Simple, quick and free to use, Skyscanner is the best place to search for cheap flights. The site compares dozens of airlines, hundreds of airports and thousands of routes to find the flight that suits you most – you can search by exact dates or look for the best fare in any particular month and then order your results by cost, duration and departure times.

Our Essentials sections include details on flying to each destination and direct links to Skyscanner so you can easily book your flights there and then.

Booking.com is the world's largest hotel-booking service. It’s very easy to use, and you can quickly find what you’re looking for with their range of handy filters, from property type and location to family rooms and swimming pools. What’s more, there are no booking fees and, in most cases, your reservation can be cancelled free of charge. 

Our detailed reviews of the best places to stay with children include direct links to the hotels’ pages within Booking.com, so you’re only a click away from reserving your perfect holiday pad.

Auto Europe compares prices from the world’s biggest car-rental companies, including Hertz, Avis and Europcar, as well as trusted local suppliers. With 20,000 pick-up locations across 180 countries worldwide, you’re bound to find somewhere that suits, whether you’ll be driving round Iceland or touring southern Morocco. There are no booking fees, and you can cancel your reservation up to 48 hours before pick up. There’s also a reassuring 24/7 support line, should you need it, throughout your rental period.

Auto Europe also covers motorhomes, which are a great way to enjoy an outdoor adventure in the Scottish Highlands and are perfect for a road-trip across California.

Travel insurance must be the only thing we always buy but hope we never have to use. World Nomads are specialist travel insurers who provide excellent cover and 24-hour emergency assistance; they’re flexible, too, so you can add to your policy whilst you’re away – handy for when your eldest suddenly decides that they do want to go ice climbing after all.

You can find out more about family travel insurance and buy comprehensive cover for your trip here.

In each of our Insights sections, we’ve highlighted a few books and/or films that will help give you a deeper understanding of the country you’re about to visit – tribal tales from Morocco, for example, or a novel set amidst the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, or a cookbook that explores the importance of food in Thai culture.

They’re all available on Amazon, so you can just click on the titles to buy them.