Long haul or short? Beach or mountains? We all have strong opinions on how we like our holidays. But few would disagree that a little research can go an awful long way. After all, who'd want to take a 'trip of a lifetime' to the beaches of Peru and discover they lie under a blanket of fog ten months of the year? And let's spare a thought for the thousands of Brits who head to Thailand in August only to step off the plane during the middle of the monsoon season.

With parents, the decision process is often simple: do right by the kids and the rest will fall into place. For the more adventurous, there's always somewhere off the beaten track - but first ask yourself: why does no-one ever go there? Think North Korea.

So this week what we want to know is: how do you choose the perfect holiday destination?

• Does it need to have sun, sea, sand, mountains, lakes, forests, everything etc? Or is it simply impossible to fit all that in two weeks and best to focus on the must-haves?

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  Are there certain books or websites which you'd never leave home without reading first?

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  When heading somewhere a little further afield, do you always check with the Foreign Office that the destination is safe?

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  Does the British Isles beat the rest of the world hands down, wherever you go?

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  Is the accommodation just as important as the destination, or just somewhere to 'crash' after a busy day's sightseeing?

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  Are package tours the best way to go, or is it better to make your own arrangements?

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  Would you be more likely to put your trust in a travel agent, a guidebook or a friend's recommendation?

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  And is a first-class flight to a five-star pad in the Seychelles bound to outshine a budget airline jaunt to bargain-basement Latvia?

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  Or would you rather avoid all the hassle and stay at home.