Looking for the perfect gift for a traveling mom? While flowers are always great, I think…
Top Picks for Travel Gifts
Shopping is always challenging, but when you have a frequent traveler on your list, you can delight them with gifts that tag along on every journey. Here are my top picks for travel gifts this holiday season:
Samantha Brown 2012 Heart Ornament ($19.99) – Limited Edition
Designed by yours truly, give this this to the world traveler who is forever working on their bucket list. Each ball is filled with bucket list destinations so you can daydream about exotic far-away places while supporting an important cause. Proceeds benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Now that’s the spirit of giving.
Buy at HSN
Ultimate Travel Book ($39.99)
This is a book for all types of travelers, adventurous to armchair. “36 Hours in” has been a weekly travel column in the New York Times for ten years. These quick weekend itineraries are expertly curated, captivating and well written. I either can’t wait to go to the destination or feel I already have. Get comfy in a chair and randomly open the book to discover one enchanting city after the next. It’s like the Dr. Seuss book “Oh the Places You Will Go!” but for adults.
Buy at Taschen.com
The Cashmere Sweater ($40-50+)
A perfect way to spoil the frequent travelers on your list. This is the fabric you want against your skin during a flight. It’s so soft and luxurious and well worth the expense since really anything made of cashmere never goes out of style. Go for darker colors so that food and drink spills don’t show up so easily. I know the airlines don’t feed you anymore but you’ll probably grab a sandwich somewhere and that’s just a drip of mustard waiting to happen.
Important note: This time of year it’s very popular to give/receive cashmere sox. I do not recommend these at all. They cause feet to sweat while in shoes and sweaty feet are just plain…eeecchh. But maybe that’s just me and in that case TMI.
Buy at J. Crew and just about any department store:
Pelican Micro Case ($17)
I’ve hauled my share of pelican cases around the world. It’s what my camera man and sound man use to protect their expensive equipment during the brutality of travel. So when I saw that Pelican had a little mini case my first reaction was “ahhhhh how cute! Now I can be one of the guys!” This size is perfect for small gadgets, point and shoot camera’s and of course your smartphone. As our phone has become our camera, photo album, language interpreter, our map, video game consul, and oh yeah-phone. It’s become ever more important to protect that small but very costly and vital device. If you’re going on a cruise, beach vacation, ski vacation this is the item you want to put your phone in. This little box is watertight and will withstand being crushed by anything under 5,000 lbs.
RoadID ($20-30)
When I travel I always like to find a good hike or go on a bike ride, and I’m almost always alone. My brother-in-law got this for me, and it gives me (and the rest of my family) tremendous peace of mind. On the bracelet, you can put your name, blood type, emergency contact info and other customized information that could potentially save your life. There are websites doctors can go to get all your medical records. As their saying goes “If you can’t speak for yourself, Road ID will speak for you.” At first RoadID was marketed to serious athletes, but anyone, especially travelers will find this bracelet a smart idea. It doesn’t hurt that the different bands give it a cool factor.
Buy at RoadID.com
Sidekicks Women’s Foldable Ballet Flats ($15-20)
These shoes fold up to next to nothing and are a perfect travel gift. Whether you’re going through security and don’t want to be barefoot or like to wear slippers around your hotel room. If you’re walking around all day, taking your walking shoes off and putting these on during lunch could be a pleasant breathable break for your feet. However, I would never use these as a walking shoe because they have absolutely no support and your feet will be seriously sore by the end of the day.
Buy at Amazon.com
Chanel Rouge Allure – Lipstick ($34)
You may think this is a strange item as a travel gift but In the quest to pack as efficiently as possible by outfits doing double duty, this small weightless tube has the power to transform any everyday outfit to GLAM! Chanel’s Rouge Allure lipstick line has a handful of glorious reds to suit everyone’s skin tone. My two favorites are the Passion and Pirate. Both are devastatingly sophisticated. Men don’t fret, the price tag a Chanel red lipstick is lingerie for the lips.
GoToob ($24)
As a generally cheerful person, you would be amazed how many travel pet peeves I have accrued. Take for instance the rigid plastic bottles for TSA approved liquids that most drug stores sell. After you fill them, you can’t get the liquid out. Whether you want to use it or clean it and then use it for something else. GoToob make it super easy to do all that with their soft silicone squeezable bottles with extra wide openings. These bottles have handy suction cups that stick to the hotel shower. So you’ll be free from my other travel pet peeve toiletry bowling, the act of knocking down all those tiny shampoo, conditioner and bath gel bottles that the hotel fits on the small soap holder. GoToob is a terrific stocking stuffer for anyone who travels.
Buy at Flight001.com
Vapur Anti-Bottle ($6.99-11.99)
One of the tips I have gotten for saving money while at the airport is to keep an empty water plastic water bottle in your bag. When you’re all clear of the security line-up you can fill it up at the bubbler. Here’s the hipper, cleaner, and non-toxic version of that advice. The Vapur anti-bottle is flexible, reusable and BPA free. It can be frozen, put in the dishwasher and its material is so thick that it won’t puncture or tear. It’s not only for water (if you catch my drift) and It’s also a great and stylish way to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles which we all need to do. They are also in some pretty snazzy colors to match the personality of your giftee.
Stay tuned! More fabulous ideas for travel gifts are on the way.
Do you have a favorite travel gift? Share the gift you use most frequently during your travels.
Editor’s Note: This article contains affiliate links. Samantha-Brown.com uses affiliate links as a source for revenue to fund site operations. Samantha-Brown.com stands behind all product recommendations.
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I have a friend who is the Sam Brown of flight attendants; her upbeat attitude is probably the only thing that has averted homocide and her getting the needle in some death penalty state. I’m getting her the ballet slippers for when she’s laid up in hotel rooms. Great suggestion. Thanks!
I want all of this stuff…..
The gotoobs sound great!! I hate trying to balance all the shower bottles on the small edges of the tub or on the small soap shelf. Hotel showers/tubs are not made for women. I actually take a suction cup with hook for my shower scrubby to hang on. Thanks.
Beautiful retro, travel-inspired handbags at retrowhere.com
set up an Amazon wishlist so I can send you one ; )
Samatha….celebrating our 50th next year and this would be an awesome way to do it. We re ready when you are….
Mary and Jeff Marles