Travel Gift Certificates & Travel Gift Cards

Gift certificates and gift cards for travel make the perfect gifts for the traveler in your family.

Purchasing a gift certificate or gift card is easy to do and is sure to make any travel aficionado very happy. Travel can be quite expensive and the associated costs add up quickly. Anything that can help offset those costs will surely be appreciated.

Gift certificates and cards are great because they can be used for almost anything travel related. Airlines, hotels, rental cars, and cruises lines all accept them, however, it doesn't end there. Many stores that sell travel related items like clothing, luggage, travel book and maps, etc. also sell gift certificates. Of course, the beauty of the gift certificate is that the recipient can pick out whatever they want, which is a lot of fun.

Gift certificates are also easy on the purchaser. They can usually be bought with a click of the mouse or a quick phone call. Sometimes the certificates are even available for immediate download onto the computer for you to print, have the ability to be sent to the recipient via email, or are maileded very quickly. Some companies offer a choice of different gift card designs to choose from. For example, Marriott offers gift cards featuring palm trees, snowy mountain scenery and even famous landmarks.

There are some really clever and fun ways to present gift certificates and cards to the lucky recipient. One way is to put them inside of a travel book. For instance, if you know the person is headed to Aruba, then get the latest travel books on Aruba and put the gift certificate inside. You can also use calendars, datebooks, and travel related wrapping paper or bags. If you know ahead of time what the travel destination is, one fun idea is to use a map of the location for the wrapping paper. Scrapbook paper also comes with lots of fun travel related themes and would make great wrapping paper. If the gift certificate or card is too small to wrap easily, just put it in a nice box first. Of course one of the best wrappers of all is a travel itinerary or ticket jacket for a trip already preplanned!

If you're unsure of the destination the person is planning on visiting, consider a nice coffee table style travel book to include with the gift certificate. You can find plenty of beautiful travel books to really whet the travel's appetite.

Here are just a few ideas for travel gift certificates and gift cards:

Almost every major airline offers travel certificates or gift cards.

Delta Airlines offers gift certificates good toward flights, vacation packages, and even the Crown Room, Delta's frequent flyer lounge. The certificates can be purchased at any Delta airport ticket counter.

American Airlines offers gift cards good for anywhere they fly. Travel gift cards can be purchased in any denomination between $50 - $1,500 and up to eight gift cards can be redeemed at one time.

US Air has gift cards available in denominations of $50 - $500. The gift cards can be redeemed for travel to any of US Air's nearly 200 destinations.

Be sure to read the terms and limitations carefully before purchasing. Some certificates have black out periods or cannot be used for certain fare classes. Each airline is different so if you have any questions be sure to ask an agent before purchasing to avoid possible disappointment.

Marriott offers gift cards that can be redeemed for hotel stays, dining, spa services, gift shops and virtually any other service Marriott offers. Marriott's gift cards do not have any expiration date which makes them even more flexible.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts has gift certificates that can be used at any location. The upscalse Raffles Resorts can be found in locations like Singapore, The Grenadines, Beverly Hills, Beijing, and other upscale and exotic locales.

Bed and Breakfast website offers gift certificates that are accepted at over 4,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. These certicates do not have any black out or expiration dates.

This is just a small sampling to give you an idea of what is available. There are many other hotels that offer gift certificates or gift cards. If you have a favorite, give them a call and chances are they will too.

Most of the major car rental agenices offer gift certificates, incuding Avis and Budget. These can come in handy when someone is traveling with a vacation package that only incudes airfare and hotel.

Most major cruise lines offer gift certificates. Some onine travel sites will also offer gift cards and certificates that can be redeemed for any of the products they sell.

The sky is the limit when purchasing this kind of gift certificate because the recipient can choose from literally any destination that appeals to them.

Here are some other travel related retailers who offer gift certificates or gift cards:

• TravelSmith
• eBags
• Amazon
• TravelStore
• American Express

Again, there are many other retailers that offer gift certificates and cards. Even stores that are not specifically related to travel can come in handy to a traveler. Receiving a gift card from Target or J.C. Penney can go a long way toward helping someone get ready for a trip. Certificates from places like Barnes and Noble will enable the traveler to indulge in some travel books to plan their next journey.

Think creatively and outside the box when determining where to purchase travel gift certicates and travel gift cards and you are sure to come up with many great ideas.