Gifts That Can Buy Peace of Mind

Looking for holiday gifts for a young person planning to travel extensively in the next year? There are lots of ways you can help, and in some cases also buy yourself some peace of mind.

If you buy them a ground transportation pass you won’t have to worry about how they are getting from one location to the next. In many parts of the world there are special transportation services or special fares on regular transportation services for students and youth. The best way to find out about them is to contact the country’s tourist information office or speak to a travel agent that specializes in student and youth travel--they are usually located on or near campuses.

In some cases purchasing passes before Jan. 1 will actually save you money. The price of the popular Eurail Youthpasses will increase 3% at the beginning of the new year. A pass for 15 consecutive days of travel will rise from $365 to $376; the two-month pass will rise from $832 to $857.

Passes are available to travelers under 26 (on their first day of travel). They are valid in second class on the national railroads of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. You should be aware that not all trains have second-class services, and on some routes, such as Paris to Brussels, second-class services are very limited. Pass holders can ride the first-class trains, but they are charged a supplement. Travelers must begin to use their pass within six months of the date it was issued.

For more information on consecutive-day passes or the handy Eurail Youth Flexipasses (you don’t have to travel on consecutive days), see a travel agent or call Rail Europe at (800) 4-EURAIL or visit its Internet site at: https://www.raileurope.com.

Another peace-of-mind gift is to buy travel medical insurance and pay for the inoculations and medications that they’ll need for the trip. This is where young people might scrimp and get themselves into a real bind. Check with student/youth travel agencies for insurance options and read the fine print on insurance policies to see if they exclude coverage for higher risk activities such as diving, rafting, skiing and motorcycling.

If you want to get them a backpack, begin at a store specializing in this type of equipment that has a knowledgeable sales staff. Look for backpacks that can convert into suitcases, so that they can be used after the adventure. The sturdier the material, the securer it will be from thieves. The less there is hanging out on the outside, the less there is to get caught in luggage handling equipment. Make sure all zippers are designed so they can be secured with a small lock.

Here are some other gift ideas:

* A good pair of hiking boots. Good ankle support and a reliable tread are important when you are carrying a substantial weight on your back.

* A compact camera with a 35 to 70mm zoom, or preferably a 35 to 105 zoom. This will cover most situations, yet is easy to carry and store securely.

* Enough foreign currency to cover accommodations, food and transportation for their first day or two. This will be the most stressful and confusing time because they will be tired and in a new environment.

* A compact mosquito net for those traveling in the tropics. Young budget travelers are often at the greatest risk from malaria-bearing mosquitoes because they tend to stay in accommodations without air conditioning.

* A guidebook, but make sure it’s current and suited to their style of travel or it will just be dead weight. Get some advice from a bookstore that specializes in travel, and if a new edition is going to come out before the traveler departs, give them a gift certificate so they can take advantage of the most current information. For independent budget travelers, good guides are published by Lonely Planet, Moon and Rough Guides.

* If they are going travel extensively in a Third World region, check with a travel bookstore for detailed maps. It’s sometimes easier to get high-quality maps in North America than in the foreign region.

* A money pouch. There are versions that hang around the neck and others that fit around the waist. Make sure that it’s water resistant because valuable documents will be kept inside and you wouldn’t want them spoiled by dampness.

* A sheet sleeping bag. Regular sleeping bags are not accepted at many hostels, and they are too warm for tropical climates. You can purchase a sheet sleeping bag from local youth hostel associations. It’s simply a sheet folded and sewn along the bottom and up the side like a sleeping bag, with a pocket for a pillow.

* A Swiss Army knife (the corkscrew and tiny scissors are handy extras), a small medical kit, sunglasses, travel diary, a padlock (for lockers in hostels securing a pack to a rack in a train or bus), small luggage locks (combination locks are preferable because you don’t have to worry about losing the key) and eyeshades and earplugs (handy if the hostel is noisy or they’re trying to sleep on a bus during a noisy video).

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Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com.