Travel
The best Christmas travel gifts: 38 presents for explorers and armchair travellers
Not sure what to get friends and family for Christmas? Fear not, we have plenty of ideas for a last-minute present.
Our carefully chosen selection of travel-inspired gifts ranges from the practical to the indulgent, with great books for the armchair traveller and outdoor gear for the active.
Maybe a cool new suitcase for weekends away would suit, or a stylish eco wash kit designed for travel? For those who have it all, perhaps opt for an experience to remember. Vouchers for vineyard visits, hotel breaks or afternoon tea may hit the spot. Happy shopping … and happy holidays!
Travel books
The Joy of Quiet Places
In this era of overtourism, give the gift of 180 peaceful escapes in this Lonely Planet book.
£22.99
lonelyplanet.com
Why We Travel
One for mindful travellers: Ash Bhardwaj asks what motivates us to venture out into the world and how we can do it better.
The Tree Atlas
Matthew Collins’ book spotlights 50 amazing trees, ideal for armchair adventurers as well as those who want to visit them in the wild.
The Balkan Kitchen
Irina Janakievska weaves together recipes, anecdotes and beautiful photography from her Balkan homeland.
£24.30
guardianbookshop.com
Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Journeys
Caroline Eden reflects on past global adventures and cooks recipes from her travels.
£17.09
guardianbookshop.com
Lamb’s London
Fans of the hit spy show Slow Horses will love Herb Lester’s map and guide to Jackson Lamb’s London.
Gift vouchers for getaways
National Trust
Treat a couple to a day out with the National Trust’s Unboxed gift experience, which includes entry to an NT property, parking and a cream tea.
The Wine Garden of England
These new gift vouchers allow recipients to choose one of eight Kent vineyards to visit for a discounted tour and tasting, with options including Chapel Down and Gusbourne.
From £40
winegardenofengland.co.uk
Kip Hideaways
These beautiful gift cards can be put towards a self-catering escape in any of the collection’s 200-plus UK cabins and cottages.
From £50
kiphideaways.com
The Retreat Company
These vouchers are valid for selected workshops and retreats, from art to yoga.
From £25
theretreatcompany.com
PoB Hotels
This collection of independent hotels across the UK has monetary and experience vouchers to be redeemed against a meal, spa day or stay.
Monetary vouchers from £75
pobhotels.com
Experience vouchers from £50
pobhotels.com
The best travel kit gifts
Eye mask
Gift a good night’s sleep on a long journey or in a bright tent with an eye mask from the British Red Cross, made in Nepal from recycled sari remnants.
Phone wallet
Help a teen (or adult) keep their valuables safe with a bright, wearable phone holder and card purse from the Tate, made from waterproof cotton canvas with a recycled cotton lining.
Drop recycled wash kit
Passenger has a great travel drop wash kit inspired by road trips. It has three drop-down compartments with a hanger – ideal for camping – and is made from recycled polyester.
£29.95
passenger-clothing.com
Packing cubes
Packing cubes help organise and optimise space in a suitcase. Joules has a set of three with a lovely damask print and a drawstring bag.
£40
joules.com
Underseat suitcase
The Jetset 15-inch underseat suitcase by Lugg is very stylish and spacious enough for long weekends.
£29.74
lugg-online.com
Activewear gifts for explorers
Tulum recycled towel poncho
Outdoor swimmers and water-sport enthusiasts will love Passenger’s Tulum towel poncho, made from recycled polyester.
£35.97
passenger-clothing.com
Brighton Water Shoes
These unisex shoes are perfect for swimming and walking on pebbles. They come in a range of colours inspired by Brighton beach, from Palace Pier Pink to Sea Green.
£18.99
brightonwatershoes.co.uk
Floating keyrings
Behaviour Change Cornwall makes a range of accessories, including floating keyrings, from ghost fishing gear such as buoys, floats and nets.
£14.99
behaviourchangecornwall.co.uk
Recycled plastic carabiner
Climbers will treasure a unique Müll Club carabiner made from recycled household plastic – perhaps a yellow one from Marmite lids, or a purple one from Quality Street tubs.
