When you’re travelling, one of the funnest things to do is collecting souvenirs to remember your trips. Photos can absolutely help you reminisce, but it’s sometimes almost impossible to deny the thrill of shopping for souvenirs when you’re abroad.

Want to start collecting a certain item, but you don’t want to worry about overpacking and getting dinged on the weight of your suitcase? Here’s a few lightweight items that you can find almost everywhere and in multiple variations, so there’s likely going to be something to your specific tastes.

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Magnets

Whether you have a fridge of a special magnet board, there’s no shortage of magnet options when you’re travelling. They can range from the incredibly large to the small, and come in unique shapes, sizes, and designs. This souvenir can appeal directly to your aesthetics, and since it’s so popular, the chances are high that you’ll find something you like!

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Bookmarks

If you’re like me and you still enjoy the experience of reading a physical book when you travel, bookmarks are an amazing option that you can get in multiple styles, along with material types. I’ve been able to collect parchment, normal paper, and even leather bookmarks. If you’re an e-book fanatic, you can still collect them and turn them into a piece of art (another type of souvenir option that can decorate your home with memories of your travels!)

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Pencils / Pens

This is something that is a great souvenir option for yourself, but also for anyone back home that you might be buying for. Pencils are functional, but are also a fantastic reminder of the amazing places you’ve gone (if you can convince yourself to sharpen it and put it to use!). They’re incredibly long-lasting — in fact, I still have some pencils that are almost thirty years old because of the infrequent use. It’s also a great souvenir option to bring back to kids, as they can use them for school or colouring.

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Ornaments

If you happen to celebrate a holiday that involves hanging decorations (or simply have some sort of dedicated space for it), ornaments are an amazing option. These, you can find in larger stores, but you can also find them in marketplaces to show off artisans’ handmade versions. Some ornaments will even have special meaning to the places you’ve been (see right for an ornament made of Bath glass from Bath, UK, and one from Costa Rica in the style of the oxcart wheels).

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Postcards

There’s a few roads you can go down here. Postcards are a fantastic souvenir to send to your family and friends (don’t forget to bring addresses, if that’s the case). They can also be used as bookmarks, and they can be made into art. Maybe you just like to pin them on a fridge or a magnet board. Like so many of these other souvenirs, postcards are a fantastic lightweight option and you can find them in the styles you like the most!

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Art

As mentioned already, you can turn so many items that you can find into art — whether it be bookmarks, postcards, or even pieces done by local artists that you’ll meet on your travels. Turning them into something you can display on your walls, bringing memories every time you look at is a unique souvenir that might cost a little more than the typical magnet, but is a great way to bring your personality and travel interests into your home. Plus, don’t pay the full price! Often, framing stores will have deep discounts (up to 80%) at certain times in the year and they’ll preserve the art you’ve bought better than keeping it in a memento box. There’s also the option of picking up a value frame from a local Dollar Store, framing store, or even Amazon and displaying your art in it.

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Does that mean you shouldn’t buy anything else? Definitely not. Buy whatever catches your eye and will make you think fondly of your trip. When you’re abroad, sometimes the souvenir that will mean the most might be heavy or pricy and that’s okay. If you are a frequent traveller (or enjoy packing light), these are just a couple of ideas that you can take with you to your next destination.

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