TripMemo Product Team
Product & releases
9 min read•Published
Summary
The gifts parents keep after a holiday are the ones made from the trip itself: a printed photo book of the holiday, a framed photo of them, a meal from the place recreated at home, or a letter about the moment you will remember. If they looked after your children, pets or house while you were away, bring back something small from the place and add photos of what they made possible. Keep it personal rather than expensive.
The best gift for parents after a holiday is one made from the trip itself: a printed photo book of the holiday, a framed photo of them, a meal from the place cooked at home, or a letter about the moment you will remember. Parents rarely want more things; they want proof that the time together mattered. If they looked after the children, the pets or the house while you were away, bring back something small from the place and add photos of what their help made possible.
Below are ten ideas, starting with the ones parents tend to keep. We make printed travel photo books, so idea one is ours, and we have kept the rest just as practical whether or not you choose a book.
The 10 Ideas at a Glance
| Gift | Best when | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A photo book of the holiday | You travelled together | An evening or two |
| 2. A framed photo of them | One photo says it all | An hour |
| 3. A book of their own trip | They took the photos and never print them | An evening |
| 4. Food from the place | They love to cook or eat | Buy it there |
| 5. A meal from the holiday, at home | You want to say thank you in person | An afternoon |
| 6. A letter with one photo | Words matter more than things | An hour |
| 7. A shared album, set up for them | They are happy on a phone or tablet | Half an hour |
| 8. A day out together | They would rather do than have | Plan ahead |
| 9. A print or a map of the place | They keep things on display | An hour |
| 10. A year of trips in one book | You took several holidays together | A weekend |
1. A Photo Book of the Holiday
A family holiday produces hundreds of photos spread across several phones, and almost none of them get printed. A photo book gathers the best of them in order, with the place names and the small stories, into something your parents can pick up from the coffee table and show their friends.
Make it personal: put your parents in it, not just the views. Most of the photos of them were taken by you, so they have never seen them. Add a caption where a photo needs one ("the day Dad found the beach bar"), and give the book a title and year on the cover and spine.
How to do it: collect everyone's photos in one album, cut them to about two or three for every page you want, and lay them out in date order. In the TripMemo photo book studio you choose an illustrated cover drawn for where you went, add the photos, check every page and have it delivered to their address. Our guide to making a travel photo book covers the whole process, and if the photos are on an iPhone, see how to make a photo book from iPhone photos.
Keep in mind: a printed book is made to order and takes a week or two to arrive, so give yourself time if there is a birthday or Christmas in view.
2. A Framed Photo of Them
If there is one photo of your parents from the trip that they have not seen (laughing at dinner, looking out at the view, with the grandchildren), print it large and frame it. One good photo of them is worth more than ten of the scenery.
Make it personal: write the place and date on the back, with one line about why you love the photo.
Keep in mind: use the original photo, not a copy from a group chat, and check the crop against the frame's opening so heads are not cut.
3. A Book of Their Own Trip
Plenty of parents take hundreds of photos on holiday and never look at them again. If they went away without you, offer to make the book for them: ask for their phone for an evening, or for them to send the originals, and turn their trip into a printed book.
Make it personal: ask them for three moments they want in it, and give those a page each.
Keep in mind: some parents would rather choose the photos themselves. Make the shortlist together if so; it is a good evening in its own right. Our guide to how many photos go in a photo book helps you decide how many to keep.
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4. Food From the Place
Olive oil from the farm you visited, spices from the market, a local cheese, wine, coffee or sweets. Food brings the place back in a way that a souvenir rarely does, and it does not become clutter.
Make it personal: buy it where you all were, and tell them where it came from.
Keep in mind: check what you are allowed to bring home before you buy. Many countries restrict meat, dairy and plants, and airlines limit liquids in hand luggage.
5. A Meal From the Holiday, Cooked at Home
Invite them round and cook the dish everyone remembers: the paella, the curry, the grilled fish. Put a few printed photos from the trip on the table.
Make it personal: start with the story of where you first ate it.
Best for: saying thank you for a holiday they paid for or helped with. It says it in person, and it costs an afternoon rather than a lot of money.
6. A Letter With One Photo
Write about one moment from the trip: what happened, what they said, why you will remember it. Put one printed photo from that moment in the envelope.
Best for: parents who keep cards. It is the cheapest idea here and often the one they keep longest.
7. A Shared Album, Set Up for Them
If your parents are comfortable on a phone, a tablet or a smart television, set up a shared album of the trip (in Apple Photos, Google Photos or similar), add the best photos and show them how to open it.
Make it personal: add a caption to the photos that need one, so the album tells the story rather than being a list of images.
Keep in mind: a shared album is easy to forget about. It works best alongside one printed thing, such as idea 1 or 2.
8. A Day Out Together
A trip to somewhere that echoes the holiday (a seaside town, a vineyard, a restaurant from the same country), or simply a day you plan and pay for.
Best for: parents who say they do not want anything. Time together is the gift.
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Your trip, printed.Start it in the TripMemo app.
9. A Print or a Map of the Place
A print by a local artist, a vintage poster, or a simple map marking where you stayed and the places you went. These suit parents who like a picture on the wall more than a book on a shelf.
Make it personal: mark the map by hand with the moments, not just the places: "where the ferry broke down", "the best lunch".
10. A Year of Trips in One Book
If you took several trips together this year (a weekend away, a summer holiday, a family wedding abroad), put them all in one book with a chapter for each. A year in review photo book is made for exactly this, and makes an easy Christmas present.
Thank-You Gifts When Parents Looked After Things at Home
Sometimes the gift is not for travelling together but for making the trip possible: minding the children, walking the dog, watering the garden. The thanks lands best when it is specific.
- Bring back something small from the place, chosen for them: a kitchen tool, a local food, something for the garden.
- Print a few photos of the children with them from the week they were in charge, or of the trip you could take because they helped.
- Write what their help made possible: "we had our first night out in two years because of you."
How to Choose
Ask two questions. Did you travel together? If yes, give them something made from the trip: a book, a framed photo or a letter. If no, give them something from the place, and something that thanks them for what they did at home. Do they keep things or use things? Keepers get a book or a frame; users get food, a meal or a day out.
If the gift is for Christmas, check the Christmas photo book delivery dates before you start, and our list of gifts for someone who loves travelling has more ideas for parents who are still planning their next trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gift for parents after a family holiday?
A printed photo book of the holiday, with the photos of everyone together. A framed photo of them, a meal from the place or a letter about a moment are good smaller choices.
What should I give my parents for paying for a holiday?
Something that shows what the trip meant: a photo book or framed family photo with a specific thank-you note, or a meal from the holiday cooked for them at home.
What can I bring back for parents who looked after my children while I was away?
A small gift from the place, plus photos of the children with them from that week, printed or in a small book.
How do I make a photo book for my parents from a holiday?
Gather everyone's photos, cut them to two or three per page, put them in date order with short captions, and include your parents as well as the views. A studio such as TripMemo delivers it to their address; see our travel photo book gift ideas for covers and Christmas order dates.
What if my parents do not like clutter?
Choose something they use or do: food from the trip, a meal, a day out or a shared album. A single framed photo takes almost no space.
