The 2015 TravelLatte Holiday Gift Guide

It’s been said there is nothing a traveler likes more than the open road. We think that’s not entirely true. Travelers also love a well thought gift! I mean, who doesn’t? A gift that comes from the heart and says “this made the think of you” is a gift that will be cherished. After all, it’s those gifts that we will continue to use, and think kindly of the giver no matter where in the world we are.

For this year’s list, we sought out some truly unique gifts, along with one or two old favorites and some cool new sure fire hits. Read on for our Top Ten, then feel free to browse the brand new TravelLatte Store with several more Gift Guide items. We know you’ll find something that’s just perfect for the hard-to-shop-for globetrotter on your list. Or perhaps, you can just print up this list and leave it out for Santa to see. Maybe he (or she?) will get the hint. 😉

For the stylish traveler’s nest

Our favorite new find for this year’s Gift Guide are these fun throw pillow covers from Airportag. It’s fun way to decorate your nest with reminders of where you’ve landed, and they make great gifts for the travelers in your life. Maybe you can’t send them to celebrate the Yuletide in Montreal, but you could send YUL to them and that’s almost the same thing. Right?

For the stylish traveler on the road

I can still remember my parent’s hard-sided suitcases: pale blue Mid-Century classics with a pebble finish, and honest-to-goodness wood supports inside. They lasted forever, but also weighed a ton. Today’s modern equivalents are super-light and come in so many colors and prints that you’re sure to find one that fits your traveler’s style. We especially like this three-piece Heys Vintage Traveller spinner set, showing three favorite destinations: Paris, London & New York. Easy to spot at baggage claim, and easy to look stylish…because that’s how we roll.

For the traveler itching to explore

The Luckies of London Scratch Map is our perennial favorite! It’s a fun way for you and your globetrotters to track your travels and show the world where you’ve been. Why just figuratively scratch countries off your list, when you can literally scratch them off a deluxe map of the whole wide world? Been to Bora Bora? Scratch it off. Seen the Seine? Scratch it off. Where to next?

For the Europe-bound

Once upon a time, the Grand Tour of Europe was a coming of age experience. In the not-so-distant past, the Gap Year and post-graduate backpack trips have been as popular, if not as luxurious, as retirement trips across the continent. What they all could benefit from is the voice of an experienced friend and guide. For many travelers, that is Rick Steves, and his new Europe Through the Back Door 2016 covers essential travel skills, from how to pack to where to eat. With the goal of making European travel fun, affordable, and culturally broadening, this Kindle or paperback version is a great gift for anyone headed to and through Europe.

For the Traveling Instagrammer

We freely admit to bombarding our Instagrams with vacation pictures. But recently, we discovered the greatness of turning those pictures into awesome souvenirs from our travels by printing them out as magnets we can arrange on the fridge or metal frames. The company that does it is called Sticky9, and they’ll print out Instagrams and other photos, and even have magnet frames to proudly display your Instagramography (which may or may not be an actual word). Great for Christmas or anytime, for gift giving and getting!

Whew, that’s already an exciting gift list, but we’re pretty sure Ol’ St. Nick has more room on his sleigh! Ready for more shopping?

Because even travelers like to lounge

Who doesn’t love an airport lounge? Comfy seating, free Wi-Fi, a cup of coffee and some snacks sure make airport time less stressful and more productive. Airline lounges are nice perks, but if you’re not flying that airline, or don’t have an expensive lounge pass, you’re not getting in. Thankfully, private lounge clubs are opening in many airports, and membership makes a great gift for your frequent flier. We like Priority Pass, with options starting at $99 plus $27 per visit, up to unlimited access for $399 – and guests get in for just $27 – at more than 850 lounges worldwide.

Because Sharing is Caring

In airports, train stations, hotel lobbies, and coffee shops around the world, every traveler has faced the same dilemma: One outlet with a bajillion (or at least two or three) people needing to plug in. Heck, even when you’re the only one there, sometimes you need to charge up more devices than you can plug in. That’s why we love Belkin’s SurgePlus 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger. It has three outlets plus two USB ports (2 Amp, so you can plug in your iPad, too), and a built-in surge protector. So much handiness in one little plug-in makes a great travel gift!

Because sometimes you just need a cocktail. Shaken, not stirred.

Dear Old Dad used to buy the coolest and/or goofiest gifts in the belief that Christmas is not a time to be practical. You might never buy yourself a kit to turn airline mini-bottles of liquor into premium cocktails, but some nice Santa-type could. (Dad, we’re talking about you!) There are several varieties of the Carry On Cocktail Kit: Gin & Tonic, Old Fashioned, and Moscow Mule. But this is the holidays…go for the The Champagne Cocktail. (You’ll find them all in the TravelLatte Store below.)

Because travel is only the start of the adventure

Going someplace is one thing. Doing something while you’re there is where the real fun begins! If your traveler has a destination in mind for next year, Tinggly.com lets you gift them with a range of activities once they arrive. It’s akin to booking excursions in advance: You pick a Tinggly gift box and they pick the experiences, from shark diving in New Zealand to wine tasting in Paris, from learning about tea in China to wind surfing in Spain. Tinggly.com offers more than 350 adventures in 100 countries, so there’s sure to be amazing experiences to choose from almost anywhere your adventurer is going!

Because everybody is working for the weekend

Sometimes all you have is a weekend and you want need to make the most of it! The New York Times series of inspirational 36 Hours guidebooks will help every traveler make the most of minimal time with well-planned itineraries around the world. Choose destinations in Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, USA & Canada, or Asia & Oceana. Or, if you’re the Go Big or Stay Home type, get the 36 Hours World (3/36/365) version with 365 36-hour adventures in 3 volumes. Great for daydreaming, planning and, of course, gifting!

Some other gift guides we enjoyed reading from some of our favorite travel bloggers:

• Travel pro Johnny Jet provides one of the best lists we’ve seen yet, with gifts for the actual art and activity of traveling, over on TravelSmith.com.
• Dish Our Town: Christmas Gifts for a Travel Loving Family
• The Roaming Renegades: Gifts for the Traveller that they will love!!
• Travel Freak: The Best Gifts for Men Who Travel
• Just a Pack: Gifts for People Who Travel
• JetSetter: 2015 Gift Guide: Under $25
• Miss Travelesque: 10 Useful Gifts Every Traveler Needs
• The Points Guy: 7 Great Low Tech Travel Accessories for $15 or Less – A word on this one: Nobody said travel gifts had to be sexy, and, as the author points out, these are not. But they are useful, and that’s sexy in its own way. (Isn’t it?) Also good if you happen to be the one on a budget, trying to save up for travel!

You’ll find many of the items in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide in the TravelLatte Store, along with more great gift ideas for travelers and homebodies alike.

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. If you buy a product through these links, we get a small commission. There is no extra cost to you, but it helps us keep travelling and blogging. We have not been otherwise compensated for our Gift Guide recommendations. All of these products are gifts we would be happy to give. (Or receive!)