A good gift for someone who loves travelling is something they will actually take with them. A weekend away, a long flight and a trip they keep planning are the same instinct and not the same gift, so the useful present is the one that fits the kind of trip they already take. Think kit that makes the packing easier, or an upgrade to the bag they already use.
What a traveller really wants
Travellers already own the obvious thing, and they know what annoys them about it. A carry-on packer and someone who checks two cases want different things. The better present is the part of the trip they keep complaining about.
Think about how they travel before you buy. A carry-on-only traveller counts every gram and every centimetre, so a bulky gift works against them; someone who checks a bag has more room to play with. Frequent flyers value comfort on the plane and order in the case, while someone planning their first big trip may want the basics done well: a good bag, packing cubes and a way to keep documents together.
Before you choose, ask yourself
- Carry-on or checked bag?
- Long flights or weekends away?
- What annoyed them on their last trip?
Travel gift ideas
The bag
A for the long trip, a for the one-bag traveller, or a for someone who works on the road. Ask whether they travel with carry-on only or check a bag, because the gift is different for each.
The packing
keep the case in order, and a makes a small hotel bathroom easier. These suit someone who travels often and wants packing to be quicker.
The journey
A for the long flight, a for the trip they want to remember, or a for someone who hates hotel coffee. Think about the part of the trip they complain about most.
Something to do
Sometimes the trip is the gift. A on the Great Barrier Reef, an , or a gives them the travel itself, not just the kit for it. Each one books straight through a tour operator.