5 Souvenir Shopping Ideas

  Souvenir shopping is a part of traveling but you might not always know what to to buy.  Part of what you buy while on vacation may depend on different things.   If you are traveling without your kids you might be on the look out for something the kids will like.   If you travel frequently you might not really want to bring much back at all but are looking to find that one special item that will remind you of just this trip.   You might have a collection and there is that one particular thing you like to buy from everywhere you go.  

#1 Collections - if you collect something in particular from each place you visit that can make your shopping a little easier since you already know what you are looking for.   If you haven't started a collection yet but you want some ideas my suggestion would be to choose something small.   Magnets from each city can be a good one since they are not too expensive and do not take up much space. Other things people tend to collect are mugs, pins, shot glasses, decals, snowglobes, ornaments, and key chains.   These tend to be cheap souvenirs which can help if you don't want to spend much but on the other hand cheap also could be bad since usually it also means it most likely wasn't made in the place you visited. 

#2 Authentic souvenirs - if you want to buy something that has more meaning to it you will want to find something that is made in the place you are visiting and maybe is something that area is really known for.   If you do a quick google search you can find out what authentic souvenir to shop for wherever you visit.  For example, when we visit the Netherlands we always bring back some cheese that is fresh off the farm.   Wooden shoes might also be a fun authentic souvenir from Holland but if you are really looking for authentic it is best to find a shop where you can watch them being made, or at least just double check them to make sure they don't have a made in china sticker.   Visiting a fair or outdoor market in the town square is usually a good place to find local items.  
Alaska has set up the Made in Alaska program which makes it easy for you to know you are buying an item that is authentic and made right in Alaska.  
https://www.lastfrontier.org/made-in-alaska  


#3 Clothing - My husband loves to buy a tee-shirt and hat for almost everywhere we visit.   These can be a nice reminder of places you have been and is also more useful than some of the other things you might find in the tourist shops.   You might also want to shop for clothing specific to that area, for example a wool sweater from Norway or kilt in Scotland.  Clothing might also end up being a souvenir out of necessity like when you forget to pack something or when the weather isn't what you were expecting and you need something like a jacket.

#4 - Food and Drink items - this one kind of goes along with the authentic souvenirs since if you are buying food items they are most likely food that is associated with where you are visiting.   I like to try chocolate just about anywhere we go even if that city or country might not be known for chocolate.   Food can be a fun souvenir to share with friends and family when you return but just remember it is not exactly the longest lasting souvenir.   Also it is important to make sure that any food or drink item you might be choosing to bring back it allowed back into your country as some things might be banned.

#5 - Photos/Postcards - photos are a great reminder of where you went and what you saw.  If you are not the best photographer or you are visiting somewhere that is hard to really capture then postcards are great alternative to taking the photos yourself.   Since I travel a lot I don't usually bring anything back for anyone but I do always try to send at least one postcard back to family.   My dad collects stamps so the postcard is like 2 souvenirs in one for him.  

No matter what type souvenir you choose it will be a nice reminder from your trip.