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Travelling with friends can be a great experience – lots of people to make memories with, other people to run decision by, people to help plan a great trip. However, there are things you can do to make it easier and to ensure your trip will not take a turn for the worst. Here are some ideas:

• Travel with people you know well. Travelling can be difficult and stressful, so you need to know you can rely on the people you are with.
• Plan ahead. Know what you want to do and make sure you all agree to avoid unnecessary stress and potential arguments.
• Make sure you all have the same ideas about what makes a good trip. Some people enjoy staying in hostels with a backpack, and others might need a little luxury. Make sure you agree on the trip style and budgets before you leave and decide on your destinations.

The Christmas holidays provide lots of people with some time off work so that you can take a break. This is, for many, a time to go away and make the most of the holidays. You will be able to enjoy some time away and relax to make the most of the time you have away from your job.

It might be the ideal time to go somewhere in the UK and enjoy being looked after at Christmas. Book into a nice hotel and eat lots of delicious food, along with some good wine as well!

If you fancy more of an adventure, it could be a great time to get away from the British winter. Think of going somewhere like Australia, where you will get great weather during December. There is nothing quite like enjoying a BBQ on the beach on Christmas day when at home, you would be wrapped up warm.

Safety should always come first when you are abroad, not necessarily because you are somewhere dangerous, but just because you are somewhere different. It can be easy to just enjoy yourself and to get lulled into a false sense of security. The main thing to remember is to always be vigilant. Look out for anything that looks unusual and is on your guard.

Pick your destination carefully. Many places are safe but for some, the security and government warnings change all the time. Look at the latest travel information before you book.

Make sure you stay in the right area. This is especially true if you have children and are looking for a family-friendly environment. Don’t stay too far from central areas, where it could be dark and potentially riskier at night. Stick to areas with other tourists and plenty of other people around in general, where you will blend in with the crowd.

Tourism is generally safe, as long as you are in a part of the world that doesn’t have a government warning. There are still places that are more inherently dangerous than others though, and you do need to keep your wits about you. Here are some top safety tips for tourists the world over:

• Never take your safety for granted. This is when you can become over-confident and you might do some silly things, like going into inadvisable areas of a town.
• Stay alert. Know what is going on around you, at all times.
• Don’t go into quiet areas alone at night. Stick to busy areas where you will blend in as a tourist and won’t become an immediate target.
• Choose destinations where you feel comfortable. If somewhere has a bad reputation for crime and you feel on edge, it will show. Criminals will notice your uneasiness and could think you are an easy victim.

The sun can make your holiday perfect, letting you enjoy swimming, sunbathing and other sunny activities whilst you are away. However, it can also ruin your holiday if you get sunburnt. You need to stay safe in the sun, so here are some tips:

• Wear a high factor sun cream. Lots of people use a higher factor early on in their holiday and work their way down to a lower factor. This can be dangerous and lead to sun damage to your skin.
• Cover up when out in the sun. If you are just walking around, it can be easy to forget to apply the cream regularly. Cover up the skin on places like your shoulders and wear a sun hat.
• Stay out of the sun at the hottest points of the day. Make the most of the sun, of course, but don’t sunbathe for hours at midday or you can end up with sunstroke and sunburn.

Holidays have to be suitable for the whole family. This can be difficult when there is a lot of travelling and you will be staying in hotels with other guests. Here are some things to consider when planning your next family holiday:

• Choose the hotel carefully. Many will be family friendly but some are geared up to couples, groups or older people. Read reviews and see what the hotel has to say on their own website.
• Consider hiring your own car. Using public transport with young children in tow can be far more trouble than it is worth.
• Think about a holiday in the UK. This will avoid you having to fly anywhere, putting your mind at rest if your children are still young and may not be good flyers.
• Make sure you can pack enough. Don’t restrict yourself or you will be worrying about whether you have everything you need for the family.

For people who are conscious of their actions and their consequences for the environment, it can be a good idea to stay in an eco-friendly place on holiday. Eco-lodges and hostels are springing up all over the world and they can provide an excellent option for people who want to enjoy some time away whilst having minimal impact on the environment.

Eco accommodation will usually seem very much like normal accommodation but it will have made some adaptations to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. For example, they may use recycled rainwater for toilets and they might offer fewer towel changes, meaning there is less need for washing to be done. They will also usually have good vegetarian or vegan food available to travellers. If you book your holiday activities through an eco-resort, they are more likely to be animal and environment-friendly as well, e.g. they may offer bikes as transport.

For lots of locations, it might seem quite obvious what the weather will be like. However, this just isn’t always the case. Weather conditions can vary greatly between different locations, even if they are quite close together or have a reputation for their weather being a certain way.

Even locations that are close to the UK can have drastically different weather. For example, if you are planning a winter break to Poland or Germany, depending on where you are going, it could be incredibly cold. You should pack for severe weather conditions and the distinct possibility of snow, rather than the milder winters that tend to occur in the UK.

If you are going to somewhere like Asia, it will have a reputation for being warm all year round. You must do your research though because whilst it might be warm, it will not necessarily be dry. Different areas have their monsoon seasons and rainy seasons so do your research first.

Holidays are a time to relax, unwind and take yourself away from the stresses of daily life. This is why renting a villa or apartment can be a good option for your next break. It will give you the chance to have some privacy, helping you to feel truly refreshed once it is time to go back to the real world.

Apartment and villa holidays needn’t be expensive. If you are sharing with a few people, this will dramatically cut the costs. It will also help you to save money whilst you are on holiday as you will be able to cook meals rather than buy expensive food in restaurants.

You can use many different resources to find a villa or apartment to rent abroad. Book through a travel agent, look through holiday brochures or look online. There are some very good deals to be found, especially if you book your holiday accommodation early.

Many people love seeing exotic animals when they are travelling abroad. When you are travelling responsibly, this can be an incredible experience. However, there is a lot that you should bear in mind when going to see animals abroad to make sure that you are not participating in something altogether less animal-friendly.

Make sure you do your research. Look at reviews and find out as much as you can about how animals in captivity are looked after.

Go and see animals in the wild. This is the best way to see animals and to enjoy some beautiful landscapes at the same time. Your entrance fees will often help contribute towards preserving the area and animals as well.

Do not ride elephants. Elephants that give rides to tourists are often taken from the wild and may not have been trained ethically. They will almost definitely be overworked, putting them at great risk of injuries and, eventually, deformities.