It’s no secret – I live to travel. When I am on my flight home I am already planning the next adventure. My love of traveling to Italy lead to my “accidental business,” the Glam Italia Tours, where I take small groups of women on private, boutique tours of Italy. At the time of writing this post I am also prepping for a quick, pre-Christmas trip to Europe. Not only is travel always on my mind, but I’m also constantly thinking about the accoutrements of travel. I am always looking for ways to make it more effective, for items to streamline the experience, both for myself and also for my travelers.
If you are a travel enthusiast, if you have business travelers on your shopping list, or if you have recreational travelers on your list, I have some fabulous wish list and gift ideas for you.
Gift Ideas For Travelers
Tech
A Multi Purpose Travel Adaptor
You probably already know that when traveling outside of the USA the voltage and the configuration of the electricity pins changes. You can’t plug your American electronics into foreign power points, and in America we are at 110 volts, but most of Europe and Australasia are at 220 volts. This means that you need an adaptor that lets you plug into the wall socket wherever you may be, but also that will convert the voltage and give it surge protection. If you just have the plug configuration the excess voltage will no doubt fry your electronics.
I have had several different adaptors over the years, some have been good, some have broken. Last year I bought the Travel Smart All In One Adaptor from The Container Store I like it because it converts all over the world, no matter where I travel, it is easy to use and is lightweight, so I can throw it in my handbag or carry on.
A Power Strip Or Outlet Extender
It’s not unusual to be away and have a hotel room that only has one wall socket. The Belkin Surge Plus USB Swivel Outlet Extender has 2 USB charging ports as well as 3 power outlets, and it swivels to configure into any small space. I got mine online at The Container Store.
A Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Music makes memories, and whether you are adding texture to a vacation or sanity to a work trip, take your music with you with a good wireless portable speaker. Most are compatible to your Pandora and Spotify feeds, as well as whatever music you have stored on your smart phone.
There is a huge selection of portable speakers available online at Target.com
Related Post: 11 Gift Ideas For Travelers
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Whether you are drowning out the buzz and hum of an airplane in flight, a screaming baby, or annoying loud talkers in the row behind you, noise cancelling headphones are a must when you travel.
I am a huge Bose fan, and love the Bose Noise Cancelling Earbuds. The Bose sound quality is always amazing, and they are really convenient too because they pack down so small.
The other option for noise cancelling headphones is an around ear model. These are a little bulkier to carry than the earbud style, but they have the huge advantage of being a deterrent to incessant talkers sitting next to you.
You can see a huge selection of noise cancelling headphones, including the Bose models online at Target.com
A Portable Phone Battery/Charger
This one is a travel essential! Every traveler needs to have an external battery for their phone. Whether your phone loses its charge during the flight, or if it just needs extra power during a day of sight seeing, you don’t want to be stranded with no phone access. Look for a model that has multiple charges (rather than just one charge), and that can power up a phone or tablet from a completely dead battery.
You can find a good selection of chargers/external batteries at Target.com
Related Post: Tatcha’s Travel Sized Gifts For Skin Care Lovers
A Tablet/Kindle/eReader
The days of dragging heavy books around are long gone. Every traveler needs some form of e-reading device, for books, travel guides, and entertainment. I use an iPad so that I can also watch movies and play solitaire, one of my friends travels with an iPad Mini, my sister in law always has a Kindle with her.
You can see the full range of iPads and tablets and the full range of Kindles available online here at Target.com.
Security
RFID Blockers.
Everyone, not just travelers, needs some form of RFID blocker to protect their credit cards and all their personal information. Anyone with a RFID scanner can read all the information on the magnetic strip on your credit cards, and the digital information on your passport. A scanner is about the size of a cell phone, and if you just walk past one, for example in a coffee shop, all your information will be taken and compromised. The Container Store has a variety of RFID blocking options from credit card and passport sleeves, to wallets, to handbags.
I just watched this video for the Travelon Anti Theft Cross Body Bag.
I want to get one! Most high tourist cities have a big problem with pickpockets. Any time you are in a crowded situation you have to be extra vigilant with your handbag, but still someone could slash it, slash the shoulder strap, or if you have ever watched you tube videos of pickpockets in action, they can get their fingers in and out of your bag before you even know it. This bag also has built in RFID blockers!
