Gifting is a tricky business. No matter who you're shopping for, there's always a chance you'll buy something they already own, don't like, or that will end up at the back of a storage closet. Sometimes, though, you stick the landing, and give something your mom, friend, partner, or otherwise will treasure for years to come—whether that's something tangible, or a can't-put-a-price-on-it experience gift. We asked Condé Nast Traveler editors from around the globe to reminiscence on the most memorable presents they've ever received. These suggestions from our global editors range in price and personality—from life-changing trips to Paris and hand-crafted artwork to dreamy fragrances and essential luggage. Below, find a mix of 32 inspiring and practical gift ideas for every traveler on your list.
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Honeymoon adventures
“Ahead of our destination wedding in Italy, my now-husband and I decided to forego the traditional registry and instead establish a honeymoon fund with Zola. So while we didn't receive tangible gifts, contributions did go toward once-in-a-honeymoon experiences like a stay at the beautiful Hotel Eden in Rome, as well as impressive private tours (Fendi flagship, anyone?) with operator Imago Artis Travel and a few languorous, sun-soaked days at La Posta Vecchia, an estate off the coast of Ladispoli. Sure, a KitchenAid mixer is great—but it was far more memorable to sip Franciacorta by the sea and explore the underbelly of the Colosseum.” —Betsy Blumenthal, editor, features and editorial franchises, U.S.
A flower press
“One of my favorite hobbies is pressing flowers, especially those from my favorite destinations I visit. I have always just used a book to flatten the petals, which was not very handy and sometimes inconvenient. This all changed when my grandmother bought me a lovely, chic flower press from Anthropologie before my European travels last year. It is super light to carry so I brought it with me everywhere. I now have flowers from all over the world hanging in clear frames on my walls. Not to mention, pressed flowers from Paris or Italy make for the perfect ‘I thought about you, even all the way in Europe’ present for someone special.” —Jessica Chapel, editorial assistant, U.S.
A flight to Paris
“During my first year of college, my parents gifted me a round-trip ticket to Paris for spring break (printed from the travel agency and tucked into the inside cover of a Lonely Planet Paris guidebook nonetheless). I’d grown up what felt like a million miles from Europe and had spent weeks of my life dreaming of finally getting there. My friends and I exited the Metro early morning in the 10th arrondissement. I could smell the boulangeries; a woman in a bright orange coat ate a pastry as she walked down the street; wicker chairs were lined against the bistros facing onto the roads as if anticipating the great spectacle that would become Paris during the height of the day. It sounds cliché but it wasn’t; it was just Paris and it was marvelous. I fell so hard for Europe that I returned a few months later for work, moved there after university, and have juggled a life that straddles the East Coast and Europe ever since. That gift literally changed the course of my life.” —Erin Florio, director of features and editorial franchises, U.S.
“The best travel gift I ever received was a trip to Paris. Yes, it sounds unoriginal, but classics never die. My parents were celebrating 25 years of marriage and planned to travel alone to the city of love, but at the last moment, my mother decided that it would make her much happier if my two brothers and I traveled with them. We did all the touristy things possible, we accumulated a lot of anecdotes: I shared a little hotel room with my two brothers, I gave an emotional speech at sunset on a Bateau Mouche, and, to top it off, a painter made a very flattering portrait of me in Montmartre which has presided over my parents' living room ever since. That was, without a doubt, my best travel gift, the trip in which I fell in love with Paris, France, and the idea of travel itself.” —Clara Laguna, writer, Spain
Hand-woven goods from Turkey
“A hand-woven wool cushion and carpet from Turkey. We visited the local production factory and learned about the beautiful patterns of the cushions, in which each shape has a meaning and each pattern is the first of its kind. Hand-woven wool products have a long history in the region, and this souvenir provides insight into how they were made and used by local people thousands of years ago.” —Zhicheng Guo, art designer, China