Gift Ideas for Travelers?
 

So I know it's a bit early to be getting into the holiday spirit, but here at Fodor's we're already working on our round-ups of the best gifts for travelers.

What travel gifts are you thinking about buying? Are there any special items on your wish list this year?

Thanks!

I posted this in the Lounge on the Stocking Stuffer Ideas topic. Someone was looking for gifts under $20, preferably under $10:

for travelers of all ages

> purse-sized tape measure (6')
> Tiny nalgene containers (~$1 - REI carries a variety)
> Lightload towels (under $10 - they come in mini, hand and beach sizes)
> an old-fashioned plastic whistle (~$1 - I carry mine on a ring with my mini-maglite)
> zipper pulls (~$1 - you never have one of these when you need it)
> The Pocket Doctor:A Passport to Healthy Travel by Stephen Bezruchka ($7.50 - tiny lightweight paperback 4x6 inches)
> Moleskine journals
> 5 yd roll (very small) of clear duct tape ($2)
> zipper pull with digital clock ($5 - great for keeping a low profile - no wristwatch!)
> the Original Gorillapod ($20 - more expensive than your average stocking stuffer, but small and lightweight and still one of the best gadgets available today for travellers or shutterbugs)
> Zyliss bottle stoppers ($2 - I use these both for travel and for home)
> a Keva key chain tote ($10 - small enough to attach to a keychain, comes in shape of backpack, duffel, shopping tote, or sling - can be used as a spare bag anytime)
> disposable poncho (about $1 - I never even leave the house without one because I hate umbrellas)
> x-small Eagle Creek Pack-It sac ($7.50 - you simply can't have enough of these)

Well thanks for asking! I would love a pair of those really expensive Bose sound cancelling headphones for flights.

Other than that I am just not into "travel" stuff. The things people have given me like passport holder, moneybelt, neck wallet just sit in a drawer still in their box. And honestly there is not one thing on the list above that I ever have packed or would use myself.

I do have a 'kit' of practical items that always goes with me. A zippered mesh cosmetic bag with: corkscrew, small flashlight, tiny Swiss Army knife, bandaids, neosporin packs, one set plastic silverware, like3x5" spiral notebook, retractable ballpoint pen.

<i>Well thanks for asking! I would love a pair of those really expensive Bose sound cancelling headphones for flights.</i>

I bought myself a pair a few years ago second hand on Ebay. One of the best purchases I have ever made. I don't travel well (when are they going to invent transporters like in Star Trek?). One of my big issues is low frequencies and so the headphones have brought down the recovery time I need from long haul flights (>8hrs) to a few hours from a day or two by reducing the strain from the engine noise.

This summer I busted the band that goes over your head, it just snapped in two. I was devastated because I knew they were long past warranty. However, Bose replaced them at a major discount (less than 1/2 retail cost). I was very impressed and am a happy traveller once again. :)

Netbooks and eReaders (e.g. Kindle) are items I would be interested in. I know the iPad has a good screen for reading, but I could buy both a netbook and a Kindle for less than an iPad. Also, I want a keyboard and USB port on my computer (you need a special camera kit to download your pictures to an iPad). However, for some the iPad may be the perfect travel gift.

"However, for some the iPad may be the perfect travel gift." - wow, you give expensive gifts!

How about guide books? Travel books?

Depends on how experienced a traveler, too. I've done enough travel it would be tough to come up with anything I'd be willing to carry that I don't already have. Maybe a new bag, but you'd have to take me shopping for it.

For a less experienced traveler, things like flashlights, Eagle Creek sacs, maybe a silk sleep sack (Dreamsacks).

It depends on the traveler... a cruise traveler vs a carryon only for 3 weeks traveler. Also, as already mentioned it matters how experienced the traveler is. I already had about 90-95% of the things I need for an upcoming trip and need to be able to pick out my own things for the rest.

Cash or Visa gift cards are always useful. Put it in a nice card and say "buy something you need for your upcoming trip" or they can use it while on their trip.

