Brits are so eager to get to their holidays, that 27% say they pack their bags a week in advance, according to a new survey.

Women are far more excited about packing early, as 37% have their bags by the door ready to go a week before the holiday. Just 18% of men say they are all packed a week before.

Deciding what to pack for the holiday can be a struggle, and 31% of people say they re-pack at least twice before going. Majority of the respondents said they pack neatly, folding or rolling their clothes, but 13% say the squash their belongings in and nine per cent just throw things in.

The survey was conducted by Jet2Holidays.

As the ski season 2008/09 looms near, airlines are launching their flight routes and schedules to the ski resorts across Europe.

New routes include Liverpool – Innsbruck and Edinburgh – Geneva for easyJet, along with Manchester to Sofia and Geneva.

Flybe will be increasing number of flights taking off from regional airports on Saturdays to respond to high demand.

Family holidays start to have more arguments when children are 11 years old or over, according to a new survey.

Almost half of children and 40% of adults surveyed said their family holidays include more arguing when children reach this age.

Children say family holidays are boring as it stops them from doing something they want to do, but the survey suggests that if children are more involved in the planning of the holiday and its destination, children are happier to go.

Our research shows the increasing importance of the family holiday as a way to re-establish family bonds, not only amongst the generations, but also between parents and children.

“This means that the requirements of an average family holiday are becoming increasingly complex to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the time they spend together,” Gill Haynes head of marketing communications at Ocean Village for whom the survey was conducted.

The survey consisted of 1,000 people online, both children aged 9-17 and parents of children of those ages.

Emirates has revealed the world’s first airplane equipped with onboard showers for first class passengers.

In an attempt to lure those holidaymakers and business travellers who wish to fly in luxury, the airline has designed its Airbus A380 to be the first plane to have onboard showers.

The 14 first class passengers can book a 25-minute timeslot in the showers, with 5 minutes for showering and 20 minutes for getting dressed.

Emirates’ A380 also offers first class passengers space they call “suites”, equipped with 23-inch screens, and luxurious surroundings. The airline has ordered 58 A380s.

Holidays in Turkey, Bulgaria and other non-Euro holiday destinations have become the new holiday trend, as Brits try to find the best holiday deals by avoiding the Euro-countries on their holidays, according to experts at online travel agency Holidays-Direct.co.uk.

The need to avoid the Euro on holidays has lead to a boost in the number of holidays in Turkey and Bulgaria among other non-Euro holiday destinations. There countries offer the best holiday deals not only because the holiday packages are excellent value, but also because pounds go further in non-Euro countries like Turkey and Bulgaria.

There are still great holiday deals to Spain and other traditionally popular holiday destinations available, but holidaymakers worry that using the Euro on holiday is going to cost more while on holiday.

“The best holiday deals can now more often be found in non-Euro countries as the pound doesn’t buy so many Euros anymore. Holidays in Turkey have especially become more popular.

“But holidays in Bulgaria, for example, are also offer great holiday deals as the general prices are lower there than in Turkey. In Bulgaria people can enjoy a beach holiday by the Black Sea at Sunny Beach or Varna, which have both become very popular in recent years,” says Jon Pearce from Holidays-Direct.co.uk.

The online travel agency http://www.holidays-direct.co.uk sells cheap holiday deals to the most popular holiday destinations around the world.

Many people have left their summer holiday bookings last minute this year, as they have been waiting to see where the best holiday deals will be. Holidays-Direct is expecting a surge in last minute bookings for summer holidays, as people will have made up their minds where to go on holiday.

Holidays in Turkey - there are a wide range of choices for a holiday in Turkey, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. It’s not just a great beach holiday destination, but has plenty of historical and archaeological sites to explore.

Holidays in Bulgaria - the popular resorts in Bulgaria are located by the Black Sea (Sunny Beach, Varna, Golden Sands, Nessebur, Sandanski). Main attraction is for a beach holiday due to sunny weather, sandy beaches and the inexpensive prices. The country is also largely located on a mountainous area, attracting skiers in the winter season.

Taking a holiday in the US is the new favourite for tourists from the UK, according to a Lonely Planet survey. Last year the favourite holiday destination on the survey was Australia.