The best accessories gifts
Handmade bracelets and necklaces
El Camino allows travellers to show off their adventures on handmade bracelets and necklaces created to reflect the countries and cities visited and nature experiences such as the northern lights and dolphin-watching.
From £32.99
elcaminobracelets.com
Bobble beanie
The National Gallery has a cosy merino wool bobble beanie in the colours of a hawfinch, designed to raise awareness of endangered birds.
£45
shop.nationalgallery.org.uk
Sustainable umbrella
No sensible traveller leaves home without an umbrella. Kew Gardens has one made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainably sourced birch with a fun “magic of mushrooms” design.
£38
shop.kew.org
Cosy socks
These are a must on most active holidays. Wild Wool sells pairs made in small family-run workshops in Spain, using offcuts from the textile industry (ie recycled wool and cotton).
Lightweight slippers
Another essential for travellers, the Baggu Puffy Slippers from Plastic Freedom are made from recycled nylon and fleece, with designs including constellations and flowers.
£40.80
plasticfreedom.co.uk
Wellness gifts for R&R
Scented candles
The Royal Academy has various scented candles made by sustainable brand Rekava in Ukraine, with aromas of the country, such as amber, herbs, honey and apricots. The container, lid and wick are all compostable.
Festival essentials
First-time festival-goers will love the eco travel toiletries and festival essentials kit from The Rosy Robin Company. It contains a compostable poncho, biodegradable wipes, organic sunscreen, bamboo toothbrush, travel toothpaste, natural deodorant and the all-important hand sanitiser, complete with a cotton mesh bag.
Paddling in the Surf diffuser
Bring the scent of the seaside into your home with a Happy Place diffuser rich in notes of seaweed, pear, grapefruit, lemon and mandarin.
Hot-water bottles
The National Trust has some lovely versions of this camping essential with covers made by Tweedmill Textiles. Patterns include autumn leaves.
Not-a-Lavender bags
Kalinko’s Not-a-Lavender bags are scented with agarwood and made from fabric offcuts by artisans in Myanmar. They keep clothes smelling fresh and protect them from moths.
£14
kalinko.com
The best food and drink gifts
Limoncello spritz set
Transport your recipient to the Amalfi coast with a spritz set, featuring the year’s hottest drink, limoncello, made by Three Wrens Gin in Cheshire.
Four Seas by Salcombe Gin
If gin is their tipple, get them a bottle of Four Seas by Salcombe Gin, celebrating 200 years of the RNLI and distilled with lemon peel smoked over Scottish whisky barrel woodchips, English sea buckthorn, sugar kelp from the Irish sea and elderberries from Wales.
£39.50
shop.rnli.org
Organic cold-pressed rapeseed oil
Instead of olive oil, gift from closer to home with Riverford’s organic cold-pressed rapeseed oil, which is made in Aberdeenshire.
£7.75
riverford.co.uk
Truffle Hunter condiment gift box
English Heritage has a truffle condiment set containing truffles found in the Sibillini mountains in Italy and other top truffle regions in Europe. It includes truffle-infused “dust”, salt, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and honey.
£22
english-heritageshop.org.uk
Home and garden ideas for travellers
Penguin tea towels
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust has cute penguin tea towels that help support its conservation work.
£25 for two
shop.ukaht.org
Custom pub portrait
Immortalise a favourite holiday hangout with a custom pub portrait by Lancashire-based Hayley & Co.
From £20
hayleyandco.co.uk
Wildflower seedballs
Kew Gardens and Transport for London have joined up to create a tin of six wildflower seedballs, containing poppy meadow, cranesbill, red clover, red campion, corn marigold, wallflower, common knapweed and marjoram.
£10
shop.kew.org
Canopy closed garden
Create your own self-sustaining ecosystem in this dome-shaped planter, inspired by the biomes of Cornwall’s Eden Project. The 22cm high Canopy closed garden is mouth-blown from recycled glass.
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