2014 Travel Gift Guide for the Travel Lover

Can you believe that we’re already 10 days into December? Yikes! Christmas always seems to sneak up on me and this year is no different. I know it seems like everyone and their dog is putting out a gift guide this time of year, but I love looking at them all when I get stumped on a cool gift for someone. Sometimes I even discover a cool something for myself to put on my April birthday list. ;) In case you’re stuck on a gift for a travel lover in your live, I wanted to share some things that I use in my travel life that I think would make fab gifts. If you need even more ideas, be sure to check out what I recommended in 2012.

 

Secret Sweater

It’s a sweater, under layer, and pillow all in one. Between airports, hotel rooms, and public transit it can be hard to regulate your temperature when you travel so having a sweater on hand is always a good idea. This sweater packs up into a pouch when you’re not wearing it so it can also double as a small travel pillow. Bonus!

 

Portable Battery Pack

A lot of people these days travel with more electronics than shoes. I would often find myself trying to conserve the battery to make it last for an entire day of sightseeing. Then I got myself a portable battery pack and now I can charge my phone multiple times when I’m away from an outlet. This one from Limefuel is small enough and light enough that I carry it in my purse.

 

Travel Bra Case

If you’ve invested in nice underwear, the last thing you want to do is squat it in your suitcase. This hardshell bra case from Brag not only keeps your unmentionables squish-free but it also makes for embarrassment-free security bag checks if you’re a carry-on only traveller.

 

Luggage Scale

I’m currently on my 4th one of these and it’s a must-have every time I travel. I freely admit that I’m not a super light packer and often I’m pushing the weight limits on my way home from some great shopping destination. Having a scale gives me peace of mind and let’s me know if I can buy one more pair of shoes or not. ;)

 

Touchscreen Gloves

Your first thought might be that you’re not so tethered to your phone that you couldn’t just take off a mitt to use it but think about how much nicer it’ll be to Instagram that Christmas market if you can keep your hands toasty warm. These leather ones are especially chic if you want to steer clear of stretchy black knits.

 

Lounge Access

One of the perks that came with a credit card I had the other year was lounge access for a year. It spoiled me. The lounges were always calm places to wait out your connection and the free drinks, food, magazines, and wifi didn’t hurt. Consider picking up an airline gift card so that your loved one can take advantage of this little oasis during hectic travel.

 

Travel Purse

I love my Pacsafe. Maybe it’s overkill in most places but I have to say that I didn’t worry about being pick pocketed in Paris or Barcelona with this little baby since it has about 8 million ways to protect your stuff. I also like it’s simple design since it’ll go with almost anything I wear while travelling.

 

Selfie Stick

Regardless of what you think of people using these, if you’ve ever travelled solo and wanted to get more than just your head into a shot with a landmark, a selfie stick comes in handy. You might feel like a dork at the time, but you’re going to have an awesome photographic reminder later to make up for it.

 

Portable Speaker

I often like to play tunes in my hotel room and there isn’t always an iPod/iPhone dock so a portable speaker is great to have. This iHome one is rechargable via USB, small, and lightweight but has a surprising amount of bass. Bonus: it’s great for Netflix too. ;)

 

Travel Bag Insert

I have my carry-on bag packing pretty much down to a science these days. The only issue is that sometimes my bag goes in the overhead bin, which is hard to reach mid-flight. It’s happened before that I’ve taken the essentials like my headphones and eye mask out and kept them in a plastic shopping bag under my seat. So not chic. This little insert would fix that problem. Put your carry-on in the overhead and just take the insert with the essentials to your seat.

It’s hard to narrow down all the great travel gifts out there to just 10 or so but I had fun trying. I hope I was able to give you a few ideas for your holiday shopping.

What’s on your own travel Christmas list?

SaveSave