Share your favorite Travel Gifts

[GilliC]

'Tis the season for gift-giving, so there are lots of lists starting to come out about the best gifts for everyone, including travel lovers. Of course, I typically just use them to populate my own wishlist with all the coolest new travel gadgets and accessories.

So what have you seen lately?

[GilliC]

I ran into www.flight001.com for the first time today, and I'm loving so much of their stuff!

I'm really tempted to buy this neck pillow, because I think it's hilarious, and I'd love to see the confused look on people's faces!

They also have somecute/funny luggage tags. I'm a sucker for a clever luggage tag!

[Deleted]

My mother in law got us really cute personalized luggage tags last year.

I love receiving travel books - travel guides, novels, nonfiction, and the "Top 100 Places to See Before You Die" type books. National Geographic and Lonely Planet have a bunch of these type of books and they go on sale around the holidays. Last year my husband got me "Make the Most of Your Time on Earth" which is a collection of different locations/experiences around the world. Good inspiration material.

My mom did something cute one year right before we went on a big trip...she bought me a new toiletry kit and filled it with travel-size items, including first aid type stuff. It was definitely useful.

[Deleted]

The original Flight 001 store is right around the corner from me -- it is a great store

Some things I can think of (in various price ranges)

- Cashmere blindfold
- Tempurpedic U-shaped travel pillow
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- A fancy passport holder
- Longchamp Le Pliage tote
- Cozy socks
- A nice, packable travel blanket
- A sturdy reusable see-through liquids bag and containers for liquids
- Travel alarm clock/white noise machine with adapters for various countries
- If the person has Apple products, the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit

[emilyinchile]

NOT A PASSPORT COVER (sorry v, just saw you mentioned this). I hate them. I have been given multiple passport covers, and they're impractical because everyone from airline employees to immigration agents just takes the passport out, making them not only pointless but even more work than just not having a cover.

Noise-canceling headphones
Travel-sized lotion in a nice brand
Eye mask
Nice socks for sleeping
Portable charger (the kind that you charge before traveling and then can use to charge your electronics on the road)

Stocking stuffers:
Multi-country adaptor
TSA locks

I have yet to find a comfortable neck pillow, but that one is funny, GilliC

[Deleted]

Oh yeah -- my passport cover is purely for style purposes. The only possible function it serves is that because it is gold, it makes it easier for me to find my passport in a bag (navy is hard to see).

I forgot another one -- I am obsessed with my new travel toothbrush: www.soap.com/p/violight-slim-sonic-toothbrush-stripe-231591?ici=so_a_FBTImagetoPDP&icn=Personalization_FBT&ref=pd_so_de_fbt_a_2_im

[SJ]

Dec 4, 2013 14:04:23 GMT -5 v said:

Oh yeah -- my passport cover is purely for style purposes. The only possible function it serves is that because it is gold, it makes it easier for me to find my passport in a bag (navy is hard to see).

I also have a gold passport cover! It's from J. Crew and I love it.

Although I do totally agree with emilyinchile that it's a pain to remove the passport all the time.

[GilliC]

emilyinchile, I loooove my passport cover! I made a point to choose one with card pockets, so I can keep all my frequent flier cards in the same holder. And now that my Schengen visa has changed from a passport stamp to a plastic card, it's easy to keep my visa with my passport when I travel.

The actual sleeve inside that holds the passport only covers half, so it's extremely easy to slip the passport in and out.

Being able to store the additional cards and to get the passport in and out easily were my two primary criteria when I was shopping for a new cover.

(FYI - Mine is one of the ones from Inventive Travelware on Amazon that just says "me" on the cover)

[IrishBelle]

Dec 5, 2013 12:36:27 GMT -5 @mx said:

a very slim plug adaptor that has multiple USB ports.

Do you have a link to this?

[wise_rita]

Another passport holder lover checking in. I keep SO and my passport together, and it fits both of ours. Plus I hate when things get bent.

GilliC, genius idea about keeping frequent flyer cards in there! I think I'll move them from my overly stuffed wallet (why yes, I really should keep my UK National Insurance card in there) into there.

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2013 5:02:20 GMT -5 GilliC said:

I have never heard of this site before, and I **LOVE** it! Thanks for mentioning, I may just do some shopping here this year.

[msturtle143]

Getting this one for DH!
www.flight001.com/media/catalog/product/f/l/flight001-4-in-1adapter2.jpg

and this one for myself and others!

www.sholdit.com/collections/premium-signature-line

[GilliC]

Thanks to Buzzfeed, I may have just come across the single worst travel gift idea I've seen:

Even if you're going for the ironic hipster look, it doesn't really work, because EWR isn't even bad enough to be cool.

(Apologies to anyone who PPFs EWR, but please enlighten me to its hidden charms, because I've spent too much of my life there without finding them.)

[stever]

Lug stuff or pretty toiletry cases for bigger/more expensive gifts.

Fancy travel sized toiletries for stocking stuffers for everybody; guide books, maps, apps for newbs.

[Deleted]

I have been stalking this thread as I am doing a travel related gift for my parents. They have never been to Europe and are planning to go next year. Heres what I'm doing - so far, I have: Rick Steve ' s Italy book, travel locks, nalgene toiletry bottles, toothbrush covers, international travel plugs. They're very NEWB when it comes to travel so I'm trying to be fun for them, as well as practical. There also is a slight chance of me/us going with them....

