The holidays are fast approaching, and we’ve got a great idea for a unique travel gift basket for the traveler on your gift list this year. Our travel gift basket is also a great “bon voyage” present anytime of year.

This creatively-themed gift basket is great for a college-student (they all have wanderlust right?) or a friend who you know with a big trip coming up. It’s designed to make their traveling experience as comfortable and fun as possible, and the best part is, every item here is $10 or less, with the exception of the travel wallet and the surge protector, which are still just around $20. You can mix and match items to create a thoughtful gift basket that won’t break your bank.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. All opinions expressed are my own.

the budget-friendly travel gift basket:

COLORFUL EARBUDS – $8

I’m always losing or breaking my earbud headphones and digging around my purse to find a pair. These earbuds are colorful and fun (they come in a full range of color options), inexpensive, and don’t take up a lot of space. They’re an essential on a long plane ride or for sitting in the airport to listen to music, movies, or TV shows.

A COMFORTABLE NECK PILLOW – $20

This is a must-have on a long flight. I like that this pillow is inflatable so it won’t take up any space when not in use, and it has a pocket in the cover that can store your earbuds, ear plugs (for better sleeping), or a small cell phone.

AMAZON GIFT CARD -$10

Add an Amazon gift card in a small denomination for your traveler to pick out their own book (a physical copy or a digital copy for their e-reader), movie or TV episodes to read or watch on their journey. A $10 gift card will easily cover most of these items without breaking the bank!

MINI PRETZELS, PEANUTS, PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, OR OTHER SNACKS -$2

It saddens me to no end that most of the airlines these days don’t give out free snacks during your flight anymore! The prepackaged snacks they sell now are so overpriced. Gift your traveler with a few snack bags to enjoy on their flight. I’m a traditionalist so I always crave the good old mini pretzels or peanuts when I’m flying (just like they used to offer); these mini peanut butter cups are a good something sweet.

MAGAZINES (DIGITAL OR PHYSICAL) – $3 – $5

Pick up a magazine or two that your traveler would enjoy. You can now buy them online for less than at your grocery store. For $5 or LESS you can buy a 6-month subscription to many popular magazines on Amazon (like Glamour, Allure, and Shape are only $5 for a YEAR of print issues…that’s $.50 per magazine!) and this price includes both the digital AND hard copy of the magazine! That means your traveler can read it on their kindle or iPad if they want to as well. For only $5 yall! Just be careful with the auto-renewing options.

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE – $10-$12

A reusable water bottle is a must for me when traveling. You can take it empty through security then fill it up at a water fountain near your gate. A lot of stewards/stewardesses will even fill your water bottle will ice water on the plane, so you can always stay hydrated. These camelbak water bottles come in a variety of colors for a low price.

FOLDABLE TOOTHBRUSH – $7

This isn’t the sexiest gift, but it’s just darn useful. You can encourage personal hygiene and solve the tricky problem of how to keep your toothbrush clean and protected with this nifty foldable toothbrush.

TRAVEL SURGE PROTECTOR WITH USB PORTS – $15

I seriously love this product. These days it seems like you go to a hotel and there are never enough outlets for “all the things”. Or, there’s no spare outlet for your phone near the bed, and the closest empty outlet is on the other side of the room (#firstworldproblems, I know). With this handy travel surge protector, you get 3 extra outlets plus 2 USB ports to charge your devices. Plus, it rotates, so you can get it to fit in those tricky behind-the-nightstand plug situations.

A VERSATILE, STYLISH TRAVEL WALLET – $16

Do not gift your traveling friend a fanny pack please! A nice light-weight travel wallet should hold your passport, ID, credit cards, and cash at the very least. This one earns bonus points for having zippered pockets (keeps you from losing things!) and room for more, like those little earbuds, your flight documents, and even your cell. You can stow this safely in a bigger bag or purse and have everything in one place. It also comes in a range of fun colors.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this idea for a budget-friendly gift this holiday season. There are lots of possibilities here that you can add to the gift basket to continue the theme, depending on what fits your traveler’s needs. You can also add chapstick, a pocket mirror, ear plugs, an eye mask, hand lotion, or whatever else you might like to travel with.

bon voyage!