If someone has an iPod, eReader (Sony, Kindle, Nook, etc) or iPad, gift cards for music and/or books.

A tiny (think keychain size) flashlight. Best kind for me: durable plastic and really bright.

I know that people like to surprise someone with a gift, but honestly, just ask someone for ideas of what they might need/want. It differs so much for each person and each trip.

Depending on how much you want to spend, you can offer to pay for a seat upgrade for a flight, or a hotel for a night (or longer), or a hotel room/cabin upgrade.

<<<the Original Gorillapod ($20 - more expensive than your average stocking stuffer, but small and lightweight and still one of the best gadgets available today for travellers or shutterbugs)>>>

Spcfa, I bought myself one of these a few years ago and LOVE it! It's excellent for night shots, long distance shots, or just anything where I need a bit more stabilization. It also works pretty darn well for getting pictures of myself. The little legs pull straight very quickly and it fits right into my purse/daybag with no issues.

Excellent point about how experienced is the "traveler" you are buying for!

I guess for a newbie there are all kinds of things you could get them. I like to use clear plastic cosmetic cases in varying sizes for packing. Luggage tag and luggage strap are good. Pack cubes, etc. Guidebooks & maps - definitely.

But for people who already travel a lot and are experienced, we have our methods down pat, most of us already have our routine down and own what we need, or would rather purchase it ourselves (to pick out the perfect suitcase or backpack, for example).

I like those tiny plastic reading lights that clip on a book. They are very light-weight, flat, cheap and perfect for reading a map in dim light. They are also nice for use on the plane when your seat-mate is napping.
Travel size umbrella is nice but most people have that.

The travel light is a great idea. Another idea - a large scarf made of thin material. I have one that is about 4'x2', but a very thin material so it folds up small. It is wonderful on a plane as a blanket and/or a head covering for sleeping. It is also nice as a picnic blanket, something to sit on, bundling up things to carry if you don't have a bag, etc.

The Gorillapod has many uses.....I used mine last Christmas to entertain my 5 year old nephew on the trip from Cancun to Chichen Itza.

I like the bags that fold up real small. I always keep one in my camera bag. I have found them as little as $3 at Pier One Imports.

<i>- wow, you give expensive gifts!</i>

I didn't say I'd <b>give</b> someone an iPad, just that some people may like to <b>get</b> one. I wouldn't actually buy one for myself either, but if I was given one, I'd gladly accept it. ;)

A good set of nalgene containers for a newbie traveler. There's no sense in buying travel sized items when there are so very few things that cannot be refilled.

A stash of mini zip-locks (I like 3X3) is handy. I use them to carry cough drops on the plane for myself or fellow travelers. I don't like being coughed on. Use them for spices when we're staying in apts. They generally keep me organized.
I've never used the id/passport holder that goes around my neck- can't stand those things. I use a plane purse, it's a small attractive cloth purse that dresses up my travel clothes and holds my passport and id so I don't have to drag my stuff with me or leave it in the hands of strangers when I get up.

Fold-up reading glasses (I rarely use them but when I've needed them it's a blessing.)

Earplanes and gum.

A nice pen and lightweight notebook.

This I love, it's a travel toothbrush with a tiny refillable tube of toothpaste in it. I get to use my favorite toothpaste and it's handy for an overnight flight.

A simple fold away bag for the suitcase is a good idea. It should be sturdy enough to check with laundry on the way home but small enough to fit in suitcase.

2 gb cards for cameras. After losing some travel photos in a computer crash, I hold onto my sd cards now.

If they have the right camera, Rechargeable batteries. I bought some Lenmar 2700mAh rechargeable pre-charged batteries at Fry's before our last trip. Usually, we are changing/ recharging camera batteries daily. These things lasted days. We kept bringing extra batteries with us expecting to need them and we take lots of pictures. They kept going. We also brought another set of pre-charged rechargeable but they weren't as good as the Lenmars.

I too, would love some Bose noise cancelling headphones.

For gifts, I like handy-replaceable things, that I use.

