Heading off abroad has always been a time to splurge rather than save and, while costs such as accommodation and flights are always factored into our holiday spend, a whole host of added extras can really stretch travellers' budgets to breaking point. Far from our money being spent on luxuries such as a candlelit dinner for two on the beach or a sunset cruise, our holiday costs can mount up in a number of unexpected ways. Here are just a few:
Souvenirs

No holiday would be complete without stocking up on a few mementos of our time away. Whether it's a stick of Brighton rock, a pair of mini maracas or a tacky ' I love the Costa del Sol' t-shirt, souvenirs help us to maintain that holiday feeling all year round.

Souvenirs also help family and friends at home get a slice of the holiday action and have something to show off to visitors.

While many imagine that they would have shelled out a few pounds on souvenirs in their time, the majority of holidaymakers would be surprised to find that they spend an average of £26 on items such as fridge magnets, snow globes, local tipples and stuffed donkeys.

When this bill is totted up it comes to a staggering annual cost of £1.2 billion for holidaymakers.

Londoners take their souvenir spend even further by splashing out £30 a piece, while Scots spend £29. Travellers from Yorkshire and Humber are the group that keep the souvenir spend most in perspective, forking out a more wallet-friendly £21.

Replacing items

You buy some you lose some or that's how the saying should be applied to those going off on holiday. Research from Viking River Cruises has found that nearly half of holidaymakers (41%) leave behind at least one essential holiday item.

That makes a grand total of 15 million holiday essentials that aren't packed into our cases as a result of 'suitcase haste'. This error costs UK holidaymakers a hefty £118 million to replace items that have gone wayward as they frantically prepare for their annual breaks.

Shoes take top place on the top 10 list of forgotten items, followed by mobile phone chargers and sun cream.

Books came in at fourth place while glasses, toothpaste and a tooth brush also fail to see the inside of holidaymakers' luggage.

While travellers are absentminded enough to forget some packing must-haves, many are much more vigilant when it comes to filling up suitcases with British favourites. This includes pork pies, marmalade and brown sauce.

Keeping the kids happy

Children and drained finances have always gone hand in hand so it's no surprise that the little blighters are responsible for a large share of our holiday spending.

Research from the Post Office has revealed that children whinging on holiday often results in parents appeasing them with one too many holiday extras. 81% of parents admitted that they were pestered for treats on their break. A daily ice cream cone was the biggest expense for two-thirds of parents while fizzy drinks put a dent in the budget for 44% of parents.

The bank of mum and dad has also been forced to payout for buckets and spades or lilos (39%) and a day of splashing about at the water park (38%).

Depending on precisely where families holidayed in Europe, the cost of 10 holiday items including suncream, insect repellent, sun lounger hire, a soft drink, an ice cream, a water park visit and a family meal out, varied greatly.

At the bargain end of the market was Sunny Beach (Bulgaria) at £110.17, Torremolinos (Spain) at £121.11 and Marmaris (Turkey) at £129.29.

Families looking for a holiday on a shoestring may not find it on the Greek islands, with Crete (£189.15) emerging as the most expensive of the 12 resorts.