YOU'VE booked the holiday, you've sorted the time from work and you're all ready to go...or are you?

In the countdown to holiday time, amid fantasies of serenely sipping Daiquiris against a shimmering backdrop of a softly-melting sun, it is easy to forget some of the more mundane considerations regarding holidays.

Holiday insurance, for example, could be the single most important decision you make but, because it's not that exciting, it will probably appear somewhere way down the list, after getting your legs waxed and just before remembering to buy water-purifying tablets.

Expense also, can sometimes put you off - it's an extra £40 or £50 that could be used to take the kids to a fun park for the day.

But don't despair. If you a), have forgotten or b), are on a budget, travel insurance policies can be bought for as little as £10 for a two-week holiday.

According to Which? Magazine, TravelPlan Direct charges £10 to cover a two-week holiday in Europe. In contrast, the high street multiples can charge up to four times as much to cover the same trip, with Going Places charging £40.99, Lunn Poly £36.99, Thomas Cook £34.50 and Travelchoice £39.95.

The Which? report concludes: "How much you pay for travel insurance depends as much on where you get it from as how much of a risk you are". So be warned, and shop around.

Talking of shopping, if you have to zip out for some last minute supplies before you go, why not treat yourself to a Jelly Fan, from Pifco, to keep you cool at night.

Pifco's range of Jelly Fans (the word jelly refers to the brightly coloured, 'translucent' material that they are made from) are available in four vibrant colours - tangerine, sunshine yellow, aquamarine, and ocean blue.

At only £13.99 plus the cost of an adapter to suit the country you're in, it's a great little addition to your luggage and will keep you cool on those balmy nights.

Pifco also has a great range of travel accessories, comprising hairdryer, kettle and travel iron.

Small enough to fit into any suitcase or holdall, the items are also lightweight and durable.

The steam iron is £13.99 and has a dual voltage selector switch that allows the user to select either 120V or 240V for world-wide use.

The hairdryer is just £7.99 and boasts 1200W of power and includes a diffuser and concentrator nozzle for different hairstyles.

The kettle has all the features of a full-size kettle but in a compact format and with universal voltage. At £12.99 it could be a life-saver when you're gasping for a cup of tea in Tunisia or a coffee in Corfu.

Another handy last-minute addition to your luggage, if you haven't already got one, is a travel guide for the area you're visiting.

Not necessarily something you would think of, a good travel guide can make a big difference to your holiday.

Knowing which restaurants and cafs offer the best value for money, for example, can save a lot of trial and error and thus precious holiday time that would be better spent lazing on the beach.

WH Smith has come up with a great range of handy pocket guides, which are jam-packed with information on the major resorts, beaches, excursions and sights for all the main, short-haul holiday destinations.

With their maps, language phrases and menu translator, they are great value at £3.99.

WH Smith also has a range of more in-depth travel guides, called the Discover range.

Produced in conjunction with Thomas Cook, they cover the best sights, restaurants, bars and cafes.

They also contain maps highlighting the key places to go, even leading you through areas, street by street. They cost between £9.99 and £12.99.

Last but not least, if you are going away with small children, you may be interested in some pearls of wisdom from a journalist called Suzi Godson. Ms Godson writes for Mother & Baby magazine and has written a number of children's books.

The following tips from Suzi will help to make the journey more comfortable for your kids, which obviously means less hassle for you.

Before you get going...

If you are getting a toddler out of nappies, this is not the time to leave them off.

Dress kids in lightweight clothes and no shoes.

Use a shade on the window.

Get each child a junior travel pillow.

6 Kids in the car...

Small toys can be tied to the back of the headrests of the front seats to keep kids amused.

Play toddler tapes and sing nursery rhymes, but not too often or you'll go mad!

For slightly older children, hand out small snacks, a couple of grapes at a time or a ginger biscuit. If you give them something larger, for example, a whole muffin, you are guaranteed to find it down the back of the seat a year later.

Make time to play a quiz. Pretend to be a popular quiz on TV or make up general knowledge questions, such as capital cities, spellings, maths, name that tune etc.

So there you have it. A few last minute additions that may make your holiday that little bit easier. Bon voyage!