Brits Get Lost in a Holi-daze

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Sep 28, 2012, 05:48 ET

CHESTER, England, September 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Half of Brits have forgotten to take a 'holiday essential' away with them
40 per cent of Brits sunburnt on holiday over the past year

Sun-starved Brits get so excited about their holidays that they get in a complete daze and forget to pack key holiday essentials, new research from TravelSupermarket has revealed.

Almost one in two (47 per cent) Brits have set off on a well-earned break and left behind holiday 'essentials' such as plug adapters (14 per cent), phone chargers (12 per cent) and sunglasses (12 per cent), forcing them to fork out precious holiday money at the airport or as soon as they land. When it comes to packing their suitcase, three per cent of Brits admitted they have even set off without packing any underwear at all.

And Brits aren't just forgetting to take things with them; they're also forgetting to tend to the house before they set off. 21 per cent of Brits have returned home to a stinking fridge after forgetting to empty it of perishable items and 12 per cent have forgotten to take out the bins. 11 per cent of Brits said they've forgotten to switch off electrical items before heading away and eight per cent have overlooked locking their doors or windows - something which could invalidate home insurance.

This research suggests that in many cases the holiday 'daze' Brits appear to be finding themselves in could be down to a lack of preparation - with a quarter (24 per cent) leaving it until the day before they set off to do their holiday packing, and five per cent packing just hours before setting off on holiday.

It is these silly mistakes that are hitting Brits hard in the wallet. Seven per cent have had to pay for a last-minute passport, having realised theirs was out of date, with an additional seven per cent having to shell out to change the name on their ticket. Four per cent of Brits have even arrived at the airport a day early or a day late.

Something else Brits appear to be forgetting is to put on enough sunscreen. 40 per cent of Brits have been sunburnt on a holiday in the last 12 months, losing precious holiday time staying out of the sun until they recover. However, most Brits won't let a few forgotten items put a dampener on their summer holiday - 45 per cent said falling ill while away would be the one thing that would 'ruin' their break.

TravelSupermarket's travel expert Bob Atkinson said: "Holidays are a great way of getting away from it all and a time to leave your worries at home. Unfortunately it appears that many Brits are leaving a lot more at home. Whilst a forgotten phone charger or travel adapter shouldn't ruin your holiday, you don't want to waste precious holiday time scouring local shops for a replacement and if you forget a few items, it can really eat into your holiday budget. Spending a few minutes double-checking you have everything might seem like a waste of time as you rush off to the airport, but it could save you a lot of hassle, as well as vital spending money, whilst you are away."

See TravelSupermarket's downloadable packing checklist to make sure you don't forget any essentials:

http://www.travelsupermarket.com/shared/img/content/packinglist.pdf

* Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,004 UK adults on behalf of TravelSupermarket.com aged 18+ from 31 August to 3 Sept 2012. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria

About TravelSupermarket

TravelSupermarket is an online comparison service where customers can find the best-value travel options for their needs and purchase over the Internet. The website compares flights, car hire, hotels, cruise, package holidays plus dynamic packaging by searching hundreds of travel websites. The information supplied is unbiased and is designed to save the customer time and money.

The site thrives on offering its users accurate real-time availability by taking information directly from suppliers such as Opodo, British Airways, Thomas Cook, Radisson, Auto-Europe and many more, ensuring users are presented the best possible price at all times. It searches:

More than 650 scheduled, low-cost and charter airlines from 35 individual suppliers
More than 200,000 individual hotels from over 41 individual hotel suppliers
More than 200 individual car hire providers from over 20 suppliers
1,000s of individual package holidays from over 20 suppliers

Additionally, TravelSupermarket.com also compares prices on travel insurance and on airport car parking.

TravelSupermarket is part of the Moneysupermarket.com Group PLC.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com is a website where consumers can compare personal finance products, save money and apply online. The website has several service areas including personal loans, credit cards, mortgages, current accounts, savings accounts, motor insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, health insurance, mobile phones, broadband and shopping.