Do you have a travel fan to buy for this Christmas? Read on for some ideas for Christmas gifts for travel fans, all designed to make travel easier and more comfortable, and to help pack light. I’ve tried and tested all of these travel products, on my recent trips to Nashville and Malta, and can confirm they work well. The first ones are the best gift options, as they are lovely, whilst being practical. As you read on, theย veryย practical items come out, which may be better for self-purchase.
Travel Gifts for Beach Lovers
Tesalate Beach Towel
In my experience, going to the beach can be a messy affair, with sand gettingย everywhere. Butย Australian beach town company Tesalateย have gone some way to solving this, with their beautiful sand-free beach towels. As I am a huge flamingo fan, I chose Tesalate’s ‘Is this love?’ pink and blue design. (Product gifted for review.) As you can see, Thea loves it as much as I do! These towels makeย great gifts for travel fans that like their beach time.ย
Not only do they come in a gorgeous range of designs, Tesalate towels have the chic black and white graphic reverse side. Tesalete beach towels are super light, and less than a quarter of the size of a regular brach towel, and dry really quickly. Because they are smooth, without all the loops of normal towelling, the sand just slides right off.
Look how small it is! It comes in its own bag too.
I wrote a blog post a few months back talking about planning to wear a bikini for the first time in eight years, and here is the evidence! My Tesalate towel was so comfy to lie on, and didn’t leave any of that funny bumpy towel-print you get on your skin, when you lie on a normal towel.
Tesalate have developed their own high-tech fabric called AbsorbLite™ microfiber. It’s so absorbent that it can hold up to a litre of water!
Sunglasses with a Folding Case
The vintage-style sunglasses I’m wearing in the photos above are from Golden Hour Vision and come in a fab origami folding case. I found them to be perfect for travel as the case is sturdy enough to pop in your bag, so the sunglasses don’t get crushed, but folds flat when you’re wearing them. You can read more about these luxurious sunglasses on my full review here.
Salt-Water Sandals
I’ve long been a huge fan of Salt-Water Sandals, for many reasons. They have never given me blisters. Ever. You soak them in water when you buy them, and wear them until they are dry and they mould to your feet. I have two pairs, the matte gold, and shiny pastel pink and can’t choose my favourites. Salt-water Sandals are the ideal travel shoes, as you only need one pair if packing space is tight, as they can be worn in sun and the rain, or even in the sea! You can also hand wash them in a gentle detergent if needed.
If you’re buying Salt-water Sandals for yourself, or a friend, you might likeย my guide to finding the perfect size.
Sun Jellies Jelly Shoes
Perfect Bags for Travel
Fjallraven Kanken Backpack
I treated myself to this pretty, yet practical backpack before my trip to Nashville. It’s the ideal size for hand luggage and can fit so much in it. I bought the 15″ version, which you can buy in lots of different colours through this affiliate link. It comes in several different sizes, but I think this is the best for hand luggage, and carrying a laptop.
It has a separate pocket at the back for your laptop, and my 13inch Mac Book fits in with room to spare. There is also a removable seat pad, which helps protect your laptop, and the padded straps make it comfortable to carry. Itโs also fairly waterproof โ I havenโt tested it in a downpour but it certainly stands up to drizzle.
My Paper Tote Bag
My rose gold paper bag from My Paper Tote has lasted me two summers already, and still looks fab. As well as being a really generous size, making it ideal as a beach bag, it also packs flat for travel. This is how it looked when it was new, and you can see how it looks 18 months later in the sun lounger photo above – still gorgeous! Even though this sustainable bag is made from paper, it looks like leather and is super-durable. You can read all about thisย amazing bag on my dedicated blog post here.
Beauty Gifts for Travel Fans
Elsa’s Organic Skin Foods Deodorant
I’ve written before about my love for Elsa’s Organic Skin Foods’ natural deodorants, and now they come in travel-friendly tins too, which are easier to recycle. These two cute little tins have 100% natural, yet effective deodorant pastes smell great and work well, what’s not to love? You can buy these organic natural deodorants here. (Products gifted.)
CEYX Men’s Gift Set
This travel set of CEYX natural men’s toiletries from Love Lula (gifted for review) has a good selection of men’s grooming goodies in travel-friendly packaging makes packing a breeze. With travel-sized ย hair and moustache wax, face and shaving soap. cologne, face and beard oil and moisturiser, all in a travel bag, it’s a great kit for travel.
Gifts to Make Travel Easier
Trtl Travel Neck Wrap
This may not be the most attractive thing I’ve ever worn, but the Trtl Travel Neck Pillow does make aeroplane travel ever so slightly more bearable! It is made of fleece with a lightweight frame that supports your head. It folds up for travel so it fits in your hand luggage easily. You can buy a Trtl Neck Pillow in several colours through my affiliate link here.
Pack Mate Roll Up Vacuum Travel Storage Bags
I used these vacuum storage bags on recent trips and they are a revelation. I’ve used the larger ones that use a vacuum cleaner nozzle to suck the air out for years. These ones simply roll up so you don’t need a hoover. The air is removed quickly and easily by rolling them up with the clothes inside. You can buy roll up travel vacuum bags in several sizes through my affiliate link here. See how much you can fit in, and how small they go? Amazing!
Pop-up Laundry Baskets
These pop-up laundry baskets take up next to no space, but make holiday laundry so much easier. The handles make them easy to take to the laundry room on longer trips.
