One of the key items forgotten by holidaymakers which cannot be made up for later on. Yet even backpacker travel insurancel is essential – whether you are staying in 5* luxury or in a tent up a mountain. How to remember? Book it with your flight straight away at a dedicated site such as Direct Travel (click the link), and then you need not worry again.

2. Passport

It is surprising how many people manage to leave the house without their most essential travel item – their passport. The key way to remember it? Put it somewhere prominent alongside whatever you’ll be using to get to the airport – car keys, Oyster card, bus pass, whatever. Just make sure it’s visible first thing in the morning!

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3. Medicine/toiletries

Another massive essential, especially if travelling to places where medication costs an arm and a leg. For long-haul and tropical destinations, especially for backpackers, checking out malaria pills and so forth is essential. But again, a supply of painkillers, travel sickness tablets and insect repellent must be brought with you! Best way to remember this one – a massive note on your bathroom door or mirror.

4. Pyjamas

Sounds innocuous, but in the flurry of excitement and packing for our holidays, planning outfits for the beach, or for parties, or skiing, we easily overlook that other essential event in the day – sleeping. I always remember mine by packing them the day before everything else, meaning I usually sleep the day before a holiday in nothing very much at all…or at least nothing resembling pyjamas!

5. Travel money

Whilst we can easily take money out abroad with the majority of debit or credit cards, don’t forget that you’ll need some change as soon as you arrive, to get from the airport to the city or hotel or destination of your choice. Make sure you have around £50 worth of cash of whatever currency you need, so that you don’t get burned by airport exchange rates.

German Markets: They are springing up across the UK and becoming popular events, but why not pop over to Germany and experience the real Christmas markets they have to offer. With gift ideas you won’t find here and lots of food choices why not wrap up and head over to fully immerse yourself in the German market experience.

Paris: if it is possible to make the most romantic city in the world that tad more romantic it can only be done by adding a dusting of snow to the equation. Paris in the winter is a sight to behold and the perfect location for a Christmas break. Warm up with a coffee and croissant after walking along the ….. and take in the Effie Tower for a truly romantic break.

Norway: Now this may not be the first location that springs to mind for a Christmas break but it is one of the best locations to see the northern lights from and the best time of year. Spend the days snuggled up in your log cabins, exploring the snowy landscape of taking a ride in a husky driven sledge and spend your nights wrapped up with warm drinks viewing the wonders of the havens for a truly magical Christmas.

Egypt: For those who want a bit of winter warmth Egypt is just the place. With lots to do and explore Egypt is packed with history, good food and warm seas to cater to every taste. Explore the valleys of the Kings and Queens from a hot air balloon or lounge around the pool in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt is perfect for the sun seekers looking to escape the winter blues.

Lapland: No guide to Christmas destinations would be complete without this. Spend your days on sledges and see the vast landscapes of snow filled hills before the ultimate Christmas treat, a visit to Father Christmas in his grotto. This wll be a Christmas to remember for children young and old!

Florida boasts a warm climate even in winter as well as a host of holiday entertainment attractions, such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and SeaWorld Adventure Park. In terms of accommodation, if you don’t want to go for a hotel, the holiday villas have proven to be popular with families.

Tenerife

A winter holiday in the Canary Islands guarantees sunshine, beautiful scenery, excellent beaches and very good facilities. Tenerife in particular offers the Loro Parque zoo and great after hours nightlife.

Gran Canaria

This provides one of the best locations for a winter holiday for those on a smaller budget, providing warm sunshine, surroundings of natural beauty – including the Maspalomas sand dunes – and blue oceans. Holiday resorts such as the Playa del Ingles are available at affordable prices.

Lanzarote

Another popular winter holiday destination in the Gran Canaries, Lanzarote offers even an even warmer winter climate due to its proximity to the coast of Africa. If you want a peaceful beach holiday, the best option is Playa Blanca, which ahs great beaches and excellent café and seafood restaurant facilities. If you have something more adventurous in mind, Lanzarote also offers camel trekking or the Timanfaya National Park, with its lava fields.

Fuerteventura

Most people wishing to escape the British winter are looking for sun, sea and sand and it is this that Fuerteventura – another location in the Canary Islands – offers visitors. For beaches and water sports in a peaceful environment, a resort such as Costa Calma, is the best option.

While you cannot afford to be seen wearing the same clothes every day, with the correct planning, that won’t be necessary. Working with the example of a week long cruise through a warm weather region, with three stop-offs at ports, three days at sea and one evening following embarkation, you will need nine outfits for daytime use and seven for dinner in the evenings. From this point, you can begin to find ways of bending the rules.

When it comes to clothes for dinner times, there will generally be two formal dining nights and five casual ones during the course of a cruise lasting a week. The same dinner suit can be used for both of the formal nights, while some judicious variance between a couple of shirts, pairs of trousers and jackets, means you will not require more than this to cover the other five nights. By combining these in subtly different fashion, it will appear to most that you are wearing different outfits each night.

