Belle's Gift Guide: The Travel Bug

Women love romantic getaways.  Whether it is a week vacation in the sun and surf or a quick trip to the Virginia wine country, a trip is a great gift to give your significant other.  But in these unpredictable economic times, it can be tough to spare the funds.  Luckily, there are companies that are committed to helping you find fabulous travel at fiscally responsible prices.

Recently, the geniuses behind Gilt Groupe opened Jetsetter, a travel site that offers accommodations at spas, resorts and five-star hotels at discount prices.  Whether your love would like a ski-trip to Colorado or a chic Parisian getaway, you can find a hotel to suit your needs at a discounted cost.  In addition to making a great holiday gift, this website would be an excellent place to go shopping for a honeymoon location.

Prefer to pay one price for all of your travel needs from hotel rooms to airfare?  Try Travelzoo.  This site will help you sort through a myriad of travel deals by location and price.  And no matter where you want to visit, the Zoo can help you find it in a flash.  But you’re not done once you’ve booked the trip and reserved the room.  

If you want to give the gift of travel in style, give her another small gift first and then tuck the tickets or a photo of the destination inside the box.  Here are some gift suggestions based on destination.

 Whether you are planning a quick trip or an overseas vacation, a travel wallet is a great way to present a pair of airline tickets.  Ideally, a good quality travel wallet should have pockets for your passport, your plane ticket, your credit cards and also a pocket for your cash.  

A travel wallet is a great way to keep all of your essential documents in one place.  This eliminates the need to root through your bag to find your ticket or the fear that you will misplace your passport.  This wallet (Smythson, $510) will keep you organized while you look like one of those chic jetsetters who travel constantly.

If you are planning a getaway to a wintry destination for skiing or sipping cocoa by the fire, a wallet probably isn’t your best bet.

Instead, buy a cashmere blanket and fold the tickets into the blanket.  You can also purchase a puffer vest from J.Crew and tuck a note into one of the pockets.  And if none of that sounds good to you, you can fill a box with white and silver confetti (to look like snow) and place the tickets inside.

Want a fun way to tell her that you’re taking a trip to the beach?  Buy her a pair of chic sunglasses like these rimless aviators (Marc Jacobs, $90).  You don’t have to worry about them fitting, and if they’re not her style, she’ll probably be so happy about the getaway she won’t care a snit.  

If that doesn’t strike your fancy, you can put her favorite swimsuit in a box and leave it in under the tree.  When she figures out that the bikini in the box is her own you present her with the tickets.  It’s clever and free.

A fabulous vacation is a great gift for the person you love, but making the effort to give the gift with flair really takes it to another level.  It’s that little something extra that tells her you value her.  What can I say?  A little whimsy makes every gift more magical.