BTW, I don't work for Lenmar or sell them but they were such a good battery and some guy standing next to me at Fry's recommended them. I thought they were a bit pricey but decided to go with them.

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/sh...ck-p-1795.html

If anyone is interested. The link above is a picture of the exact battery I used. I never thought I could write so much about a AA battery.

A very basic first aid kit is good. I always carry a snack sized ziplock baggie with small packets of Neosporin, bandaids, a few Immodium, a tube of Advil, tweezers, nail clippers. Could include packets of Woolite.

<<<2 gb cards for cameras. After losing some travel photos in a computer crash, I hold onto my sd cards now. >>>

LSky, you might want to buy an external hard drive (or ask for one for Christmas). You can get a cheap one at WalMart, Best Buy, Newegg.com, etc. I use mine to back up my photos and documents. When I return from a trip, all of my photos get dumped onto the external HD so that I have a copy on my hard drive, a copy on the external hard drive and can re-use the SD cards for the next trip. I usually also burn the files to DVD as well.

The external hard drive also goes to my parents house so that if something happens to my house, I would still have digital copies of my photos. I'm a little OCD due to my profession and also because I've killed my computer too many times to ever trust one.


tenthumbs, I LOVE those bags! I get them at Eddie Bauer when they're on sale and tend to have two or three in my car at any given time. When I travel I usually want one in my daybag.

Oh Iowa_Redhead, I did, right after I wiped my eyes and decided things may happen but I can be prepared :)

I had a little booklight that folded out so it could sit on a night table. It bit the dust but it was handy while it lasted. I missed it on my last trip with the dim reading lights in one place I stayed.

There's still not been a gift listed above that I would want for myself (except the Bose headphones and an iPad)!!! I think experienced travelers usually have their system down pat, and they already own what they want/need to travel. All those handy doo-dads being mentioned are just extra stuff in the suitcase imho.

Now I would like some travel-related things like ongoing magazaine subscriptions for Conde Nast, Budget Travel, Travel & Leisure. I'd love a beautiful globe. Or a large framed map of the world, or some of my favorite places.

Wow, I'd like to be on some of your gift lists too. Keep the great ideas coming, from stocking stuffers to tablet computers!

I kinda like those big old-style travel maps that you display and use pins to show where you've been, and where your dream trips are. They're very inspiring.

Wow - I never thought to put pins in the places I want to go, only the places I've been. But I have a bunch of different colors of map pins (with the little colored flags) - thanks for the idea!!!

Oh, map pins (pennant style) could be a great gift - they are so very hard to find.

You can find map pins here- with flags, some with feet. http://www.mapcenter.com/index.php?c=web2.54
There was a great map store here in San Diego, that guy had everything including 3D maps.

I would <i>love</i> a big map with pins for where I've been and where I want to go. The problem is that the entire map would be covered with pins for where I want to go! :)

I have given pashminas to women travelers I know. Pashminas are great multi-purpose travel items: a shawl to keep you warm on the plane or in a restaurant, a head/shoulder covering if you need to be more modestly dressed (e.g., to visit a church or mosque), a sarong, a lightweight throw for napping in the hotel room, a warm scarf double-wrapped around one's neck on a cold day, etc.

I love any book or map, but for others, I'd suggest based on age, experience, and travel style:

extremely lightweight nylon daypack (Rick Steves has one)or other takes up no space extra bag
zip closure lightweight totebag that can carry overnight flight necessities underseat
airplane "comfort kit" of soft eyeshades, earplugs, disposable slippers
adapter plug set
small alarm clock with lighted face/numerals
travel laundry kit of line, sink stopper, inflatable hangars and detergent sink packets
Bose headphones

To get my nieces and nephews interested in travel, I often bought presents from my travels such as coloring books, picture books in other languages, toys, etc. and saved them for Christmas and other gift times.

I agree that most people who travel a lot have strong personal preferences suitcases, backpacks, packing cubes, etc., but for an infrequent traveler a basic 20-21in rollaboard is versatile enough for all modes of travel.

