If you're a fan of decorations, Christmas has probably already started in your house a few weeks ago. We are already in December and for many, that means that the holidays are approaching, and that gifts season is open!
At this time of the year, when all the cities of the world are dressing up, we want to give our loved ones the best gifts. Whether it's to surprise them, show our love, wish them happy holidays or make them happy... We have the perfect idea: gift them a trip.
This great gift can save you when Christmas is around the corner and you no longer have time to think about or buy other gifts: you can easily buy it online or by phone and there is no delivery time because the booking is made immediately. You can give this surprise on behalf of Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas as you may call him… Or you can simply put it under the Christmas tree or in the stockings or pillow cases next to the fireplace.
So if you ended up here because you didn't know what to give, or how to give a trip in an original way, keep on reading. Here are some tips for gifting a trip, as well as ideas for wrapping this special gift.
Some advice before gifting a trip
Do you want to give this as a gift to your partner, a friend or a family member? First of all, we recommend that you save this idea for people you know very well so that you can correctly choose the most important details, such as the dates and destination. Now take a good look at this checklist to properly prepare your idea for a surprise trip.
With whom?
The first thing you need to decide is whether you'll be traveling too, or whether you'll let the other person choose who they will go with. It's usually easier if you include yourself in the surprise, because then you can prepare and book everything in your name. If not, depending on the destination or accommodation, there are gift cards that, although less personal, are made specifically to gift to other people.
When?
If you have the option to choose dates without having to ask the person you're giving the gift to, it is perfect. You can then book the surprise trip in advance without taking the risk of it being sold out if you wait too long. Also, for the most daring, if you really want to surprise the other person, you can decide not to tell the dates of the trip. Then when it's time to leave, pack your bags and come up with a plan, such as going to the airport to pick up a friend. On the other hand, if you are in doubt about their availability, you can gift a trip with no date. You just have to wait until you give the surprise trip to make the booking, so they can better plan according to their commitments.
To where?
Depending on the dates, you can choose a destination further or closer away. For example, if you know that the other person only has the weekends off, you can plan a gift trip to a destination that is no further than 2 or 3 hours away from where you live by car. This option is also much easier to plan as it is less complicated than gifting a 3-week trip to Tanzania for example (imagine having to arrange passports and vaccinations…). That's why we recommend that the stays you gift should be shorter and to closer destinations.
The destination may also be different depending on the preferences of the person you are giving this experience to. Here are some recommendations:
- For families: the destination should be a fun place with activities to do together. Children like to go to theme parks or stay in places with entertainment, such as our Sènia campsites in summer.
- For couples: If you want to give a couple a stay, they usually prefer to go to places to rest, relax and spend some time together. So maybe it is best to give a stay outside the city so that they can be surrounded by nature and tranquility.
- For camping enthusiasts: if you have a caravan or van, you must use it! You can tailor a route through Catalonia and discover the most beautiful landscapes that the region has to offer. You can go from campsite to campsite, to relax optimally or to use the facilities. You can check our advice before renting a campervan.
Don't get caught!
This piece of advice may seem simple to many of you, but we have to mention it: use a personal and individual account to book flights and accommodation. For example, if you want to surprise your beloved partner, never book with a shared account that he or she can look into. We are talking about bank accounts, email accounts, computer profiles... You can also use the browser in private mode so that no cookies are stored. This prevents advertising related to the surprise trip from appearing later.
Ask for help
Keep in mind that you will probably need one or more accomplices to help you obtain information (dates, passport number if needed...) so that the person you want to surprise does not suspect you. To arrange this super gift, you have to turn into James Bond himself. These gift trips are the most special, because their recipient will not expect at all what you have prepared or how you have planned it without them having a clue.
