Christmas gifts for the eternally travelling

By Rachel Evans, Deputy Travel Editor

Deputy Travel Editor Rachel Evans offers some present ideas for people who love travelling.

Year after year when November rolls round and I have to start thinking about Christmas presents, I am struck with the same problems. Firstly, what do I get for people? Secondly, what do I want? If you love travelling yourself, or are buying for someone who loves it, then I have rounded up some of this year’s best travel related gifts to make the search that little bit easier.

Trtl Pillow

Everyone knows that plane journeys can be hell, so anything that makes them that little bit nicer is a blessing. Regular travel neck pillows are bulky and a pain to carry round, and blow up ones just aren’t that comfy, but the trtl is a great compromise. It only weighs 148 grams and attaches to your luggage so is easy to transport. Reviews say that the trtl is more like a scarf but with built in neck support, which is great if you’re stuck in a middle seat! They retail for £24.95 on Amazon, so there are definitely cheaper options, but it doesn’t exactly break the bank.

Phone Camera Lens Set

I don’t know about you, but whenever I go somewhere, I always pack a camera with all the best intentions of using it, but when it comes to it I just can’t be bothered to lug it round! Especially if you don’t want to take a bulky backpack and you know you will be out all day. A good compromise for this is a set of clip on lenses for your phone camera. The quality still won’t quite be the same as a DSLR camera, but with sets including a macro lens, fish eye lens and a wide-angle lens, it will give you many more options for capturing great holiday pics. You can find lens sets by lots of different brands with starting prices from around £10 (Amazon) depending on quality and the number of different lenses in the set.

Books

There are so many great books on travelling out there I could write multiple articles on that topic alone. Here are a few of my suggestions.

• How To Pack by Hitha Palepu (£6.67, Amazon) a guide on what to bring and the best way to bring it.
• The Bucket List by Kath Stathers (£18.84, Amazon), full of fantastic pictures to inspire you for your next trip.
• The Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist (Amazon, £13.99), a ranking of 500 of the best places to visit.
• 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die, Patricia Schultz (£11.42, Amazon), described as both a wish list and a practical guide, 1000 Places to See Before You Die offers guides to many countries that may not immediately spring to mind.
• I Was Here: A Travel Journal for The Curious Minded, Kate Pocrass (£13.84, Amazon), imagine a Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith but for travelling. This book offers suggestions for activities and pieces of writing which you probably wouldn't think of yourself.
• 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas by National Geographic (£15.28, amazon), a travel planner with photos, maps and suggestions.

Knock Knock Pack This! Pad

There is nothing worse than being on your way to the airport and suddenly realising you have forgotten something important because you threw all your stuff into your case in a hurry the night before. The Pack This! Pad has pages of lists of everything you are likely to need so you can tick it off as you go. They retail on Amazon for £5.95.

Clutch…with a secret

When travelling, I always find it really useful to have a nice, small bag for heading out in the evenings when you don’t want to carry anything too bulky. But, in answer to our needs, companies have developed clutch bags with inbuilt chargers so you don’t have to worry about your phone running out of battery whilst out and about. If you really want to push the boat out, you can even get some with RFID protection, which means they block the signal used to read contactless cards and steal data. They retail for £25 upwards, depending on brand, features, and the quality of the bag. Although expensive, the Everpurse x Kate Spade range look great and are a personal favourite.

Travel Games

When you’re travelling, having a simple pack of cards, or even some travel versions of your favourite games can be a great way to socialise in hostels, or just keep you and your friends entertained. You can probably find most of your favourites in a travel sized version. A few of my favourites are Monopoly Deal (£5.99, Amazon), Bananagrams (£14.47, Amazon), Uno (£7.49, Amazon).

Collapsible water bottle

A water bottle is always a great idea when travelling, it saves you money and is much better for the environment. To make life easier you can get collapsible ones so they take up less space in your bag. I would reccomend one like the VICTANZ Silicone Collapsible Water Bottle which retails at £10.95 on Amazon, though lots of other styles for different budgets are available.

Portable charger and wifi hotspot

I’ve tried to keep this list to quite affordable things because I’m very aware we’re on a student budget, however if you are looking to spend a bit more, then the Skyroam Solis mobile WIFI hotspot and power bank is something very useful. It’s small size means it can be easily transported and it can be used in over 130 countries. However, it will set you back as it retails at £135 (Amazon) and you have to pay either $8 for a day pass or $80 for a month pass.

Compression Bags

If, like me, you like to pack for pretty much everything that could possibly be thrown at you whilst travelling, you will be well aware that trying to fit everything in your bag can be a bit of a nightmare. Although maybe not the most exciting gift, compression bags definitely are useful. You just pop your clothes in them and roll them up to squeeze all the air out, making things much more compact and easier to pack. Many different brands are available but I’ve chosen the Gonex compression packing cubes (£23.99, Amazon) because they are a reasonable price and come in a range of colours.

Sand Free Mat

I love the beach; however, I don’t love the sand which gets stuck to everything and hangs around for weeks after. Luckily, someone has thought of a solution to this. I present to you the sand proof beach mat. Specially designed fabric allows sand particles to fall back through, meaning you won’t be left with lots of little piles of sand every time someone stands up. Prices start from around £8.99 (Amazon) depending on size and quality.

Travel Sized Toiletries

Places like Boots and department stores offer a fantastic selection of travel sized toiletries and cosmetics (both in sets and individually) and they often have offers on. If you know they love a certain item in their toiletry bag, then why not get them a smaller version to take away with them? Things like solid perfume are also great for when there will be liquid restrictions in place. Another fantastic option is the shampoo bar, available from Lush, especially if you are environmentally conscious.

Travel Keepsakes

When I’m travelling, I always keep hold of things like tickets and business cards from places I’ve been and tell myself I will make a scrapbook or something when I’m home (but never do). A keepsake box can make a really nice present, you can get a personalised one from notonthehighstreet.com for £15.

What list would be complete without a scratch map? Everyone’s first thought when thinking about travel gifts, they remain a firm favourite and it’s easy to see why. Starting at £10 (Amazon), they are quite a cool thing to have, and a very reasonable price.