Last year we felt so inundated by the storm of gift guides that started to flood our inbox the day after Halloween that we skipped one altogether and just reshared our favorite gift guides instead. But we are big believers in the power of objects, scents and tastes to transport us to faraway places, so this year we’ve been curating our list of travel gear and ephemera that we’re excited to give (or receive!) this holiday season.
HOTEL MERCH
The Pellicano ashtray/trinket bowl, and their long-handle tote bag
Cocktail napkins from everyone’s favorite bar, Bemelmans, at the Carlyle
The best peaches in an old-school huge tin from the Greenbrier!
Keychains, caps, trinket trays—we love merch from Le Sirenuse
A terry bucket hat from the Lowell, one of my favorite NY hotels
A chic wine pull from the Beverly Hills Hotel, or their pink/green coffee mug (which is a surprising/refreshing $20!)
A Mauna Kea visor with their classic logo and orange plumeria
Mini vintage Citroen that represents the house car of the Hotel Crillon in Paris
An amber-scented candle from Airelles that you’ll want to binge-burn
How about a sheepskin hot water bottle or a forager’s hamper from the Newt in Somerset, dropping you into Britain’s West Country?
HOME/DECOR
Grand Tour intaglios, handmade in the UK, for those who love old-world travel souvenirs
Vintage French gallery posters from Studio St. Lazare
Anything from The Old Map Shop
This tablecloth makes any meal better
Mexican ceramic candelabras and piñas
A set of brass Florentine coasters
Globe domed paperweight from John Derian
Casa Velasquez’s absolutely non-frumpy aprons
The Yolo Collection of photo prints on Sonic Editions
DS & Durga “Roadtrip Hits” auto fragrance set
A magic box that connects you to the world’s live city radio stations
The best Italian tree ornaments from our friends at Issimo
ACCESSORIES
Leather phone case made from Hermès-like leather
Best eyeglass case from Milan
Perfectly sized chic-casual crossbody for travel
A good-looking thin travel wallet that holds your passport, boarding pass and most-used credit card
Cute leather Air Tag holder for luggage
Binoculars that look almost as cool as whatever they’re pointing at
Smythson’s twin set of playing cards in a travel case
Travel bar tools set with a leather pouch to bring to your AirBnB
Soft travel sets that get the Lingua Franca custom treatment—for anyone who gets cold on the plane
A bluetooth adapter so you never have to use those cottony airline-issue earphones again
BODY/WELLNESS
Grand tour soaps that may be a little too beautiful to use
Body balm, or pretty much anything from Naxos Apothecary
Splurgy sheet masks for the plane
Officine Universelle Buly lip balm in nice packaging that you can have your initials embossed on
Also from Buly, the chicest travel toothbrush
Unisex fragrances inspired by global history, from a 17th-century Mexican convent to the Sydney Rock Pools
Foam ball to work out your sore hip after a flight
Matt’s favorite travel shave kit
Little Wonders “microbiome friendly” skincare set, all TSA approved
Travel-size laser device we covet
Incense sticks with a lightweight pumice holder to fumigate any stanky hotel room
Another incense we love–this one handmade in Kyoto
Lip salve from our favorite lavender farm in New Mexico
The travel set from Vintner’s Daughter
MEMORY KEEPING
Colorful notebook from Milan with a gold monogram
Travel-friendly watercolor sets in palettes like “California Coastal” and “All the Feels”
Favorite travel journals from Muji
LUGGAGE/BAGS
The Yolo sticker collection for your bags, or just one for the back of your phone!
The perfect leather tote with trolley strap
Lusting after this bag from French brand L’Uniform, which you can customize and monogram
Kule shoulder strap tote bag and short handle tote—the best colors and they sit on your rollerboard.
LL Bean tote with zip top in all white—the travel patina just adds to the character
Rimowa carryon roller, which is lightweight and just so perfect. Price-per-use justification!
Extra fold-up zipped bag for the overflow stuff you buy abroad and check when you fly home
Small Liberty print bag—so cheery and just the kind of thing I want to see on a plane
Toiletry bag from a small company in DC for a great price
A travel pill case that I will actually be excited to carry with me
A hand pillow perfect for naps on trains or planes, a Bordeaux startup!
FOOD + DRINK
Portugalia Marketplace for the creative gift box win
A wine club that demystifies Spanish wine
Insane dark chocolate-covered peanuts
The perfect chukar cherries for Manhattans
Filipino kitchen staples you didn’t know you needed: calamansi marmalade & coconut spread
Mediterranean Essentials herbs set from an Athens-based workshop
A giant tin of Spanish potato chips
A provisions package (olive oil, vinegar, honey) from our friends at Hudson Ranch
The Wm Brown chocolate bar trio–trust me we did a lot of market research!
TRAVEL UNIFORM
Vest that is warm but not so puffy that it doesn’t work underneath a blazer.
Polka dot scarf from Drake’s that dresses up a sweater but also just keeps you warm on the plane
It’s a scarf, it’s a poncho, it’s a blanket for the plane!
Another great poncho
Most flattering swimsuits that double as workout gear/bodysuits
The goes-with-absolutely-everything-in-your bag cashmere sweater
Cute PJs with adventure in their DNA—and you’re presentable when room service arrives
Normally not fans of t-shirts with words on them, but the Il Dolce Far Niente from Issimo is a clever conversation starter.
Original Explorer’s Club Cousteau-esuqe “watch cap”
BOOKS/ARMCHAIR TRAVEL
This book with best packaging of European products, from Paul Rand
Road Trips series box set of books from the always on-point Wild Sam
For the traveler who loves France, this beautifully illustrated book
And this South of France for Art Lovers book
Just discovered this guidebook series and love it
Matt’s latest, A Man & His Kitchen…or get it with a bottle of wine!
A subscription to Yolo Journal our 3x a year printed magazine
And these cookbooks are all so transporting and/or so connected to place. I want to order every single one…
Asada The Art of Mexican Style Grilling
Pomegranates & Artichokes, A Food Journey from Iran to Italy
Strudel, Noodles & Dumplings: The New Taste of German Cooking
Andaza: A memoir of food, flavour, and freedom in the Pakistani kitchen
Gohan, Everyday Japanese Cooking
…And commemorative editions of Julia Child’s first solo book, The French Chef Cookbook, and An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey, just reissued by Knopf.
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS
A thoughtful but couldn’t-be-easier transporting gift. These are just some of our favorites—tell us yours in the comments!
Elizabeth’s Newsletter from Italy
David Leibovitz: A Tasty Mix of Food, Paris, Life and Travel
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