Does anyone have any good ideas of a gift to get my husband's boss for retirement? Whevever he can, he loves to travel to Europe. WE thought something travel related might be nice, since he will now have the time to do more. He usually prefers a backpack. He's more of a no frills person who doesn't always need much planning. Male, age 62. Single at present. The ideas could be inexpensive to moderate. We are also all chipping in for tickets to a Bdway Show and for a gift certificate to a restaurant in Manhattan.<BR>Thanks,<BR>Denise

Gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. This way he can buy any guide books he wants

How about a Travel clock. Any of those travel gadgets they sell in places like Sharper Image or Brookstone...

As another person who loves to travel, I know there's not a "thing" I'd love more than a trip itself. You could get him an American Express gift certificate with the instruction he spend it on airline tickets somewhere he's never been. Include a nice travel journal and pen, and perhaps a list of email addresses so he can send a trip report to everyone when he returns.

I would buy him a software package called Microsoft MapPoint Europe 2002.<BR>This is a great software package for anyone that travels to Europe. It maps directions, hotels,resturants, places to see for all the European countries.<BR>It is very useful in locating cities, roads,and directions to anywhere in Europe. I use it all the time when reading posts on this board for pinpointing the areas/cities around the place I would want to visit.<BR>Much better than the Michelin maps available on the internet.

I got my husband a very nice leather passport holder with his initials engraved on the outside. He liked it so much, he got me one!

A world band radio <BR>he can listen to the news everywhere, weather, they have clocks and alarms..best gift I ever got!

I have gotten travelers "travel wallets." It doesn't have to be designated as a travel wallet at the store, it can be made of anything, but it has to have compartments for currencies (bank notes), a compartment inside or outside that a passport will fit into, slots for credit cards, and <BR>a zippered or snap-closed pouch for coins. I've found some by various manufacturers that fit those specifications, and my favorite one <BR>that I own) is made of nylon and has a zipper that goes around the circumference to close the whole wallet up.<BR><BR>Second suggestion would be a great photo album, if he's a picture-taker when he travels. Make it archival-quality (means it doesn't have "bad" plastic that will fade photos).

I think the problem is that if he loves to travel, he would have all of the obvious gadgets already or else maybe doesn't want them. I like the leather passport holder thing. I'll tell you what I have been wanting is a pair of those noise-reduction headphones (I'm getting a pair by Aiwa for about $50, there are some by Sony or even Bose or Sennheiser for a lot more). I love to listen to music and am very noise-sensitive, so I think these will really improve the quality of very long flights, which I really have trouble with, it's the part of the trip I hate. I know if some people really travel light they might not want to carry them, but some travel models fold up fairly small. These cut out the engine noise so you can really hear music or just get some peace and quiet. Anyway, that's what I've been wanting. <BR> Second, some travel literature can be nice but you may never know if he might have it already, that's the problem with books and CDs. Some lighter reading could be anything by Bill Bryson or, someone I've been enjoying lately, Tony Horwitz (Baghdad without a Map).<BR> One thing I've really been wanting but these can be expensive and, again, it's the kind of thing some people may love and some hate: I'd love a really nice globe for my living room or library, a real pretty one with a walnut floor stand. Those can be very expensive, I was shocked when I saw.<BR>

This is not expensive, but how about a portable water filter (to filter hotel sink water) and a water heater (to make coffee in your hotel room). <BR><BR>Then you can have your coffee while your are getting dressed. I have never had a hotel room in Europe with an in-room coffee pot.<BR>I doubt that I am the only caffeine junkie out there. So maybe he would find this useful too.

Maybe a travel journal. If he takes lotts of photos, maybe a nice photo album.

How about one of the very small folding umbrellas that come in a vinyl casing?

You guys have some really good ideas. I like the leather passport holder or wallet, Microsoft software program and if money allows a gift certificate to travel. I will run them by my husband and see what he thinks. Thanks.<BR><BR>Denise