Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift and travel

How to save for travel as a gift?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:08:22 -0800

For his birthday, my boyfriend has suggested that we set up some sort joint savings account so that we can put money in it as our gifts to each other (birthdays, holidays, etc.) to later spend on travel - a passion of both of ours. I like the idea of somehow starting our little "travel fund" for our next trips and keeping it going through the years (and avoiding spending the money on "stuff" that we don't appreciate as much as the experiences we share together when we travel). How can I fulfill this great gifting idea that we can use for each other without feeling nervous about the non-married money-sharing aspect? Seeking either alternative ideas or advice on the shared bank account route? I know his intentions are good, and we speak of marriage/our future all the time - this guy is a keeper, not a "random" boyfriend. Marriage hasn't happened yet, but it is in the plans & we travel at least a few times a year, so far.

Cheap, portable, legal-to-cross-an-ocean food from TJs

mdonley — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:47:23 -0800

My mother is coming to visit me in Poland from our home in California and has asked me what foods she can bring me from Trader Joe's that are worth her bringing over. I have some ideas, but as I've been away so long (over a year), I want to make sure we land at the intersection of still-in-the-storeness, luggage space allowance, practicality and deliciousness. In fact, she has kindly but firmly requested I produce a list! For Christmas last year, I got a hamper of UHT mole sauce, a few bottles of Tapatio/Cholula, some random Mexican dry spices, and a bunch of TJs sweets/cookies. It was great.

While the quality of "raw" food here is amazing, prepared/regional/fancier ingredients which cost a bit more, like real maple syrup or balsamic vinegar, etc., are much harder to find and often severely lack in quality unless one buys, say, a tiny $50 bottle of the stuff.

We're on a budget of not-crazy. Total cost of this little excursion should be under $40 for me to have a good conscience. I also don't have a TJs in front of me to see what things actually cost. And lighter is better.

She's checking a bag, so liquids are cool. Fresh food is out given agriculture restrictions and the total door-to-door length of her journey (about 24 hours).

As a final note, the mdonley kitchen trends Mediterranean generally, with Latin, Indian, and Southeast Asian flavors popping up when cost and ingredients align. And I love Thanksgiving.

My future dinner guests and I thank you!

Farewell gift for a traveler?

pixxie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:45:21 -0800

I have a 20-something friend who's leaving on the 22nd of this month, he plans on traveling for a whole year throughout Europe and South America. I want to get him something that is useful/meaningful for the journey, any ideas? For example: A watch? A Compass? (good or bad?)

A practical gift

blithecatpie — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:52:16 -0800

What are some useful items I can give to my friend as a gift for when she leaves to study abroad in Zambia? My dearest friend will be leaving in about a month for Zambia and I want to give her a gift of things that would really come in handy when she's there, only, I'm not sure what to get. I thought about a travel guide to the area, but what else would she find useful?

Thanks everyone!

InternGiftFilter: Cambodia-style

bhance — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:45:04 -0800

GiftFilter: What send-off gift to give an intern headed to Cambodia? I have a friend headed to Cambodia (Phnom Penh) for many months in the Fall for an internship. It is their first time in the country, but not their first overseas trip. I'd like to send them off with a helpful, meaningful, small gift in their hands.

Ideas? Perhaps you, Metafilter reader, have been there/lived there/stepped off the plane and said "Gee, I sure wish I had brought $thing with me before I got here ..."

I'm open to any ideas, from the purely functional (voltage converter?) to the hyper-local (Idiot's Guide to the Bars of Phnom Penh?).

"Thank you" in Tahitian?

progosk — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:02:03 -0800

What would be a nice gift for a family in Teahupo'o, Tahiti? (They'll be hosting my friend for a week; he's flying in from Italy via L.A.) Can't find much info on what's scarce/appreciated there other than, perhaps, anthologies of local tattoos...

What can I buy my sister that she can use on her trip to Italy this Spring?

