As a travel lover, the greatest gift I could ever be given is the gift of travel!
Whether it’s my birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, an anniversary or any excuse to be spoiled or celebrated, travel is really all I want.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a scented candle and a bunch of flowers, but I’d much rather have a holiday!
Why give travel as a gift?
The thing with travel is that it’s a triple whammy of joy, making it the best gift ever:
- You start with the pre-travel excitement for weeks before you leave
- There’s the joy of the actual holiday
- There’s the happiness of the memories that can last a lifetime
If you compare that to a standard gift that generally brings joy for a couple of weeks and then it’s forgotten about, travel is the clear winner.
A shared experience
There’s the bonus joy that if you’re giving the gift of travel to someone else, then you’ll probably be joining them for the holiday and you get to enjoy it too! It’s more than just a present, it’s a shared experience you’ll remember together forever.
Experiences over ‘stuff’
In a world increasingly saturated with stuff, whether it’s gadgets, knick-knacks or fast fashion, there’s something refreshing and incredibly personal about giving an experience instead of a physical item.
Among all experiences, travel stands out as one of the most exciting, enriching, transformative and memorable gifts you can give. Whether it’s a surprise weekend getaway for a partner, a cultural journey for a parent, or a graduation trip for a friend, gifting travel has the power to create stories, not just souvenirs.
Material gifts often lose their luster. The thrill of unwrapping the latest tech gadget or trendy accessory tends to fade and is quickly replaced by the next iteration or fad. Travel, on the other hand, creates memories that linger long after the trip ends. People rarely reminisce about a pair of socks they received three birthdays ago, but they’ll never forget that time they watched the Northern Lights in Iceland or had fresh pasta in a tucked-away Roman trattoria.
How to give travel as a gift
When you’re giving travel as a gift you’ve got a few options as to how you’ll do it…
- Arrange the entire holiday from start to finish
- Arrange something simple like a 1-night stay at a local(ish) hotel
- Book a surprise flight and allow them to arrange the rest
- Give them a travel gift card so they can spend it how they like
The easiest option – the gift card
Personally, I think travel gift cards are the easiest option because there are a lot of expensive complications with all three of the first options. The biggest complication is finding a date and keeping the whole thing a surprise, so nine times out of ten it’s easier to actually arrange it together and then for you to pay.
But the thing with paying is that you don’t have that lovely ‘surprise’ element of the gift where the other person has something to open and enjoy. So a gift card is a great option for this moment where you see their face light up as they realise all the possibilities.
Add something extra onto a holiday they already have planned
A travel gift card is also a really good option if someone already has a holiday planned and you want to give them something to make the holiday even better. With a gift card they can buy a hotel stay, an activity or simple logistical things like an Uber ride.
Imagine a family member is going on holiday to Spain and they use their gift card to purchase a sunset catamaran cruise which ends up being the highlight of their holiday. That gift would be incredible and much better than a pair of socks and a cook book they’ll probably just put on Vinted next month.
A travel gift card is great for a last-minute gift
It’s their birthday tomorrow and you haven’t had a chance to buy a thoughtful and personalised gift? Don’t worry, a travel gift card is great for that. You can purchase it online quickly and then either send it directly to their email or print out a copy of the card to pop inside their birthday card!
It’s personal, it’s exciting, it’s the gift they really want and you don’t even need to leave the house to buy it!
Plan a local experience
If giving a whole holiday as a gift seems overwhelming, not to mention expensive, then why not give a local experience instead? The joy of travel is trying new things in new places but it doesn’t mean you need to leave the country to do this.
Do a food tour in your local city to try some new restaurants. Do a farm experience or an animal encounter at the zoo. You don’t need to travel far to feel like you’re ‘travelling’. Even planning a picnic at a local beach is a gorgeous experience you’ll remember forever.
Planning the whole thing?
If you’re really pushing the boat out and planning the whole thing then kudos to you. Wow. This is big and exciting and the best gift you could possibly give.
But it’s also massive so I do have some tips…
- If you’re planning this for an adult with responsibilities then it’s easier to tell them you’re taking them away on specific dates. You don’t have to give them more information. I know it’s fun to keep it all a surprise but you need to make sure they don’t make plans and have everything like medications for while they’re away. They might also want pre-holiday beauty treatments or need to arrange for someone to feed their cat or water their garden while they’re away.
- Try and keep your destination a secret for as long as possible.
- If they’ll need their passport, make sure you know where it is and that it’s in date!
- You may need to give them a weather report so they know what to pack.
- You’ll get bonus points if you can also buy them a few new clothes for the holiday!
- Don’t forget about the logistical extras like getting to and from the airport and rough plans for when you arrive.
- Don’t forget to tell other people it’s a surprise so no one gives it away. Better yet, don’t tell anyone else!
- Consider planning an Extreme Day Trip rather than an entire holiday, it’s much easier!
The bonus gift
If you’d like to give a bonus gift to make this travel gift even more special then why not have a few photos from the trip printed? You could print them and frame them, create a little photo book or make some artwork for the wall. If that all seems like a lot of effort then just print some photos to stick on the fridge!
After all, giving travel as a gift is all about creating memories and having photos around your home really helps keep the memories alive.
I created this magnetic gallery wall in my house and I still love it. I love that each picture comes off so easily and can be replaced and updated or new photos added as new memories are created. I highly recommend making one and adding a new photo after each holiday!