My Favorite Things
It’s that time of year again, when lists of traveler-friendly gifts start making their way around the internet. Some of these lists are helpful in finding the perfect present for your road-warrior friends and family. But I find that others are just impractical (e.g. heavy travel guidebooks and large travel pillows), and not worth the price of the gift wrap. But in the spirit of the season, here are the things that I have valued the most this year on the road, some of which can be wrapped and purchased and others which are ones which can’t be gifted but can be earned (frequent flier points – amen!):
- iPhone - it’s an amazing camera (really, especially the new 7 series), invaluable for apps that substitute for maps and airport/flight information (Priority Pass, FlightView tracking, etc.), and a good way to jot down notes or snap a shot of that favorite bottle of wine at a restaurant so you don’t forget it.
- Cashmere wrap – forget your pricey silk scarves and bulky jackets. I’ve been traveling with the same black cashmere wrap for 10 years now, and it’s invaluable. No matter where you are headed, plane and airport temperatures vary; plus you want something that you can drape around your shoulders to look a bit more professional and polished before or after the overnight flights where we all look a little bedraggled. And for guys, I recommend a nice cashmere scarf which adds a similar look for you and camouflages that five o-clock shadow nicely when you need it.
- United Global Services – I’ve admitted before in this blog that I’m one of Those People who is completely smitten with GS. United may not have the best planes in the business but if you need to go somewhere and your flight cancels or you miss a connection you cannot beat GS service. This summer, Chris and the kids and I were traveling to London on a connection with United through Houston. When our outbound flight to IAH was delayed so that we would miss the flight departing for LHR, GS promptly rebooked us on a Delta flight (in business class and with seats together) at no charge so we didn’t miss a day of our vacation. And GS did that in about 10 minutes without any dispute or debate – that is the kind of service that is rare these days in the travel industry, and beyond invaluable.
- Tumi suitcases – I’ve tried a lot of suitcases, but have been most pleased with Tumi. My go-to-carry-on size has been all over the world with me, with no problems with loose wheels, chipped corners, or other malfunctions. These bags don’t quit – and if they do, Tumi fixes them, no questions asked.
- See Concept eyeglasses – Yeah, I’m at that point in life where I need eyeglasses for close reading, and I tend to lose them occasionally. I keep multiple pairs at home, but also consider these my go-to staple for traveling. A Parisian company makes these stylish spectacles – which are durable due to their plastic frames and lenses. They are about $30 USD in France at the current exchange rate but if you can’t make it to Paris you can also buy these on line at the MoMA website and a few other places. Bonus: See Concepts now makes sunglasses as well – while they may not substitute for your favorite Ray-Bans, they are a lot less costly if you (ahem) misplace them in a hotel or on a plane.
- Good converters and adapters – I confess, I’ve learned the hard way; cheap models do not work. Yes, it’s a pain that Apple only sells its converters in a full world set (so you can’t buy UK or EU-compatible plugs just by themselves), but they really are the best; they don’t fall out of the wall or collapse as you are trying to get the prongs to align. Find a good brand that you like and stick with it.
- Small and even smaller travel size versions of my favorite products – Websites that tout small travel size items are okay, I guess, but if you really like your shampoo then just finding another one in a travel size doesn’t cut it. I like my brands, and especially when travel is hard on your skin it means a lot to be able to fly with your favorites. In 2016 I was happy to find a number of my stand-bys in travel size – more companies seem to understand that they can make an easy sale by selling these rather than depending on consumers to transfer the goop into travel-size TSA approved containers (yeah, I’ll do it but it’s a pain – I hate those things; they always leak and I forget what is in what bottle).
- Travel-size umbrella – My mini Totes brolly saved me more than once this year; it isn’t glamorous but it takes up very little space in my bag and it can be a lifesaver when you land in a new location where it’s raining and you need a quick assist while dashing for a cab or the metro.
- iPad – It’s another Apple product, yes, but it’s worth it. Leave the books behind; forget dragging a big laptop if you opt for the iPad Pro; abandon your foldable (or bunchable) city maps; and ditch the Sudoku books. It’s lightweight and dependable – and even better now you can download airline apps to it and use it as your personal entertainment device in flight for movies.
- L’Occitane Hand Cream – I have dry skin and it doesn’t react well to many brands (I ignore the amenity kits on the airlines) but the unscented L’Occitane Shea Butter Cream never fails to deliver. Take some with you – you see it offered in some duty-free shops but it may not be travel size and it may not be scent-free. Enough dehydrating flights, trains and buses and you will be glad you did.
Enjoy your travels and happy Christmas to all!