Looking for a gift (or a good distraction while you’re socially distancing) that’ll bring a smile to someone throughout the year? Try thinking outside the box—figuratively, that is. Subscription boxes continue to be a favorite trend, especially since they’re literally the gift that keeps on giving. These are some of our favorite travel-inspired subscription boxes, guaranteed to make you feel like you’ve traveled the world while you’re stuck at home (and sans standing in the airport security line).
1. Try the World
Want to give kids a taste of the world, but jetting off to Italy or Thailand just isn’t realistic right now? Try The World takes you on a culinary journey to a different country every month. This cool subscription box for families is filled with all-natural, traditional foods, and comes with a culture guide telling the story behind each product, as well as recipes to make with them. Each box of treats promises to be carefully curated by award-winning chefs and directly sourced from the country of origin. Past boxes have highlighted France, Brazil, Morocco and more.
2. Priority Pass
Even people who love to travel can grow tired of the hassles and wait times at the airport. Reduce airport anxiety with the subscription that makes airport travel easier and more luxurious. Instead of waiting around the gate for your flight, a Priority Pass membership lets you head straight to one of their 1,300 member airport lounges worldwide, where you can relax in a comfortable seat and enjoy free Wi-Fi and complimentary food and drink (even alcohol!). Many even offer free pre-packaged meals you can take with you on your flight. A Priority Pass gives you first-class treatment at the airport, even when flying economy. No more sitting on the floor by an outlet to charge your phone!
3. Quaintly & Co
Attention all anglophiles! This box is for you. With Quaintly & Co, each month a new British-themed box will be sent out. Past themes range from specific English regions, books (Outlander, anyone?), anything British! For tea fans, try their Tea & Book Box. They also have 3 one-off boxes: Treats, Heritiage Mug & Tea Towel, and Tea-Time Mystery box. Their monthly boxes come in two sizes: Quintessentials (10 items) or Classic (5 to 6 items).
4. Nonna Box
Want to take a trip to the old country? Specialty Italian foods can be hard to find, even in gourmet shops. But Nonna’s best condiments, cookies, pastas, sauces and more, can be found in the Nonna Box. Each month’s delivery comes with tried-and-true recipes from Italian grandmas, along with their bios (so sweet!). Recipe cards also have detailed recommendations for wine pairings. Buon appetito!
5. Little Passports
When that tiny blue cardboard suitcase by Little Passports arrives with its pretend passport and wall-sized map, a lifetime love of travel will take flight. This cool subscription box for families contains games and activities designed to spark curiosity about cultures from around the globe. Pre-schoolers will enjoy learning about new countries through the Early Explorers subscription, while older kids will appreciate the monthly World Edition or USA Edition.
6. Driftaway Coffee
Coffee lovers will drink up this delivery of specialty coffees from around the globe. Driftaway Coffee is paired with postcards telling the stories of each month’s coffee growers and producers. Start off with a tasting kit filled with samples, then rate your preferences on Driftaway’s app or website to personalize future shipments of this monthly subscription box for families.
7. Bokksu
Have a yen for Japanese culture? Bokksu honors Japanese customs by curating monthly subscription boxes with the best flavors of Japan, often celebrating a holiday or tradition. January’s Bento box is filled with sweets and snacks perfect for ringing in Japanese New Year (Oshougatsu). Hard-to-find items include fried seaweed with blue cheese, gyokuro tea and black sesame kinako chocolate asuki beans. Try finding that at your local grocery store! Each cool subscription box comes with an essential Tasting Guide, explaining the flavors and stories behind each item. Choose from the Classic or less expensive Tasting Box.
8. Italian Olive Oil of the Month Club
Foodies will fall in love with this monthly subscription box delivering a 500 ml bottle of olive oil each month. Just like wine, good olive oil is a liquid luxury that has its own nuances. With the Italian Olive Oil of the Month Club, an olive oil from a different region of Italy is featured each month. All are extra virgin, cold pressed from small, award-winning farms. Each delivery comes with details about the olive oil, including the best ways to use it and how the oil is made.
9. Birchbox
Even before airlines started charging for checking luggage, a growing number of people were joining the carry-on club. If, like me, you’re a lady who likes to travel light, check out Birchbox, one of the best beauty subscription boxes. Each month’s subscription box delivery contains five travel-sized beauty samples, perfect for packing in a carry-on. And if you find a product you just love, you can buy the full-size version. Pretty simple!
10. Love with Food
Want your kids to fall in love with healthy foods? This cool subscription box for families is filled with snacks you don’t have to feel bad about. Love with Food snacks contain no chemicals, artificial flavoring, MSG or high fructose corn syrup. In fact, each of the specially curated snacks passes their 73 banned ingredients checklist. Kids will find the contents even more delicious when you tell them it helps fight childhood hunger. For each subscription box purchased, a meal is donated to an American family in need.
11. Tea Runners
Featuring hard-to-find flavors from small batch producers, this cool monthly subscription box is sure to mean the world to tea lovers. Whether you choose to have it delivered monthly, every second month or third month, each Tea Runners subscription box is a carefully curated collection of four of the world’s best loose-leaf teas. It’s comfort and relaxation delivered in a package small enough to fit in your mailbox.
12. My Stylish French Box
Looking to splurge on a luxury gift for a Francophile? Say bon jour to this quarterly subscription box promising an authentic taste of French living and be transported to the French countryside. My Stylish French Box is curated by the author of My French Country Home. Each box is filled with six to eight full-size, distinctively French items like linens, soaps, candles, jewelry, scarves, and even a beret. It’s pricey, but a lot cheaper than a flight to Paris, right? Mais oui!
13. Hygge Box
Heard about hygge (pronounced who-gah)? It’s the Scandinavian obsession with coziness that makes life, especially during the long dark winter, simply wonderful. It’s a cup of tea on a cold day, lighting a candle on a winter night, and putting on comfy slippers. Hygge Box is a cool monthly subscription for anyone who wants to bring the simple pleasures of hygge into their home and life. Think of it as a hug delivered right to your doorstep.
14. Paradise Delivered
Want to escape to the tropics? Paradise Delivered brings the islands to your doorstep. What better gift on a cold or rainy day than having the beach brought to you in a box?! This cool bi-monthly subscription box promises to put the recipient in a vacation state of mind. Each cool subscription box for families contains six to eight full sized beach-themed products, including scarves, jewelry and cosmetics.
15. California Found
Why settle for California dreaming when you can have the best of the Golden State delivered to your doorstep? Eureka! California Found can put anyone in a sunny state of mind. This monthly subscription box for families contains a handful of beautifully crafted handmade goods from California artisans, including items like jewelry, specialty foods, candles and cosmetics.
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