Bunglegirl — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:06:37 -0800

What can I buy my sister that she can use on her trip to Italy this Spring? My sister's 33rd birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I usually spend around $50 on her present. I thought it might be fun to put together a few little things that she can use on her upcoming trip to Italy. I'm not sure if she has a guidebook yet.

I was thinking perhaps some cute or well-designed travel gadgets (she hasn't been to Europe or a long haul flight in 10 years). But I was thinking of getting some things that pertained to Italy or were Italy-specific like the *Wallpaper Rome Guide. She appreciates nice design and I've gotten some good ideas from this Design Sponge post. I want to put together something that will make her smile when she opens it (she lives across the country and it will be sent in the mail). Any ideas?

So I'm Giving My Boss Zip-Ties for his Birthday...

Smarson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:25:52 -0800

Boss's Birthday meets Traveling Work Bag Essentials Filter: I need to give my boss something more than just a handful of zip-ties...help Here's the deal, my boss's birthday is coming up and he hates it. Primarily because he can't stand useless gifts & cards. He is always appreciative of them, but secretly loathes their non-functional place in this world. This only hints at the underlying inferno of efficiency that consumes this man's life. He is almost certainly the living embodiment of productivity. He also travels constantly and anything that can't fit into his work bag is dead to him.

On the rare occasions that he has enough free time to chat we've spoken about our mutual tendency to carry everything we could ever need in our work bags. Electrical chargers, ear phones, kleenex, cough drops, bus schedules, etc., etc. Today I brought up the fact that I keep half-a-dozen zip ties of varying lengths/sizes in my bag since they take up almost no space and can come in super handy in a pinch. I could tell he made a mental note to pick some up and that's when I had my idea for a birthday gift -- things he can add to his work/travel bag. Obviously I need something more than zip ties though.

Lifehacker had some great articles on "go bags," but what I need are things streamlined for air travel. Also, he is all about function over form so pricey travel gadgets from SkyMall are out.

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Some more background on my boss:

*He used to participate in half-iron man competitions
*He is the epitome of "all business, all the time"
*He often gets labeled as a jackass since he doesn't have time for bullshit and is more apt to bypass all social niceties and cut straight to the point
*We're on great terms, but he scares the ever living crap out of me

Help me pick a fun yet handy gift for my good friend.

halogen — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:28:04 -0800

What going-away gift should I give to my 21-year-old friend who will be spending the next seven months in Egypt/Germany? My good friend and former roommate is going to Egypt for a bit over a month to a friend and travel to adjacent countries, followed by six months of EU parliament studies in Freiburg, Germany. I am having lunch with him tomorrow for the last time until he returns next year, and would like to give him a thoughtful and practical going-away/Christmas gift.

He is a political science/economics major (pre-law) who is more knowledgeable about current and past world affairs than anyone else I know, he just turned 21, and this will be his first time traveling beyond this continent. He cares passionately about history, government, atheism, the German language (he would absolutely not allow me to do his homework while we lived together) his iPhone and really, really wants to make sure we keep in touch and don't grow apart while he is gone (we'll be communicating over phone/IM/email when he's gone).

He's already made sure he has all the essentials he will be needing in Egypt and in Germany (seriously, he's thought of everything), and I would rather not inconvenience him with anything bulky.

Catch: I will be driving out a few hours to see him, so I need to be able to acquire the gift, if tangible, before 10 am on Sunday in Houston, Texas. Also, I am poor, so cheap is good (up to $40, but less is better).

Unfortunately, my brain is no longer functioning correctly after a set of grueling exams, and I can't come up with any decent ideas. Please help me, hive mind!

Gift for traveling to Belize

dublin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:51:54 -0800

Friends are going to Belize in December. I want to give them $30-40 Christmas gift that they might use/need while there. Any suggestions?

Airline Christmas Gift

Mroz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:16:52 -0800

How do I give an airline ticket as a Christmas gift? I (in NJ) would like to give my friend (in AZ) an airline ticket to visit her best friend (in Ga) as a Christmas present. I don't want to send cash. I don't want to purchase it and get locked in because I don't know her schedule. Are gift certificates reliable? Who would I buy one from?

