Pack your (tea) bags: Brits admit to taking tea, biscuits and baked beans on holiday
- 1 in 5 admit to taking tea bags on their travels
- One in ten adults take a comfort blanket on holiday
- 7% can’t go away without a trusty tin of beans
Knowing what to pack for your overseas adventure is always difficult, but new research from Go.Compare has revealed that besides clothes and shoes, many travellers are packing some rather unusual items - including pillows, washing powder and even cans of baked beans.*
The research asked over 2,000 Brits which unusual items they take on holiday with them, and revealed some interesting results - with certain food items, bedding and toys all proving to be unlikely essentials. Of the bizarre items we pack on holiday, those proving most popular were:
|
Unusual item |
% who take this on holiday |
|
|
1 |
Teabags |
26% |
|
2 |
Biscuits |
20% |
|
3 |
Pillow |
13% |
|
4 |
Cereal |
12% |
|
5 |
Comfort blanket |
11% |
|
6 |
Washing powder |
11% |
|
7 |
Bedding |
8% |
|
8 |
Sauces/condiments |
8% |
|
9 |
Soft toys |
7% |
|
10 |
Baked beans |
7% |
With a spot among the top ten, cans of baked beans were something 7% of travellers admitted to packing for their holidays - alongside 8% of people who packed their favourite sauces or condiments. A further 4% of people admitted they take Marmite on their holidays, despite what the haters may think.
Meanwhile, tea bags and biscuits were right at the top of the list - proving Brits certainly love a good brew (and something to dunk in it).
Venturing to the bedroom, more than one in ten people (13%) admitted they take their own pillow on holiday, and 8% go a step further - taking their own bedding - while some travellers even admitted to taking a more x-rated bedroom item on holiday, with 6% saying they stash an adult toy in their suitcases.
Rhys Jones, Go.Compare Travel insurance spokesperson, commented on the findings: “What this research shows is that people have very different ideas when it comes to the perfect holiday - some can’t go without a jar of marmite, while others need soft toys and comfort blankets to feel at ease while away.
“While we might all be different in terms of what we take on holiday, one thing that’s true for everyone is that travel mishaps are something we want to avoid. However, it can be hard to predict when things go wrong - whether it’s a flight cancellation, lost bags or an issue with your accommodation.
“For this reason, we always recommend looking at travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. This way, you will be protected in the run-up to your trip as well as your time away against any holiday mishaps.”
To learn more about which travel insurance policy is right for you, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance/.
//ENDS//
Contact Information
Rubie Barker
Notes to editors
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 UK Nationally Representative Consumers, aged 18+. The data was collected between 25.04.2025 - 28.04.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden or Rubie Barker at Go.Compare on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com or Rubie@fdcomms.co.uk
Keep up-to-date with Go.Compare on X (Twitter); @GoCompare
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/