The gift of travel: a ticket to ride

You've seen those TV shows where the husband whips out an envelope and gives it to the wife.

"Two tickets to Paris!" she cries gleefully, and throws her arms around her spouse.

Giving a trip as a holiday gift sounds like a great idea. And it is — with some caveats.

If you want to make that romantic, grand gesture of giving someone a whole pre-planned trip, go ahead. If it works, you'll be more popular than Santa Claus.

But to be on the safe side, make sure the trip can be canceled or changed without penalty, say travel agents.

The risks: What if the recipient can't go on the dates you've chosen? What if the person can't afford to cover the portion of the trip you aren't paying for?

Sure, a $900 gift certificate might cover a cruise. But it won't cover the flight to the port, insurance, taxes or a port hotel.

Gift certificates or gift cards from an airline, hotel, attraction or cruise line can be used for almost everything on a trip. Still, watch out for expiration dates on gift certificates. The worst thing that could happen is that the recipient can't get away and your gift expires.

It might be better to buy a gift certificate from a travel agent, which really is money in an account that can be used for a trip anywhere, with no expiration date.

Or you can just give the promise of a trip. That may be the best of all.

Create a big certificate with the details: theater seats in London, or a spa in Santa Fe, a weekend at a luxury hotel in Vancouver, B.C. Or buy a poster, book or something small to symbolize the trip.

You can work out the dates and details later, together. If you want to take the whole family to Australia next year, say so. Just don't book the whole trip without making sure others can go.

Put a dollar value on the trip certificates so everyone understands the scope of your gift. Still, the money is not the point; the experience is.