Wow, this thread is funny, still more things I don't use when I travel (lol)! I never take an alarm clock. Or pashmina. I do pack a couple regular plastic molded hangers in the bottom of my bag but no laundry line, etc. btw those inflatable hangers do not work very well, tried them, the clothes slip off!

I think buying for newbie travelers would be really fun. But I'd just set them up with the tried & true practical things I use myself. Wouldn't be a particularly glamorous gift.

I do love all the ideas for travel *inspiration* instead... guidebooks, coffeetable photo albums of exotic places, maps w/ or w/out pins, globes, subscription to travel magazines, etc. Plane tickets and money would be good too.

I love my sarong but I wouldn't give one as a present. Like suze, I never take a travel clock. I take a cell phone.

Now, I wouldn't mind having a cell phone that works world wide.

I think we should start a thread to see what percentage of travelers get a kick out of travel-specific gadgets and what percentage like suze make use of everyday objects.

I LOVE travel stuff, and am always looking for what's new. I don't buy alot of new things, but it's the only kind of shopping that can hold my interest for more than a few seconds.

I probably straddle the fence between the "travel-gadget" types and people like Suze, because there are just a few travel-specific gadgety things I use just for trips:

- passport wallet
- dry laundry soap sheets
- wind-up radio/charger/flashlight

Some people might consider the following "travel stuff", but these are things I have with me every day:

- pashmina (in fact, there are three different colours on the back of my office chair right now)
- tiny flashlight (after being caught in the Toronto blackout, I now always have a little flashlight of some kind with me in my purse)
- ebook

I also don't really have travel clothes. I just travel so much that I buy regular clothes with a view to how well they travel.

I'm not a totally gadget-free traveler, actually I take a lot of stuff... I always have a swiss army knife, corkscrew, flashlight, tweezers, safety pins, nail clippers, nail file, plastic silverware, plastic plate, reusable aluminum water bottle. I pack laundry soap and Woolite refilled in 2 oz. bottles, same as my travel shampoo.

If I could afford an ultraweight netbook, I think that would be worth traveling with!

And I do love 'window shopping' the newest travel gadgets in mail order catelogs like TravelSmith or Magellan or magazines like Budget Travel and I love luggage stores -lol!

I'm not surprised that our different ages, tastes, and travel styles affect what we would like to receive as presents as well as what we think is an appropriate gift for others. I try to remember that what my 20-year-old nephew would appreciate is not the same as what I would want or what my elderly mother wanted for her later travels.

I can use the clock on my cellphone or my computer, but as I age I see why my mother wanted the lit and easily read at night travel clock. My nephew wouldn't care if he overslept throughout his travels, so no clock at all for him. He'd probably like the tiny emergency survival blanket I've got tucked in the travel box, though.

I once gave some newbie travelers a disposable panorama camera and another time a high speed film disposable for when they couldn't use a flash, but items like that are outdated now. I also gave photo albums with a design to fit the upcoming trip, but again, I'm not sure how many people use albums in today's electronic camera age. Travel scrapbook for those who enjoy that sort of hobby?

As for clothing, the only "travel" clothing I would give might be a very plain pashima (I've been given a couple of shawls that I would never wear the color/pattern), some scarves (if recipient wears them at home), gloves, but those aren't necessarily "travel" items.

I can always use another tiny travel umbrella.

I've given younger travelers prepaid phone cards.

I also gave a couple picnic supplies--a true picnic basket with all the fixings for concerts in the park etc. plus a travel version of utensils, plates, etc. for airplane travel. Unless they check a bag, however, they won't be taking the Swiss Army knife etc. that was a part of that kit.

Travel gifts I've received that I do not use--
Tiny travel light (I don't think of it, then can't find it when I need it somewhere)
Passport holder (doesn't hold all I want together in one place)
Bag that zips/converts from a purse to a tote the size of a duffle (too heavy)
white noise machine (too large, then I forget it)

I still use disposable cameras when I travel. I don't think they are 'outdated'. You're right it's nothing I'd give as a gift to someone who has a digital camera or a cellphone, but I think they are fun for trips, especially those panoramic ones. And you never need to worry about losing anything expensive (dropping your expensive digital over the side of a boat or something!).

