UPDATE: If you want to see even more gift ideas, check out our brand new list for 2014. Of course, all the ones on this 2013 list are still highly recommended as well!
We’re only a couple weeks away from Christmas and you’re still clueless about what to get your favorite traveler.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
From close to $400 to less than $1, we’ve picked out travel gifts that fit in any budget.
And with gifts ranging from backpacks to fuzzy socks, from noise canceling headphones to scratch maps, there’s something here for everyone.
We even brought in a fashion expert for a section solely devoted to women travelers!
So start shopping, and happy holidays!
A Travel Backpack
This is the most important piece of travel gear you’ll own, and so it pays to spend some money and find yourself a good one.
Personally, I always recommend traveling with just carry-on for a few reasons.
With almost every airline charging for checked bags, it saves you money.
It saves you a ton of time. Once the plane lands, you walk off and you’re done. No waiting in line.
It saves you a lot of hassle while you’re actually traveling. Simply throw your pack on your back and go.
I’ve got two recommendations, depending on what you want.
This is the pack I’ve been traveling with for the last 2 years.
It’s lightweight, roomy, durable and comes with an super handy 15 liter day pack (that can zip on to the main pack).
Also, the backpack straps can be stowed away and hidden so they don’t get caught.
While it’s “technically” too tall for carry-on dimensions, I’ve had it on over 30 flights (including with strict airlines like Air Asia and RyanAir) and never once had a problem.
If you want a great, durable pack that you don’t have to sneak by the gate agents, the Tortuga is the pack for you.
I recently got my first Tortuga, which is produced by EPoP’er Fred Perrotta, and can attest to it’s roominess.
In fact, the Tortuga is the largest legal carry-on pack you can buy.
It’s unique design allows you to maximize the space available while still being carry-on dimensions, and it comes with tons of different pockets and compartments, perfect for keeping your stuff organized while on the road.
It’s also got a heavily padded shoulder straps and hip belt, which makes it more comfortable than most other backpacks on the market.
If you want a cheaper pair that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but are still noise-canceling, I’ve heard good things about Monoprice’s headphones.
Work from anywhere with you Macbook Air, the world’s best travel laptop.
Really want to spoil your favorite traveler? Get him the best travel laptop available.
Does everyone NEED a computer for traveling? Probably not, but if you do, there is nothing that comes close to the slim, light, and yet powerful Macbook Air.
As someone who used to carry around a 15″ Macbook Pro, my back thanks me now!
Perfect for when you can’t sleep and want to stay up all night reading your guidebook, planning your next day’s excursion (and those around you aren’t quite as excited)!
To this day, my absolute favorite travel book of all time.
What can get better than a professor cramming a group of students in to a sleeper bus for a 6 week traveling summer course, visiting 30 states and 10 national parks, all while reading some of the greatest writers of the modern generation?
Since the course is no longer offered, take the next best thing and read the book!
For the more discerning gender, personal favorites brought to you by world traveler Heather Sherry, the mastermind behind the popular fashion blog Sartorial Stripes.
If you want a legging that will be comfortable on the lane but can also be worn out to dinner with boots or heels than these J. Crew pixie pants are the perfect choice.
I can personally attest to the versatility of these pants.
You get the best of both worlds; the feel of a leggings but the look of pants!
Well, back in 2009, while on a backpacking trip through Eastern Europe, Fred Perrotta had the same thoughts.
But instead of shoving them out of his mind, thankfully for us, he did something about them.
Because now the age-old travel problem that plagues many of us when we travel, the daunted “what should I pack in?” question has an obvious answer.
Introducing the Tortuga Backpack, one of the world’s best carry-on luggage options.
As someone who only ever travels with a carry-on, I am a huge fan of Fred’s and the things he is doing at Tortuga.
Today, we sat down to reveal all our best tips for traveling in just a carry-on, even for trips that stretch weeks or months.
And ladies, if you think this doesn’t apply to you, think again!
My wife, a fashion blogger, and expert has been traveling in just a carry-on for the last year!
Fred also pulls back the curtain on his entrepreneurial journey, discussing the mistakes he made, the successes he’s had, and giving invaluable advice for anyone wishing to create a physical product.
