Welcome to this month’s giveaways!

Each month we offer at least one giveaway to our loyal readers as a way to say thank you. These may range from anything from luggage to travel clothing to travel vouchers to photography gear.

We strive for these giveaways to be open to as many of our readers and subscribers as possible. However, given rules, legislation, and shipping restrictions, this is not always possible and many of the giveaways do have geographical restrictions (as well as other restrictions) so please be sure to note these before entering a giveaway.

**If you are a brand or company that is interested in featuring a quality travel or photography product or gift voucher, please contact us directly.**

Our Giveaways are Exclusive to our Newsletter Subscribers

We run regular giveaways that are exclusive to our newsletter subscribers. You must be a newsletter subscriber to be eligible for our giveaways. Please enter the giveaways using the name and email you use to receive our emails.

If you sign up to the giveaways and are not a confirmed newsletter subscriber, your entry will be discarded.

If you are not a subscriber and want to sign up to our newsletter, you can sign up using this form:

If you have any questions about subscribing to our newsletter, or don’t receive the confirmation e-mail, please contact us.

Current Giveaway Details: September 2019

This month we have two giveaways for you! Our first giveaway is from Happyluxe, who we’ve partnered with to give away a Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set which includes a matching travel wrap, eye mask, and travel pillow. A USD $88.00 value.

Our second giveaway is the winner’s choice of a pair of shoes for traveling, with a total value depending on the chosen prize, with a maximum value of USD $300.

Giveaway #1: Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set (Open Worldwide)

Brand/Manufacturer: Happyluxe
Product Link: https://www.happyluxe.com/collections/paris-luxury-travel-set/
Approximate Value: USD $88.00
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

A good travel wrap can keep you warm on a chilly airplane or be used as travel blanket on a long bus ride. It can cover your shoulders when entering religious sites, dress up a plain outfit for an evening out, and add an extra layer of warmth as you watch the sunset from a beach.

One of the most popular of our recommended travel wraps is the Wayfarer Travel Wrap by Happyluxe. This month we’re giving away not only the popular HappyLuxe Wayfarer Travel Wrap, but we’re also giving away a matching sleeping mask and travel pillow.

We’ve tested it on a recent trip to the United States and found the whole set very cozy for the airplane and the wrap was great throughout the trip.

 

Here are the three items included in the Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set:

• The travel wrap is 68 inches X 35 inches. It is versatile and can be used as a travel scarf, wrap, blanket, or shawl. It also includes a discreet built-in pocket to store a standard size hand warmer (included) to help keep you warm on chilly days.
• The sleep mask is soft, lightweight and helps block out light to help you sleep. It has a bit of stretch to fit most faces comfortably.
• The travel pillow is soft, supportive, and “squashable” so you can pack it in your carry-on luggage. The pillow is also hypoallergenic and the pillow cover is machine washable.

All materials are made from the same soft vegan-friendly and sustainable Micromodal material. All products are made in the United States of America. The travel set is available in several colors.

 

The winner of the giveaway will be sent one Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set. Winner will be asked color preference but color choices are limited to availability.

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible! If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again. Skip to #2.

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

After you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link in the email to confirm and activate your subscription before you are eligible to participate. Once you do that, come back here and sign up for the giveaway!

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaways open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with 1 winner receiving a Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set, which includes a matching travel wrap, sleeping mask, and travel pillow. Colors subject to availability.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us, and we will provide the winner’s contact details to Happyluxe solely for the purpose of fulfilling the prize.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the giveaway closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

We thank Happyluxe for providing this awesome prize for this giveaway!

 

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry from to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is September 28, 2019 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prize is as follows: one (1) Happyluxe Paris Luxury Travel Set (matching wrap, eye mask, and travel pillow)
11. The prize:
    1. is subject to availability
    2. has no cash value
    3. can only be claimed by the winner
    4. cannot be transferred to another person
12. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
13. No cash alternative to the prize will be offered. The prize is not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
14. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. Winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
15. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
16. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
17. The winner consents to providing their name, email, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
18. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
19. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
20. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
21. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
22. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
23. Void where Prohibited

 

Giveaway #2: Travel Shoes (Open Worldwide)

Brand/Manufacturer: Various
Prize: Winner’s choice of any pair of shoes from the list
Retail Value: varies, maximum value approximately $300 USD
Giveaway Open to: Worldwide

This month’s second giveaway is focused on one of the most important investments you can make for your trip, your travel shoes!

