Christmas gifts for family who live far away
The best Christmas gifts for family far away either come from near them or come through a screen, so nothing gets stuck in the mail. Here are 11 ideas, and which ones to send early.
Updated October 28, 2026
Nothing to ship
Order from where they live, or send it through a screen.
Dinner from the place down their street
Order a meal from a restaurant near them through a delivery app, or buy a gift card from their favorite spot and text them the code. It arrives hot, on the day you choose.
A local bakery or florist near them
Call a shop in their town and order directly. A shop five minutes away beats a box that's been through three sorting centers, and you're buying from their neighbors.
A book with everyone's voices
With WhisperWishes, the whole family talks for a few minutes from one link, from wherever each person is, with no app. Your aunt in Lahore can talk in Urdu and the cousins in English, and the book plays their voices right on the page. You share it with a link.
Start freeFrom $9.99A subscription you share
The same streaming service on both ends, so you can watch the Christmas movie at the same time and text through it. Or a shared photo album that the whole family adds to all year.
Bring them into the room
For the ones who'd rather be there than get a box.
A video call with a plan
Pick a time on Christmas Day and give the call a job: open presents together, cook the same recipe in two kitchens, or have the kids show what they got. A call with a plan lasts longer than "Merry Christmas, can you hear me?"
A digital photo frame you fill from your phone
Wi-Fi frames let you send photos straight to their living room from anywhere. Ship it early, set it up on a call, then send a new photo every few days.
A tablet, set up and ready
For a parent or grandparent who struggles with video calls, a tablet with the call app already signed in and one big button on the home screen. Set it up before you send it.
Worth shipping early
Carriers publish holiday shipping deadlines each fall, and the international ones often come weeks before the domestic ones. Check yours first.
A box of things from here
The snacks, the coffee, the drugstore things they can't get where they live, or the ones they miss from when they lived near you. Pack it with a note for each item.
A photo book of the year
Order it early, and have it shipped straight to their address so it doesn't go through you first.
Something the kids made
A drawing, an ornament, a card with a handprint. It costs nothing, weighs nothing and will be on their fridge until next Christmas.
Matching pajamas, or matching anything
The same pajamas, ornament or mug in every household, for the family photo on the video call. Silly, and everyone remembers it.