The Best Travel Gear to Spend Your Holiday Gift Cards On

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "A week in a bamboo beach hut on India's Andaman Islands."

Travel Motto: "Travel light, often, and in good company."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window—best view in the house."

See recent posts by Ashley Rossi

Receive a bunch of gift cards this holiday season, and stumped what to spend them on? Check out the best things to get for travel from 10 major U.S. retailers.

Hurry, many of these retailers are offering post-holiday sales, too!

Editor’s Note: All prices were correct at time of publication and are subject to change.

If You Received an Amazon Gift Card:

gifts to give yourself travel products — Amazon

Then purchase:

Samsonite Freeform Hardside Spinner, 21-inches, $90 (on sale)
23andMe DNA Test, $70 (on sale)
Scrubba Wash Bag, $50 (on sale)
Trtl Pillow, $30
Women’s Small Crossbody Cell Phone Purse, $15

If You Received a Target Gift Card:

gives to give yourself headphones steamer video camera weekend bag go pro — Target

Then purchase:

If You Received a Walmart Gift Card:

gifts to give yourself luggage camera face masks adapter airpods — Walmart

Then purchase:

Apple AirPods, $226
iFly Summit Soft-Sided Three-Piece Luggage Set, $170
Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Camera, $50
Travel Adapter Kits by BESTEK, $23
Hydrolock Facial Sheet Mask, $13

If You Received an Etsy Gift Card

gifts to give yourself handmade gifts — Etsy

Then purchase:

If You Received a Lululemon Gift Card

gifts to give yourself workout gear — Lululemon

Then purchase:

Women’s Down For It All Vest, $148
Men’s ABC Pant Classic, $128
Women’s On The Fly Pant, $98
Hatha Wrap, $79 (on sale)
Festival Bag II, $49 (on sale)

If You Received an iTunes Gift Card

gifts to give yourself itunes store — Apple

Then purchase:

Game of Thrones, Seasons 1-7, $120
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, the Complete Series, $75
Apple Music Subscription, $10 per month
iCloud Storage Plans, starting at $1 per month
Books, don’t forget iTunes offers iBooks for purchase.

If You Received a Sephora Gift Card

gifts to give yourself beauty supplies — Sephora

Then purchase:

Slip Silk Sleepmask, $50
Shhhowercap, $43
Amika Polished Perfection Mini Straightening Brush, $35
Drunk Elephant, Out of Office Gift Set, $25
Kaja Cheeky Stamp Blendable Blush, $24

If You Received a Disney Store Gift Card:

gifts to give yourself disney store — Disney

Then purchase:

If You Received a Nordstrom Gift Card:

gives to give yourself luggage coat shoes — Nordstrom

Then purchase:

MZ Wallace Medium Metro Tote, $215
Halogen Hooded Puffer Jacket, $179
Nordstrom Leather Travel Organizer, $129
UGG Men’s Dustin Chukka Boot, $100
Calpak Five-Piece Packing Cube Set, $70

If You Received a Visa/Amex Gift Card:

gifts to give yourself shoes scarf bag backpack rolling luggage — Rothy's, Everlane, Dagne & Dover, REI, Away

Then purchase:

Away’s The Bigger Carry-On, $245
Rothy’s Spotted Loafer, $165
REI Co-op’s Ruckpack, $100
Everlane’s The Cashmere Scarf, $98
Dagne and Dover’s Hunter Toiletry Bag, Large, $40 (on sale)

More from SmarterTravel:

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.