ALT-2 Gift Ideas for Travel Enthusiasts
Quick answer when considering a gift to a traveler: Money, money and more money. It can be in the form of your personal check, cash, travelers' checks or anything else that can be instantly turned into cash. If you're feeling real clever about your gift, and know exactly where the traveler will be spending any major time, you can go to your local bank and purchase foreign money for the country where it will be of instant use. Put it in a nice envelope and make it your gift.
Most veteran travelers already have all the gear they need, and are familiar with the expected expenses they'll have when on the road. They don't need someone deciding for them whether they'd want a new bag, a t-shirt with a silly message on it, a prepaid tour ticket or a new set of combs and brushes. Cash is always the perfect gift for travelers, and is never unappreciated.
We've had some unwanted gifts in our travels, but have always been polite enough not to gripe about them. Once, when we were in Las Vegas for our wedding anniversary, a relative had a large flowering plant delivered to our hotel room. When we check out and went to the airport, the gift became a pain to carry through the already painful airport check-in process and subsequent flight. Boxes of candy or big bags of cookies are just about as bothersome as flower arrangements for busy travelers, and with all the tight airport security these days, they may be confiscated, or at least opened and messed up.
So, next time you want to give a meaningful gift to travelers, just give them as many little pictures of past US presidents on little green pieces of paper as you choose. The gift will be greatly appreciated, especially when the traveler has to part with some of those presidents throughout the trip.
