‘What do you want for Christmas?’ is a question I find myself asking some of my family and friends every year. As we get older you start to realise there’s not many things that people ‘need’ but some presents can always be useful. I remember when I went travelling for a year I got a number of practical presents that I still use to this day. If you have someone in your life who is constantly travelling, here are some gift ideas they’ll enjoy!
1. Suitcase
Depending on what your budget is – then a matching set of suitcases would be a perfect gift for someone who travels often. I purchased the American Tourister Bon Air Spinner case and found that I actually prefer a hard shell case. It’s lasted me 4 years so far! I like the number of compartments, the 4 wheel function and that it has a built in code lock.
2. Gift experience
If you know your friend has a holiday coming up, take a look on a tour website like GetYourGuide and see if there is a fun experience or activity you could surprise them with. My friend bought me a ‘flower bath’ experience when I went to Bali a few years ago and I loved it. My mum also bought me a bungy jumping activity for my time in New Zealand which I had mentioned I wanted to try. Make sure you find out if your friend is the adventurous type before booking something like that though!
3. Packing Cubes
These have been a game changer for my trips and I have a number of friends and family members who now use these too. They’re essentially ‘cubes’ or zipper bags of different sizes that can be used to store all your travel items. They’re great for keeping all your items organised, and if they often travel with a backpack it will definitely make finding things 100 times easier.
4. Luxury hotel
This could be a great present for yourself too if you’re planning a trip with a significant other or friend. One experience that I’ve been recommended and I’m hoping to go myself next year, is the Nomading Camping in Ronda. You essentially sleep in a ‘bubble’ dome under the stars, and have your own private area too. If my boyfriend is reading this, take this hint!
5. iPad Cover
Because what good is taking your Ipad to entertain yourself on a 4 hour flight when you can’t get it to sit properly on the tray table? I made the mistake of not checking the reviews when I bought my cover two years ago and the flap doesn’t actually hold the weight of the iPad, so I end up having to balance it awkwardly and hope the passenger in front doesn’t move his seat too often. The ‘Moko Ipad Cases’ (£12.99) are available on Amazon and will hold your iPad up so you can watch your shows on any surface!
6. Backpack
If you’re looking for a gift for someone who likes to travel hands free then these are always useful, and this one in particular is very practical and inexpensive. Cabin Max’s (£30) backpacks come in over 20 colours and are designed to maximise hand luggage allowance on most airlines with its size of 55x40x20cm (44L). It features 3 main lockable zipped compartments, and an organisational pocket featuring 2 zipped internal compartments.
7. Eye-Mask
Especially for long-haul flights, it can be hard to fall asleep if the passenger next to you wants to pull an all-nighter on the flight and get through a whole season of The Crown. This would make a great stocking filler or for a secret santa present.
8. Travel Journal
If like me you know someone who likes to document their trips in one way or another, then the Travel Listography (£20) book which you can purchase on Amazon or Urban Outfitters, is a great gift idea. It features over 100 pages of travel related prompts such as ‘interesting people you’ve met whilst travelling’ to ‘places in Europe I’d like to visit’ to ‘lakes, rivers and oceans that I’ve swam in’.
9. Kindle
I’ve been known to take two books with me when travelling because I’m worried I’m going to finish one and then have nothing else to read on the flight. That’s the beauty of a Kindle (£69.99) – you can read as many books as you like and they’re all kept in one compact device. These range from the original Kindle, to the Paperwhite and Kindle Fire – depending on what your needs are.
10. Flight voucher
With most airlines charging you for your overhead luggage now, even a gift voucher of £25 would come in handy to take away the frustration of all the added flight expenses. I recommend choosing an airline like Ryanair or Easyjet that fly quite frequently from Malaga. If you want to go the extra mile, you could even include some flight destinations that you’d recommend!
