GROUPON GUIDE TO CHICAGO

What to Buy the Globetrotter in Your Life

BY: Groupon Editors |Nov 7, 2014

The world traveler is a fairly easy person to buy gifts for—shower them in the latest travel gear (such as a shiny new digital camera or a fancy-schmancy GPS), or send them packing to a far-flung corner of the world. Here are our suggestions on how to stuff the stocking of the traveler in your life.

Cameras

Gift your favorite wayfarer a pocket-size point-and-shoot camera so they can snap shots at a moment’s notice. The small size makes it easy to carry around all day, and features such as a touchscreen viewfinder add to the convenience.

Serious shutterbugs, though, will appreciate a digital SLR camera with multiple lenses and highly customizable settings, allowing them to capture flattering portraits of friendly statues as well as dramatic, wide-angle vistas in perfect focus. A matching tripod will help stabilize shots and reduce the need for flash.

Gift cameras:

Luggage

Sturdy luggage is a must-have for any traveler. A matching four-piece set offers maximum flexibility. Our personal favorite? Hard-sided spinner luggage—thanks to its 360-degree rotating wheels, you can easily pull or push this luggage any which way.

If the person you’re shopping for isn’t big on checked-bag fees or is more likely to head out on a last-minute weekend jaunt, surprise them with a big backpack or a personalized tote to carry on in style.

Gift luggage:

Camping Gear

We’ve got your outdoorsy pals covered, no matter what “roughing it” means to them. If they’re more into glamping or spending the weekend at a nearby state park, a new tent, lantern, or hammock will provide the essentials for shelter and relaxation.

For those who are more likely to backpack into the wilderness before setting up camp, a wood-chopping hatchet or survival kit replete with a knife, compass, and matches are essentials to help fill their pack. Ghost stories not included.

Gift camping gear:

Road Trip Essentials

For the friend who wants to take a cross-country road trip but gets disoriented after the first turn off his own street, we have GPS. Garmin, one of the most trusted names in navigation, offers several models with spoken turn-by-turn directions and a touchscreen display.

Make the ride more fun with a bluetooth transmitter that plays music through the car stereo from a smartphone or MP3 player; safer with a dash mount that readily displays smartphones, sunglasses, and other things essential to life; and more comfortable with a lumbar seat cushion that relieves stress on the back.

Gift road trip essentials, like a GPS:

You can’t fit an entire sandy beach beneath the Christmas tree, but gifting a Getaways vacation voucher takes up hardly any room. Pick the photograph that you think would most appeal to your globetrotter, and read on for our recommendations.

Beachcomber

The appeal of Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean isn’t hard to see—these places are known the world over for their soft sands and warm waters. But each destination has something special to offer in addition to its beaches:

Dance at nightclubs until the sun comes up in Miami and Cancún

Swim next to ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum

Climb a waterfall and dance to live reggae in Jamaica

Mingle with monkeys in the rainforest in Puerto Rico

Gift a beach getaway:

Outdoor Enthusiast

This traveler is always looking for a reason to fill up the ol’ hydration backpack and set out to find the next great adventure. Getaways offers a plethora of trips near outdoor activities: