Long Distance Relationship Gift: A Map of Two Places
A long distance relationship gift has one job: to make the distance feel smaller for a minute. A map of two places does that well, because it admits the gap and then puts both names on the same sheet of paper. It works for couples. It works just as well for a parent, a sibling or a friend who has moved away.
The quick answer: choose the two towns that actually matter, have both marked with their coordinates and the distance written on the page, then add one short line of wording underneath. A design like this usually comes back as a high resolution digital file within one to two days, so you can print it and frame it the same week.
Why a map of two places works as a long distance relationship gift
Most gifts sent across borders are about the object. This one is about geography. Two towns on a single page, with a line drawn between them, turns the distance from a vague ache into a shape you can look at, and that changes how it feels on a bad week.
It is also one of the few gifts that tells the truth. A gift for a girlfriend in a long distance relationship does not have to pretend the gap isn't there. Marking it, dating it and hanging it on a wall is kinder than pretending.
The same thinking runs through most of the maps I am asked to draw. For a wider view of what people ask for, our custom map print gift ideas cover engagement maps, first home maps and travel routes as well as two place designs.
How a two place map print is made
The process is simpler than people expect. You send two place names. I pull the street or coastline data for each, set them side by side or one above the other, match the line weight and colour across both, then add the labels, coordinates and the distance.
Most of the time goes into the balance rather than the drawing. A dense capital and a small village carry very different amounts of detail, so one of them usually needs thinning until the pair reads as one piece instead of two clippings.
Picking the two places
Be specific. A map of two places built from two capital cities looks like everyone else's. The street where you met, or the village one of you moved to last spring, gives the print a meaning the map on its own cannot carry.
Pairings worth considering:
- The two towns you each live in now, the plainest and most useful choice
- The city where you met, set against the city where you are now
- Two family homes, for parents and grown children in different countries
- A home town and a university town, which makes a good moving away gift
- The two airports you keep flying between, if that is the real story
- A shared holiday place, set against the place you both came home to
- Two neighbourhoods in one city, when the distance is about time rather than miles
Marking the distance between them
There are three usual ways to handle the gap. A straight line between the two points is the cleanest. A gentle curve reads as a flight path and suits anyone who knows the airport run by heart. Leaving the space empty, with only coordinates under each name, is the quietest of the three, and it ages best.
If you want the distance written out, ask for miles and kilometres together, and round the figure. An exact number to two decimal places looks like a receipt. Worth remembering too: the distance stops being true the moment somebody moves, which is why some people go for coordinates and a date instead.
Choosing the style and colours
Fine line work suits street maps, since the roads do the drawing for you. A watercolour wash suits coastlines and islands, where the shape of the land matters more than the streets. Keep both maps in the same style and the same ink, or the pair stops reading as a pair. If it is going on a wall you know, I would match the colour to something already in the room rather than to a favourite shade.
Colour is largely a matter of taste, and I am happy to send a version in two inks if you cannot decide. If you already have the two places in mind, the custom maps in OpenHeartLines on Etsy are drawn from nothing more than the place names and a line of wording.
How to personalise the wording
Keep it short. Two lines under the maps is plenty and one is often better. The maps carry the sentiment, so the words only need to date it and sign it.
Wording for couples
The most durable formula is names, coordinates and a year. Two first names and a since date, set under two sets of coordinates, still reads well in ten years, long after a caption about counting down the days has stopped being true.
For warmth, use a private phrase rather than a borrowed one. On a gift for a boyfriend abroad, a posting date or a flight number often lands better than anything openly romantic.
Wording for family, friends and anyone moving away
A moving away gift wants a lighter touch. Both town names, the year of the move and a first name or two is usually enough. For a leaving present from a group, one date with the team or office name keeps the print usable in whatever house the person ends up in. I would avoid wording that reads as an instruction to come back.
Other long distance gift ideas that need no shipping
Anything delivered as a digital file avoids customs, tracking numbers and the fortnight of worry that comes with posting a framed print overseas. These all work the same way:
- A line art portrait of the two of you, drawn from a photo taken the last time you were together
- A watercolour portrait of their pet, printed and framed at their end
- A two country map print of both family homes, sent to parents on an anniversary
- A first message or a saved voice note laid out as a typography print
- A route map of a trip you took together, or one you are still planning
- A drawing of the view from their window, worked up from a photo they sent you
- Two small matching prints, so you each have the same thing on the wall
Portraits and maps like these are made to order in the OpenHeartLines shop on Etsy, usually from nothing more than a photo or two place names. If a map isn't right for them, the same digital delivery applies to the other custom map and keepsake print ideas we have written about.
Printing and framing it wherever you both are
A digital file is only as good as the print you get from it, and the person receiving it is often the one doing the printing. Send the file with a short note about size and paper, or book the print yourself at a shop near them and let them collect it.
Matt paper suits line work, because gloss throws light across the thin strokes. Heavier stock, around 200gsm upwards, stops a large map looking flimsy behind glass. Our guide to printing digital art at home covers paper weights, borders and the settings that stop a print coming out dull. One thing to check before you order: frame sizes differ by country, so if the print is crossing an ocean, ask for both the A size and the inch size.
Send me the two place names whenever you are ready and I will draw the pair to match. The file comes back within a day or two, so it can be printed on either side of the distance.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to make a map of two places print?
Two place names, spelled the way you would write them on an envelope, plus the country for each. If a town name is a common one, a postcode helps me find the right one. Then tell me whether you want coordinates, the distance figure, names and a date. Anything else, like a colour to match a room, is useful but optional.
Can a two country map print show places on different continents?
Yes. The two maps sit side by side at their own scales, so a coastal village and a capital city can share a page without one swamping the other. If the countries matter more than the streets, I can draw country or regional outlines instead and mark each place with a small point.
How do I give a long distance gift with no shipping?
Order a digital file and print it at their end, or send the file over and let them choose the frame. Plenty of people book a print at a shop near the recipient and have them collect it. If you want the surprise kept intact, send the file to a friend nearby rather than to the person themselves.
What size should I print a two place map?
A3, or twelve by sixteen inches, suits most two place designs, because each map needs room to be read. Anything smaller than A4 and the street names disappear. Ask for the file at the ratio you plan to frame, since cropping a map later can cut through a coordinate line or a town label.
