Looking to add something special for an upcoming destination marathon, girls trip or racecation? Check out these tips for making fun goodie bags for your trip!
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Post Overview
- Travel goodie bags are a nice option to celebrate a travel experience with friends.
- Pick small items to help support the theme of the trip, like self-care items, hair ties, or candy.
- Get a list of supplies for building your travel goodie bags.
Traveling with friends is one of the best ways to make memories. Whether you’re flying to a race, heading out for a girls’ weekend, or planning a bachelorette trip, a travel goodie bag is a fun way to show your gals some love.
When I was heading to London with friends, I surprised them with flight goodie bags and they were a hit! These little bags included a few of my favorite pampering items along with some Dollar Tree treats. My goal was to make the long flight more fun and everyone appreciated the extra touch.
The London Marathon training season is through the winter and I felt the conditions really bonded our group. After our last long run, we met at my apartment for brunch before getting our nails done. We were mostly traveling separately since it was an international trip and it was nice to send them off with a gift to remind them we’re all together.
Table of Contents
What is a Travel Goodie Bag?
A travel goodie bag is a small gift or care package filled with useful, fun, or pampering items to make a trip more enjoyable. They’re often given to friends before a flight, race day, girls’ trip, or celebration weekend. You can also consider making road trip goodie bags! Think grown-up versions of party favor bags you got for attending a birthday party when you were a kid.
These gift bags don’t have to be expensive. Most of mine were made with Dollar Tree finds and a couple of premium items to mix it up. Here’s a guide for how to make your own travel party favors.
Related Post: Get tips for the perfect travel outfit for your next trip in this post!
Why Make Travel Goodie Bags?
Goodie bags are a great way to:
- Make a trip feel a little more special
- Start your trip with great vibes
- Tell friends how much you appreciate them
- Calm race-day nerves or long flight stress
They’re also perfect for:
- Running a marathon with friends
- Birthday or bachelorette weekends
- First-time travelers who might forget the little things
When I was picking out items to include, my goal was to have a few marathon race day items for emergencies, like hair ties or pins, a few sweets and items to enjoy on the flight. These vacation gift bag ideas are so fun to share with your running friends.
Related Post: Learn how to pack for a destination race using these tips!
What to Put in Goodie Bags
The goal is to keep it super simple. I like to mix budget-friendly items with one or two treats that feel special.
Inexpensive Gift Bag Ideas
These items are easy to find at your local dollar store. I love Dollar Tree as my preferred store. Each item costs $1.25 each (although each item is marked with the price since some items are $1.25+).
Affordable gift bag items can include:
- Water-Flavoring Packets: Theseare individual pouches with a single serving of powdered drink mix for dressing up water. When I add these to my stainless steel water bottle, I drink more water and stay hydrated. I personally love lemonade or fruit flavors. They come in a pack of 8 each, so if you get a few flavors, you can mix and match!
- Nail File: Having a nail file on vacation can be a lifesaver!
- Candy or Gum: I always love something sweet for the plane. Including a few pieces of single-serve or pre-wrapped candy pouches is perfect for a sweet tooth while traveling.
- Hair Tie or Scrunchie: Having a scrunchie is one of my top 10 carry-on items and is always useful. Add a few bobby pins (if you can find them).
- Tissues: Tissues are a travel essential and are so universal!
Related Post: Find the perfect bag for your next trip! Shop this luggage guide!
Luxury Party Favors for Adults
If you want to add a little something extra, consider adding these items to your goodie bag.
- Grace & Stella Eye Masks: The Grace and Stella under eye masks are cooling and perfect for tired eyes. I love wearing these on a flight (planes are so dehydrating).
- Crest Whitening Strips: Refresh your smile or take some downtime to apply whitening strips. I like to include one of the Crest 3D Whitening Strips per goodie bag.
- Basic Toiletries: Mini lotion, toothpaste, sanitizer mist, or lip balm can give the option of self-care on the go! Travel-size containers are priced affordably per person.
- Shower Steamers: These shower steamer tablets are so refreshing! My favorite are the Body Restore shower steamers. These are perfect to add one per bag.
You can shop all my favorite travel-sized gifts and girls trip accessories here on my Amazon storefront.
Pro Tip: Want to keep it affordable? Just add one to two premium items per bag!
When to Give a Goodie Bag
These bags aren’t just for running the London Marathon (or traveling for a race trip). These small goody bags are perfect for:
- Local Marathon Weekend: Treat your training group with travel gift bags as a way to say, “Thanks for listening to me vent for the last 18 weeks. I appreciate you.”
- Girls’ Weekend Getaway: Pass airplane goodie bags out at the airport or once everyone has arrived at your destination to kick off the weekend. Perfect for college reunions or sorority trips too.
- Bachelorette Gift Bag Gifts or Wedding Weekend Guest Bags: These cute treat bags are great options for welcome bags with personality.
- Birthday Trips: Say, “thank you for celebrating with me, and we’re not getting any younger.”
- Bridesmaid Surprises: These are perfect for saying thank you and also include a few emergency items for the reception.
- Holiday Travel: A nice way to make a stressful travel situation a little brighter!
Related Post: I went to Kansas City to join my boyfriend’s quest to visit all 30 MLB stadiums and it was really great to support his goals. Read more about it and get our recommendations!
How to Create DIY Travel Bags
Here are a few tips to make them look cute and travel-friendly:
- Use clear TSA-approved bags if you’re flying or pouches (Amazon has great ones)
- Stick to mini or travel-size items
- Avoid anything too bulky or that might leak
- Add a small note or card for a personal touch
- Tie on a tag with their name or make mini race bibs with their bib number!
You can prep them ahead of time and hand them out at the airport, hotel check-in, or even pop them on someone’s seat during boarding if you’re on the same flight.
Pro Tip: You can put your goodies in a small zip pouch or a clear makeup bag from Dollar Tree too! Zip pouches make a great gift since they are perfect for organizing all of your charging cords.
Where to Shop for Travel Goodie Bag Supplies
Here are my go-to places for travel gift bag finds:
- Dollar Tree: For basic items, zip pouches, fun toys and snacks
- Amazon: For cute, clear bags and travel-size skincare
- Target: The $1 and $3 bins at the front of the store are so good!
- Trader Joe’s: For chocolates and or other snacks
- Ulta: Mini self-care items and gift sets
What’s in Your Goodie Bag?
At the end of the day, it’s not about how much you spend. It’s about showing your friends you care and making travel feel a little more fun. Whether it’s a big race vacation or a weekend getaway, a thoughtful travel bag is a great way to kick things off.
Related Post: If you need inspiration for what to include, think of items that might be perfect for adding to the perfectly packed gym bag. Get more inspiration in this post!
Save This Post for Your Group Travel Weekend
Thinking about making your own party favor travel bags? Pin this post or share it with your running or travel groups! You can also find all of the items in this post on my Amazon storefront.
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