Gift Guide for Travelers

You won't find frivolous luggage tags or passport covers in this Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers.

For Money magazine's December issue, I interviewed travel experts about what they'd like to give (and receive) this year.

The panel of travel experts included:

Meredith Hanrahan, Chief Travel Officer of Cheapflights Media (www.cheapflights.com) and a million-mile frequent flier who has logged more than 175,000 miles in the past 9 months

Marybeth Bond, author of 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America

Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com

John DiScala, founder of JohnnyJet.com

From a lightweight Delsey suitcase to a TSA-friendly Samsonite laptop bag, it's hard not to add these great gift ideas to your holiday wish list.

Photo: Courtesy Delsey

New beauty site sells TSA-friendly products

Finding travel-size toiletries is now a cinch, thanks to a new beauty site called 3floz.com.

It's like a Sephora but only carries products that fit TSA requirements of 3 oz. or less.

The available products are on the higher end though: for example, The Art of Shaving sells a 1.7-oz. canister of shaving cream for $15, and Malin+Goetz makes a starter kit with 1 oz. bottles of facial cleanser, face moisturizer, body cleanser, body moisturizer, shampoo, and conditioner ($30).

If you search under "sunscreen," only two choices show up so far: the Sunshield Travel Kit ($25) or the Sun Kit ($35). For travel-size suncreen, I usually end up squeezing the amount I need (and the brand I like) into these great GoToob reusable containers.

There are some bargains on 3floz.com: For $7, you can buy a Yes to Carrots set with shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. If you live in New York City, you can add $9 for courier delivery. Otherwise shipping costs at least $10 for UPS Ground. By the way, many Walgreens and Duane Reade locations carry Yes to Carrots products, so I'd recommend just going to your local pharmacy if you can't justify paying more for shipping than the actual product.

Still, 3floz.com is a fun site with a novel concept if you're short on time and can afford tiny luxuries.

Tip: TravelandLeisure.com's blog Carry On has a promo code "tl10" for 10 percent off all 3floz.com products through Feb. 7.

Photo: 3floz.com

What Not to Pack for the Holidays

The votes are in. Carry-on bags are still the way to go.

To get the most out of your carry-on, here are some basic reminders:

1. Don’t wrap Christmas presents. TSA officers reserve the right to snoop, even if it means tearing open your exquisitely wrapped gift. Besides, the wrapping paper and fancy bows will just get crushed while in transit. Sometimes I’ll pack gift bags and tissue paper in case the present needs to be ready when I land.

2. Skip the gourmet gift basket. The increasingly ridiculous list of prohibited items includes jams, jellies, maple syrup, salsa, sauces, oils and vinegars, etc... TSA advises that you check those items in your bag, ship them ahead, or just leave them at home. Poor Harry and David.

Even though I try to stay on top of the latest TSA rules, a checkpoint officer once stopped me, screened my bag again, and then searched it. Turns out a candle in my bag looked like a jar of jam. Happy Holidays indeed.

3. Oh, and just to round out the list of banned stuff, no snowglobes. If you're trying to avoid checking a bag, looks like you'll have to find another cheesy souvenir.

Holiday Travel: Navigating Airport Security

Getting through security is stressful. When it comes down to it, though, going through security is actually pretty simple -- so why does it always seem so chaotic?

I've developed a relatively straightforward routine that works, oh, about 90 percent of the time. I chalk the 10 percent failure rate up to overzealous TSA agents who are just doing their jobs.

1. Tuck your hat, gloves, and scarf into your carry-on bag.

2. Remove your heavy coat (no use struggling with it when it's your turn and there are dozens of people behind you who are just waiting for a reason to go ballistic).

3. Prep your shoes for quick removal: I prefer to unzip my boots ahead of time or at least loosen the laces.

4. Get out your ID and boarding pass. After the ID check, I immediately slide it into the back pocket of my jeans. (I've seen too many people leave their ID in a tray on the conveyor belt). When going through the metal detector, you have to show the boarding pass again so make sure you hang on to it -- don't leave the pass in the bin with the rest of your stuff. Admit it, you groan whenever someone forgets and has to backtrack.

5. Take out your Ziploc bag with toiletries (always 3 ounces or less, please!)

Whenever possible, seek out the black-diamond lane for expert travelers.

Once you're through security, put your driver's license back in your wallet. You won't need it again unless you order a rum and coke on the plane and get carded.