Is there another method that I'm not thinking of?

Non-alcoholic guest gift ideas?

Riki tiki — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:42:52 -0800

Non-alcoholic travel-friendly Thanksgiving gift ideas? I'm joining some friends in San Diego for Thanksgiving this year. I know guests are traditionally supposed to bring a gift, and a good bottle of wine is the standard, but both these friends are recovering alcoholics which makes that a no-go.

What would be a good alternative that's:

in around the same price range as good wine,
would be air travel-friendly,
and is non-alcoholic?

I'm more looking for something that would fit a "traditional Thanksgiving" vibe, but I'd be open to something more esoteric if it's really brilliant.

Thanks!

What goes in a care package to Kyrgyzstan?

emyd — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:18:47 -0800

Ideas for a care package for a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan? I'd like to keep it open for many different types of suggestions, but perhaps the fact that he is 24 year old male from Northern California is relevant. Anyone know what kinds of things he'll be missing while he's stuck there for two years?

What to bring for symbolic gifts for academics?

k8t — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:23:07 -0800

Symbolic academic gifts for visiting scholar? I'm leaving in 3 weeks for Armenia. I have been a number of times, but this is my first time going as an "official" scholar. Hence, I'll be meeting with tons of academics. I have no idea what to bring them for gifts. I used to bring shot glasses of my hometown/university for friends, postcards, picture books... Symbolic gifts are extremely important culturally.

But what to bring academics? I've thought of California and my university calendars for 2009 as well as university logo coffee mugs.

Anything other ideas? Pens? Landscape photos?

Also, I'll be coming back to the U.S. for a conference in May, but not to California, so "general" gifts/needs like notebooks or dictionaries can be bought then.

Help me give a (restaurant?) gift to someone in Pietrasanta

amtho — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:45:09 -0800

Please help me be a gift-giving genius. I think I want to arrange a lovely but not-too-expensive lunch or dinner for my friend in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he is now living. I've never been there, know nothing about the town, and don't speak Italian. I've thought about contacting a concierge at a hotel there and asking, but I have no way (that I can think of) to tip such a person.

My friend was an excellent and generous host to us for a week-long stay in Florence this past February. This would be a combination thank-you/Christmas gift. I'm hoping to spend no more that ~$100.

Communication with my friend is sporadic; I'd need arrangements to be rather open ended (rather than coordinating a date and time).

Anybody know anything about Pietrasanta? Any clever ideas for accomplishing this?

Other gift ideas are also welcome. I think he's living in a camper near a quarry -- he's a "struggling artist" sculptor -- so he's traveling light, as far as I know.

Christmas gift for traveler who loves the nitty gritty details of travel plans?

ocherdraco — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:54:28 -0800

I need a good, creative Christmas gift idea for my dad. He's really into travel by air and rail--not the vehicles themselves so much, but their schedules, the logic behind putting a particular model on a particular flight, etc. My dad travels constantly (domestically and internationally), and since his college days (when he was a team manager for football, lacrosse and soccer) he's gotten an inordinate amount of pleasure in figuring out (and scheduling) how he's going to get from place to place: finding the best way to do it, and understanding the reasoning behind the way the system works. He loves drawing up itineraries (even if the most exciting thing on them is an irregular flight number) and executing well-made plans.

This is the kind of thing that really gets him excited--how can I parlay this into a really good Christmas gift?

I live in New York (in Astoria), so stores in the city (in addition to those online) would be lovely.

I'd rather avoid those seasickness wristbands.

you're a kitty! — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:31:00 -0800

What should I give my mother for her upcoming trip around the world? My unbelievably cool mother will be attending the Scholar Ship program this spring, starting in Hong Kong in January and travelling west from there (itenerary here - how seriously cool is that?). I want to make her a care package or get her something wonderful as a send-off/Christmas gift, and since a lot of you are well-travelled I figured I'd come here for advice. She'll be living on the ship, so she shouldn't have too much trouble with weight; she'll also have a computer with (I assume) internet access. I'll obviously want to include some reminders of home and other personalized things you can't suggest, but what else would be useful, comforting, or especially cool to send off with her? What would you want to have with you if you were spending four months on a cruise ship, finishing your bachelor's while traversing the globe?