Holidays in the US have become more affordable, and therefore more attractive and a real possibility for UK holidaymakers. The increased security measures, and immigration rules are not putting people off holidays in the US.

17,500 people were surveyed by Lonely Planet to gather the results.

Favourite country:

United States
Australia
New Zealand
Italy
Thailand
Spain
India
Greece
Canada
France

Most likely to visit:

United States
Spain
Australia
France
New Zealand
Greece
Italy
Thailand
United Kingdom
India

The European Union is urging holidaymakers to be careful in the sun this summer, in order to stop the increasing level of skin cancers, especially in children.

“Our message to consumers this summer is very clear: be sun-smart this summer and seek protection,” EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said in a statement.

Skin cancer cases have more than doubled in the UK since early 1980s, killing more than 2,000 people every year.

Parents especially have been advised not expose babies to direct sunlight.

“Most importantly, holidaymakers should be fully aware that sunscreen is only one of a number of measures that are necessary for effective protection against the sun,” EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said.

“There is no such thing as 100 percent protection from the sun or a safe tan.”

In the past five years, Brits on holiday abroad have lost a total of £3.5 billion to theft. The most likely item to be stolen from Brits is an iPod, followed by mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders.

A third of the people surveyed, say they were by the pool or on the beach when their possessions were stolen. 28% said the theft took place in their accommodation.

Eight million British holidaymakers have reported a theft on their holiday in the past five years.

Ten most common items stolen on holiday:

1. Ipod
2. Mobile phones/Blackberry
3. Digital camera
4. Camcorder
5. Passports and documentation
6. Games consoles and games
7. Laptop
8. Money/Credit cards
9. Designer sunglasses
10. Jewellery

Ten most usual places where theft took place:

1. Beach/by the pool
2. Street
3. Hotel
4. Apartment
5. Car
6. Bar
7. Restaurant
8. Night club
9. Public Transport
10. Airport

The survey was conducted by Co-operative Insurance.

Two days, nine hours and 25 minutes after you arrive to your holiday destination, you finally relax. A new survey has pin-pointed the exact time when Brits on holiday finally relax.

Planning the holiday, packing and actually getting there causes so much stress, that it takes almost three days for holidaymakers to let go of the stress and enjoy the holiday.

“It shows that we really need to learn how to relax. We work the longest hours in Europe and deserve to chill out on our annual holiday. People get so carried away with planning and researching our holiday, it seems we forget the reason we’re going on a break,” said Dave McKenna, marketing manager for European mobile home specialists Keycamp, which carried out the poll of 3,000 people.

Italy and Greece are the cheapest holiday destinations in Europe for families to go sightseeing, according to a new travel survey.

Many Italian sights are free for children to visit – the Colosseum and the ruins of Pompeii are both free for children. In Greece, Acropolis, Knossos and Mount Olympus are all free for people under 19 years old.

Holidays in Spain also offer affordable sightseeing, as children go free or for a very low price.

The travel survey conducted by the Post Office, looked at 10 major holiday countries and compared sightseeing prices for families.

Thailand and South Africa are the cheapest long-haul holiday destinations for families interested in sightseeing.

In the jet-setting age of low-cost airlines and cheap holidays, 15% of Brits have never travelled abroad, a new survey has found. The percentage of those who have never taken a holiday abroad grows with age – 21% of over 65 year olds have never travelled abroad.

The survey, conducted by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, also found differences in travel habits between people from different regions of the UK.

23% of people from East Midlands and Anglia had never travelled abroad – the least travelled area of the UK. 17% of people Yorkshire and Humberside also haven’t ventured outside the UK.

The most travelled Brits come from West Midland, with only 9% of people having not taken holidays abroad, followed by Londoners of whom 11% had never travelled abroad.

Families are not willing to give up their annual holidays, but are spending less money on the holidays than they did last year, according to a new poll.

In 2007 families spent an average of £749 on summer holidays, but this year will spend just £576 for their holiday abroad.

The poll showed that more families are planning to take a summer holiday, up to 25% from 19% last year.

The poll was conducted by Abbey.

Most UK schools are breaking for the summer holidays July 18-21, and over two million people will head for a summer holiday abroad right away.

