NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO
By Rob Knight
Women shop for last minute holiday essentials, are in charge of passports and arrange excursions – while men pack the car and sort out airport transfers, a study has found.
Researchers came to the conclusion after polling 2,000 adults to identify who does what as the family break looms.
The stats show women tend to do the packing, arrange the travel insurance and ask neighbours to water the plants while they’re away.
Men are likely to be left to book the rental car, secure the airport parking space and purchase foreign currency.
Commissioned by Airport Parking & Hotels, (aph.com), the research also found 66 per cent of men think they do most of holiday organising.
But 72 per cent of women reckon they tend to do the bulk of it.
It also emerged two thirds of women think they are better at organising holidays than their partner is.
Spokesman Nick Caunter said: “There’s lots to think about when booking a holiday – much more than sorting the flights and accommodation.
“The research suggests there are particular tasks men are more inclined to do and ones women have a tendency to sort.
“Perhaps we tend to carry out particular tasks because they are suited to particular strengths or interests, but ultimately as long we have a great holiday that’s the main thing.”
The study also found it’s typically up to women to renew expired passports, get someone to look after pets while they’re away and get someone to put the bins out.
Men are usually tasked with checking-in for the flight, navigation and filling the car up with fuel.
But it’s not all left to one person or the other – both will jointly decide what country to visit and what the budget for the getaway is.
Despite this, almost half of men say they take on particular aspects of the holiday planning because their partner struggles with it.
By comparison, 63 per cent of women have done some of their other half’s tasks.
One third of UK adults have fallen out with their partner over who is supposed to be doing what.
A higher proportion of women find remembering everything for their holiday more stressful than men – 53 per cent compared to 74 per cent.
The research carried out by OnePoll.com also found those polled typically forget something three times every time they go away on their holidays.
And over three quarters have even had to turn around and go back home or to the hotel because they left something behind.
Forty per cent of women think their other half is most likely to forget something – in contrast 19 per cent of men said the same thing.
HOLIDAY JOBS WOMEN TEND TO DO:
• Arranging day trips/excursions
• Finding local restaurants
• Finding the local supermarket
• Check the weather
• Reading-up on local customs
• Remembering passports
• Renewing expired passports
• Getting travel insurance
• Sorting out relevant visas
• Making sure someone is keeping an eye on the house
• Finding someone to look after/check on pets
• Finding out about EU medical cards
• Shopping for last minute essentials
• Packing the suitcases
• Buying phrasebooks
• Knowing local bus routes/public transport
• Leaving a key with the neighbour
• Asking someone to put the bins out
• Asking someone to water the plants
HOLIDAY JOBS MEN TEND TO DO:
• Arranging car rental
• Finding local petrol station
• Checking-in for flights
• Booking flights
• Sorting airport parking
• Buying maps
• Buying inflatables
• Buying swimming gear
• Finding travel adapters
• Finding phone chargers
• Packing tablet devices
• Checking roaming charges
• Arranging airport transfers
• Checking exchange rates
• Planning what time to leave home
• Plotting the route to the airport
• Filling the car with fuel
• Planning what time to leave on the way home
• Packing the car
HOLIDAY JOBS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN DO:
• Researching the holiday
• Deciding what country to visit
• Deciding on the type of resort
• Deciding on the hotel location
• Booking kids activities/clubs
• Changing money/currency
• Deciding the holiday budget
ENDS