Buying a gift for a friend who loves to travel sounds easy, right up until you are standing in front of a shelf with a three-piece “travel set” of neck pillow, eye mask and earplugs. Those things usually end up at the bottom of a drawer.
This guide is about gifts a traveller actually uses: gift cards for experiences and ferry trips, the Estonian Museum Card, travel insurance, an eSIM for a longer trip and a few things that go straight into the bag. Every price and condition has a source, because the expiry date on a gift card is exactly the detail people forget.
The best travel gift I have ever received? A trip. Everything else on this list is accessories next to that.
In short: the quick pick
- If they already have a trip planned: a GetYourGuide gift card or a specific tour at the destination.
- If they travel around Estonia: the Museum Card (75 €).
- If you want to gift the trip itself: a ferry gift card for Helsinki or Tallinn, or an airBaltic gift card.
- If they are leaving Europe: a Saily eSIM and travel insurance.
- If you want something to unwrap: a good backpack, packing cubes, a universal adapter. My own favourites are below in the travel addict’s gift list.
Experiences and tickets
GetYourGuide gift card
What it is: GetYourGuide is a platform for booking tours, tickets and activities around the world. They have a real gift card, not just a discount code. You choose the amount, the card arrives by email and can be printed, and you can add a personal message.
Price: you choose the amount.
Validity: according to GetYourGuide’s terms the gift card is valid for three years, counted from the end of the year of purchase. The recipient enters the code at checkout in the “Enter gift or promo code” field.
For whom: a friend who knows they will travel next year but does not know where yet. There are thousands of tours, so they choose.
Where to buy: GetYourGuide gift card. The page has gift ideas and, at the bottom, a “Buy a gift card” button where you choose the amount and add a message.
If you know exactly where your friend is going, you can gift a specific activity. For someone heading to Helsinki, the Löyly sauna is a good one:
For other destinations, search GetYourGuide by city (replace “Helsinki” with your friend’s destination).
I have not been to Löyly myself. In Helsinki I have been to Allas Sea Pool, the pools by the South Harbour, and it works just as well for someone who loves sauna and sea water.
Museum Card
What it is: an annual pass to Estonian museums that gets you into 130+ museums and 500+ exhibitions over 12 months. A great gift for anyone who travels in Estonia or visits often.
Price: 75 €, renewal 69 €.
How to gift it: two options. The digital gift is sent by email to the recipient. The physical gift card comes in an envelope with a unique code, and you do not need the recipient’s name or ID code to buy it. With the same code the recipient can activate a new card or extend an existing one. Good news if you do not know whether your friend already has a card.
Where to buy: muuseumikaart.ee, the flagship shop at Telliskivi 60a/1 in Tallinn (open Tuesday to Saturday, 12.00 to 17.30), and the gift card is also sold at Selver supermarkets.
For whom: a friend who loves weekend trips around Estonia. A Finnish friend too, if they come to Tallinn often.
I wrote about the card in more detail here: Museum Card: what it is and whether it is worth it.
I used my own card four times in one year.
The trip itself as a gift
Ferry trip between Tallinn and Helsinki
A Helsinki trip is the classic gift in Estonia, and a Tallinn trip is the classic one in Finland: no airport, no packing stress and a full day. All three big ferry companies sell gift cards.
- Tallink Silja: online 10, 50 or 100 €, at customer service and the terminal also 5 and 20 €. The card covers tickets, cabins, meals, a car and excursions, but not purchases made on board. Important: the trip has to be completed before the card expires; a booking is not enough.
- Eckerö Line: valid for a year from the purchase date, sent by email to the recipient or to you for printing. It cannot be used on board.
- Viking Line: also sells gift cards. A trip paid with the card has to be booked in advance and the card has to be with you on the trip. Check where to buy it and what amount or trip it covers on Viking Line’s gift card page before you buy.
If you want to gift a ready trip, see ferry tickets between Tallinn and Helsinki or give a day trip with a programme:
December is a great time for Helsinki, because the Christmas market is on. The dates are in our Helsinki Christmas market guide.
Flight gifts
Kiwi.com: I could not find a gift card you can buy in Kiwi’s help centre. Kiwi.com Credit is a payment method you mostly get as a refund, and according to their terms Kiwi discount codes cannot be passed on to someone else. A plane ticket is also personal, so a surprise ticket means you need the recipient’s passport details and a free week.
