In our series of Christmas gift ideas for people that like to travel, we have now reached the issue for ladies who travel. With only a week to go until the big day, this may help to dig you out of your shopping quandary.
If you are still stuck, our prior Christmas gift ideas lists have included; great gifts for the smaller globetrotter and their parents, ideas for those who love the outdoors or at least have to go outside regularly to walk the dog, technology based ideas for travellers and ideas for those who really are difficult to buy for.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Ladies Who Travel
Cashmere
You can’t go wrong with buying travel items in cashmere. The fabric is beautifully soft and feels lovely against your skin as well as being light and folding well which makes them easy to carry,
Wrap
A large, warm cosy wrap is a must when travelling. It keeps you warm if the plane is chilly, it makes for a lovely soft pillow and is generally very comforting if you are feeling tired and out of sorts. Somerset by Alice Temperley at John Lewis does a very nice grey cashmere travel wrap. The Glen Prince wide cashmere scarf at House of Fraser is another great option.
Jumper / Cardigan
I always take a jumper on a plane, even if I am travelling somewhere warm as I find the cabin is often cold. John Lewis has a great range of cashmere jumpers and cashmere cardis which come in a variety of colours. They are particularly good for travelling as they are washable. This is especially handy when you realise you have tipped a cup of coffee / gin and tonic down yourself at some point during the flight. If your lady traveller prefers a more casual look for travelling, a great alternative to a jumper or cardi is this cashmere sweatshirt, also at John Lewis.
Lovely Socks
Yes, yes, we know we should wear flight socks on a long haul flight, but they feel horrible and are not very comfy. John Lewis cashmere bedsocks are absolutely wonderful, they will keep toes toasty and they make a great gift.
Nice hand cream
Dry recycled ‘plane air’ can play havoc with your hands. Everyone needs a really good hand cream in their carry on to plaster on at regular intervals – it must be 100ml or under to get through security. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour® Cream Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment, 75ml from House of Fraser is always a good bet, as is L’Occitane Hand Cream Trio from John Lewis. As well as being effective, the trio of L’occitane creams come in pretty packaging as well.
Lip Balm
In a similar vein, lips also need protecting from dry air when travelling and a particularly nice lip balm can make a great stocking filler. We love Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm which acts as a lipstick and balm in one. Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner is another great choice, this is just a straight balm so is a good option if you don’t want to have to choose a colour.
Travel sized cosmetics
For someone who travels a lot, having a range of cosmetics in small sizes is very handy. The Elemis The Art Of Travelling Ladies Collection Set is a great gift and comes in it’s own case. It is also handy to have a separate set of make up brushes so you don’t have to keep continually packing and unpacking your main set. We really like the Dior Mini Travel Sized Brush Set which would be another great gift for a frequent traveller.
Large handbag / Nice carry on bag
Ladies who travel often need a large bag in which to loose passports, purses and anything else important, and to carry all the bits and pieces that nobody else has room for; Kindles, Ipods, glasses, keys etc.
There are some fabulous large handbags around at the moment – if you are unaware of the necessary lexicon by the way, you are after a tote bag. If you are feeling very generous we love the Aspinal of London Marylebone tote bag stocked in dark brown with mock croc by House of Fraser and in cappuccino, navy and black by John Lewis. If the Aspinall bag is a little more than you were thinking of spending, some good alternatives are the Radley Barnsley Large Multiway Tote Handbag which comes in a variety of colours, and the John Lewis Vintage Veg Tote Bag which comes in tan and black.
If your travelling lady is not one for handbags, the John Lewis Leather Holdall is a great option for a lovely holdall, as is the Mulberry Scotchgrain Simple Clipper Holdall , for something really special.
In terms of cabin sized suitcases, we love the Antler Framed Liquis 4-Wheel Cabin Suitcase. It is solid and lightweight and should last for years and years. It comes in several colours but we like the red. If this seems a little on the shiny side, we also like the Antler Duolite Expandable 2-Wheel Cabin Suitcase which is handily expandable.
Finally, if none of our ideas appeal, we particularly like this years Christmas gifts for her edit at John Lewis. If you search around for inspiration you shouldn’t go too far wrong……
