The Best Travel Souvenirs

The best souvenirs to bring home from a trip is obviously the memories you make. But sometimes, it’s nice to have something physical to remind you of your travels. After having visited 25+ countries and having moved a dozen times in my life, I’ve come to learn what travel souvenirs are worth purchasing and which ones are worth skipping. Sure they keychains are fun for a little while, but those souvenirs don’t stand the test of time. These are the best travel souvenirs you can purchase!

• Photographs :: In my opinion, photos are the BEST souvenir you can possibly get. While I love a good iPhone shot, some of my favorite memories are from mornings where we woke up early, got dressed up and met with a proper photographer. Not only do you get to enjoy the city all to yourselves, but you also get to feel a bit fancier than normal {hello matching outfits & paparazzi!} and photographers always know the best local places for photos! Sure, strangers on the street MIGHT get a couple good photos of you, but with a photographer you are guaranteed to get a handful of print worthy photos. We have photos of our travels all over our apartment and I love it! Anytime guests come over to our place, they always end up looking at our photo wall and it is so fun to relive our memories with them! And we always end up exchanging fun memories & hearing fun stories about our friends we hadn’t heard before. And photographers are usually great at making EVERYONE in the family feel comfortable- so don’t worry. It’s a fun experience for all- even those who might not be super thrilled at the idea of a photo shoot ;) Plus, you are much more inclined to actually print pictures you’ve paid for. If you want to get really crazy- you could even have a photo book printed of all of your travel photos from the trip! {Shutterfly actually has a great app that creates the books for you- straight from your iphone photos & any photos you download from your photographer. This is not sponsored- I’ve just done it a handful of times and love it!} See a handful of the photos we’ve take with photographers in Paris here and here.

• Art :: We also keep art all over our home. I have a couple small oil paintings by my desk, one in our bedroom, a couple in our kitchen and multiple in our bathroom. And I’m still searching for ones for Cayson’s room. Photographs are stunning, but I love the texture of a beautiful oil painting and the gorgeous colors of a one-of-a-kind watercolor. If we see an artist on the street that I like while traveling, I always stop for a moment to watch him/her work. And if their work speaks to me, I take a mental picture of the moment, purchase the piece and am forever reminded of that moment at home!
• Clothing/Hats :: We all wear clothing, so why not purchase a souvenir you can wear! From hats to sweaters! I have hats from 5+ countries and some of my favorite sweaters are from our trip to Ireland.  And each time I wear one of these souvenirs I’m reminded of the memories associated with each item.

• Candles :: When we stayed at Hotel Napoleon they sent us home with one of the candles they have burning at their hotel at all times. Every time I lit it I was immediately transported back to Paris and our babymoon. When traveling, I love finding a scent that reminds me of the location so when I get home I can have a sweet little reminder of our trip!  And I use the empty candle votives to hold bathroom items like q-tips, bobby pins and cotton balls!
• Cups :: I drink a cup of coffee and/or a pot of tea almost every single day. And we have cups from around the world- from espresso cups from Cafe de Flore in Paris to tea cups from Russia! I love knowing there is a story behind my morning brews. Some family & friends know of our tradition & have picked up tea cups for us along their travels as well!

• Something for your table :: I love buying serving bowls, trays, table runners or something for our kitchen when we travel. Not only do they sit on my table and remind me of fun trips, but they almost always spark a conversation when someone comes over.
• Recipes :: I’m not a huge meat eater, but when traveling I love trying {almost} whatever the chef recommends- especially when it comes to dessert! I love coming home with a new meal or dessert to make at home. Bonus points if I learned this new dish at a cooking class like we did here!
• Christmas Ornaments :: Cliché, but a good one. We personally don’t collect Christmas ornaments, but I’ve thought about starting this tradition a few dozen times. Although, I prefer souvenirs that we can enjoy year round- not just one month a year.

What are your favorite travel souvenirs?

black dress photos by The Parisian Photographers
black coat photos by The Parisian Photographers
red dress photos by Katie Donnelly Photography