After listening to this podcast, you’ll never travel the same way again.
And you may just be inspired to finally turn that idea of yours into a reality.
Since starting this podcast, I’ve dreamed of having on Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and one of the few people who has traveled to every country in the world.
And today, it’s a reality!
If you’re interested in creating a lifestyle that is full of passion and purpose, Chris is the man to talk to.
10 years ago, he admittedly wasn’t sure what direction his life should take. Since then, he’s…
In February 2013 John Ellis and Laura Preston embarked on a road trip around the US in a 1996 Ford F350 and a 1986 Airstream that may or may not be safe enough to drive the 4,000+ miles.
Think that’s a little crazy?
That’s just the beginning!
Instead of choosing where they are going next, they are letting you, total strangers, decide!
On their site, anyone can submit a place that John and Laura should stop.
From the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming to the Kool-Aid Festival in Hastings, Nebraska to the Ringing Rocks Boulder Field in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, nothing is off-limits.
Does your town have the world’s best bbq?
Or a crazy old museum that no one knows about?
Pin it on the map and write why they should visit.
Then others vote on where they want the Democratic Travelers to head.
Once a place gets enough votes, The Democratic Travelers go there…and write about their experiences, allowing people from all over the world to live vicariously through their travels.
In this week’s awesome interview, they explain how this crazy idea came about, tell their most memorable stories from 9 months on the road, and discuss why anyone can, and should, travel.
I had an amazing time interviewing them, and I know you’ll have just as much fun listening!
When many people first start earning frequent flyer miles, they make the mistake of focusing on the NUMBER of miles they are earning instead of the type of miles they are earning.
But here’s the problem:
Not all frequent flyer miles are created equal.
Not by a long shot!
Some are great all around.
Some are good in some instances but bad in others.
Some are super flexible but don’t offer the same value per point.
And some, well, they just generally suck (but are still better than nothing)!
If you’re unsure what types of miles you should be earning, here’s your primer.
Each type will have the pros and cons listed and then be given a score of 0-10 so you can judge them relative to each other.
Chase Ink Bold [This card is no longer available from Chase]
Chase Ink Plus
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Freedom
Possibility of “paying with points” for flights with no award availability.
Ability to use for car rentals, hotels, or flights.
Instant transfers to partners.
Cons:
None
Overall
Score: 10 out of 10.
These are far and away my favorite points to accumulate since they are flexible, easy to earn a bunch of, and transfer instantly.
Your best value usually comes by transferring to United because United miles are great (keep reading for the United breakdown below) and then using for international travel.
Almost all my daily spending is done on a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Bold so that I can earn more Chase points.
Every time you transfer 20k SPG points, you’ll receive 25k miles, a 25% bonus.
SPG points can be used at Starwood hotels with their Cash+Points option, allowing you to stretch your points.
Cons:
SPG points have fewer options than Chase points for a big welcome offer/bonus.
SPG personal card
SPG business card
SPG’s best transfer partners, AA and USAirways, are a little more restrictive than United.
Transfers are not instantaneous and can take up to a week (better plan ahead)!
Overall
Score: 8.5 out of 10
The two keys to SPG are they that they transfer to AA, a great airline program to have miles in, and that they offer a 25% bonus.
60k SPG automatically becomes 75k airline miles, which is an amazing perk!
The major downside is that it is harder to get a large amount of miles through the welcome offer/bonus and that they don’t transfer instantly.
SPG points are a great way to diversify your mileage portfolio, and the SPG cards make good everyday spend cards, especially if you are looking for AA miles.
The major advantage AA has over United is their off-peak award chart, which I urge everyone to take advantage of.
The value is unheard of!
The major drawback is that AA miles have a fuel surcharge on them when you fly on British Airways, which makes it very difficult to use them to fly to Europe.
And for most people, Europe is high on their list!
Still, AA miles are a great complement to United miles.
Having both means that if you can’t find space with one airline, you still have a shot with the other.
A little more difficult to earn large amounts of USAirways miles
Barclays USAirways card
SPG Amex personal
SPG Amex business
USAirways online system does not allow you to book partner flights, so you’ll have to call in each time.
Overall
Score: 6.5 out of 10
USAirways is like a little brother to United.