The number of summer holiday bookings was up 1% at the end of June, despite current economic situation. Family holidays have not been put aside to save money.

Spain remains the most popular destination, although other holiday destinations are becoming more popular. Holiday bookings to Egypt have grown 28% year on year, to Turkey 20%, and to the US 8%.

All inclusive holidays have also seen a 20% increase in bookings.

The statistics were released by research and market intelligence company Ascent-MI, which works with ABTA.

The Grand Canyon and the Pyramids in Egypt are the top of the list of places people would like to visit before they die, a new survey has found.

The survey was conducted to mark the DVD release of the Hollywood film “Bucket List”, where the characters of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman find out they are terminally ill and do all the things they want to before the kick the bucket.

“Which places in the world do you want to visit before you ‘Kick the Bucket’?”
1. The Grand Canyon
2. The Pyramids in Egypt
3. The Great Barrier Reef
4. Niagara Falls
5. Canadian Rockies
6. Great Wall of China
7. New York
8. Sydney
9. Rome
10. Venice

When the results were split between women and men the lists looks slightly different. Women have more interest in romantic holiday destinations.

Women:

1. The Pyramids in Egypt
2. The Grand Canyon
3. Niagara Falls
4. The Great Barrier Reef
5. Canadian Rockies
6. New York
7. Rome
8. The Great Wall of China
9. Venice
10. Tour of America

Men:

1. The Grand Canyon
2. Great Wall of China
3. The Great Barrier Reef
4. The Pyramids in Egypt
5. Canadian Rockies
6. Niagara Falls
7. Machu Picchu
8. Sydney
9. The Taj Mahal
10. Tour of America

British holidaymakers travelling abroad pack their own food – items like baked beans, soup, cereal and tea, according to a new survey.

Of 2,000 adults surveyed, 18% said they pack food with them when going on a holiday, instead of trying the local delicacies and eating out on their holiday.

The most popular items to take with on a holiday are tea, biscuits, chocolate, and cornflakes.

The survey was conducted by Halifax Travel Insurance.

Next year will see a range of events taking place across Scotland which focus on celebrating whisky. Homecoming Scotland marks the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns - a poet and known whisky lover.

The whole year has been filled with opportunities to enjoy whisky – an excellent time to take a city break in Edinburgh or elsewhere in Scotland.

Burns night on January 25th will start a range of events taking place during 2009 aimed at whisky lovers. May has been appointed as Whisky Month, with events like Sprit of Speyside Whisky Festival and Classic Malts Cruise.

In the autumn there is the Whisky Galore Festival, followed by the Whisky Week at the end October.

The best cities is in the world are Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Sydney, according to a recent survey by the Travel and Leisure magazine.

The best city break destinations seem to be places where people take longer holidays. The European city break destinations Florence and Rome did also appear in the top ten of best cities to visit in 2008.

Travel and Leisure is a leading US travel magazine. They organise votes of best holiday destinations in different categories regularly.

Carnival Cruise Lines is hoping to double the number cruise passengers from the UK as it launches its first ever Northern Europe cruise from Dover.

Carnival Splendor will be taking cruise holidaymakers to over 100 different shore excursions on a series of five 12-day cruises, running from July 13 to August 30.

“Our sister brands are trembling because we want to come to the UK. It’s a great market for us which is why we are positioning ships here,” said chief executive Gerry Cahill.

The cruise line hopes to double the UK passengers by bringing more cruise ships to UK ports. Next year Carnival Liberty will also be based in Dover.

Carnival Splendor’s Northern European cruises will call at: Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia ; Tallin, Estonia; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, among other calling points.

Many airlines have been forced to cancel flights next winter as demand hasn’t been as high as expected, but bmi has decided to fly ‘ghost flights’ in order to keep the coveted Heathrow landing slots.

UK’s third largest airline, bmi, has decided to fly some flights that will be nearly empty. These will be short-haul flights, mainly within the UK.

A landing slot at Heathrow costs around £770 million, and the airline has calculated that running empty flights is better than losing a slot.

Another airline, Flybe, has previously advertised for actors to fly on their Norwich-Dublin route to fill the passenger target imposed b