Nine years ago, I received a scholarship from the National Italian American Foundation to help fund my studies abroad in Turin, Italy.
Today, I received a copy of their Ambassador Magazine in the mail with my article published inside: Holiday Gift Ideas, What to Give Travelers to Italy.
Please take a look, and if you are interested in anything about Italy or are planning a trip there any time soon, I highly encourage you to become a member of the National Italian American Foundation.
You can get a magazine and newsletter subscription, among other benefits. A subscription would make it much easier to read my feature article as I cannot link to it, but the images above are the best I can do!
Keep reading for the Italy gift ideas I shared in the article, plus some bonus ideas and Italy travel resources.
Italy Gift Ideas
1. Kindle
A Kindle allows you to carry thousands of books in one lightweight, convenient package. Load it up with books like Under the Tuscan Sun or Beautiful Ruins for your Italy-loving friend.
2. Wine Bottle Koozie
So your Italy lover can carry wine and keep it at an appropriate temperature, whether red or white.
3. Universal Adapter
A universal adapter is a must-have for all international travelers, whether headed to Italy or elsewhere! We cover adapter and voltage basics and why they are important to have.
4. Italy Guidebook
A physical guidebook is handy for those rare moments you can’t pick up wifi on your smartphone. Plus, you can write notes and highlight passages right on the pages.
Travel Planning Tip: Order a prepaid SIM card before you travel!
5. Pocket Italian Phrasebook
Help your friends and loved ones traveling to Italy go beyond learning the basics by gifting them a pocket phrasebook. They can take it even further by learning Italian with Pimsleur.
6. iTunes Gift Card
An iTunes gift card will help your traveler buy music and apps on the go.
7. REI Gift Card
With an REI gift card, they will be able to pick out the perfect travel backpack.
8. Canon EOS M Digital Camera
When they capture the perfect images from their trip to Italy, they will be so grateful that you got them this mirrorless camera before they left!
9. Moleskine City Notebooks
Encourage your traveler to document their trip with pen and paper.
10. Treasure Chest
This gift is more for their return home from Italy. They can store all their favorite keepsakes from the trip in this treasure chest, so it’s all in one place.
Note: the exact product in the article is not available on Amazon; the link is to a similar product.
11. Bonus Gift Ideas
Buy some experiences for your traveler! There are so many things to do in Italy – and it depends on where in Italy they are traveling to – but here are some fun ideas.
Get them skip-the-line tickets to popular sites like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill or the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
Gift your traveler a day trip from Rome to Pisa and Siena or Positano and Pompeii.
Finally, book a room at a swanky Italian hotel for your traveler. If your traveler is budget-minded, they will probably be staying at hostels, so I’m sure they will appreciate a nice hotel room on their first or last night in Italy.
12. Gift Ideas to Bring Memories of Italy Home
Here are some Italian gift ideas for after your loved one returns from their trip to Italy. For when they will undoubtedly be jonesing for any reminder of Italy they can get.
Home cooks and foodies would appreciate a gift basket with an Italian cookbook, a set of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a bottle of Italian wine, and some pasta imported from Italy.
Gifts for coffee lovers might include a nice Italian stove top coffee maker and a set of espresso cups. Maybe add in a package of biscotti or another authentic Italian treat for good measure.
Finally, Italy lovers will absolutely appreciate a coffee table book full of beautiful Italian landscapes to flip through when they really start to miss Italy.
Additional Italy Resources
Helpful posts and podcast episodes all about Italy to help plan a trip!
City Guides + Things To Do
- Venice City Guide for Budget-Minded Travelers
- Where to Eat in Rome According to Locals
- Rome: 3 Reasons to Love the City of Love
- An Olympic Experience: Torino 2006
Podcast Episodes About Italy
- BMT 65: First Time Travel Planning Help, Featuring Italy
- BMT 68: First Solo Trip to Italy: Results! with Anjie Mikesell
- BMT 70: American Expat Life in Spain and Italy
Ready to Book Your Trip?
Some of these links are affiliate links.
Use these BMT-approved travel resources to plan your best budget-friendly trip yet!
Flights – Learn our tried and true strategies for finding the cheapest flights.
Accommodations – Using Booking.com to search for hostels and budget hotels has many benefits, including free cancelation and member upgrades.
Travel Insurance – Now more than ever, we encourage the purchase of travel insurance for every trip. Insurance protects you against cancellations, lost luggage, theft, injury, and illness. Compare plans at:
Activities – Find amazing things to do that won’t break the bank in destinations worldwide on Viator.
Need an international SIM card? We suggest pre-ordering from SimOptions.