, but also has a zippered flap with an extremely deep pocket that can’t easily be reached. It also features plenty of pockets to hold smaller items. The cross body strap is sturdy and can’t be easily pulled off your shoulder.
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 3am, 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.
When it comes to mixing up, or dressing up, an outfit, nothing does it better than a bold piece of statement jewelry. And for travelers, it’s always best to stick with inexpensive pieces for two reasons: 1) to avoid becoming a target of theft, and 2) to avoid disappointment should your belongings get lost or stolen.
Group tours are great places for solo travelers to meet new travel friends.
Small group tours are the perfect place for your solo traveler to connect with others and make new friends. Book a tour for their trip, or give them the ability to do so themselves with a Viator gift card.
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.
Caroline Eubanks is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, but has also called Charleston, South Carolina and Sydney, Australia home. After college graduation and a series of useless part-time jobs, she went to Australia for a working holiday. In that time, she worked as a bartender, bungee jumped, scuba dived, pet kangaroos, held koalas and drank hundreds of cups of tea. You can find Caroline at Caroline in the City.
Handbag Packing Masterclass – Learn to pack your lightest bag ever in this revolutionary packing class run by HPL founder, Brooke.
Creative Ways to Minimize Your Toiletry & Beauty Kit – Practical tips alongside DIY recipes designed to help you pack lighter, smaller & with fewer liquids. (Also included as a bonus to Handbag Packing Masterclass.)
Book Your Trip
Viator – Enhance your trip experience by booking from thousands of tours across the globe.
Booking.com – Search for hotels, hostels, and apartments using this one resource. Use it for flights, car rentals, and airport taxis as well.
Trusted Housesitters – Save money on travel accommodation by becoming a housesitter. Housesitters often have extra duties, like caring for pets and gardens.
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 😉
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 😉