How do you go about having the perfect holiday? Many of us like different things when it comes to holidays.
For some of us, such trips are all about relaxing on the beach, maybe reading a book and doing very little else.
It may be that we work extremely hard the rest of the time and need to have the opportunity to relax as a result.
That may not be your idea of a great holiday though.
Maybe you prefer the thought of really getting to know a place.
That could mean hiring a car and taking the opportunity to explore a region that you weren't previously aware of.
Our holiday choices can obviously be influenced by others too.
If we have young children, for example, then it's likely that we'll want to choose a holiday destination that will appeal to the whole family.
There's very little point in opting to travel to somewhere that only adults will really enjoy.
That's only likely to lead to our children being unhappy, which will probably end up ruining the holiday for everyone.
So it's clear that giving careful thought to the destination should certainly be important.
It needs to be somewhere that will please the whole family.
But is this the only thing that matters when it comes to having a great holiday? You'll often get the most out of the experience if you're prepared to really engage with local people.
By making the effort to learn a little of their language, this can often become much easier.
As well as enabling you to find out more about the local culture and customs, you'll also discover that such an approach will help you to pick up some great tips.
Although guide books and websites can be useful for finding out information about a destination, local knowledge is often far more relevant.
So concentrate on finding a good location and then make the effort to integrate yourself with the locals if you really want to have the perfect holiday.