If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a Mother’s Day gift that was well meaning and yet totally missed the mark (a vacuum cleaner, perhaps, or a new mug even though you use the same one every day) then you’ll want to display this list in a prominent place and mention it often!
This list of Mother’s Day gifts for moms who travel include things that moms will actually want to get on Mother’s Day such as practical items for travel and unforgettable experiences. Take a look (and then send it to anyone who buys gifts!)
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase an item after clicking on the link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This is at no extra cost to you, and as always, all opinions and recommendations are my own.
A vacation!
Really, this is what most mom’s could use! It doesn’t have to be a trip to anywhere far away or somewhere fancy (although I’m sure that would be much appreciated!), it could just be a weekend away somewhere local.
This could be either a vacation for the family or maybe a solo getaway where she could take a friend and have some girl time. If you know the mom’s calendar you could book this in advance, otherwise you could just make up a cute certificate and have her choose somewhere later.
An experience they can do with the kids
Arranging something fun to do with the kids is a great way for mom to spend some time with the people who gave her this job title! Local experiences might include things like having mani/pedis together, painting pottery, cookery classes, or a trip to the movie theater or a favorite restaurant.
If you have more than one child, it might be fun to arrange separate experiences for each child so mom gets some one on one time with each of them (as a mom, I know how hard this is to come by and how important it is to everyone involved).
Another option would be to arrange an experience to have on vacation. Depending on where you’re going, the options for this could be endless! Experiences I’ve had with my kids include things like a whale watching trip in Iceland, seeing a show in New York City, visiting museums in Washington DC, and eating meals or ice cream in unique places.
This is a really fun thing to do in advance and surprise mom with, and if someone else is going to be on the trip, this is another option for something you could arrange for individual kids separately (a great option if the kids are different ages and things might be appropriate for some but not others).
An experience they can do without the kids
Either local or on vacation, some alone time for mom is one of the best gifts you can give! This could be something for a little pampering like a massage, mani/pedi, spa day, or a salon appointment. It could also be an experience for something mom likes to do but doesn’t have time to do with the kids; a trip to go horse riding, tennis lessons, dance or gym classes.
Lastly, no mom is going to turn down time alone even if nothing is planned, so the ultimate gift might just be taking the kids for a few hours so mom can choose to do something by herself, even if that something is just sitting on the beach with a good book!
A new piece of luggage or a weekend bag
While I have great luggage for my kids that I replace as soon as needed, I very rarely buy nice luggage for myself. A great gift for moms who love to travel would be a really nice piece of luggage; either a suitcase or a carry on bag, or even a weekend bag for a fun getaway with girlfriends.
There are some great options out there with everything from affordable priced items to investment luggage that a mom could keep for a long time.
A new book, a Kindle, or a gift card to a bookstore
While it’s sometimes a luxury to be able to read on vacation, I always travel with books just in case I get some time to myself. Getting a new book to take on vacation with me is always something I get excited about, and if you’re not sure about a mom’s taste then a gift card to a book store like Barnes and Noble or even Amazon lets them pick out a book for themselves.
A Kindle is also a fantastic gift, especially if space is at a premium, and then mom can have multiple books at her fingertips.
A guide book for a new destination
If you have a trip planned then a guide book to that destination makes a really great Mother’s Day gift, as it can be used to plan an itinerary, find great family friendly places to eat and things to do, and give some tips as to what the destination might be like.
Even if you don’t have a trip planned, it’s always fun to read through guide books for places that might be on a mom’s bucket list or somewhere they want to plan for the future.
A new camera, recorder, or photo editing software
Mom is pretty much always the one taking pictures, so investing in a great camera is a wonderful gift idea for her. I always travel with two different cameras: a more professional camera, and a durable waterproof point and shoot camera to be used during swimming, hiking, etc. A GoPro or other recorder is another great idea to capture all of those precious family memories.
If the mom on your list already has a camera, then some kind of photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop is a great gift. This software allows you to fix photos that maybe came out a little blurry or the lighting isn’t quite right (which happens a lot when trying to capture pictures of kids!) and even allows you to do cool things like remove people from photos so those amazing scenery photos look perfect.
A travel pillow, luxury blanket or eye mask
Because mom’s deserve to be comfy on the plane too! If my kids fall asleep on the plane then I definitely want to make sure that I can get some sleep as well! A travel pillow, a warm and cozy blanket, and an eye mask to block out the sights of the plane are travel essentials for any mom but things they’re probably not going to buy for themselves, making them the perfect gifts!
A reusable water bottle
While reusable water bottles are a lot like mugs (meaning most moms will already have one that they love!) finding a good one for travel is something everyone needs. Travel water bottles are ideally durable, lightweight, and insulated – and it helps if they’re cute!
Comfy and durable shoes for travel
I try to travel with as few pairs of shoes as possible and as such, a pair of comfortable and durable shoes for travel are a must! Some people prefer sneakers, others prefer sandals that can be dressed up or dressed down, but either way most moms won’t say no to a brand new pair of shoes!
Travel inspired clothing or jewelry
Most moms buy way more clothes for the kids than they do for themselves, so clothing always makes a great gift -as does jewelry! Cute travel inspired pieces of clothing or jewelry make for great gifts and are things that a mom would probably never buy for herself.
A travel beauty kit
A small travel beauty kit that takes up as little space as possible is a fantastic gift for moms who love to travel, especially one that is made for plane travel (bonus points if all liquids included are under the 300ml TSA rule!)
A photo or photo book from favorite trip
A family photo is one of the best gifts a parent can get, and getting photos from a trip is one of my favorite gifts to get; I love hanging them on the wall and remembering the wonderful memories from that trip every time I see it.
Photo books are also wonderful gifts, especially since every mom I know has hundreds of photos on their phone or computer that they’d love to print off! Sites like Shutterfly and Vista Print are my favorites for prints and photo books, as well as other unique photo gifts like pillows, calendars, and even teddy bears!
Travel inspired art work
Special art work to remember a trip makes for a fantastic gift. This could be a print purchased while on vacation, a map of a favorite city, or my personal favorite, a scratch off map that the family can work on together to mark off where they’ve been and where they’d like to go next.
A good quality travel journal
Both of my kids have travel journals where they can make notes about their trips, draw pictures, include photos or mementos from the trip, and otherwise just document a special vacation. A good quality travel journal for moms would make a fantastic gift to capture those same memories and write down things about a vacation that might otherwise get forgotten over time.
Other gift guides:
Christmas gifts for kids who love to travel
Stocking stuffers for kids who love to travel
