I suppose the only constraints for Travel are those governed by time and cost. You usually find that having got the available time there is an inverse ratio to the availability of funds.  Assuming you have determined you have both for where you want to go, an important consideration is timing. Avoid peak season if you can (school holidays permitting). Pick the best time of the year for where you are going. May and June and also September are good times for most of Mediterranean Europe or out of the hurricane season for the Caribbean (beginning of November to early May).   Although winter IS the peak season for the Caribbean, you can generally find good bargains in what they call the "shoulder" season, early November or April and May, and still not to have to worry about hurricanes.

      Then having chosen where and when to go, avoid, if you can, red-eye flights or pre-dawn ferry crossings. Both will leave you shattered upon arrival and instead of settling into your Hotel/Resort, you will feel more like crashing out on your bed. After a long haul flight, avoid going to bed at your usual UK time, stay up, chill-out and rest by the pool or on the beach and you should avoid jet lag.   Besides, if crossing to Europe, mid-day ferry crossings are invariably cheaper and an overnight stay en route might shorten your length of stay at your resort, but can be factored in or seen as part and parcel of your holiday. Try and arrive as refreshed as possible and this should be the best start of any holiday.

      If hiring a car on arrival, book in the UK, never leaving it until you arrive. . For Europe I tend to use CarHire3000 which has no credit card fees, nor cancellation and amendment fees but do have competitive rates.   Whichever Car Hire firm you use make sure you are not caught out by the scam of having additional insurance cover included, which you probably don`t want in any case. Some have found out too late, when the credit card bill arrives, that they have been charged for cover they did not agree to, and on the back of the invoice is a stamp showing you have been charged for additional insurance cover, and was probably never brought to your attention when you picked the car up. You were busy collecting the keys and signing all sorts of documents in a foreign language to notice! If you want peace of mind use Insurance4CarHire which from £49 will cover excess on damage to rental vehicles, theft and damage to windows and tyres (not normally covered by Car Hire insurance anyway).   Also don`t forget that you probably have better insurance cover for your personal effects under the contents section of your household policy. You will therefore NOT need PIA (Personal insurance cover - mainly offered in the States. You will need a credit card to hire a car. They will swipe the card on collection, but should not process any amount upon return, provided you have not incurred any damage.   Make sure you ask for the swiped receipt when you return the keys to make sure.

      Thinking of credit cards, apart form the Post Office and Nationwide, most credit card issuers make a charge for using their cards abroad of between 2 - 3%. Never use a credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM. You will be charged first of all for using the card and secondly incur interest charges at a horrific rate on the amount withdrawn from the moment of withdrawal.

      Personally, I would suggest Nationwide, which makes no charge of use in the Eurozone and only 1% elsewhere. For ready cash open a Nationwide current account and deposit sufficient funds for your holiday needs just before you go away. You can then draw cash from ATM`s at no cost and at a much better rate of exchange than the tourist rates available. To locate ATM`s at your resort go to MasterCard Global Locator or Visa ATM Locator.

      Make sure you take clothes suitable for your holiday destination. Light summery clothes for the Caribbean and Mediterranean (in summer) with stout walking shoes if you intend to explore. Avoid the British disease of walking around stripped to the waist (especially if you`re a woman!!)   Respect local customs and traditions and always be polite. A "please" and "thank you" in the local language goes down well.   Try to avoid taking too many clothes. Easier said than done I know, but invariably you will end up lugging half of your wardrobe around the globe and return home with it unworn. Most hotels I know have laundries or dry-cleaning facilities.

      Take a photo copy of your passport and carry this with you at all times, use the Hotel`s safe (or safe in your room) to deposit your passport and spare cash/travelers cheques. I like to have a spare ATM cash card and credit card which I keep separately and deposit these with the other papers in the safe.

      Don`t fry in the sun the first 3 to 4 days - you`ll regret it and be in terrible pain for the remainder of your holiday. Pace yourself. I`ve found that lying in the shade of palm trees, etc, on the beach or by the pool you will still get a great tan. Don`t forget the Sun Tan oil/cream. Buying locally can often be cheaper if you recognize the brand and the sun factor you want..

      When you arrive at your resort, don`t immediately sign up to all the excursions at the Welcoming Meeting. The tour rep is on commission and investigating the alternatives for going to the events or places you want to visit can produce significant savings.

      Before you go buy a good guide to the resort/area/Island you are visiting to find out before-hand what it is you want to see and do. Go online and search for the resort`s Tourist Information Bureau. There`s nothing worse than coming back from holiday only to learn that some unmissable place WAS missed by you because you didn`t know it was there!!

Finally, remember it is a holiday. Take your suitcase with you but leave all other "baggage" at home and if you`ve done your homework well, your holiday will be most rewarding and you`ll come home with marvellous memories and looking forward to booking the next trip,