# What is a good going-away gift for someone travelling long term?

> Going-away gift ideas for a gap year, sabbatical or long trip: an anti-theft bag, shoe bags, comfortable shoes and a camera strap, plus experience gifts. From our 526-day trip.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/going-away-gifts-for-a-long-trip
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-10-22
- Last updated: 2026-10-27

**Someone leaving for months has already packed their bag, so a going-away gift has to be small, light and useful every day, or not a physical thing at all.** We left for 526 days; these are the items from [our gear list](https://clevertourists.com/gear) that earned their space, plus non-physical gifts that cost the traveller nothing to carry.

## Ask before you buy

Long-term travellers count grams. A gift that does not fit will be left with you or posted home, so ask whether there is anything on their list they have not bought yet. If the answer is no, choose something that replaces a worse version they are taking.

## Small physical gifts that earn their space

• **An anti-theft crossbody bag** for cities and transit days.

• **Slip-on shoes** like the Keds Double Decker, easy for airport security, and temples in Asia where shoes come off at the door.

• **Shoe or laundry bags** that keep the pack organised for months.

## Gifts that weigh nothing

• **A night somewhere better** partway through the trip, booked or paid toward.

• **An experience at their first stop**: a food tour, museum pass or day trip. Our [booking page](https://clevertourists.com/book) lists the tour and ticket sites we use.

• **Practical help at home:** looking after mail, a car or a plant is a real gift to someone leaving for a year.

## Frequently asked questions

### What do you give someone leaving to travel the world?

Something small, light and used daily, such as an anti-theft day bag or packing organisers, or a gift that weighs nothing, such as a paid night in a nicer hotel or a tour at their first stop.

### Should I give cash as a going-away gift?

Money toward a specific experience or a hotel upgrade on the trip is a common and welcome choice, and it costs the traveller nothing to carry.