Advice / Help needed-- overseas Christmas gift

[Cornell]

So, my dear 16 year old daughter is an exchange student in Switzerland this year. She has a wonderful host family.

I am thinking ahead to Christmas. I need (and want) to send her host parents a Christmas gift. I really don't know these people at all, so it's difficult to shop for something that's very personal.

Given this, I'm leaning towards a gift of food and/or wine. Fortnum & Mason out of the UK has beautiful baskets/ hampers for the holidays and it's much , much cheaper to ship to Switzerland from a European seller than from the US.

Does anyone else have any other brilliant suggestions? I do NOT want to rope my daughter into doing the leg-work on this. It's a gift from ME.

 

[Luanne]

How nice of you to want to do this. I don't have any suggestions, but I think your idea of some kind of gift basket is very nice.

 

[Cornell]

How nice of you to want to do this. I don't have any suggestions, but I think your idea of some kind of gift basket is very nice.

I am so incredibly grateful to this family. She loves them and they are treating her so well.

 

[MULTIZ321]

If they do a Christmas tree - a special Christmas tree ornament would be nice.


Richard

 

[WinniWoman]

I was going to say a gift of food - maybe specific to the state you live in- but given the high shipping costs, your idea is a better one.

 

[VacationForever]

I normally order gifts from the host country directly. You cannot go wrong with a food basket. Wine can be more subjective, one person's good wine is another's not so good.

 

[Cornell]

I normally order gifts from the host country directly. You cannot go wrong with a food basket. Wine can be more subjective, one person's good wine is another's not so good.

Great point about the wine.
I always say that about pizza, too! "Pizza is personal!"

 

[moonstone]

What about a gift certificate (ordered on line) for a nice local restaurant for them? Google might help with restaurants in their area. Or perhaps a local spa or massage for couples, or a Christmas floral centerpiece ordered (again online) from a local florist.

~Diane

 

[Luanne]

What about a gift certificate (ordered on line) for a nice local restaurant for them? Google might help with restaurants in their area. Or perhaps a local spa or massage for couples, or a Christmas floral centerpiece ordered (again online) from a local florist.

~Diane

If there is a family involved (not just the host parents) I think the gift basket is a better idea so they can all enjoy it.

Also, ordering online in a foreign country can be tricky. I've ordered Amazon gift cards for baby gifts for friends living in Germany. I had to have a German friend assist me as I was ordering them on the German Amazon site. I can't remember now why I wasn't able to do it on the U.S. site.

 

[geist1223]

I think a gift of a Food Item from Illinois.

 

[PamMo]

That you're thinking about your daughter's host family says a lot about you, Cornell. It's no wonder they've embraced your daughter with love. A gift from Illinois would be a very thoughtful gift. It may cost a bit more for shipping, but would mean a lot to them.

 

[Cornell]

That you're thinking about your daughter's host family says a lot about you, Cornell. It's no wonder they've embraced your daughter with love. A gift from Illinois would be a very thoughtful gift. It may cost a bit more for shipping, but would mean a lot to them.

That is so kind but it is the least I can do! I am going to focus on a gift of food -- I'll just have to investigate some options a bit more. I did look to see if Garrett Popcorn (a Chicago favorite) ships internationally and they do not. I will find something!

 

[sun starved Gayle]

My go to gift is a Pendleton blanket or stadium blanket. Or some other regional item from your area. Some Blues CD's ?

 

[easyrider]

An Amazon eGift card is what I give to many people anymore. I wish people that are buying me gifts would consider the Amazon eGift card because about 90% of all gifts I get are given away shortly after I get them. I think that 90% of all gifts I bought for others, except golf balls, are never used.

Did I mention these e Cards can be delivered via an email link.

Bill

 

[wackymother]

Be sure that the food you are sending is allowed into the counties you are sending it to. That probably isn't an issue with a UK provider, but it might be with items from the US.

Something specific to your area would be the nicest gift. Is there anything that's not food that might be good?

 

[Cornell]

I think I'm going to ship a gourmet food basket from the UK. For me to ship something like this from the US would be cost prohibitive. I Also feel that it's a very "appropriate" gift for Christmas and for a family that I really don't really know very well.

FYI -- Amazon is not available in Switzerland. Trust me , my life would be so much easier this year if it were!

 

[Beachclubmum]

I put a lot of time and research into this when my dd spent her first Christmas with her boyfriend’s family in Europe.

The best suggestions were things that are uniquely American (especially from well known places like California). Special Christmas ornaments also were suggested to me several times.

I ended up getting a couple of ornaments from a boutique that specialized in handcrafted items. My dd picked up some specialty food items unique to her part of the country. We rounded out with a box of See’s candy from California. According to my dd everything was well received and enjoyed.

 

[Cornell]

I put a lot of time and research into this when my dd spent her first Christmas with her boyfriend’s family in Europe.

The best suggestions were things that are uniquely American (especially from well known places like California). Special Christmas ornaments also were suggested to me several times.

I ended up getting a couple of ornaments from a boutique that specialized in handcrafted items. My dd picked up some specialty food items unique to her part of the country. We rounded out with a box of See’s candy from California. According to my dd everything was well received and enjoyed.

Yes -- I'm thinking of shipping over some ornaments. I think this is lovely idea.

 

[Luanne]

I think I'm going to ship a gourmet food basket from the UK. For me to ship something like this from the US would be cost prohibitive. I Also feel that it's a very "appropriate" gift for Christmas and for a family that I really don't really know very well.

FYI -- Amazon is not available in Switzerland. Trust me , my life would be so much easier this year if it were!

Are you sure? One of the gals I sent an Amazon gift certificate to for a new baby is in Switzerland. I don't remember much about ordering it, I may have been able to order it on the U.S. site for her.

 

[Cornell]

Are you sure? One of the gals I sent an Amazon gift certificate to for a new baby is in Switzerland. I don't remember much about ordering it, I may have been able to order it on the U.S. site for her.

Yes I'm sure.

Switzerland is not in the EU.

 

[Luanne]

Yes I'm sure.

Switzerland is not in the EU.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I doubted you, it's just that I am sure that I sent an Amazon gift card to Switzerland.

 

[Cornell]

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I doubted you, it's just that I am sure that I sent an Amazon gift card to Switzerland.

No no -- I appreciate the advice. I learned about Amazon very soon after my daughter left and I tried to order an Apple watch charger (since she forgot hers) for her from Amazon. It has to do with VAT . I don't quite understand the whole thing.

 

[Luanne]

No no -- I appreciate the advice. I learned about Amazon very soon after my daughter left and I tried to order an Apple watch charger (since she forgot hers) for her from Amazon. It has to do with VAT . I don't quite understand the whole thing.

Maybe it's the difference between ordering an item and ordering a gift card.

 

[easyrider]

Maybe it's the difference between ordering an item and ordering a gift card.

A person in Switzerland would need to order most items from an Amazon EU site. You can still send the eGift card and the recipient could order from all of the Amazon EU warehouses but not the USA.

Bill

[QUOTE
The online giant said customers wishing to send orders to Switzerland should instead use Amazon websites in the European Union – Amazon.deexternal link, Amazon.frexternal link, Amazon.itexternal link, Amazon.esexternal link, or Amazon.co.ukexternal link.

The firm said it regretted the change and inconvenience to customers, which had been made due to “changes to Swiss value-added-tax law”.
][/QUOTE]