For those clothes worn during the daytime, sometimes the same shirts can be utilised for day and evening use, but you will require a slightly greater number of shirts for the days – say five in total – as these will be used for longer at a time, during periods when you are more physically active. With both daytime and evening clothes, the most important part is the top half, as this is the part more people will notice.

Therefore it is better to secure travel insurance from a reputable insurance company. In terms of finding the best deal for your requirements it is advisable to visit the actual company websites – such as http://endsleigh.co.uk – in order to find out more about the cover provided by the different types of travel insurance. This will also provide you with information about any extras the companies provide – such as the Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance provided by Endsleigh, which protects the policyholder in the event of the airline they are scheduled to fly with going bust. While a number of airlines such as Zoom and Silverjet have collapsed due to the recession, this type of extra is still only provided by a minority of firms.

Another option is to visit one of the price comparison sites available online, in order to compare the available travel insurance options.

You will need to pick a car which will suit your needs. As well as the car you need to be aware of the terms and conditions. You may wish to travel some distance in the car so make sure there are no mileage restrictions as this may end up costing a lot of money if you go over. You may find if you book a small car you will be upgraded. This happens on some occasions but do be aware you may still end up with a small car. If you have booked a separate flight to your accommodation some airlines also have shares in rental companies so will be able to offer you a good deal.

If you are travelling will small children and require car seats or boosters always let the rental company know before hand as they might be able to supply you with these.

Always check what the excess is on a hire car is. If you were to prang or dent the car they may charge you the full excess which maybe more then the cost of the damage to the car.

Many families will choose camping as it is easy to pack up the car and be on your way. There is no hassle of travel arrangements or airports. There are certain things to consider when picking a camp site. English weather can not be predictable so it is always a good idea to pick a campsite which has a variety of indoor activities on site or close by.

You should always aim to have your camp set up before it gets dark as it can be very hard to put a tent up in the dark especially if it is very large. When it is daylight you will be able to pick a better spot for your tent and be able to spot any surrounding hazards such as glass or rocks which could potentially damage your tent.

Always be conscience of the surrounding wildlife. Be careful not to disrupt them too much as they might be harmful. Bug spray is a necessity for the nights around the camp fire.

Never leave valuables unattended in your tent. Tents can be easily broken in to and with so many people to one campsite it can become quite busy. It may be more secure to keep them on you or locked in your car. At least the car will have an alarm.

When using taxi services abroad it would be safer to get a taxi service number from the hotel or the accommodation you are staying at. More then likely they will use a company on a regular occasion and know they can be trusted. Never get into an unlicensed taxi as this will not be an authorised service.

No matter how many people are travelling in your group it will always be safer not to carry large amounts of cash on you. The safest way is to only carry enough to see you through the day and leave the rest of your spending money in the safe in the hotel. If you wear expensive jewellery and act flash you will be a target for thieves and pick pockets.

When walking around the local area you are staying in, try and avoid walking down dark alleys or off the main road. If you have been approached by someone trying to sell you something just carry on walking. They will more often than not over charge you as they know you are a tourist. If you engage in conversation with them it will be hard to leave without purchasing an item.

If you are travelling for a long time yo to be your child can become restless and agitated. Always make sure you take enough juice and snacks for your little ones as they might not eat the food provided if you were travelling on an aeroplane. It is always an idea to pack food that will not make the child messy or sticky. You should aim for food such and vegetable sticks and dry foods rather the chocolate and youghurts as they can cause mess.

Always take enough toys or entertaining activities for your children. It maybe a book or portable DVD player. Try not to take toys that will get lost as they might not be found again as travelling in any mode of transport can be a quite cramped experience.

A pillow and blanket are always and essential part of your travel equipment. You maybe travelling for long periods of time and your child will want to sleep and they like to have their own creature comforts.

Always take a spare change of clothes and if your child needs nappies or baby milk always make sure you have enough if your plane is delayed or cancelled. If you are stuck in an airport abroad they may not have certain things your baby will require.

Disney World is the ultimate holiday destination for any family but the cost can add up with flights, transfers, hotels, eating and park tickets. The hotel location is key to enjoying your time at the parks. If you intend to stay somewhere in the park and not a private villa always try and stay at a hotel close to the monorail. This will make travelling back an forth easier especially if you have young children who will need a sleep during the day. Also it could cut the cost of eating down as you could eat back at your room.

If you are staying at a Disney hotel try and be an early riser as you might get guest privileges. This will allow you to access the more popular rides before the park opens to the public and you may also get to meet the Disney charterers.

The Florida sun can be very hot so try and save all the indoor activities such as shows and water attractions to the hottest part of the day so you can get out of the sun and cool down. Most visitors to the park will start at the rides and attractions that they first come to. Try starting at the back of the park where the rides will be much quieter.

If you are planning to spend most of your holiday visiting the parks it will work out more cost efficient if you were to buy a multiday pass. Always shop around for the cheapest tickets.