For students studying abroad next year, the holidays are the perfect opportunity to ask for gifts that can be used during their study abroad semester. These gifts ideas are small enough to fit in a stocking but are the perfect bits and pieces for a study abroad experience— so pick these up for your student going abroad, or send this list to “Santa” so he knows what you want your stocking stuffed with.
Also check out our study abroad gift guide for bigger gift ideas for study abroad students.
1. Anker Portable Phone/Tablet Charger
We recommended the Anker Portable Charger in our study abroad gift guide and a couple more of our product guides because everyone seems to love it (it’s a best-seller on Amazon). It’s pretty common to find yourself with a low phone battery while traveling so a portable charger is the perfect gift to help with that.
Buy the Anker Portable Charger on Amazon
2. Anywhere Travel Guide Cards
This pack of Anywhere Travel Guide cards is designed to inspire exploration. Each card has a fun or quirky task on it, making it great for having some fun on study abroad weekend trips. It’s a great way to go beyond the “most Instagrammy places” list for a city and get to know it a bit better. Some challenges require you to interact with the locals, making it a great conversation starter.
Buy Anywhere Travel Guide cards on UncommonGoods
3. GoToobs
Instead of wasting money on expensive travel-sized products with wasteful one-time-use bottles, get your study abroad-er these refillable GoToobs so they can easily fill them with whatever liquids they need before jetting off to another country for the weekend.
Also, GoToobs are better than the usual refillable travel bottles you find because they have a wide opening making them very easy to refill and clean.
4. TECHO HD Smartphone Camera Lens Kit
This double-lens is great for anyone who likes to take travel photos on their smartphone. The macro lens takes really sharp up-close photos, and the wide lens is perfect for photos that you want to fit more into, whether it’s more of a landscape or more people in a group shot.
Before you order, check which phone model that the gift recipient has, and make sure the lens you order will match it.
Get the TECHO HD Smartphone Camera Lens Kit on Amazon
5. Almond butter packets (or any similar American treat)
Of course, not everything that’s available in the US will be available in other countries, so think about asking for or giving some extra special treats that can be packed in a suitcase, like almond butter, peanut butter, or some favorite candy bars. They could be just the cure for when a bit of homesickness strikes.
Get Justin’s Nut Butter packs on Amazon
6. Burts Bees Travel Gift Set
Study abroad-ers are constantly traveling and jet-setting, making their hands, lips and everything more dry than normal. This Burt’s Bees travel gift set is the perfect stocking stuffer for a beauty-loving traveler who may need some extra hydration and skin care help while traveling the world.
This set is all one-time-use plastic bottles but these types of products tend to last longer and all are recyclable.
Get the Burt’s Bees travel gift set
7. Universal Surge Protector/Travel Adapter
Study abroad students can’t FUNCTION without a travel-sized plug adapter, and because they travel to various different countries on the weekends, a universal adapter is a must.
Get a power plug adapter on Amazon
8. Stylish Passport Protector
Your passport is your lifeline while studying abroad so it’s important to keep it safe and protected with a passport protector like this one. A stylish passport protector is such a great idea for a stocking stuffer!
Get a passport protector on Etsy
9. Tangle Teezer
For fresh hair while traveling without having to take up half of your carry-on-sized bag, Tangle Teezers are a popular option. It’s really gentle on both wet and dry hair. It’s actually the brush I always travel with and also use it daily.
Get the Tangle Teezer on Amazon
10. Sephora Pull it Together Travel Bag
Such a handy little bag, and what beauty lover doesn’t want ALL THINGS SEPHORA? This travel makeup bag makes packing and unpacking beauty and skincare bits easy peasy when traveling.
11. Batiste Dry Shampoo (travel-sized)
Greasy travel hair is unavoidable unless you’ve got dry shampoo. This stuff soaks up the oil in your hair and leaves you feeling fresh and clean. It does run out pretty fast, so it’s best to gift a six-pack so it lasts most of the semester.
Get travel-sized Batiste Dry Shampoo from Amazon
12. Black Mountain Travel Workout Kit
This is for the guys and girls who can’t fathom not having a gym membership while studying abroad. This resistance bands set can be used anywhere and are easy to travel with, so there’s no excuse not to keep up a workout routine.
Get the Black Mountain Travel Workout Kit from Amazon
13. Travel Sleep Mask
As a traveler on a budget, super-early or overnight flights and train rides will become the norm. A handmade sleep mask will help ya deal and grab some shut eye so you don’t look like a zombie the next day.
Get a handmade silk travel mask from Etsy
14. Solid Perfume from Lush
These little perfume solids from Lush are portable, won’t spill and don’t need to be under 3oz when you fly. It’s great to smell nice while traveling!
Get Lush’s Solid Perfume on Lush
15. Bed bug spray
Not the most fun gift in the world but great for germaphobic travelers. Spray this bug bed spray all over the hostel bed for some sanity.
16. Sony Travel Earbuds
Good earbuds are a travel essential, and also are important for late-night study sessions.
Get Sony travel earbuds on Amazon
17. “How to Read the Menu” pocket guides
These cute little pocket guides will be helpful for students studying abroad in Europe and that are planning to visit Spain, Italy and/or France. These teeny little books help to make sure that nothing is lost in translation when ordering at a restaurant. This is especially great for picky eaters and those with allergies or intolerances.
Get the How to Read the Menu pocket guides on Amazon
For more travel-themed gift ideas, check out our Gifts for Travelers Pinterest board.