It has some of the great features, like never charging a fuel surcharge and allowing stopovers and open jaws, but also has one major drawback:
Not allowing one way tickets.
This cuts down dramatically on your flexibility, not just in how you have to travel but in the amount of points you need to have.
With USAirways, if you want to travel to Europe, you NEED to have 60k miles because you have to fly roundtrip.
Whereas with AA and United, if you only have 30k in each program, you could mix and match.
Fly over with United, fly back with AA or vice versa.
And since earning USAirways miles isn’t as easy as earning United miles or AA miles, you can oftentimes get stuck with an amount that is hard to do anything with.
This can especially be the case with people looking for more than 1 or 2 tickets, since you’ll need a boatload of USAirways miles to get a family of four roundtrip.
Still, USAirways offers great perks, and I urge everyone to take advantage of their stopovers and open jaw rules.
6. Southwest
Pros:
Every seat can be an award seat, so as long as their is a seat on the plane, you can book with your SW points.
No fuel surcharges or taxes when using points.
The ability to earn the SW Companion Pass if you get 110k points in a year.
SW points are easy to earn through sign up bonuses
Chase Southwest personal card
Chase Southwest business card
Chase points transfer to Southwest
No checked baggage fees
One-ways are allowed.
Cons:
Southwest and AirTran only fly domestically in the US and to a few spots in the Caribbean and Mexico.
No separate first class or business class cabins.
No stopovers.
Overall
Score: 6.5 out of 10
Southwest is the most difficult to rank because it is totally dependent on your travel habits.
If you only fly domestically, then Southwest may be at the very top of the list.
But for people who need to fly internationally or only fly business or first class, Southwest points are meaningless.
Their program as a whole has many more pros than cons, with the ability to earn the Companion Pass and the anytime award seats being the major benefits.
If you are someone who flies domestically, even if it’s only occasionally, getting Southwest points is a must.
Amex’s welcome offer/bonus isn’t usually as good as Chase’s.
Overall
Score: 5 out of 10.
Amex points used to be the king of the castle, but my, how the mighty have fallen.
While the quantity of transfer partners, the quickness of the transfer, and the bonuses they offer are all great, the major issue is the quality of transfer partners.
Very bad to use to fly to Europe (ironically), due to huge fuel surcharge.
Charges per distance flown, so very bad for long international itineraries.
Overall
Score: 4 out of 10
These are the trickiest to use and most situation specific miles out there.
And it’s because of this inflexibility that they are rated so low.
They can offer INCREDIBLE value if you use them to fly domestically within the US, from the East coast to the Caribbean, to South America, or from the West coast to Hawaii.
However, for any other type of international trips, they’ll charge a massive fuel surcharge and you’ll be stuck paying $400+.
Only airline to allow stopovers on domestic award tickets.
Won’t charge a fuel surcharge if you originate in the United States.
Cons:
VERY, VERY little availability.
Does NOT allow one-way tickets.
Hefty fuel surcharges if you originate outside of the US.
Overall
Score: 1 out of 10
Having miles is no good if you can never find availability, and this is Delta falls flat on it’s face.
The few good things Delta does, like allowing stopovers on domestic tickets, is overshadowed by the fact that it is EXTREMELY difficult to find availability with Delta.
It’s so difficult, that I personally have never earned 1 single Delta mile.
In fact, they are often referred to as “SkyPesos” because of how little value they have.
And if you’re someone who has been collecting Delta miles, I urge you to flee!
Start earning miles that are much more valuable, like United or American Airlines.
Final Word(s)
Not all miles are created equal.
Don’t just pay attention to the number of miles you have, but more importantly, focus on the TYPE of miles you have.
They are all dramatically different, each with their own good points and bad points.
The sooner you figure out what miles work best for you, the better off you’ll be when it comes to using them for what we all want:
FREE TRAVEL!
Personally, I focus most of my energy on earning Chase points, which I then convert to United miles.
Then, to a lesser extent, SPG points, which I usually transfer AA.
How would you rank the different frequent flyer miles out there? What’s your favorite, and why?
Let’s open up a lively discussion in the comments below!
What better way to reminisce about where you’ve been (or show off to others) than a scratch map?
