News Centre

More than one million foreign holidays will end in tears this year due to flight delays, illness or bad weather, a recent study has revealed.

Arguments with a partner or friends, lost luggage and dirty accommodation also regularly ruin holidays, researchers found.

Sunburn, noisy neighbours and drinking too much also wreck sunshine breaks.

Yesterday Stephen Ebbett of travel insurance specialists Protect your bubble, which commissioned the study, said: "Brits often spend months saving up for their annual holiday abroad and really look forward to a relaxing break in the sunshine. So it is understandable that when something goes wrong - such as finding out the accommodation isn't as expected, or the aeroplane is delayed by several hours - people will be disappointed. Whereas you can recover from a hangover, stay out of the sunshine if you get a bit burnt, and make up with a friend or partner after an argument, other holiday disasters can't be solved as easily. Losing luggage on the way to a holiday, finding out the accommodation is dirty and infested, or suffering from a holiday injury can have costly long lasting effects."

The study found the average Brit has been on at least two holidays abroad which were a total disaster.

Four out of ten have been so upset by a situation they found themselves in abroad they ended up in tears.

Fourteen per cent of British tourists have even cut a holiday short and gone home early because they were having such a terrible time.

And a third of people refused to return to the country where they had their worst summer holiday.

Other holiday mishaps frequently suffered by Brits include rude hotel staff, finding the accommodation has no hot water or getting horribly lost.

One in 20 have found their accommodation was next to a nightclub, while 12 per cent ended up having a slanging match with a close friend.

Three per cent have had a relationship end while on holiday.

The study also showed a third of holidaymakers have been forced to change their accommodation because it was so bad.

And nearly half have changed rooms in the same hotel because the one they had wasn't clean enough or didn't have the view they had paid for.

Spain, France and Greece emerged as the worst destinations to travel to followed by Turkey, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Germany.

India, America and Italy completed the top ten.

Stephen Ebbett added: "Travel insurance won't avoid you falling out with your partner. But it's amazing that 1 in 4 of us still go abroad without any suitable cover."

Top 20 Holiday Mishaps

1. Long airport delays
2. Arguments with partner
3. Bad weather
4. Dirty accommodation
5. Sun burn
6. Lost luggage
7. Late night noise
8. Food poisoning
9. Getting too drunk
10. Fallen out with a friend
11. Nasty hotel staff
12. Suffering a holiday injury
13. Noisy neighbours
14. Cockroaches
15. Getting lost
16. No hot water
17. Close proximity to a night club
18. Forgetting how to get back to the hotel
19. Ending a relationship
20. Having the hotel room broken into

Worst Destinations

1. Spain
2. France
3. Greece
4. Turkey
5. Canary Islands
6. Egypt
7. Germany
8. India
9. America
10. Italy