5 Last Minute Best Christmas Gifts for Travelers
Are you still looking for a perfect holiday present, but running out of time? Here is the list of last-minute Christmas gifts for travelers, that will still 100% arrive before Boxing Day.
If you are anything like us and stayed away from the shopping malls before Christmas, you might have realized by now, that we are just a few days from Christmas Day and running out of time to buy something meaningful.
Emptyhanded and without ideas, it might seem that everything is lost, but don't worry, we came up with a super useful list of best Christmas Gifts for all travelers in your life.
Luckily, we live in the 21st century, and we can buy almost everything online these days.
In fact, some of the gifts we will mention later on are one of the best Christmas gifts you can get, and you won't have to worry about shipping delays and delivery deadlines.
We've put together a list of thoughtful Christmas gift ideas that can be bought and wrapped just before Christmas Day arrives.
Happy shopping!
GIFT CARDS & COUPONS
Gift coupons or gift cards are one of the best Christmas presents that you can come up with when you are running out of time, and we think everyone loves getting experiences as a present.
There are thousands of gift cards you can choose from, and you can either email them or print them as vouchers.
One of the handiest gift cards you can find on Amazon right now are these email delivery Amazon.com eGift Cards.
Or head to your local grocery store, and there will be a bunch of gift cards from companies such as Starbucks, Netflix or Apple.
Gift coupons became a golden standard of modern Christmas gifts, and if you have a partner or parents, friends who love traveling, they will really appreciate these gifts. It's always pretty awesome when you can watch your favorite tv-show or listen to music while on the road.
The possibilities are endless, so these are just a few ideas that can take the hassle out of the gift choosing process.
FLIGHT TICKETS
Together with gift coupons, flight tickets are one of our favorite Christmas gifts.
Do you know someone in your family who has been constantly talking about a trip to Rome but never finds the courage to book the flight?
Well, Christmas is a perfect time to purchase a flight ticket for someone you really care about. With this perfect Christmas gift, you can give them a small push to their next exciting adventure.
But hey, you can't be serious, flight tickets are crazy expensive! That's only half right.
Think locally, and you might find some crazy good deals! Also traveling in the low season is way cheaper than during the high season.
Put those two travel tips together, and you might come up with some excellent ideas! Europe has some wonderful weekend getaway destinations that will make for a perfect gift.
To give you an example, you can find return tickets from our hometown Prague to London for as low as 20 bucks! To be fair, often you need to buy a shuttle bus from the airport which costs about the same, but still, this is a great deal. Do you live in the US? How about a flight from LA to New York?
You see, there are many options, and it all depends on the location you live in.
Before you book the flight, make sure you know the financial capacity of gift recipients as some destinations are really expensive, and you want to make the trip as affordable as possible for them.
Flight tickets are not the only option for traveling between destinations.
Buses and trains are also a very popular way to get around places you want to visit, especially in Europe, so you can search for these options too.
BOOK A STAY OR ACTIVITY
Booking a great hotel for your other half is a perfect Christmas gift!
Whether you are a frugal backpacker or luxury traveler, you will always find a place to stay. There are definitely places near you where you always wanted to go, but never found the perfect time.
Once again, think locally to find something affordable.
Are you craving to treat yourself?
Try to book a hotel room in an offseason when the prices are significantly lower. This is a great way how you can afford even a luxury room in a hotel without breaking the bank.
If you know someone who is going to visit a foreign country or a new city, you can always book them a tour with a local guide so they can learn more about the destination's culture and history.
Hearing stories from locals and talking to them is one of the best ways to explore a new destination, and sites such as Getyourguide or Viator will allow you to experience something extraordinary when traveling.
PHOTOS & PRINTS
So you missed the deadline, and none of the printing companies will deliver your printing orders before Christmas Day?
Don't worry. This gift idea requires a little bit of extra effort, but you can still bring your unforgettable memories to life, and it's totally worth it!
Head to one of your local instant photo printing kiosks with your phone or SD card full of memories, and print photos in the store by yourself. While in the store, pick up a nice photo album, where you bind all your photos you've just printed.
This idea is also perfect for people who take tons of photos during their vacations, but never have time to print them. Now it's time to stop making excuses, and create an amazing Christmas gift by yourself!
Still don't want to give up the idea of a large print photo under a Christmas tree? If you think that you found a perfect photo, you would like to print and hang on your wall, not everything is lost yet.
Even though it looks like print stores won't accept any more new orders which can be delivered before Christmas Day, it's not exactly true.
Many reputable print stores will still accept and deliver large prints before Christmas Day even now, but it's going to cost you more. A lot more, like double the initial asking price.
Search or ask for express printing options in your local photo store, and your photos will be waiting for you in less than 24 hours.
And if you are looking for some distinctive prints, head to our photo gallery that features a unique collection of photos from our travels, and purchase a digital copy that is just waiting to be printed!
BOOKS & TRAVEL GUIDES
Even though this article about the best Christmas last-minute gifts is coming from an online travel blog, we have a confession - we love paper guide books!
Whether you want to go backpacking in South America, do a road trip around Australia or just visit Prague on weekend, guidebooks will make your travels much easier.
Planning a perfect travel itinerary is more convenient with guidebooks, and nowadays, you can choose from many publishers and authors who covered (probably) all destinations around the world.
Although travel blog posts and digital guidebooks are very useful, we always pack a paper guide book for our next big adventure. You might call us old-fashioned, but we can't get rid of this habit.
And then there are books. Every destination we've ever been to offers something special and unique, and we love reading about the places we visited or plan to visit.
To illustrate what we are talking about, here are a couple of examples.
Are you planning to visit Machu Picchu in Peru this year?
You must read Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham, the guy who discovered this incredible historical site.
When we were in Nepal and spent almost three weeks trekking around Annapurnas, we bought in capital Kathmandu couple of books Annapurna: The First Conquest Of An 8,000-Meter Peak by Maurice Herzog and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer after we successfully finished the circuit to learn more about the high altitude adventures.
You still have plenty of time, head to your local book store, and buy something connected to your past or upcoming adventures!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and safe travels!
Lucie and Martin
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