Whether you are planning a city sightseeing trip, a camping getaway, a rural retreat, a beach holiday, or a skiing trip, your choice of shoes are important! We’re giving you the chance to win your choice of new shoes from a wide selection of sneakers, sandals, hiking shoes, boots, water shoes, sports shoes, dress shoes, and more!

We will be giving the winner the chance to choose any of the shoes listed in our travel shoe guides. We have separate guides for men and women, and you can take a look at those here:

Women’s Travel Shoe Options: https://independenttravelcats.com/best-travel-shoes-for-women/
Men’s Travel Shoe Options: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/best-travel-shoes-for-men/

Some examples for women:

• Rockport Cobb Hill Petra Mary Jane Flats
• Ecco Soft 7 Sneakers
• Birkenstock Women’s Gizeh Thong Sandals
• Nike Women’s Free RN Flyknit
• Superga Women’s Cotu Classic Sneaker
• Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot
• Speedo Women’s Tidal Cruiser Watershoe
• The North Face Women’s Shellista II Shorty Snow Boot

For a full list of choices with descriptions and photos of each, check out our women’s travel shoe guide.

Some examples for men:

• Timberland Men’s Carter Notch PT WP Oxford
• Merrell Men’s Jungle Lace Ac+ Trainers
• Adidas Men’s Duramo 8 Running Shoes
• Clarks Ashcombe Bay GTX Derbys
• Teva Men’s Voya Flip Flops
• Lowa Men’s Renegade GTX Hiking Boots

For a full list of choices for men, check out our men’s travel shoe guide.

Note: The products listed in our guides were available on Amazon.com at the time of writing and some are not available to ship to all countries worldwide. If a selected product is not available for shipping to the winner’s country, we will try to find a similar product of similar value to replace it.

 

How to Enter the Giveaway

Please read the rules below to enter the giveaway:

1 – You need to be signed up for our newsletter.

If you get our monthly newsletters, you are eligible!

If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up using the form at the top of the page, or on this page.

If you’re already signed up you don’t need to sign up again and you can skip to the newsletter entry form. When you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll be sent an e-mail to asking you to confirm your sign-up. You’ll need to click the link to confirm and activate your subscription.

2. Check the rules of the giveaway

Before signing up, read over the rules (listed in detail below the entry form) to make sure you are eligible to apply. While we strive to have our giveaway open to all subscribers, some of the giveaways have geographical, residency, age, or other restrictions.

3 – Use the form below to enter the giveaway.

You must use the same e-mail address that you used to sign up to the newsletter with, as we’ll be checking e-mails this way to validate your entry. You must be an active subscriber when we make the draw to be eligible to win!

Enter the Giveaway!

Winners will be randomly drawn with the winner receiving the one (1) pair of shoes of their choice from one of the two travel shoe guides. If a selected product is not available for shipping to the winner’s country, we will try to find a similar product of similar value to replace it.

The retail value of the giveaway is variable depending on winner’s choice of shoes. The value ranges from approximately USD $20 – $300, depending on the prize chosen.

Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid email address, and have a valid mailing address.

Winners will be contacted by the email provided (so please use an email to enter that you check regularly). If a winner does not respond to email within 72 hours, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be contacted via email by us and the prizes will be sent to the winner’s mailing address.

Note you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, but you must be an active subscriber when the draw takes place to be eligible to win. Draws take place within a week of the contest closing.

The data entered into the giveaway form will solely be used for the purposes of verifying your entry, checking you are an active newsletter subscriber, and contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners (first name and last initial, and country of residence) will be announced on the bottom of this page and in our monthly newsletter.

Full Giveaway Terms and Conditions

These are the full terms and conditions!