Incidentally - anything I should ask her to bring back for me?

Asia travel ideas for 18 yr old karate lover?

RoadTripPlanner — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:48:39 -0800

Can anyone recommend any martial arts learning opportunities (camps, workshops, lessons, etc) in Asia that an 18 year old would enjoy? My nephew in the US is a karate brown belt and he would like to travel to Asia when he graduates from high school this year. I am trying to help him find some interesting travel opportunities which relate to karate. He loves karate and has been searching for something to do in Japan or India for Summer 2008 but we haven't found anything yet. Thanks for any tips.

Wary of bringing gifts to Greeks....

longdaysjourney — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:54:34 -0800

What booze to give the Greek relatives? I'm going to Greece next week for an extended stay, during which I'll be meeting some family members I haven't seen in years. I'd like to bring them a gift. I was thinking chocolates for the children, but I'm drawing a blank on gifts for the adults. Wine or liquor sound fairly safe, but I have no idea what Greeks consider "good" alcohol. Glenfiddich? Stolichnaya? I'm not a big drinker, so it's hard for me to just pick something out of the vast array of alcoholic beverages out there. If anyone has any recommendations for what might be good wine or liquor to bring, or any other suggestions for non-alcoholic gifts, I'd greatly appreciate your advice.

Great Gift for a Travellin' Girl

Medieval Maven — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:35:53 -0800

I need a great gift for my most excellent friend, who travels five days a week as a consultant. I've searched the AskMeFi archives, but all of the other gift threads seem to be as specific as my question is, but about something else! A little more detail: she doesn't read MeFi, so no worries there. She has a nice red leather tote for her laptop and gadgets, and she likes it. She has a Nintendo DS Lite and loves Tetris and Mario Kart. I'm not 100% sure what games her husband has (but it would be little trouble to find out). I want to give her a thoughtful gift that she can use while she's away from home that will make her life better/easier/funnier on the road. I've already started her on David Sedaris, as she didn't know of him prior to Christmas. She loves Eddie Izzard and Dylan Moran, and she's my age (25-30). So, Hive Mind, what thinkest you?

best vehicle GPS for older folks?

gluechunk — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:45:36 -0800

Please help recommend a vehicle GPS unit suitable for old geezers (my parents). I used to help sell gps units online, so I'm not clueless about them, but I'm looking for more input.

* mounting options for a deep dashboard (or a good vent mount)
* decent/loud volume
* text-to-speech
* bluetooth functions not needed
* real-time traffic data not needed
* canadian maps not really needed (since canada is, of course, irrelevant)
* other bells/whistles (mp3 player, etc.) not needed
* easy enough to be used by Old People.

I'm leaning towards the nuvi 350 (the 360 benefit is just bluetooth I think) although the nuvi 660 is nice (bigger screen, fm transmitter, but costly).

What is a typical American souvenir

arruns — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:27:49 -0800

What is a classic American Souvenir? I am visiting the States and my coworkers in New Zealand are expecting some little peice of America when I get back. Given customs restrictions wine/liquor is limited and foodstuffs most likely will be confiscated. Any ideas?

Any interesting gift ideas for a hip mom travelling to Greece?

boscord — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 19:30:43 -0800

Any interesting gift ideas for a hip mom travelling to Greece? Hey!

I'm looking for a birthday present for my mother who is traveling to Greece in about 2 weeks, something that may be related or loosely-related to the trip. Avoiding trite objects such as guide books and such, anything that could be an interesting gift? I don't know anything about Greece or anything in it, but perhaps some of you lovely AskMeFites can help me out with some ideas that would help my mom have a great trip. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Again!

New Book for My Spouse

mojohand — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 10:46:49 -0800

Need help with a gift for my spouse. She likes to read memoirs (not biographies) focused on food and/or travel. She's mined this category heaviliy, so titles published this year are a plus.