Gift-giving is fun and exciting. Thereโs something special about watching someone unwrap an item you picked out with just them in mind. But it isnโt always the easiest undertaking, regardless. Knowing what to get somebody can be daunting, and tracking down just the perfect item is often even more difficult during the holiday rush. Struggling through this problem when buying for any adventurers you know and love? We can lend a helping hand. Here are seven great gift ideas that any not-to-weary traveler would be thrilled to receive.
A Few Travel Guides
World travelers are a bit of a different breed from the average person. They tend to be more spontaneous, more adventurous, and curious. The world around them isnโt a source of distraction, anxiety, or annoyance, but rather one of opportunity. Exploration is everything, and what better way to foster that than by buying the travel-lover in your life a guide thatโll aid them on their voyage?
Available in both state and international varieties, they are a great source of information about restaurants, museums, attractions, hotels, shops, and more in a given area and can help anyone plan the trip of a lifetime. Know someone whoโs just starting on their quest to see the world? Gift them our First-Time Around the World Rough Guide to get them started on the right foot.
World Map
Unless you lived under a rock throughout the entirety of your formative years, youโre no doubt well-acquainted with world maps. Theyโre an absolute staple within our schools, ideal for teaching students about the makeup of the world โ its scope, the appearance of our continents, how our countries are split up, and how it all comes together โ anyone who has ever sat through geography has interacted with one. Most of us donโt interact with them much in adulthood, though.
Change that for someone by purchasing them a world map this holiday season. Still super helpful in plotting out a multi-country trip and easily able to keep track of everywhere oneโs been, theyโre an essential tool for anybody whoโs serious about seeing the world and all it has to offer. Plus, they make pretty great dรฉcor as well!
Country/City Folding Map
Travel Maps
Explore our full collection of travel maps and atlases designed for road trips, outdoor adventures, and long-distance planning. Whether you need a foldable map to keep in your glove box, a city street map for urban navigation, or a detailed road atlas for cross-country travel, we have you covered. Our maps are trusted by travelers for their reliability, clarity, and up-to-date details, making them essential tools for planning and navigating your next trip. Many of our travel maps are waterproof or tear-resistant and include valuable information like scenic byways, campgrounds, and points of interest to help you make the most of your journey.
Once upon a time, phones were used for one thing: talking to people. The rise of smartphones totally changed that, and now we use them for everything. Want to play a game? Watch a movie? Listen to music? Do research? You can easily do all that with just a couple of taps on your screen. We can also instantly access maps and navigation thanks to the technological powerhouses in our pockets. But it has limits. Find yourself in a place that lacks reliable cell service? Youโre out of luck โ a serious, scary issue when traveling in an unfamiliar place. Thatโs why itโs critical to also always carry a country/city folding map on any travels. Get a few for yourself or your loved ones, and youโll always have peace of mind, able to find your way, GPS or not.
NOAA/NGA Charts
NOAA Nautical Charts
We carry a full selection of NOAA Charts covering all U.S. waters, including the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Alaska, and major bays and harbors. Historically used for safe navigation, these charts are now preserved for reference, education, and decorative purposes. Recreational boaters, fishing enthusiasts, and maritime professionals trust NOAA charts for their detail and authenticity. They display water depths, shoreline features, channels, harbors, and navigational aids, making them essential tools for understanding U.S. coastal geography. Each chart is available on standard paper or waterproof synthetic paper. We can also mount and frame any NOAA chart, turning it into ready-to-hang artwork perfect for beach houses, coastal offices, or yacht clubs. Framed NOAA charts make unique, personalized gifts for boaters and sea lovers.
Click any blue box in the map viewer below to view the chart’s product page. Click and drag to pan the map viewer in any direction. You may also scroll below the map viewer to find your chart within the subcategories.
For those of us addicted to seeing as much of the amazing world around us as possible, all travel is good travel. Even the longest car or plane rides become time well spent in the excitement of gazing upon a new place filled with new sights, scents, foods, and people. Yet boat rides? Those usually arenโt a figure in the equation.
Still, other people live for them, driven to travel along the high seas instead of dry land, and they well canโt do this without a bit of guidance. NOAA and NGA charts provide just that, allowing hobbyist boaters and pro captains alike handy, up-to-date map-based navigation thatโll always get them from point A to point B. As a bonus, unlike most phones, theyโre also waterproof, so you wonโt suddenly be stranded far from shore if your cell meets its demise sailing the ocean blue.
US Raised Relief Map
Raised Relief Maps
Explore our collection of 3D raised relief maps to get a true feel for the terrain. These maps donโt just show elevationโthey let you see and touch it. Whether you’re looking for a hands-on educational tool, a standout piece of wall art, or a unique way to understand the physical world, raised relief maps combine visual detail with tactile depth. From the peaks of the Rockies to the valleys of Europe, every contour is molded to bring the landscape to life.
There are a million different kinds of maps out there on store shelves and eCommerce listings, all distinct in font, color, size, and general presentation. What you might not realize, though, is that they also vary dimensionally. Despite a map generally being a 2D object, there are some that are actually 3D in nature.
Called relief maps, they utilize vacuum molding to represent terrain more realistically โ something pretty important if you are someone who wants to explore the world beyond its carefully designed cities and paved trails. Snag a US relief map, and youโll be set to navigate through nearly any landscape, able to see exactly where any peaks and valleys lie before happening upon them.
Custom Created Map
Itโs no secret that travel costs a good deal of cash. Those whoโve found their hobby in jumping on a plane to sightsee thousands of miles away certainly pay their weight in gold for it, and theyโll see it as a worthy expense along the way. However, the same folks frequently then donโt splurge in other areas.
Treat them to something a little nicer than theyโd usually buy themselves by purchasing them a custom map for either their business or just as a nice piece of dรฉcor. Colors, finish option, text, and size are all up to you โ so you can gift the wanderlust-stricken in your life with a piece thatโs made specifically to their tastes.
Artistic Map Print
Think of maps for a second. Theyโre practical, utilitarian, and serve a specific need. Function is what really matters here; however, it doesnโt have to only be about the pragmatic stuff. Maps can also make for awesome decoration on top of helpful navigational tools, bringing a touch of class and scholasticism to anywhere you decide to hang them.
There are now even specially designed artistic map prints that put a greater emphasis on looks, so you can feed your travel addiction while still outfitting your space in something beautiful. Here at the Map Shop, we actually have over 1200 prints โ from stylized college campus maps to those of military bases, wine regions, cityscapes, and more โ to choose from, almost guaranteeing weโll have the ideal gift ready and waiting for you!ย
โ Let us know what you thought of this article and if you have any questions! Reach out and share your thoughts with us at www.mapshop.com.