[neonpink]

My first European trip my Grandma gave me one of these roll up toiletry bags filled with travel size stuff as well as emergency stuff. It was really awesome. I still have it years later and take it when I have long trips. It's handy if you are changing hotels and move you can hang it on the back of the bathroom door and when packing notice what empty and needs to be packed.

Here is a link to one.
Hanging Toiletry bag

Last year my parents joined my H and I in Italy. It was their first trip abroad and I gave them one. They loved it and were so excited to be more organized.

[Deleted]

I know it's a little late for Christmas, but I thought these custom pieces of jewelry based on your travels or home town is really cool:

meshu.io/

[wise_rita]

Dec 14, 2013 10:12:13 GMT -5 smileyface said:

I have been stalking this thread as I am doing a travel related gift for my parents. They have never been to Europe and are planning to go next year. Heres what I'm doing - so far, I have: Rick Steve ' s Italy book, travel locks, nalgene toiletry bottles, toothbrush covers, international travel plugs. They're very NEWB when it comes to travel so I'm trying to be fun for them, as well as practical. There also is a slight chance of me/us going with them....

Rick Steves is the messiah of Europe.  Good call on that one.

All good choices but I'm wary of the travel locks.  Are these for suitcases?  If so, they better be TSA-approved or they'll just get destroyed by airport security.  Does European TSA have the same "approval" or would they just rip them off?  Look into this.

As for the travel plugs, make sure it goes from any plug to any plug.  So much more handy to have.  That way they can use them if they travel to other parts of the world, or can borrow it to friends going elsewhere.

[emilyinchile]

Dec 29, 2013 5:45:32 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Dec 14, 2013 10:12:13 GMT -5 smileyface said:

I have been stalking this thread as I am doing a travel related gift for my parents. They have never been to Europe and are planning to go next year. Heres what I'm doing - so far, I have: Rick Steve ' s Italy book, travel locks, nalgene toiletry bottles, toothbrush covers, international travel plugs. They're very NEWB when it comes to travel so I'm trying to be fun for them, as well as practical. There also is a slight chance of me/us going with them....

All good choices but I'm wary of the travel locks.  Are these for suitcases?  If so, they better be TSA-approved or they'll just get destroyed by airport security.  Does European TSA have the same "approval" or would they just rip them off?  Look into this.

US-purchased TSA-approved locks are fine for every country I've been to, including European countries. I never expect the TSA to be logical, but I have to imagine there would have been a public outcry by now if the TSA-specific locks were against other countries' regulations and were getting cut off bags on a regular basis.

[GilliC]

Dec 29, 2013 7:53:20 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Dec 29, 2013 5:45:32 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

All good choices but I'm wary of the travel locks.  Are these for suitcases?  If so, they better be TSA-approved or they'll just get destroyed by airport security.  Does European TSA have the same "approval" or would they just rip them off?  Look into this.

US-purchased TSA-approved locks are fine for every country I've been to, including European countries. I never expect the TSA to be logical, but I have to imagine there would have been a public outcry by now if the TSA-specific locks were against other countries' regulations and were getting cut off bags on a regular basis.

I've definitely had TSA locks cut off my bag on non-US flights. I don't whether it was by inspectors or polite* airport thieves, but I've lost 2 or 3 so far. However, I assume a regular non-TSA lock would have been cut off as well.


*I've also picked up my suitcase at baggage claim to find that shady airport thieves had simply ripped the zipper off and left the lock dangling with both zipper pulls still locked together, which was more expensive to fix than just replacing the lock.

[sunshinedaydreams]

I've also had TSA approved locks cut off my bags on non-US flights. Both in Europe and more recently in Central America. When the first one went missing I assumed my H just misplaced his and accidentally left it behind. When it happened the second time it sort of pissed me off. It never occurred to me that outside the US wouldn't be able to unlock them as well or I wouldn't have locked them.

[emilyinchile]

Interesting. I have no clue about requirements, just know that my TSA locks haven't been cut off in any of the various countries I've been to. My most mangled lock actually happened in the US, when someone apparently decided to ruin the lock rather than opening it.

This is also strange to me though because before TSA-approved locks, there were just regular locks that no one could open except the owners. Have you guys have those cut off in other countries as well? It doesn't make sense to me that openable locks would get cut off when un-openable weren't, nor does it make sense that passengers just aren't allowed to lock their bags. But of course air travel doesn't necessarily have to make sense.

[GilliC]

Dec 30, 2013 7:57:05 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

This is also strange to me though because before TSA-approved locks, there were just regular locks that no one could open except the owners. Have you guys have those cut off in other countries as well? It doesn't make sense to me that openable locks would get cut off when un-openable weren't, nor does it make sense that passengers just aren't allowed to lock their bags. But of course air travel doesn't necessarily have to make sense.

I think the inspection rate has just gone up. We used to carry liquids on flights and anyone who wanted to could pass through security. These security measures are fairly universal now, so I assumed that baggage inspection at non-TSA airports has also increased. I've gotten the "We've been rifling through your bag! Love, TSA" notes more often than I've had locks cut off, so either the inspections are less frequent than on US flights or some other countries do have ways to open the TSA locks.

I do wonder about those shrink-wrapped suitcases. Does security ever cut those things open?

[mdgirl]

My in-laws gave me money because they didn't know what to get me, so I'm getting myself Global Entry. My husband got it last month and he's already in love with it. I just scheduled my interview.