Vacation season is exciting. It’s a chance to travel to destinations near and far, whether familiar or completely new. One of the pleasures of travel is bringing home souvenirs. Many people like to shop for and collect them. They help keep the memories of a trip alive long after you return home. Unfortunately, not all items sold in stores make for wise purchases. Here are some thoughts on the best strategy for vacation souvenirs.
The Lure of Souvenirs
Shopping for souvenirs is part of the vacation experience for many people. Browsing stores with friends and family, and finding something special, is part of the fun. Merchants who sell souvenirs are well aware of this reality. Some capitalize on the fact that vacationers are relaxed, emotional, and ready to spend. It is not uncommon, especially in touristy areas, to find:
- Products and displays designed to take advantage of the emotion of the moment.
- Items overpriced relative to their actual value.
- Poorly made pieces that have been priced to sell (many not being made in the destination at all).
- Toys and gifts designed to attract the eye–and the ensuing plea–of children.
None of these things are inherently bad. Sometimes it’s fine to pick up a trinket here or there. At the same time, it is wise to realize that often we aren’t evaluating purchases with the same lens we might apply in our normal setting. After all, we’re on vacation. We’re focused on making memories, not scrutinizing every purchase.
Souvenirs Worth Bringing Home
As a professional organizer, I come across many vacation souvenirs at the bottom of drawers and tucked away in boxes. Once the thrill of the experience has passed, not all souvenirs are equally treasured and enjoyed. Here are a few vacation mementos that tend to offer a good “bang for the buck.”
Photos & Videos
Photos and videos are easier than ever to capture thanks to smartphones. Capturing precious moments in video and sometimes audio form is one of the best ways to create a permanent record of a trip. Of course, not all photos are the same. The photos you’ll treasure most usually include the people you shared the trip with. The Eiffel Tower is stunning, but years from now you’ll probably care more about who was standing beside it than the landmark itself.
Scenic photos of landscapes, wildlife, and landmarks are wonderful, but they often don’t carry the same emotional connection as pictures that include family and friends.
Don’t let your memories live only on your phone. Turn favorite photos into a photo book, framed print, calendar, or another keepsake you’ll actually see and enjoy. This can be a traditional photo album, a photo book of the vacation, or a physical item (e.g., t-shirt, mug, framed photo, etc.) that features the photo. One word of caution: sometimes you will have the chance to purchase a commemorative photo taken by a venue. These can be fun, but bear in mind that they tend to be pricey.
Another tip for photos and videos is to spend a bit of time at the end of the vacation tweaking your collection. For instance, delete any photos/videos you don’t like (such as duplicates, blurry photos, videos with poor sound, etc.), and tag images with a key word (such as “2026 Paris trip”). This can be a good activity for a flight or car ride home.
Consumables
One souvenir you have a good chance of truly enjoying is something consumable. These are things like food items, drinks, candles, matches, lotions, soaps, specialty oils, regional sauces, honeys, etc.
Admittedly, consumables don’t last forever. Even though they don’t last forever, they extend the enjoyment of a trip. Every time you light the candle, open the specialty jam, or enjoy the local coffee, you’re reminded of your vacation. Not every souvenir needs to stay on the shelf for your lifetime.
Clothing
Clothing is one of the few souvenirs you’ll use regularly. Rather than something for the shelf, these become ways to repeatedly remember a trip. Of course, this could be something as simple as a t-shirt. It can also be a quality garment that doesn’t necessarily shout the name of the vacation destination but nevertheless reminds you of your vacation every time you wear it, such as a scarf or leather jacket.
Two cautions when you are considering buying clothing souvenirs:
- Buy something that fits you now. You don’t want to create an alteration project.
- Be honest with yourself about whether you’ll actually wear it.
Items for a Collection
Collecting is a fun hobby. When done properly, it can be a source of great joy. Many people enjoy the hunt for a new addition to their collection, adding to it pieces from places beyond their local area. I’ve seen people collect post cards, stickers, figurines, spoons, magnets, corkscrews, maps, and more.
If you collect souvenirs while traveling, a few guidelines can help:
- Select items that can be displayed in groupings in your home (e.g., on one bookshelf or hanging in one section of wall).
- Look for markings that will help you remember where this piece came from.
- Avoid over-collecting. More isn’t always better.
Things You Use
Some of the best souvenirs aren’t traditional souvenirs at all. Often the best purchases are items you will repeatedly touch and use. Each time you pull it out, you will remember the trip.
If you happen to travel to a location known for its artisans or for a specific type of product, this can be a wise and enduring purchase. I once received a wooden salad bowl and tongs that my mother purchased while on vacation. We think of that vacation every time we eat salad. Other examples might be leather goods, blown glass, silk pieces, ceramics, baskets, jewelry, and watches.
Another item that can work well is a holiday decoration, such as Christmas tree ornaments. Every holiday season you’ll unpack them, remember where each one came from, and relive those trips.
Souvenirs for Kids
Children are often most excited about getting souvenirs. The good news is that a little money can go a long way. The same principles apply for adults and children. Look for something they’ll continue enjoying after vacation ends, rather than something exciting for only a few days. Games, toys, stickers, stuffed animals, and books are all popular choices.
