From bedding to cleaning products and slippers, it seems Brits can’t holiday abroad without packing their much-loved home comforts.
New research, from tombola, has revealed the home comforts holidaymakers miss the most when they head abroad, and the weird and wonderful items they insist on taking in their suitcase.
Home comforts matter, even on holiday
The survey of 2,000 British adults revealed that comfort is key as almost half (43%) long for their own pillow when on holiday and over a third (38%) miss sleeping on their own mattress.
The familiarity of your own bathroom comes in third place with just shy of a third (31%) saying they miss their own toilet. Spending time with pets (29%) and watching British TV (28%) completes the top five.
Other top-ranking home comforts include your own duvet, as well as sitting in your own spot on the sofa and classic British food items.
Then nation’s top ten most missed home comforts (when on holiday) are:
- Your own pillow (43%)
- Your own mattress (38%)
- Using your own toilet (31%)
- Spending time with pets (29%)
- British TV (28%)
- Your own duvet (27%)
- British teabags (27%)
- Sitting in your spot on the sofa (19%)
- British food (18%)
- Drinking out of your own mug (16%)
No travel without teabags
It seems that over a third (37%) of Brits take teabags with them on holiday, because they just ‘can’t manage without them’ and ‘tea just isn’t the same abroad!’.
Those in Belfast are the biggest brew-lovers with half (50%) of residents saying they take teabags on holiday, closely followed by Cardiff (49%) and Liverpool (45%).
One in ten (10%) take their favourite mug to drink out of too, and a further 11% admit to taking this one step further by packing their own kettle.
Of those who forget to pack tea bags, over a quarter (27%) named British them as their most- missed home comforts when on holiday.
Top ten most popular ‘weird items’ Brits pack in their suitcase:
- Teabags (37%)
- Cleaning products (32%)
- Bedding (29%)
- Slippers (25%)
- Coffee (24%)
- Biscuits (21%)
- Alarm Clock (17%)
- Extension Lead (16%)
- Kettle (11%)
- Coat Hangers (10%)
There’s no rest for the wicked!
Despite being on holiday, Brits aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves as a third (32%) admit to packing cleaning products in their suitcase when travelling. After all, there’s nothing worse than being faced with dirt and germs when you arrive at your accommodation.
While holidays act as the perfect opportunity for a much-needed rest, it seems not all love a lie-in either, as a fifth (17%) of Brits say they take their alarm clock away with them on holiday.
A nation of over-packers
It comes as no surprise that a whopping 86% of Brits say they regularly overpack for their holidays. To avoid overpacking, Nicki Rodriguez, professional packing expert and owner of Essex House Dolly, advises:
Roll instead of folding
“Folding your clothes not only limits the space you have, but it also creates creasing. Instead, roll them! Rolling eliminates the creases and in turn, gives you more space.”
Create a brick-like shape with shoes
“Pack shoes together so that the front ends are touching each other, but one shoe is upside down. This then creates a brick shape which can easily be slotted into your case.”
Plan, plan, plan
“To avoid overpacking, only bring items that you actually need. Lay out clothing for each day so you can visually see what you are going to wear. For example, if you are staying 7 nights, you’d put out swimwear, underwear, an outfit for evening, outfit for day. You would then roll these items and place them in a carrier bag with a label of the day.”
Decant liquids
“When it comes to toiletries, buy small plastic pots and containers – you’ll find these in most cosmetic shops – and put all your liquids in these. They are literally half the size and will not take up as much room in your case.”
Did I forget something?
Despite this, two thirds of Brits (66%) forget to take at least one important thing on holiday every time they go away.
The most common forgotten item is suncream with a third of Brits having forgotten the essential item at some point, followed by plug adaptors (20%) and a hairbrush (18%).
On the findings, Samantha Wilcox, Organic Manager at tombola, said: “Our research shows that while we are a nation of holiday-lovers, we also love our home comforts. Taking our favourite items away with us provides a little slice of home, but it can come at a cost, as many people subsequently forget some of the much-needed essentials.
“Packing thoroughly and efficiently, means you can not only take your favourite home comforts, you also won’t find yourself dashing to foreign supermarkets on the first day of your holiday.”
For more information on the findings and packing your favourite items for your next trip, visit: https://www.tombola.co.uk/tombola-talks/packed-and-ready-to-go-brits-quirky-holiday-packing-habits-revealed