The more honest option: give a homemade “flight voucher” and search for the flight together on Kiwi.com. For ideas on where to fly direct, see our city breaks with direct flights.
airBaltic: sells electronic and printed gift cards. The card is valid for a year from purchase, it cannot be extended and the validity also applies to the travel period, so the flight has to happen before it expires. The card can be used several times until the balance is zero.
A hotel night
Booking.com: Booking does not sell gift cards on its website. Official gift cards are sold only in shops in some countries and can only be used at properties where Booking handles the payment. In November 2026 I could not find a single place selling them in Estonia. Third-party “Booking gift cards” online are not Booking’s own product.
So what can you do? Two options:
1. In Estonia: a Tallink Hotels gift card, 50 €, valid for 6 months from purchase, for stays at Tallink City, Tallink Spa & Conference and Tallink Express in Tallinn and Tallink Hotel Riga.
2. A specific night further away: book a room with free cancellation and gift the printout. If the dream is the Basque Country, try Arima Hotel & Spa in San Sebastián (my review) or another Basque Country spa hotel. In Estonia, have a look at Pärnu hotels on Booking.com, for example.
Safety and internet
Travel insurance
Not a romantic gift, but a useful one. Heymondo has single-trip insurance, annual multi-trip insurance and long-stay insurance. According to the annual policy page, each single-trip can last up to 60 days; for longer there is a separate Long Stay policy. Price and cover depend on the country of residence, according to Heymondo, so pick your actual country when buying and read the terms of that specific policy.
Museumist readers get Heymondo travel insurance 5 % cheaper. The discount does not apply to US residents.
A practical tip: buying insurance needs the traveller’s details and travel dates, so it does not fit in a Christmas stocking. Give a promise (“I am paying for your next trip’s insurance”) and buy it together once the trip is booked.
An eSIM for trips outside the European Union
In the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, “roam like at home” applies, so an EU resident uses their normal plan there. No eSIM needed; do not gift one for those trips.
But if your friend is going to the US, Argentina or Asia, for example, an eSIM is a very practical gift. Saily has no separate gift button: you buy the plan in your own app and send the recipient the QR code. Do not install it on your own phone, because one eSIM goes on one device. Check first that your friend’s phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier.
Example prices for the US: 3 GB for 30 days 7.99 €, 10 GB for 30 days 20.49 € (on the Saily site on 4 November 2026). Prices change, so check them before you buy.
Where to buy: Saily eSIM
Things that actually go in the bag
No brand recommendations here, just what to look for. My own favourites with links are below in the travel addict’s gift list.
A backpack that fits under the seat. Since 4 September 2025 Ryanair’s free small bag size is 40 x 30 x 20 cm and it has to fit under the seat in front. Other airlines have different sizes, so check your friend’s usual airline. A bag that fits this size saves a baggage fee on every flight. Look for a bag that opens like a suitcase (not just from the top), with strong zips and a padded laptop sleeve.
See 40 x 30 x 20 cm backpacks on Amazon.
Packing cubes. Simple fabric bags that keep clothes separate. They help most for people who travel with hand luggage only. A set in different sizes beats three identical ones.
Universal adapter. Estonia uses type C and F plugs, the UK type G and the US types A and B, where the voltage is 120 V. Pick an adapter with USB ports, so one plug charges both phone and watch.
Power bank. Useful, but gift the right one. Power banks go in hand luggage only and up to 100 Wh is allowed without airline approval. Since 27 March 2026, under ICAO rules, you can carry up to two power banks per person, the power bank itself may not be charged on board and the advice is not to charge your phone with it during the flight either. Some airlines are stricter still. Pick one with the capacity in watt-hours (Wh) printed on it, so there is no argument at security.
Luggage tag and tracker. A tag with a name and phone number costs little and helps when a suitcase goes missing. A Bluetooth tracker in the suitcase gives peace of mind that you at least know where it is.
See luggage tags and trackers on Amazon.
Scratch-off world map. For someone who loves statistics and has a wall. Only give it to someone who really has travelled a lot, otherwise the map stays very silver.
See scratch-off world maps on Amazon.
Books and a travel journal
A guidebook for the next destination. A paper guide is a good gift for someone whose trip is already booked. Make sure it is a fresh edition, because prices and opening hours in an old guide have already changed.
Travel writing. A book about the place your friend is going gets read on the plane and stays as a souvenir.
Travel journal. Hardcover, small and light enough for a backpack. With a pocket inside the back cover for tickets and receipts.
See travel journals with a pocket on Amazon.
My favourite travel book to give is Anthony Bourdain’s. The link is just below.
The travel addict’s gift list
There are three things I always have with me when I travel, and those are exactly what I recommend as gifts.
- Db backpack. A Norwegian brand that used to be called Douchebags. I have their most classic backpack and it comes on every trip. See Db backpacks on Amazon
- JBL Go 5. A small JBL speaker; I have the Go 5 and it is always in my bag. See the JBL Go 5 on Amazon
- An Anthony Bourdain book. My favourite travel book to give. If you do not know where to start, his “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” is a good one. See the Bourdain book on Amazon
Plus the practical things I wrote about above:
- Packing cubes. Get a set in different sizes. See packing cubes on Amazon
- Universal adapter. Pick one with USB ports. See universal adapters on Amazon
- Power bank. Pick one up to 100 Wh with the capacity in watt-hours printed on the casing. Under the 2026 rules you can carry up to two power banks per person in hand luggage. A 20,000 mAh power bank usually stays under the 100 Wh limit. See power banks on Amazon
I have not written prices here, because they change constantly on Amazon. Check the current price behind the link.
Gifts by budget
Under 25 €
- Saily eSIM for a US trip, 3 GB 7.99 €
- Tallink Silja gift card 10 €
- GetYourGuide gift card for an amount you choose
- Packing cubes, a luggage tag or a travel journal
25 to 75 €
- Estonian Museum Card 75 €
- Tallink Hotels gift card 50 €
- Tallink Silja gift card 50 €
- One tour at your friend’s destination on GetYourGuide
- Universal adapter and power bank
75 to 150 €
- Tallink Silja gift card 100 €
- A good under-seat backpack
- Travel insurance for the next trip
Over 150 €
- airBaltic gift card for a flight
- A hotel night further away, in the Basque Country for example
- Annual travel insurance for a frequent traveller
What not to give
A suitcase, if you do not know the sizes. A suitcase is like shoes: the one that looks good in the shop may not fit the airline’s sizer.
A surprise trip with fixed dates. If you have not seen their calendar, the surprise is that they cannot go.
A gift card that expires before the trip. The Tallink Hotels card is valid for 6 months, airBaltic and Eckerö cards for a year. A six-month card given in December means a trip by June at the latest.
An eSIM for a trip within Europe. EU roaming is already included for EU residents.
A 37-piece travel set. Half of it is plastic nobody uses and the other half goes in the bin at security.
Practical: deadlines and delivery
Digital gifts arrive fastest: the GetYourGuide gift card, the Museum Card digital gift, the Eckerö gift card and the Saily QR code are sent by email or through the app. They work even if you buy them on the evening of 23 December.
You can get the physical Museum Card envelope from the flagship shop in Telliskivi (Tuesday to Saturday 12.00 to 17.30) or from Selver. If you order a backpack or adapter online, order in early December, because parcel lockers and couriers are at their busiest before Christmas.
Write the validity next to the card too, because the recipient will not read the terms:
- GetYourGuide: 3 years from the end of the year of purchase
- airBaltic: 1 year from purchase, the flight has to happen within that time
- Eckerö Line: 1 year from purchase
- Tallink Hotels: 6 months from purchase
- Tallink Silja: the date is on the card, the trip has to be completed by then
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You choose the amount, the card arrives by email and can be printed. According to the terms it is valid for three years from the end of the year of purchase.
Booking does not sell gift cards on its website; official cards are sold only in shops in some countries. We did not find anywhere selling them in Estonia. The alternative is a Tallink Hotels gift card or a specific booking.
75 €. With the same gift card the recipient can activate a new card or extend an existing one.
We could not find one. Kiwi.com Credit is a credit, not a gift card you can buy. For gifting a flight, an airBaltic gift card works.
No. In the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine “roam like at home” applies. An eSIM pays off on trips outside Europe.
Tallink Silja and Eckerö Line cards cannot be used on board; they are for tickets and bookings.
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