Original ideas for wrapping a gift trip
Now that you have read our tips for organizing your gift trip without setbacks, the same question arises for everyone: if traveling is an experience, how do I turn it into a physical gift to give at Christmas? Because a digital gift, even if it is an incredible experience when you actually live it, is always more fun if it is accompanied by something that can be touched. Grab a pen and paper because we're going to give you some ideas so that your gift trip takes shape.
Print a nice voucher for the surprise trip
There are many templates on the internet for vouchers or gift trips. What makes it original is how you personalize it. Here you have to let your imagination run wild and think about what the other person might like. The more personal the better, because then it becomes a unique and special gift. You can put different things on your gift card: photos from other trips together, special phrases, private jokes, and even clues about the destination of the trip if you want it to be discovered little by little.
Below we show you an example, in case you want to gift a stay at one of our campsites. We've created a customizable Gift a Trip template. You'll also find our gift trip airline ticket template in case you need a less Christmassy design.
To ensure that this voucher is a lasting memory, we recommend that you use a material other than thin paper to print it, such as 200 gram cardboard. You could also laminate it, or have it engraved on wood... The most important thing is that you make sure it cannot be damaged, because it is the first memory of the gift trip.
Give an item related to your surprise trip
By doing this, you should know very well the person's taste so that they not only like the trip but also the related object. The funny thing would be that he or she believes this is their only present. This object should be useful and provide clues so that once the gift is opened, the person will start to get suspicious and find out the real surprise that is the trip.
To make it easier, we'll show you some examples:
Hide a clue or gift card in a puzzle
This idea is for people you know are good at puzzles and brain teasers. For example, there are personalized puzzles of more than 2,000 pieces or puzzles that even experts will need hours to solve. So it depends on the receiver: if you know they are not too fond of this type of games, find a really easy one. If it is too hard, you risk them never finishing it, getting frustrated and the surprise will have a bitter taste. An easy puzzle we recommend is a personalized puzzle with no more than 50 pieces, or a simple puzzle box inside which you can leave your voucher for a surprise trip.
Finally, if you are going to give a trip as a gift to the whole family, especially if there are children, you can organize your own scavenger hunt at home. This is where your creativity comes in and you can let the whole family find an object related to the trip. You can also put together a treasure chest with a personalized map explaining the whole trip you are going to have.
Use a notebook as a travel notebook
You are the one who will write the first pages, before gifting this travel diary to register their whole trip: before, during and after.
On the first pages you can explain how and when you came up with the idea, how and why you chose a certain destination, how you kept it hidden... You can print some photos to fill it up. During the trip you can also collect souvenirs in the form of plane tickets, city maps, fallen leaves... Get inspired for more ideas to fill in a travel diary.
Furthermore, if you are a particularly caring person, you can also gift an instant camera to add the photos you take during the trip to the notebook. These types of photos are more spontaneous and fun because they can't be repeated. Giving a trip with an instant camera is a very nice way of saying that you want to frame your memories with that person forever.
The typical destination guide, but in an original way
Giving away a travel guide of the destination of your surprise trip is not a novelty, in fact it is an idea that many have done before. But we like to add our own style and originality, so we are going to tell you how we do that.
Buy the destination guide or print a brochure from the destinations tourist office (for example, in Sant Pere Pescador). We recommend keeping it fairly short (hence the brochure), because the more pages, the more time and work it will take you.
Once you have this document, it's time to update it a bit. You will need self-adhesive paper, stickers, labels, colored cardboard and glue... all the material you want that will allow you to cover all occurrences of the name of the city or the clues that are too obvious. The idea is that with the information you have left (a map with hidden names, names of restaurants without an address, photos of the area, possible activities...), they should spend time guessing the destination of your gift trip. What is great is that they will also discover more about it at the same time, which is ideal for igniting the desire to travel.
We are sure that with all these tips for gifting a trip, the people you love the most will be very happy, because you are giving them the most valuable thing: time. Remember, these experiences, trips, or getaways will become memories that will last forever, and there's no better gift than that.
Happy holidays everyone!
