When packing for a summer holiday it can be easy to get carried away, and if you are one of many who pack everything but the kitchen sink, you might be surprised to learn that 41% of travellers forget to pack at least one important holiday item in their suitcase.

A study, carried out by Viking River Cruises, found that almost 15 millions holiday essentials were left behind every year, and as a result, travellers were spending up to £118 million (yes  million!) to replace items such as mobile phone chargers, suntan lotion and flip-flops!

Stress and haste are to blame for our forgetfulness, as those questioned during the survey revealed that they were “too busy to pack mind fully in the run up to their break”.

Books, sunglasses, toothpaste and toothbrushes all made the top 10 list of those items we are most likely to forget, but many holidaymakers claimed that they never leave the ‘real’ essentials behind, and that food favourites including marmalade, pork pies and brown sauce always make it into the suitcase, along with a fancy dress costume for ‘good measure’!

A second survey by Post Office Travel Money shows that Spain is the cheapest destination to replace your forgotten travel essentials, but if you are heading to Cyprus, you could be in for a hefty bill.

For us, there are only three important travel essentials – Passport, credit card and toothbrush, but ultimately, as long as you have the first two, you can travel anywhere in the world!