Well, I don’t know about you, but with Christmas fast approaching we’re in the middle of the usual family holiday discussions. It’s the planning side of the family v’s the ‘don’t over organise us‘ side of the family! It’s hard enough trying to work out how many the turkey needs to feed, let alone the annual present headache. For those who have been following our wanderings will know that we are all about doing rather than having! This year we are taking this idea into our family Holiday Gift Giving.
Why gift a travel experience?
I’m feeling rather pleased with myself and Mr. Wren is thrilled by my suggestion that we don’t buy actual presents we give each other a travel experience or activity. He’s chuffed because I’ve made it easy for him. I’ve given him a website and some ideas, he just has to make the final decision. I’ve also extended this offer to my three adult children.
With the gift of travel, you’re not just giving a present; you’re creating opportunities for exploration, adventure, and shared moments. Now I can’t guarantee they will have an amazing time on their wanders, that’s up to them. But we’re having fun choosing each other’s passports to new destinations and unique activities.
Why Travelzoo?
Searching around I’ve come up with a proposal of using Travelzoo to find and select the best travel experiences. Travelzoo is an internet company that publishes travel and entertainment deals across the globe. Everyone loves a travel bargain, especially this year with the economy as it is. Happily, Travelzoo has a whole website section dedicated to Christmas Gifts.
Of course, our family members can use any website or find any deal, but I doubt they will find one better organised than Travelzoo.
Travelzoo Membership
We are long-standing members of the Travelzoo Community. It’s free to sign up to, and each week they send us the best deals from around the globe. I’ve always liked their exclusive offers and one-of-a-kind deals. From Wimbledon Tennis to Abba Voyage or Premier League Football matches, there always seem to be many travel experiences that we say ‘That looks fun!’ Or ‘this is a good deal!‘
Our Travelzoo Membership goes back to 2011. We have enjoyed hotels, spas, and activities on four continents. Travelzoo is tried and tested by us in the UK, US, Australia, and Thailand.
Our Travelzoo experiences
Looking back there have been many memorable Travelzoo activities. From a USA bus tour of Washington DC to a four-course Thai dinner and cocktails at the Banyan Tree in Bangkok.
Last year we took our son and his girlfriend on a London sightseeing bus tour with bubbly and afternoon tea. We had the best experience drinking champagne and seeing the sights from the comfort of a London bus. We liked it so much that we bought extra seats for Australian friends visiting the UK.
In the summer months, we have used Travelzoo for many of our English hotel stays. From Cambridge to the Cotswolds from Stratford, Cheltenham, and Suffolk this has been a great way to explore the UK at a good price. The deals I especially like are those that include exclusive extras like a bottle of prosecco, afternoon tea, or dinner.
Sometimes Travelzoo has negotiated late checkouts or a free upgrade. Every deal is different so I really recommend you read the fine print.
What are the options?
Travelzoo has made buying Christmas gifts really easy this year. Along with their Top 20 deals, holiday and cruise deals have a look at their UK Christmas gift ideas. You can search by region or for specific spas, travel, hotel, or activity gifts.
They are also working with partners such as Great Little Breaks for this stay in Cheshire. Or Best OnLine Holidays for this 3-night stay with flights in Prague for £99.
I have my fingers crossed that I’ll be walking with Alpacas in the Derbyshire countryside, but you wait and see. What’s the betting, I end up at a football match watching Mr Wren’s favourite team, Tottenham Hotspurs all in the name of MY Christmas present?!
Holiday Gift Giving, doing it right!
Unexpected gifts can be beautiful but the last thing anyone wants to do is give a Christmas headache. For instance, if anyone gave me a hot air balloon ride that is going to be really stressful for me.
I have found the success of travel gift giving that involves an experience, is to know the person really well or have them complete a Christmas Wishlist. On the Travelzoo site, you can favourite your dream activities or destinations.
To make this easier Mr Wren and I share the same Travelzoo account I can see what he’s selected as favourites and he can see mine. I wish Travelzoo would have a family wishlist sharing section.
Tips for successful Travelzoo gift giving.
As we are going through this gift-buying process we are learning a few things:
You need to be in it, to see it!
- Travelzoo is a membership site, your friends and family do not need to be a member to receive a Travelzoo gift, but they do need to join (it’s free) if they want to check out the Travelzoo offers and details on the website.
Extras, small print, and cancellations
Always read the small print.
- Be aware of the offer validity dates. I look for hotel stays with Check Dates to confirm the date at the point of Travelzoo purchase, it’s just less faff. I hate the idea of buying or gifting a voucher to find my dream dates have sold out. On occasions when I have bought a voucher that says check with the hotel, I check my dates with the hotel BEFORE buying the voucher.
