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If someone in your life is going to Europe next year, you have about three months to figure out what to get them.

Here's what I'd repurchase, as someone who's been to Europe 8x!

Going in winter → 100% wool socks and mittens.

Not Merino, not "wool blend."

I brought Merino to Finnish Lapland in 2024 and my feet and hands were miserable.

My cousin, who grew up in Norway, sent me to a local shop and told me to check the tag for 100% wool. The pair I bought looked like somebody's grandmother knitted them, but they were dramatically warmer.

Going to Paris, Rome or Barcelona → an anti-theft crossbody.

I've carried the same Travelon since my first solo trip to Barcelona in 2021, and it's now been through 18 countries on one 4.5-month trek.

Five years in, the only wear is some discoloration on a D-ring.

For more stylish travelers, the Thafael purse is the ticket.

Hard to buy for → a GetYourGuide gift card.

I've booked close to 50 experiences through them since 2020.

Pair it with a link to one specific tour and a generic voucher turns into a thought-out gift.

Someone you want to spoil → a heated vest.

I didn't know these existed until my travel buddy showed up in Rovaniemi wearing one. She let me borrow it, and on one hike at -20°F I actually got a little too warm.

I put together 35 options, sorted by the kind of trip they're taking, with honest notes on the ones that didn't work for me.

What I'm Listening to Right Now

​Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley​ A BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds history podcast where historian Lucy Worsley and a team of experts investigate historical trials and crimes involving women from a feminist perspective.

If you're interested in women in history, but also are itching to get into the Halloween macabre spirit, this is the podcast for you!
​
I've learned so many interesting facts from this podcast—from the story of Britain's first female serial killer to what 'Baby Farming' is.

Spoiler: the latter is truly sader and weirder than it sounds!

Happy travels​ ✈️ — Michelle L. Jensen ​travelherstory.com​