My oldest daughter is a young professional, and has a job where she has been doing more traveling. She and her boyfriend have also recently started traveling more for fun and adventure these days (since they can likely afford it now), which I LOVE to see.

I try to give my children gifts that encourage their positive interests (see my post on this), ie, those things I find are so valuable for learning, growing as people, and being independent. Travel is definitely one of those things.

My husband and I travel as much as possible, so I also love to pass down those things we’ve learned from our own experiences- that will hopefully make traveling easier and smoother for my kids.

I greatly admire my daughter’s opportunity to travel for her job, and know that it’s important to feel comfortable and confident when traveling, for business or leisure. My thoughts went to luggage and bags that would be practical and stylish, as well as other ideas to help keep their traveling organized and effortless. Check out these great gifts!

Work Trips

Rolling suitcase/briefcase. I saw a version of this rolling bag at the airport not long ago, and fell in love with it for myself actually. A smaller version of your standard rolling bag, it becomes the size of a larger carry-on and really resembles a work briefcase. It fits MUCH easier in the overhead bin, and holds the perfect amount of clothes and travel items for a 2-3 day stay (typical of her trips). Plus it is just so darned cute!

Monogrammed satchel. This is a little bag that can fit inside a larger one for traveling, or be carried on its own. I thought this looked so elegant, and to make it even more so, I had it monogrammed with her initials. Very practical in that it fits an iPad as well as pens, notebooks, glasses or whatever you might need for a meeting. She can use it around the office as well as pack it for business trips.

Wrinkle-proof clothing. I put a decent amount of time into preparing my travel outfits, because I want to be comfortable above all else but also look put-together. This is really important for a young professional, to make good impressions and feel confident. A few dresses in wrinkle-free materials are so cute and no-fuss. They pair well with sneakers for the airport as well as flats or pumps when you get to your destination.

Couple Trips

For ‘traveling for fun’ trips, I put some thought into some smart and useful gifts for my daughter and her boyfriend.

Customized baggage tags. I thought these were so cute (Amazon), with the kids’ names and addresses printed on them. They are metal, so very durable, and I got them in bright colors to stand out better on their bags. They came in sets of six so they can be used on several bags at once. They loved them!

Travel bags for phones and valuables.

My husband swears by these waterproof bags when we travel, because he is hypersensitive about getting his phone wet if we’re anywhere near water. They definitely are perfect if you’re in a boat or parasailing, etc. You can even use them underwater to take photos!

Check them out here!

We’ve also used similar bags (especially when in and around bigger cities), that you can wear around your neck to keep your valuables like passport, ID, money, credit cards- under your shirt or jacket for added protection (from the elements or getting lost or stolen). They are flat enough that they fit this way perfectly, and you always have your important documents accessible at airport check-ins, stores, etc.

Concert/travel diary. I love the idea of a travel journal, since I journal on a daily basis already (see my post on starting a journaling practice). How wonderful to capture experiences, photos and memories when traveling! I also love this ticket stub organizer! My kids have been traveling to concerts more, and as AVID concert-goers ourselves, this makes so much sense (see an upcoming posts of our reviews!)! My husband has boxes of momentos he’s currently going through, and tickets to plays and concerts are all over the place. We might as well get the kids started out with a bit more organization!

Backpack for picnics. I think picnics are just so cute and romantic for all couples, and I got this adorable bright green, insulated backpack for them to take to the park or beach. You can get them complete with plastic utensils, plates and wine glasses, too!

Scavenger hunt picnic experience. I love pairing presents together to make little packages/themes whenever possible. Along with the insulated backpack, I got the kids a scavenger hunt that runs through the Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania. They bring their backpack and stop in little shops for artisanal breads, cheeses and wine- then have a picnic at the winery! How adorable is this idea! (Giftory.com)

You can find lots of other experiences that might suit your kids’ particular interests on Giftory, Expedia, Virgin Experiences, and other sites. Think race car driving, indoor skydiving, hot air ballooning, gourmet cooking…these kinds of traveling adventures are wonderful gifts that they can experience together while broadening their horizons!

Let me know if you have given your adult children any fabulous travel-themed gifts I haven’t yet considered! I’d love to hear about them.