Where to go on holiday this year? It's tempting to simply reply: anywhere hot. But one of the key factors in your decision should be exchange rates. That's because Sterling has taken a kicking in the international currency markets over the past 12 months, and is down by 4% against the Euro and 5% against the US dollar.

While it helps to work in the industry when trying to get a good holiday deal, there are plenty of tips 'only the industry knows' that can easily be used by consumers to have a great holiday. Here are a few that travel industry workers know (but don't like sharing with anyone else).

Ah, first class. We've all experienced this, walking off a long haul flight, you get lead through the business or first class section of the plane, and marvelled at the bigger (and reclining!) seats, complimentary (and now empty!) champagne flutes and futuristic digital entertainment systems.

One of the basic realities of going on holiday in the UK is that the weather might not be perfect. That calls for a different approach. If you expect sun you'll end up being disappointed, so don't.