Every holiday season triggers an onslaught of anxiety and doubt on what to give friends and family. For the traveler on your list, you might turn to the wealth of gift guides out there to steer you in the right direction. Having clicked on these articles and browsed through their selections, you’ve probably figured out that one size does not fit all in the travel department.
To avoid getting gifts for the nomad on your list that won’t suit their wandering soul, practice these tips as you figure out the best travel-themed gifts. guides.
Think Practical Luxury, Not Just Practical
Every traveler might need packing cubes or a travel wallet, but they don’t always make for the best gifts. A travel-themed gift can be practical but it should also be something that the travelers on your list wouldn’t necessarily buy themselves. Gifts that make travel all the more luxurious such as a plush airplane comfort kit or high-end travel-sized products will help the traveler on your list but also give them something they wouldn’t necessarily call practical or buy normally for their travels. A good example? The Butterfly Hat by Betty & Bradley, which merges stylish beanie and a moldable eye mask to help travelers get fashionable rest no matter where they’re grabbing some shuteye.
Know Your Traveler
Before you should ever buy a travel-related present for someone on your list, you need to know what type of traveler they are. Are they more of a budget flyer always on the hunt for cheap plane tickets or a backpacking adventurer going off to unexplored destinations? Each type of traveler might have different needs and wishes. Not all of the items on those travel-themed gift guides are geared toward a universal traveler. So before you make your purchase, you have to consider if the gift is the right fit for how your traveler roams. A gift card to a luxury hotel chain might sound be nice for but for the backpacker who prefers offbeat hostels, they might benefit more from some type of travel gear more suited to the hostel lifestyle.
Related: 12 Travel Gift Ideas for Any Globetrotter in Your Life
Purchase Suitcases With Caution
Luggage often sounds like the ultimate gift for the traveler on your list. However, selecting a suitcase for a traveler can be a shot in the dark. Not everyone prefers a rolling suitcase to a backpack or vice versa. Also, the nomad on your list might have special needs in terms of compartments and durability. Rather than going with a big-ticket suitcase, small bags for days trips or to organize within their main luggage might make for more useful and appreciated gifts that don’t need to be returned later. So while you may be tempted to buy the largest available bag from hip luggage-maker Nomatic for the globetrotter in your life, it’s probably best to go with their awesome toiletry bag.
Memory Saving Gifts Can Be More Meaningful Than Travel Gear
Gift guides aimed at travelers can often be more about the gear needed for the act of travel, so gift-givers often overlook gifts that help the traveler record and remember their adventures. From journals to glossy photo books made out of travel snapshots from their Instagram, the wanderer on your list will appreciate such a gift that helps them record and remember those precious moments on the road. A relatively new type of gift like this that are gaining popularity is scratch-0ff maps, which travelers can use to mark off and display where they’ve been. Luckies of London has a whole bunch of different kinds and types to choose from.
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