40+ Graduation Gift Ideas for Travel

Looking for a graduation gift for your high school or college graduate? I have 47 ideas for the graduate planning a travel adventure or staying closer to home because every graduate needs their own suitcase.

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For Their Gear

A young woman and man with luggage at a train station — Carry-On Suitcase and Backpack

Whether graduating from high school or college, your student needs their own luggage. At a minimum, your graduate needs a good carry-on suitcase. Make sure whatever suitcase you select has spinner wheels, is expandable, and the retractable handle works well. Most of the other details are personal preference (soft-side, hard-side, color, whether it has a charging port, etc.).

If you add compression packing bags to the luggage, your graduate should be able to pack everything they need. Compression packing bags help keep your clothes organized and allow you to fit more into your suitcase.

I always travel with my REI Ruckpack backpack. I love this bag. It holds a ton of stuff, has hidden pockets and multiple access points, and fits under your airline seat. I regularly fly with just my carry-on suitcase and this backpack without having to check anything. I’ve traveled with just a carry-on suitcase and my backpack on a 10-Day Mexico Roadtrip and a. 8-Day Scandinavian Road Trip. I also travel with a day bag that folds up into itself compactly for travel, but works great to carry whatever I need for the day.

For Staying Safe

A carbon monoxide detector, door stopper, luggage lock, and portable door lock — Some possible security and safety supplies for a trip: a carbon monoxide detector, door stopper, luggage lock, and portable door lock

Safety is relative, but depending on your graduate’s travel plans, there are some safety products that might bring peace of mind.

For their accommodations, they can use a portable door lock, door stoppers, a portable carbon monoxide detector, luggage locks, and stainless steel cable. The door lock and stoppers can be great additions if their accommodations has questionable locks or for extra security even if the locks look secure. After learning about tourists who have died abroad from carbon monoxide poisoning, I always bring a carbon monoxide detector with me for my room. The luggage locks and stainless steel cable can be used to lock up their gear to things that can’t be easily moved in their room, such as bathroom plumbing pipes.

There are products you can buy to keep your cash and valuables safer, such as a hip pack, a neck wallet, or a travel belt, but they should limit their cash on hand, leave valuables at home, and not keep all their cash in one place. For greater security, a PacSafe bag, which has a lot of fans for their anti-theft designs, may be a good choice.

While your graduate should be able to get most essential items wherever they are, a travel-sized first-aid kit is useful. You should add condoms, dental dams, fentanyl testing strips, and Narcan to their first-aid kit. Don’t make them ask for these things or sneak around to try to get access to them. Just add them to their first-aid kit.

A personal safety alarm like She’s Birdie, would also be a good gift that will get through TSA security.

For Keeping Clean

Your graduate probably needs TSA-approved sized toiletry bottles. I recently experimented to see how quickly I run through my toiletries so that I can begin packing what I need instead of what I think I need. I downsized all of my travel containers from 2 and 3 ounces to 1 and 2 ounce containers. If I still run out on the road, I will be able to find essential toiletries just about anywhere.

If your graduate needs a toiletry bag, consider something compact, that rolls-up, and can hang. I like the roll-up bag from REI.

For graduates who enjoy make-up, they will appreciate travel-sized make-up brushes, trial-sized versions of their favorite make-up, and containers for liquid make-up and moisturizers.

For Long-Distance Travel

If your graduate plans to travel on an oversea flight or lengthy bus or train journeys, then they need supplies to help them sleep. I use a sleeping mask, a memory foam travel pillow, and a travel blanket. This travel pillow compresses well so it takes up very little space in my REI Ruckpack but keeps its shape for comfort. A travel blanket is nice to trick the mind into sleeping and is great if your hostel or hotel is colder than expected.

For entertainment on a long trip, they should bring their favorite ear buds or headphones, an Amazon Kindle, and a powerbank.

For Travel Abroad

If international travel is in your graduate’s goals, then they need a universal travel power adapter. This adapter works in over 150 countries! It does not work in South Africa or India, but it should work in most places your graduate is traveling to. One of these adapters should meet most, if not all, of their travel needs.

A universal travel adapater next to its case — A Universal Travel Adapter

For Travel Over an Extended Period

For trips lasting longer than 5 days, your graduate will likely need to do some laundry on the road.

If your graduate would do sink laundry, then send them with a travel clothesline, laundry soap sheets, a universal stopper plug cover, and a microfiber towel. The plug cover is needed because you never know what kind of sink situation you may find in your accommodations.

A sink stopper, laundry line, and sink detergent — Laundry Supplies for the Sink

If your graduate’s travels include some downtime, then send them with detergent so that they can use a laundromat. You can fly with laundry pods, but they are considered a liquid, so pack them like other liquids to get through security.

Whether your graduate will do any laundry or not, if they are traveling to multiple destinations, then their dirty clothes won’t have much of a chance to air out between wearings. Be sure to send them with dryer sheets to keep loose in their luggage to keep their clothes smelling fresh.

For Recording Their Adventures

The best camera is the one you have with you. Your graduate, however, may want need a different camera or camera accessories depending on their travel plans.

If their travel involves the beach or other water-based actvities, then they need a waterproof phone pouch. The Pelican brand is super easy to use and its design makes it quick to dry.

If their travel involves action-packed activities like ziplining, riding ATVs, and so on, then they might need an action camera. I have not used a GoPro, so I can not compare the results of a GoPro with my results using the AKASO Brave 4 Pro, but it was sufficient for my family’s needs and more affordable than a GoPro. The AKASO Brave 4 Pro is a good entry-level action camera.

A close up of a teenager's wrist with an action camera attached and the Gulf of Mexico in the background — The action camera in action!

If their travel adventure includes the need to take zoomed-in photographs (and they can’t move closer to the object), then the Sony Cyber-Shot is a good choice. It is on the pricier side, but is much smaller and lighter than a DSLR while taking much better photos than cheaper point and shoot cameras. This camera also takes video.

For Preserving Their Memories

Your graduate needs a place to record their memories while on the road. I like using Field Notes because they compact enough that I can bring them with me each day and take up no space in my luggage. Larger journals, just take up too much space and are heavy. I make notes about my day while waiting for food a restaurant, while taking a break and resting, and so on. I am usually too tired to write about my day once back at my accommodations, so Field Notes are perfect for me.

Two yellow Field Notes journals, three Gelly Roll pens in pink, blue, and purple, a black precision pen — Journaling Supplies for Travel Memories

I like to use American Crafts Precision Pens for my travel journaling. They are versatile enough that I can write or doodle with them. If I want to be more creative, then I might bring a couple of Sakura Gelly Roll Pens with me to add some color to my journaling.

Even if your graduate only lists the who, what, where, and how about each day, having Field Notes and a pen will come in handy if they decide to make a photobook of their memories later.

For Staying in Contact

As long as your graduate has access to wi-fi, then they can text and send photos using WhatsApp or another app of choice. However, if you want to be able to talk to them or be sure that they can access their map app or anything else while traveling, then they may need an international phone plan (which are expensive) or an unlocked phone and a SIM card for their destination. Depending on their phone plan, you may be able to pay off the phone so that it can be unlocked, which allows you to use a SIM card for your destination.