Finding gift certificates for places far away from me

November 1, 2008 7:21 AM

My parents have retired, and are mere days away from closing the sale of the house I grew up in and traveling the country in an RV. Birthdays and holidays become somewhat of a gift-giving challenge. Their space is limited, so getting them things seems unwise. I'd like to get them gift certificates to restaurants or activities that I've never been to and that I can't really visit personally. Are there any tricks to find fun things that I can get gift certificates for?

(I could give you a list of their destinations for the next six months, but I'd rather not. I'm really looking more for research/investigation tips instead of specific ideas.)

posted by Plutor to human relations (11 comments total)

On the practical side I would say: Camping World. They likely stop here.

In terms of starting points for research, you may want to check some of the full-timer RV clubs like Escapees or Good Sam Club.
posted by pokeedog at 8:07 AM on November 1, 2008

A rental car gift certificate, for those times they don't want to drive the Winnebago into larger cities or more mountainous terrain. Having a car to use as a base for day trips around an area they'd like to stay but not not drive the RV around in would be really cool, I think.
posted by mdonley at 8:25 AM on November 1, 2008

Membership in the Elks Club? Elks let member RVs park for cheap or free in parking lots and have great rates for their RV parks.

Congrats to your folks for getting rid of their "stick house."
posted by Lesser Shrew at 8:44 AM on November 1, 2008

Lots of restaurants accept gift certificates from restaurant.com, which would give them more flexibility than a gift certificate to a particular place.
posted by Daily Alice at 8:50 AM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

I often buy restaurant gift certificates for gifts, and I find it's easy enough to just pick a restaurant and email them and ask them what their procedure for buying certificates from a distance is. Generally speaking, they seem to require a faxed letter with a photocopy of your credit card and then will mail the certificate wherever you require.

OpenTable used to offer holiday gift certicates that were usable at any of their member restaurants, but it seems they've stopped that, unfortunately.

Another option might be to look at higher end chains, depending on how you and they feel about supporting chains vs. local restaurants. Places like Smith & Wollensky have restaurants in a number of locations and offer chain-wide gift cards, so there's a good chance they'd come across one somewhere.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:57 AM on November 1, 2008

Just an FYI, the restaurant.com discount certificates are viewed as coupons by many restaurants, and they have restrictions on when they can be used, etc. If your parents would be okay with using an entertainment book type coupon, they'd probably be fine with also using restaurant.com gift certificates, but if they're not coupon types, you should be aware that they'll be viewed as coupon types.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:03 AM on November 1, 2008

What about an Entertainment book full of 2 for one dinners. They can choose which restaurant to go to. And my friend said that wait staff like coupon customers because the customer feels like since they are saving on the meal they usually give a bigger tip. So they treat you better (added bonus).

In the past I never used these coupon books enough to justify the price. But now that I am semi-retired I've saved about 200$ by using it this year. So your parents will probably also have time needed to really use these books. Plus you discover new places you wouldn't go otherwise.
posted by cda at 10:46 AM on November 1, 2008

If they like to eat good food, figure out where they are going to be traveling then check out the regional boards on a site like chowhound.com for advice on great restaurants there. I've had good luck calling out of state restaurants and getting gift certificates easily.

You could also get them a gift certificate for grocery places like Trader Joe's that have sites nationwide, if they'd rather eat in.

I think the car rental gift certificate above is a fabulous idea.

Other ideas might be movie theater or borders gcs...entertainment is always good :)
posted by purenitrous at 3:25 PM on November 1, 2008

If they're outdoors types you could also consider getting them a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
posted by clerestory at 7:50 PM on November 1, 2008

Some "things" they might enjoy: Games to play when they're parked in various spots, food treats, wacky or unusual travel guides.

Or in the gift certificates category: chain movie theaters (that have locations in various cities), drama type theaters in cities you know they'll be visiting, museums or galleries in cities you know they'll be visiting.
posted by serazin at 8:42 PM on November 1, 2008

Here's an article with some really excellent practical suggestions. A Walmart gift cert. seems like a great idea; you can find them everywhere, and they have everything.

That thing at the end about the lanterns/lights? Doesn't sound that practical, unlike most of the other suggestions - but was actually the first thing I thought of. We camped and travelled all the time when I was young, and one of my most enduring memories of it all was the warm and festive feeling once we had arrived at our destination (usually in the evening) and put out the colored lanterns. It was an immediate happy comfort thing.

(In addition to this info, a pre-paid credit card can never go wrong.)
posted by taz at 1:19 AM on November 2, 2008