Depending on where you travel to, you might also enjoy collecting free items with children, such as seashells from the beach or stones from the lake. Pieces like these can go into a designated location at home (such as a vase) or even out into a memory garden area in your yard.
One caution is to always be mindful of local laws and customs restrictions. Many places have laws against taking natural items, and there are laws about bringing such things in from other countries.
Souvenir to Think Twice About
I’m not here to tell what not to buy, only to provide some guidelines to help you make wise choices. Here are a few things to avoid.
Items that are large.
Before buying something large, think through how you’ll get it home. Will you need to put it in your carry on? Will it break in your suitcase? Will it fit in your house when you get it home? Remember, the scale of a large store can make things seem smaller than they actually are.
Some shops do offer shipping but be sure to ask in advance about the cost and what might be involved from a duty and customs perspective.
Items that are outside your budget.
While tempting, don’t let emotions trump your good sense. Tourist shops are designed to encourage impulse purchases, using everything from displays and lighting to music and scents. If you can, wait 24 hours before making a big purchase, especially for something that costs more than you were planning to spend.
One tip is to set a “souvenir” budget before you depart. This is good for children as well. Let them know how much they will be able to spend and remind them of this when they are considering what they want. If they blow their budget on day one, they might be sad to find something better later in the trip.
Tiny, Cheap Trinkets
Small novelty items can be fun, but many are inexpensive mass-produced products that quickly lose their appeal. If you’re looking for a lasting reminder of your trip, spending a little more on something meaningful is often the better value.
Decide in Advance
One of the best organizing habits is deciding where something will live before you buy it. Picture in your mind the exact spot where you will place it when you get home. Will it fit in your closet? Do you have space on your wall? Will it crowd your already-full bookshelf?
This simple habit prevents clutter, reduces impulse purchases, and makes unpacking much easier because you’ve already chosen the item’s permanent home.
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The best souvenirs aren’t necessarily the most expensive or the most impressive. They’re the ones that help you relive meaningful experiences and naturally become part of your everyday life. By shopping intentionally, you’ll return home with memories, instead of just more stuff.
What have been some of your favorite souvenirs?
This is such great advice, Seana. I try to avoid buying souvenirs when I’m on vacation and always look for a small something to hang on my Christmas tree. Like you, I come across lots of souvenirs tucked away at the back of closets or in drawers.
Love the Christmas decoration idea. We’ve done that I love looking at them each year and remembering the good times.
Some of my favorite souvenirs are a handmade wooden salad bowl with utensils for lifting that I bought in Bogata and I use at least once a week, a slender wooden art piece that hangs on my wall from Russia, some copper cooking pieces from Greece. I always enjoy bringing back food/drink items and of course, pictures.
Ahh, good times…
Wonderful souvenirs! Thanks for sharing. I love hearing what people have truly been happy to bring back from vacation!
The souvenirs my husband and I bought on our last vacation check all of your boxes!
– Lapel pins which are on display in the living room as part of a collection
– T shirts which we wear
– Local teas which I am drinking
– A coaster with a painting of one of the spots we visited, which I’ll enjoy until it wears out (hopefully not for quite a while)
I find it’s when you first get back from a trip that you’re most excited about it, so if the souvenirs don’t last forever, that’s okay. Eventually you’ll get tired of that figurine or whatever, unless it’s a true piece of art. But you’ll never forget the trip!
I agree. They have the most impact close to when the trip occurred. I love this collection of souvenirs. Sounds like a pretty great trip!
Great advice, Seana. I’m glad you mentioned the Christmas Tree ornament souvenir.
Years ago, when we went on vacation, I decided to buy only ornaments that have the year on them and the destination name. They are easy to carry. It’s been over 30 years, and we have many of them featured on our Christmas Tree each year.
That’s been a winner for my family, and the best way to make sure I look at them (and relive the memories) at least once a year!
This is excellent advice on every point, Seana. For most of my travels, until about eight years ago, I almost never brought back souvenirs. I think I *once* bought a shot glass with the city logo on it even though I’ve never once in my life used a shot glass.
Once I started going to Europe, I had a different approach. In Italy in 2018, I bought a leather purse in a city known for its leather goods, a gorgeous shall from a street vendor that makes me smile every time I use it, and a Murano glass and silver necklace in Venice. None were expensive, and none tell the world where they’re from, but when I wear them, it brings back the memories. In Scotland, I bought myself a small silver ring. In Portugal, I bought a leather bracelet, but the real souvenir was the fight the artisan’s wife had with him when I asked for a receipt!
I also like to get small things in other languages that reflect my personality. In Italy, I got a T-shirt with a medium-sized fish about to eat a tiny fish, but a bunch of tiny fish forming the shape of a giant fish to eat the medium-sized fish. The message: é solo questione di organizzazione (it’s only a question of organization). In Bath, England, I got a small tile with the Roman-era “VTILE DVLCI” (the useful with the pleasurable).
I guess my approach to souvenirs tends to be akin to my organizing philosophy, and that William Morris quote, “Having nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” However, your point about turning photos into keepsakes is one I’ve shirked until now, but I think I have photobooks in my future. Thank you for the prompt!
Thanks for sharing about some of the meaningful things you have brought back from vacation. The wearables, and the “reflect my personality” are so perfect – they will endure!