How about a CD/mp3 of environmental noise, like waves, that they can listen to in a noisy hotel room to help them sleep?

We never travel without this, or our tiny iPod speakers that pack flat together to play the wave sounds on- hey the speakers would also be a nice gift!

I also LOVE my pack-mates bags and have given those as gifts.

How about a chunk of FF miles on their favorite airline?

A gift card for a digital travel scrapbook or calendar at a site like shutterfly or even a target/walmart type of place might be useful.
Or it might be work. Tripadvisor sent me a free photo book from shutterfly and it was work to put it together but happy work.

Some people might like a digital photo frame. It seems like a sneaky way to get your family and friends to see travel photos.

Someone gave me a pencil the other day that has a little flashlight on it. It went right into my suitcase. It was a little give away gift they got from a company but I was as happy with it if they would have stuck a bow on it and given it to me for Christmas.

BlueSwimmer, I was thinking of getting a pair of those speakers for my mp3, any recommendations on a brand?

My car traveler relatives were here for Thanksgiving.
Their preferred gifts--

high inflatable air mattress with pump to use at the relative's house, extra bed when on vacation, and for visitors to their home

heavy duty hot/cold bags for carrying food to family gatherings and parties (though not for very long trips, I would assume)

high quality auto emergency kit and tire pump that runs off the cigarette lighter

GPS

I would like gifts that I would like, but not buy for myself because they seem extravagant, but if it were a gift...if only someone would gift me an upgrade on my next international flight or a gift certificate at a nice restaurant at my destination city or certificate for a city walking tour. Of course, that means the gift giver would have to know about my specific plans. I have given some of these type gifts when I knew when/where a relative was traveling.

I got Eagle Creek folders (20" & 18") and cubes (whole,half,quarter) for each of my nephews this year. Last year I got them Eagle Creek dopp kits and stocked them with some travel sized toiletries and small nail kits. I told them that serious travelers always keep a wet kit packed and ready-to-go. I want them to not only be inspired to travel, but to have the supplies that my husband and I have seriously road tested over many years of business and leisure travel.

We've had our EC stuff for decades and it's all still "like new" so I'm hoping these gifts will last the boys well into their 40's or beyond.

Lsky- Our first set of portable speakers came with an Eagle Creek backpack. No idea of the brand but they slid together to pack into a space about 3/4 inch deep and maybe 5x5 on the sides. We've upgraded to a set of Logitechs that sound great but together are maybe the size of a really thick hardback book, so they take up more room in the luggage.

Thanks BlueSwimmer, I suppose it's best to go and listen. If they need to be the bigger size, I'll have to pack them in my husband's stuff. (so nice that he doesn't read this stuff :)

Blueswimmer uses iPod speakers, and we tried some. They were OK, but the sound was not too good – but they were very budget speakers. Maybe if we’d spent a bit more we’d have done better.

Something that we’ve used a lot this trip – one of those gadgets that you plug onto your iPod that allows the iPod to broadcast to an FM radio. I think it cost about $40, and it means that you can have decent (i.e. one’s own) music wherever there is a radio.

The device is about as big as a credit card. One thing we’ve noticed though, is that it flattens the battery in the iPod quickly – a charge lasts about six or eight hours, so you do need to have a charger with you.

<i>Something that we’ve used a lot this trip – one of those gadgets that you plug onto your iPod that allows the iPod to broadcast to an FM radio. I think it cost about $40, and it means that you can have decent (i.e. one’s own) music wherever there is a radio.</i>

That's one reason I didn't buy an iPod but got a Sansa MP3 player. It came with an FM receiver built in. Also, I can get an extra battery and change it myself and all for half the price of an iPod. Not being able to change the battery was a no-go for me with iPods.

It just hit me that I read Peter's email wrong even though he worded it well. You make the iPod a transmitter, not a receiver. Sorry about my mistake.

My comment about changing the battery still stands though...