Ditch the packaging: Find your perfect resort & hotel

Packaging: a retailing trick to make you think a few cheap components deserve a much higher price by virtue of being bundled together for your convenience.

Still not booked your trip away for the summer because you can't decide between Magaluf or Monte Carlo? Picking the right destination and accommodation can make or break your holiday, so here are some tips which both independent travellers or the package holiday brigade should find useful.

You may have only one objective in mind for your holiday, whether it's to get a suntan or get away from the little brats for a week (I don't understand why people give Joan Crawford such a hard time, doesn't everyone beat their kids?). But if you take a few minutes to think about what else appeals to you in a holiday, with a bit of research you can find the most suitable destination.

First, it's not about picking the cheapest holiday hotspot. Jetting off to 'Durgapurgaslav' for £10 could make for an exciting weekend of discovery, but if you are booking for a week or two away, you had best do some research instead of just paying for the cheapest flights. Otherwise you may find the delights of the local pickle museum becoming a bit tiresome after the third visit.

If you're open to suggestions, this is a time when a trip to the High Street travel agent will pay off. Sit down with a travel agent and let them bounce some ideas off you. They can help you find a destination that fits your plans whether it's hitting the night spots, soaking up the culture, flopping on the beach or hiking in the hills. The reason they can do this is because they have at their disposal heaps of travel information compiled into guides called 'gazetteers'.

Crucially, a gazetteer cuts through the brochure fluff to give you accurate descriptions. A brochure will always tell you their hotel is ideal for the beach, trips into town and fantastic nightlife. A gazetteer will spell out with impartial facts that it is a 10-minute walk down a busy highway to the sand, that the bus to town stops at 8pm and nightlife at the hotel amounts to nothing more than a fevered session of bingo.

For this reason, insist that your travel agent sets aside the brochures and browses through the gazetteer with you during your visit. You might find a gazetteer at your local library, or there are excerpts from them which can be found free on some travel sites, like Virgin Holidays.

Speaking of the library, a good old-fashioned guidebook is probably the best way of learning about what there is to see and do at a particular destination. Just make sure the information is up to date ('it says here the Stasi guards will subject us to lengthy questioning at Checkpoint Charlie - maybe we'd better give that daytrip to East Berlin a miss'). I spend many a rainy day lunch break at my local bookstore browsing guidebooks, typing notes into my mobile.

Been anywhere nice lately?

Next, word of mouth is a time-honoured way of finding out about a destination. Perhaps friends or co-workers have been before and have come back with glowing recommendations to match their suntans. The internet has amplified the advantages (and drawbacks) of 'word of mouth' to the Nth degree. One site I can recommend, full of people giving their honest opinions about their trips away, is Holidays Uncovered. Have a look at the site after you've picked a particular region or resort with the help of a travel agent or guidebook.

An even more useful site is TripAdvisor, a powerful tool for travellers because of the sheer versatility of the information. TripAdvisor is a boon because it sorts hotels by both price and favourable reviews, allowing me to see what's the best option in my budget. The trick is not to let yourself be swayed by the one person who leaves a blistering negative review. You've heard of Internet 2.0? It's where everyone can hear you whinge!