Do you still need to find a gift for your loved ones this Christmas? Got a friend who loves to travel? These are the best Christmas gifts for travellers.
A great book for summer
Ever wondered about the cockpit of a passenger plane? Ever wanted to know how an airliner works or what happens if it’s struck by lightning? Behind the Flight Deck Door provides insider knowledge about everything you have ever wanted to ask a pilot.
Behind the Flight deck door. Picture: Brett Manders
Pilot Brett Manders wants to help you become a savvy traveller by providing insider tips, expert knowledge, and an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes to get you up in the air.
Told with a dash of humour, this book will demystify airline travel, address urban legends, and settle the nerves of anxious flyers.
Price: $20 via the website, or $29.65 at Angus and Robertson or Amazon
A GPS Tracking watch
Want your kids to stay safe and give them independence? Not ready for a mobile phone? The Tic Toc Track watch allows you to track the kids with GPS. The watch doubles as a phone. Adults can pre-program six safe numbers into the device. Only those six numbers can dial the watch, and those are the only six numbers kids can access.
The Tic Toc Track Watch. Picture: Alison Godfrey
Carers can use the App to set a safe boundary for kids. If they wander outside of it, the app will send you an emergency alert. The Tic Toc Track also has an SOS button, just in case the worst happens. Once pressed, it will update the GPS location every 20 seconds.
The best thing about the Tic Toc Track for parents is the ability to see where the children are when they are not in your care. Bus running late? You won’t have to stress. Simply open the app and see their location. Or give them a call.
Price: $199 + sim card access from the Tic Toc Track website.
Flight vouchers
Give a flight voucher this Christmas. Picture: Shutterstock
This is the ultimate Christmas gifts for travellers. Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin, Scoot, Air Canada, British Airways, Singapore – it doesn’t matter which airline, this is one gift that keeps giving. Buy a travel voucher for your loved one and they can choose where they want to go and what adventure they want to have. Who knows, they may even take you with them.
You can also buy a gift voucher from Family Travel. Did you know we actually have a travel agent on our team? If you haven’t seen our Family Holiday deals – you could be missing out on a bargain holiday. Use the chatbot on the page – or call us on 1300 404 100 to order a gift card and your loved one can choose any holiday they want.
Price: Whatever you choose.
A magazine subscription
Hint, hint. You could subscribe them to Family Travel magazine for just $25 for 12 months. That’s on sale this month. They will never know that you got it cheaper than normal.
You know you want to subscribe to this wonderful magazine. Picture: Family Travel
A travel wallet
Do you know someone who gets to the airport and digs through their bag for scraps of paper with their itinerary? Or pulls out clothes and shoes looking for their passport?
This is the gift for them. The J.Burrows Re-charging travel wallet stores your passport, a pen and credit card and you can also charge your mobile phone with it. It has a power bank with a 3.7 volt battery.
Price: $31.95 at Officeworks
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are the ultimate accessory for the traveller. These nifty devices are essentially plastic cubes which allow you to separate and organise your luggage. Keep your stinky shoes away from your underpants. Keep your underpants and socks separate from the rest of your luggage. If you pack for the whole family in one bag – you can colour code each person’s belongings. Genius.
Packing cubes like these ones allow you to organise your suitcase.
Our tip – make sure you get packing cells that have a mesh or clear window – that way you can see what is inside each pack.
Price: Varies. For budget cells, head to KMart. For deluxe – go to Kathmandu.
Travel water bottles
When you travel – you always need a water bottle. These ones from Typo are the best for travellers. No matter how hot the car gets, these bottles keep the water cool inside.
When travelling you can boil water, cool it down in the bar fridge and refill. That saves a lot of plastic going into the environment.
Typo water bottles come in all kinds of cool patterns including Star Wars. Picture: Typo
Locals only sunscreen
Ditch your stock-standard sunscreen for something kids will actually love slapping on.
Locals Only sunscreen is reef safe, preservative free and smells like a dream. This light, non-greasy formula comes in two scents – Tropical and Watermelon.
Locals Only is made without any nasty chemicals such as oxybenzone so it’s suitable for sensitive skin. Keep your family safe from the sun this summer and smell like a tropical breeze while you’re at it.
Price: $16.95
Read more:
The key to a stress-free Christmas
How to decorate a Christmas bauble
The best cruise lines for families
Travel allows you to get outside your bubble. It makes you realise there are other ways to do things, and that’s OK. Plus, I am a huge fan of skiing and for the best powder – you need to head overseas.