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gift ideas for people studying abroad next year

11 Gift Ideas for Students Studying Abroad in 2020

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Need some gift ideas for someone who’s studying abroad next year? Pick up one of these gifts for your future study abroad-er and you’ll be getting them something that they need and will definitely use while studying abroad and traveling.

*This post contains some affiliate links (this doesn’t affect the price you pay).

gift ideas for study abroad - carry on suitcase with battery pack charger

1. Carry-on luggage with a battery pack

Study abroad-ers travel a ton during the semester so a good piece of  luggage that is small enough to carry onto budget airline flights will definitely be appreciated. Even better would be a suitcase that has a battery pack built into it, so it’s super easy to charge phones, iPads and laptops while in the airport or on a train. Away suitcases (like the one shown above) are the best.

See Away’s suitcases

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2. Travel-sized refillable bottles

It can often be tough to find travel sizes of toiletries in foreign countries, so by having their own refillable travel-sized bottles, your traveler will be able to just fill them up as needed without getting their much-needed shampoo taken away at airport security check. Go Toobs (shown above) are a favorite of ours as they’re much easier to refill and use than other options.

Get Go Toobs on Amazon

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3. Space Bags

Especially good for overpackers, Space Bags will help your future study abroader pack more in less space. This pack has an array of different sizes and doesn’t need a vacuum to use — just make sure you get the rollable travel ones.

Get Space Bags on Amazon

In this video it’s demonstrated how Space Bags help to pack thick clothing into smaller spaces…

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4. Portable phone/tablet charger

The perfect gift for those long travel days when listening to their favorite music brings their phone battery to zero percent. This is also great for study abroaders who love to take videos on their phone— with a portable charger, they can do so without worrying about being phone-less at the end of the day. This Anker charger  is a best seller on Amazon and a great value.

Study Abroad Gifts to Get - these are the best gifts to get for a student whos going to be studying abroad.

5. Kindle Paperwhite

If your traveler is a bookworm, then a Kindle Paperwhite is a must. It saves a ton of space in travel bags and is much lighter than carrying a book or two. Don’t forget to get them an Amazon Gift Card too so they can download some books before they go abroad.

If you want to pre-load their Kindle with some inspiring travel books before their study abroad semester, here are some ideas of which ones to get…

Great gift ideas for study abroad students. Get these gifts for someone who's going to study abroad soon

6. Travel Journal

Even if your study abroad-er is planning on blogging while abroad, a journal will come in handy for remembering those little bits of pieces of their weekend away while they don’t have a computer with them. Journaling can also help pass the time— something that every traveler is thankful for! Go for a traditional one like these map journals on Amazon (shown above), or take it up a notch and give them this awesome and fun scratch travel map journal on Amazon..

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7. Power Adapter

A must-have for anyone traveling. Travel adapters can be bought as separate options for specific countries, but the best bet for a study abroad student is a universal adapter that will cover all of the countries they might visit on the weekends.

Get this highly-rated power adapter from Amazon

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8. Travel neck pillow

Since study abroad students are on a budget, they often are on 6am flights and 10-hour bus rides. A travel neck pillow will help with getting some sleep on those not-so-fun journeys.

This travel pillow is a top seller on Amazon.

These are the best gifts to get someone who's going to study abroad in a foreign country.

9.  A good camera

Every student going abroad wants and needs a camera. Memories fade, but pictures don’t, and you know that they’ll love uploading their travel photos onto Facebook even more when they’re taken on a swanky new cam like this Olympus PEN E-PL9.

For more cameras that are great for study abroad, see our suggestions in our best cameras for study abroad post, which includes cameras with different price ranges and purposes.

Gift Guide for Study Abroad - check out these gift ideas for students that are going to study abroad soon.

10. Travel guide for their study abroad destination

Student travelers spend the most time in their study abroad destination, but they can sometimes find it hard to discover bits and pieces due to trying to balance schoolwork, traveling and a social life. Gift a travel guide for their city and it will help them take the guesswork out of exploring their new home.

LonelyPlanet books or e-books are some of our favorites, or check out this post for more travel guides that we approve of.

See more Lonely Planet guidebooks on Amazon

Gift ideas for students going to study abroad - a gift guide for students who are studying abroad soon. Get them these useful and fun travel-themed gifts that they'll totally use for their study abroad semester.

11. Something sentimental

Don’t forget that sentimental gifts can go a long way. Give your traveler a photo collage from Snapfish of you two together, or something that will remind them of home, like this state necklace from Etsy. Just remember to keep it small and light as there’s only so much room in their suitcase!

For more gift ideas for study abroad students, read these next:

5 Awesome Digital Cameras for Study Abroad

8 Smart Pieces of Tech to Get Before Going Abroad

15 Items You’ll Be Glad You Purchased Before Going Abroad

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11 Gift Ideas for Study Abroad Students - if you need gift ideas for someone whos going to be



Jess is the Editor-in-Chief of The Abroad Guide. After studying abroad in Belgium during her junior year of college, she caught the travel bug. Her experiences include volunteering in Nicaragua, backpacking through Europe, and a year-long adventure in Italy, and she's now settled in London.