The 3 Types of Souvenirs I Always Buy

Traveling is exciting, and there’s no doubt you’ll want to bring home a few types of souvenirs to remember your trip by.  You’re in a faraway land, having a good time.  You’ll be tempted to buy anything and everything you can get your hands on.  Shot glasses!  T-shirts!  Scarves!  Elephant pants!

Next thing you know, you’ve spent too much money and can’t fit all your souvenirs in your suitcase.  I’ve done it myself and seen it happen with my travel companions.  I once saw a girl bring an extra duffel bag just for souvenirs – that’s dedication!

In order to avoid hauling home a bunch of cheap souvenirs I don’t really need, I started limiting myself to three small but impactful types of souvenirs from each place I visit.  It takes the stress out of trying to find the perfect souvenir and saves me money.  It also prevents me from sitting on my suitcase to zipper it shut (just kidding, this still happens every time).

Here are the three types of souvenirs I always buy (plus a bonus one!).

Postcards

Postcards make the best souvenirs.  They’re easy to find no matter where you go, and they take up virtually no room in your suitcase.  Postcards have the place’s name and top sights on them, so they’re a good way to remember where you visited.

A lot of postcards are cookie-cutter, so I usually check a few different places to find one with a unique design.  Or I just embrace the corniness if all else fails.  I buy one for myself to keep and a few to mail to family and friends.  You could take it one step further and write/mail yourself a postcard to make it an even more memorable souvenir.

My ultimate goal is to take the postcards I’ve been collecting and find a cool way to display them in my home.  One day when I’m feeling crafty!

Refrigerator Magnets

Like postcards, magnets make great souvenirs for similar reasons.  Magnets are cheap, small, sold in most tourist destinations, and represent the place you were visiting.

Magnets can be easily displayed in your home (unlike those postcards I’ve been trying to get around to framing for the past 5 years…).  Just stick them on the fridge and you’re done!  Then, every time you go to get a glass of milk, you can be reminded of all the cool places you’ve been.  Not only will they look pretty on your fridge but the magnets will also give you the opportunity to share some of your epic travel stories when people come over and ask about them.

Christmas Ornaments

Three years ago, my roommate Katie and I got our first full-size Christmas tree.  Granted, it was 25 years old and the needles kept falling off so you could see directly through it.  Nonetheless, we were excited to have a tree!  We quickly realized though that we had nothing to decorate it with.  This is when I decided to set up my ornament game and start buying one at every new place I went.

It’s so much fun taking them out each year and remembering the trips I took.  I think it makes my Christmas tree that much more interesting as opposed to having a bunch of generic red balls from the store.

Christmas ornaments are the hardest of these three souvenirs to find, especially when the country isn’t predominantly Christian.  There were none to be found in Vietnam when I was there in the fall.  A good workaround is to buy a keychain instead, take off the key ring, and add a hook.  Bam, Christmas ornament!

Another tip is to make sure to check the airport before heading home.  Airports frequently have ornaments in their souvenir shops, such as a Hudson.  It may be on the pricier side but worth it if it’s your only option.

Mugs – Notable Mention

When she’s not bringing home old delipidated Christmas trees, my roommate Katie is a tea-enthusiast who collects mugs when she travels.  We now have accumulated quite the mug collection at our apartment.  I like this idea because mugs are practical if you’re a coffee and/or tea drinker, and there are so many different designs, shapes, etc. you can find.  Both Katie and I have our favorites that are in constant rotation.

The only downside is that if you’re a frequent traveler, all those mugs will take up a lot of space in your home.  Make sure you have ample cabinet space or to limit yourself to one mug per destination.

These types of souvenirs may not be for you, and that’s ok!  You might have a fancy stainless-steel fridge that isn’t magnetic, or you might not celebrate Christmas.  I recommend finding items on your travels that are meaningful to you.  Every once in a while, I’ll splurge on a souvenir that is unique to where I am, like a bottle of wine from Italy.  If you know you won’t be able to find it elsewhere or of the same quality, I say go for it!  Every thoughtful souvenir you bring home will bring back memories of your trip and have sentimental value you can’t find anywhere else.

What types of souvenirs do you like to buy?