- I’m also searching for all the exclusive extras I can get. If my hotel stay doesn’t have prosecco or an afternoon tea, I say forget it! I see one of my daughters has chosen a weekend break which includes two nights’ accommodation with a full English breakfast, a two-course Dinner plus Starbucks coffee and a gin and tonic. That’s my girl!
- Do note the 14-day cancellation period. For some offers, you can pay a £25 surcharge to make your purchase fully refundable.
Read the online reviews
- Before I book any Travelzoo deal I always check out the online reviews. I’m looking to see why the travel experience or hotel has got a Travelzoo deal. Let’s face it, it is usually because there is spare capacity. Try to find out why. It may be new and they are looking to build up their reputation, they may have new owners or just completed a renovation, etc.
- I want to be as well informed as I can be that the travel experience I’m about to gift will be a good one!
Free e-mail vouchers & paid gift pack
Each Travelzoo Holiday Gift Giving offer allows you to gift the purchase for free either by e-mail or by printing out the voucher yourself.
Or you can buy a £4.99 Gift Pack and Travelzoo will deliver a beautifully designed gift voucher in a special package. Our vouchers have not yet been received but I will share them here as soon as I can.
International purchases
Our son lives in Australia. Travelzoo has eight sites: UK, US, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Japan, and Australia making International gift-giving easy. You can change to another country via your Member homepage.
My daughter has a holiday booked to New York in 2024, we are looking to purchase her a US travel Experience and have been checking out the US site! I like the idea of her and her boyfriend enjoying something on their holiday thanks to Mum and Dad. However, we are finding there is very little choice that far ahead…
Final Thoughts
I usually find holiday gift buying a bit draining, but this is different! Because I believe in the magic of travel and the idea of a gift of memories that last a lifetime I’m well into the Christmas spirit this season.
I like the way Travelzoo UK’s Christmas gift section offers nearly 200 ideas, starting from £6. There is a whole section on gifts under £30.
The key to success is to know the person, preferably know their availability and read the small print. Look for flexible deals with vouchers that can be bought and dates chosen later.
Disclaimer!
The photos above are all from our Travelzoo trips in the past few years. These have been fully funded by ourselves. We are paying for all our holiday gifts and look forward to sharing how they turn out in upcoming blogs and on my Little Wandering Wren Instagram.
Now of course when Travelzoo UK sees this, if they want to send me on some fully funded Travelzoo trips in 2024, bring it on. I’ll be there with Christmas bells on!
I love the idea of giving the gift of travel to family and friends in 2024. How about you?
Happy holidays and happy wandering!
For more ideas of where to stay please see Little Wandering Wren’s Good Hotel Guide 2023.
6 comments
Hello Wren,
I enjoy seeing all your travel photos. I do receive the Travelzoo emails and offers.
A gift of travel sounds very nice. I am still looking for my next trip, planning is part of the fun.
Have a great day and happy new week!
That’s great that you get the Travelzoo e-mails and offers from the US site, let me know if you see any not to be missed in New York for my daughter! I’m excited for my gift of travel this year!
Have a lovely week Eileen and thanks for stopping by.
Wren x
Hi Jenny!
Meant to comment on your Montana trip but one thing led to another … anyway, I’m so glad to read this post. Travelzoo is one of our favorite travel websites, and we have gone on many trips via them. I did not know that it’s popular on your side of the globe also.
We are celebrating our annual Thanksgiving this Thursday, and Black Friday shopping the next day. We also are more into experiences than things (unless it’s stuff we need). Check out my latest post:
What To Do with 50 Pounds of Chestnuts
Happy Holidays!
Hi Eileen
No worries at all, lovely to see you here! Great minds think alike! Travelzoo is indeed a gem and I did smile to hear that you’ve had great experiences with them too. I hope you had a successful Black Friday shopping day filled with incredible deals and exciting experiences to come!
Your Thanksgiving plans sound wonderful! Celebrating with loved ones and embracing experiences over material things is such a beautiful approach. I can’t wait to see where you end up too after you’ve finished preparing your 50 lbs of chestnuts!
Wren x
Sounds very interesting. No Travelzoo from Belgium but maybe Germany can work for me. Flying out from Dusseldorf is an option.
Hi Inge, Definitely worth check this and the other deal websites around. We have bought Travelzoo vouchers to be used on holidays in America, Thailand and in the UK so lots of options. Although it would be nice for you to have a Travelzoo in Belgium, yes Germany, Spain and France as well as the UK are their bases in Europe.