With Christmas just around the corner, you’re probably browsing the internet for the best gifts to give to your friends and loved ones this year. While your mother might enjoy a new crockpot and your father a new toolbox, what do you give the avid-traveler in your life? These are the people that value experiences above all else, so getting them a gift that will enhance their travels and make things easier is a great route to go.
Let’s take a look at some of the top gifts to give the traveler in your life this year.
A New Travel Bag
Travelers are all about efficiency. They want to be able to pack all of their travel essentials into one or two bags, without much fuss. If the traveler in your life has been using the same rugged backpack for the last ten years, you may want to gift them a new, top-of-the-line travel bag based on their unique needs and wants. We’ve compiled a list of some popular travel bag options you may want to consider for your friend or family member this holiday season.
The Briefcase: Perfect For The Business Traveler
Looking for a Christmas gift for a busy business traveler? A briefcase may be a great gift to give. There are a variety of innovative briefcases on the market from which to choose, and finding the right one may require a bit of research at first. Let’s take a look at some popular briefcase options to consider below:
- Padfolio – This is one of the thinnest briefcase types on the market, making it easy to carry and travel with for those long-winded business trips. Your friend or family member will be able to store small items like a portfolio and business papers, but due to the thin frame of this briefcase, only flat items can be stored inside.
- Messenger Bag – For the more casual businessman or woman, a messenger bag may be a great option. Featuring one strap that can be thrown over the shoulder, there are many stylish messenger bags out there, making it a favorite among students and travelers.
- A Rolling Backpack – Rolling backpacks are a wonderful option for travelers because they are easier to take on long trips. These bags usually offer multiple compartments where users can store a variety of items such as a laptop, tablet, notebook, portfolio, and airport snacks.
- A Duffel Bag – Duffel bags are a great option for avid travelers because they can be stowed away in the overhead compartments of airplanes, meaning you won’t have to pay those hefty checked-luggage fees. These bags also offer a good amount of flexibility, so you can fit them in tight spaces when need be.
- Travel Tote – If your aunt, mother, grandmother, or girlfriend likes to take weekend trips, a travel tote bag will make a wonderful Christmas gift for them. These bags come in a variety of materials, colors, and patterns, making them as fashionable as they are functional. Travelers are able to carry overnight items such as clothes, cosmetics, and electronics in these bags.
- A Travel Laptop Case – For the busy businessman in your life, a travel laptop case will make the perfect holiday gift. These bags will have at least one compartment where you can stow a laptop and charger in. Most travel laptop cases are similar to rolling backpacks, since they are on wheels making them easy to tote across the airport.
- Rolling Suitcase – A must-have for any traveler, a rolling suitcase offers plenty of space for clothes, electronics, gifts, and other personal belongings. This suitcase is ideal for people who like to pack a lot of things and don’t wait to strain their arms carrying a heavy duffel bag.
A Pair Of Noise-Cancelling Headphones
A quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones should be at the very top of every traveler’s Christmas list. But what sets these headphones aparts from the ones that came with your cell phone?
Noise-cancelling headphones feature a small built-in microphone that is used to pick up sound waves from background noises, like a plane’s buzzing engine or your husband’s snoring. When there is background noise present, the noise-cancelling system will emit opposite noise waves which will cancel out any ambient noise you hear on an airplane or in an airport.
A Portable Battery Pack
Most people won’t go anywhere without their cell phone, laptop, or tablet. This is especially true when traveling, as there is usually a good amount of down time to kill while you wait for your airplane to arrive. One item that you should consider for a traveler’s Christmas stocking is a portable battery pack. There’s nothing worse than running out of iPad juice while you’re in the middle of an eight-hour flight, and a portable battery pack is an easy way to save the day. Simply plug your cell phone, tablet, or other electronic device into the battery pack to immediately start charging your electronics so you never run out of juice.
Fun Luggage Tags
If you’ve ever checked a suitcase at the airport, you already know how daunting the luggage pick-up process can be. After departing the airplane, you have to make the long walk to the baggage claim area of the airport where you must patiently wait for your luggage to be rolled out on a carousel. Now it’s time to start hawk-eyeing each bag that rolls past you until your suitcase makes an appearance. Trying to distinguish your black suitcase from the other black suitcases can be a true challenge, but a fun luggage tag can take all of the guesswork out of this process. If you’re looking for a small stocking-stuffer to give to that special traveler in your life, consider ordering a unique luggage tag that he or she can use during their adventures.
A Reusable Water Bottle
Staying properly hydrated while traveling is essential to ensuring you don’t catch a cold or flu at the airport. With so many people occupying the same space, it’s easy to understand why travelers feel they are more likely to get sick on a plane or at the airport. One way to encourage healthy habits while traveling is to gift your friend or family member with a reusable water bottle that they can bring with them on his or her trips. These can also come in handy at the airport if your friend isn’t keen on paying five dollars for a bottle of water. Simply bring the reusable water bottle through security empty, and fill it up at a nearby water fountain close to your gate.
Comfortable Travel Pillow
Sleeping on airplanes can be a real pain in the neck, literally. Most people find themselves bundling up their sweaters or jackets to create a makeshift pillow, while others resort to laying their head on the germ-filled drop-down table for a majority of the flight. Getting quality shut-eye on an airplane can be a true challenge, unless you’ve been gifted a comfortable travel pillow.
A quality travel pillow should offer your neck and head support as you sit in an upright position on the airplane. These pillows tend to be quite bulky, so it may be wise to find a travel pillow that has an easy-to-use hook that can clip onto a backpack or purse. If you’re concerned about the germs that a travel pillow can collect, consider looking for one with a removable cover that you can wash from time to time.
A Global Adapter
For those travelers who like to take adventures overseas, a global adapter will make a great Christmas gift. These adaptors are ideal for anyone who travels internationally, as they will come in handy when you need to charge electronics like a computer, phone, or tablet. An electrical converter may be a wise investment as well, as you’ll need to plug one into European outlets before using things like a hair dryer or flat iron.
Travel Umbrella
One of the most common items people forget to pack when traveling is an umbrella. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your final destination, only to get soaked as you hail a cab to a conference meeting. A travel umbrella can come in great handy in these situations, as they are small, lightweight, and easy to throw in your carry-on bag or purse.
Travel Mug
Most busy travelers run on one thing: coffee. To keep your traveler energized and fueled during their escapade, consider giving the gift of a travel mug this year. There are a variety of travel mug styles on the market from which to choose. Some feature fun colors and patterns, while others are purely stainless steel mugs meant to keep your coffee hot for hours. No matter what kind of travel mug you choose to give, your friend or family member will surely be thankful.
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