1. The promoter is: Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats
2. Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats contributors, and their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the giveaway including helping to set up the giveaway shall not be permitted to enter the giveaway.
3. The giveaway is only open to active newsletter subscribers of the Finding the Universe & Independent Travel Cats monthly newsletter.
4. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
5. Route to entry for the giveaway and details of how to enter are via this blog post
6. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the giveaway.
7. You must fill out all the requested information in the entry from to be eligible. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
8. Closing date for entry is September 28, 2019 at midnight EST. After this date no further entries to the giveaway will be permitted. Only one entry may be submitted per participant. Multiple entries will not be considered, and will invalidate all entries by participant. Incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise invalid entries will not be considered. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
9. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
10. The prizes are as follows: 1 winner will receive 1 pair of shoes of their choice from the list of shoes listed in the travel shoes guides as directed.
11. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice and for any reason. Any changes to the giveaway will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
12. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
13. Winners will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Promoters are not responsible for prize fulfillment nor for any technical failures. Winning entry will be verified. A list of winners will be displayed on this page and published in the monthly newsletter.
14. Promoter reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial and country of residence. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
15. The winner will be notified by email within 10 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, the promoter reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
16. The winner consents to providing their name, email, mailing address, and mobile contact number to the promoters for the sole purpose of enabling their prize to be delivered.
17. The promoters’ decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final.
18. By entering this giveaway, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
19. The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by UK law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the UK.
20. Images included in the giveaway post may not depict the exact prize, and are for illustrative purposes only.
21. Residents of Canada will be required to answer a skill-testing question to claim their prize.
22. Void where Prohibited

We wish you the best of luck!

If you have any questions or concerns about the giveaways, please let us know in the Comments section below or email us directly.

Past Winners

Here is a list of our past giveaway winners:

August 2019

• Cynthia R. of Arizona, USA won a $150 gift credit to use to book camping and glamping sites on Hipcamp.
• Kelly J. of New Zealand won her choice of a set of Shacke Pack packing cubes, a Vera Bradley travel pill case, and a Zoppen travel wallet.

July 2019

• Julie W. of Michigan, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 GO 235CB carbon fiber tripod and a VEO GO 34M bag with a total value of USD $339.98. Philip B. of England, UK won a VEO 2 GO 204AB aluminum tripod with a value of USD $149.99. Megan K. of England UK, William B. of North Carolina, USA, and Robin S. of Ontario Canada each won a VESTA Mini Tripod with a value of USD $43.99 each.
• Rachael B. of Ohio, USA, won a RavPower Filehub Plus travel router with a value of USD $42.99.

June 2019

• Ashley S. of Florida, USA won a USD $150 voucher for ScotteVest travel clothing of choice.
• Iain M. of Scotland, UK won a My Webspot Individual Edition WiFi Hotspot and a 20 day usage pass with a retail value of USD $299.

May 2019

• Gerri T. of Wales, UK was the first prize winner for the online travel photography course and Skylum Lumniar photo editing software, worth USD $168. Abbas K. of Turkey and Patsy B. of Canada also each won a free copy of the Skylum Luminar editing software.
• William T. of Georgia, USA who won a Pad & Quill TechFolio Pro Cord Organizer worth USD $140

April 2019

• Rotem A. of Israel, Cassandra C. of Missouri, USA, and Carolina R. of Argentina, each of whom won a day tour of their choice for 2 persons from Iceland Travel worth up to USD $700
• Sheila H. of England, UK who won a Melifluos travel wrap worth USD $32
• Carolyn  E. of England, UK who won a Happyluxe travel wrap worth USD $56
• David S. of Wisconsin, USA who won 3 custom vintage travel posters from Just Go Travel Studios worth USD $135

March 2019

• Delyna B. of Australia, who won a Rabbie’s Tour in the UK or Ireland worth up to USD $500
• Goretti R. of Catalonia, Spain, who won a Sony compact camera valued at USD $200

February 2019

• Becky P. from London, England, UK who won a tour from Travel Talk worth up to USD $1,200.

January 2019

• Anissa E. from Washington D.C., USA, who won a USD $200 voucher for use to buy a backpack on the Arcido store
• Anke K. from South Africa, who won a USD $200 voucher for any walking tour on the Take Walks website

December 2018

• Michelle B. from Germany, who won a Travelccessories Toiletry Bag & Travel Laundry Kit with a retail value of USD $100
• Russell C. from England, UK, who won a 5-piece Manta Sleep travel package with a retail value of USD $90

November 2018

• Toni K. from Kentucky, USA, who won OOO Traveling luggage with a retail value of USD $298
• Gary R. from Ontario, Canada, who won a Tinggly Best in the World travel gift card with a retail value of USD $119

October 2018

• Tracy C. from Australia, who won a free lifetime subscription to our travel photography course with a retail value of USD $99
• Vicki L. from the USA, who won a custom Passport Map with a retail value of USD $129

September 2018

• Toni A. of Evansville, IN, USA won a Vanguard VEO 2 235CB Carbon Fiber tripod with a retail value of USD $199
• Kevin C. of Wales, UK won a Thule Subterra Carry-On 55cm with a retail value of GBP £215