Try these gifts for travelers
NEW YORK — What makes a good holiday gift for a traveler?
If you have big bucks, splurge on an e-reader or a netbook.
But if you're on a budget, go for clever stocking-stuffers, like a laminated cardboard wine wheel to help wine-challenged foodies instantly determine good pairings, $8.85 from Magellan's, or a funky $17 passport wallet from Flight 001. One of the passport-holders, designed by the Anne Taintor vintage humor company, bears the words "I love not camping" along with a picture of a 1940s-style blonde with bright red lipstick, in front of a skyscraper and a palm tree.
Priscilla O'Reilly, a spokeswoman for the Overseas Adventure Travel tour company, said a Kindle ($260) or other electronic reader is great for travelers who love to read on the road but who don't want to lug books around.
Netbooks, which are small and less powerful than regular laptops, are another splurge gift, lightweight to carry and easy to use in cramped spaces like tray tables.
For those lugging regular-sized laptops around, a laptop case approved by the Transportation Security Administration can help speed the way through security checkpoints, Snyder said.
For travelers who like to make videos of their trips, there's the Flip Video Mino HD and the iPod Nano, which plays not just music but also movies, a great diversion for the interminable waiting that's part of going anywhere.
The Powermat, $100, is a new gadget that charges many small electronic devices, such as MP3 players, PDAs, cell phones and hand-held game-players, without all the cords and chargers.
For families on the go, there's the Sit'n'Stroll combination stroller-car seat, about $250.
One small but "super-useful" item for traveling families is the Snack-Trap, $5, which keeps Cheerios, raisins and other bite-size goodies inside a cup so they don't spill all over the airplane seat or the car floor.
For travelers concerned about fitness, a heart monitor and an iPod are the perfect combination.
From the travel supplier Magellan's, perennial best-sellers include the Taxi Wallet, a $49 thin leather wallet with separate currency pockets for U.S. and foreign money, plus a built-in snap pouch for change; PacSafe backpacks, starting at $100, with lockable zippers and wire-reinforced slash-proof straps and compartments; and a bottle pocket, $16.85, a padded carrier to keep wine from breaking or spilling.
New items this year at Magellan's include Moleskine City Notebooks, $18.85, for many major cities around the world, with maps and essential destination information.
