I feel like a lot of travel bloggers are talking about souvenirs lately; those little momentos that you pick up while traveling and bring home to remind you of that amazing trip. Well I feel I should add my two cents, and offer suggestions based on some of my favorite things to bring home with me. Since we travel with only carry-ons, we usually don’t have a lot of extra space, but there are defiantly little things I want to bring home with me, so we try to make the most of the space we have for those special memories from a trip. Here are my suggestions for some of the best options for souvenirs from around the world (from the continents I’ve visited so far) that are worthy of that extra space in your luggage on the way home!
Middle East/Africa
Teapots in Morocco
Spices | Teapots | Silver | Jewelry | Lanterns
Europe
Dutch Waffle Cookies from Amsterdam
Reusable Grocery Bags with names of places you visited | Artwork | Cookbooks | Local Treats like cookies or other foods that will travel well
Asia
Wooden Carved Elephants in India
Figurines made from local materials like wood | Frames with intricate patterns | Fabrics and Silks
North America – keychains, magnet, t-shirts
Fluer de Lis ornament in New Orleans
Keychains representing the place you visited | Magnets | T-shirts with place names or images
theladylawyer says
I always buy a Christmas ornament from everywhere I travel. It’s nice to pull them out each year and be reminded of the trip
Casey says
That’s a great item to bring home! And great too because they would be small!
Jenn says
Since having a lot of stuff makes me anxious, I tend to get magnets from everywhere because I’ve never been to a place that doesn’t have them and they’re easy to display and don’t take up much space 🙂
Casey says
I love magnets from places! I’ve also bought some large magnets sometimes and use them as coasters!
Daisy @ Simplicity Relished says
Oooh I LOVE dutch waffle cookies!
Casey says
So good!!!!
Charlotte / Spark of Awkward says
I pick up a postcard everywhere I go and write my favorite moments on the back. My grandma kept every postcard I sent her, and I got them back after she passed away – it brings back so many amazing memories!
Casey says
Love that! Such a beautiful story!
Emily S says
I’ve made it a habit to start collecting three things when I travel:
1) A coffee mug. I know these can take up a lot of room, but I love drinking my morning coffee out of a mug from somewhere I’ve visited and thinking about those memories.
2) Postcards, especially the vintage ones. You can mail them home to yourself or fit them into your journal. Some even make great prints to frame.
3) Something to hang on the Christmas tree; when you’re unpacking ornaments and hanging them all, it’s similar to the coffee mug in you can remember all of the trips you’ve taken.
Casey says
I know a lot of people that do the coffee mug thing… such a great idea! And I love the vintage postcards idea too!
Brittany says
My mom collects coffee cups as well, it makes it so easy to bring her a gift, and it’s always fun to see her collection
Helene says
this is too cool! now i need to collect all of these myself!
Casey says
Yes! Especially when you go to Asia… so many cool things that are so cheap to bring home!
Julia says
Those Dutch Stroopwaffeln are seriously the love of my life!! And what I always bring for EVERYBODY when I go home haha, my friends have started expecting them at this point just because they are so yummy! 🙂
Julia
ExploresMore.com
Casey says
Oh my gosh, they are so good! I used to fly through Amsterdam as a kid from Saudi to the US and we’d always stock up on these cookies!
socalledhomemaker says
These are so cool! I want those cookies!
Casey says
Those cookies are incredible!
Leslie Ennis says
Worth noting that it’s worth it to do some research and make sure you are paying a fair price for anything you buy during travels. There can be some bad situations out there for a lot of handicraft workers in other countries. Labor practices are not regulated in parts of the world. Do research and make sure you are not contributing to suffering just to get something cheap.
Casey says
Really great point! IT’s important in a lot of countries to know where to spend your money the right way!
Megan Thudium says
I’m the type of traveler that enjoys bringing something back the represent the culture! When I was in Dubrovnik, I picked up a local flute that now sits on my wall. When in Venice a colorful mask. Love your ideas!
Casey says
That’s a great idea! Love those!
Kristin says
I love your suggestions – and I’m looking for cookbooks in Amsterdam this summer! Scott and I try to limit ourselves to picking out just one item that, to us, really encompasses our experience in a place. This gives us some leeway to get something that might be a little bigger and pricier than we would get normally, but it hasn’t gone wrong for us yet!
Casey says
Amsterdam would be an awesome place to bring home a cookbook. I love your idea about 1 thing from each place!
Brittany says
I would definitely recommend Turkish puzzle boxes, I was told to get one when I lived in Cyprus and they are beautiful and fun. We brought back wine from Germany and France, and chocolate from Switzerland!
Casey says
All those items sound so lovely from each place!
Olivia says
My family isn’t huge on knickknacks, so one of my favorite things to do is to visit a grocery on the last day of my trip and spend whatever cash I have left on different candy, coffees, cookies, etc. and when I get back we spread it all out and sample them! It’s always fun to try food from a different culture.
Casey says
Love that idea! It’s such a great option to use your left over cash to pick up a few things!