When's the last time you went on a holiday and felt confident that you'd packed everything you needed? For some of us, travel means spending the first night away from home at a Kmart or Big W, buying the sunscreen or thongs (or jacket and thermals) we should have put into our suitcases.

Travel should be fun and exciting, but that nagging feeling that you're forgetting something can add undue stress to your preparations. If you want to banish that feeling from the time you start packing to when you walk out the door with your suitcase, you're going to need this checklist.

If you're packing your laptop in a checked bag, the best advice is probably don't do it. From lost luggage to lost data, there's so much that can go wrong. With the recent discussion concerning a laptop ban in the US, though, you may not have a choice. Whatever the circumstance, you want to keep your laptop safe once you drop off your bag and go on your way.

Most of us tend to overpack when we travel. You might as well toss in those extra shirts, chargers and camera gadgets because you never know what you might need, right? Of course, you then end up not using half the stuff you bring. If this sounds familiar, consider a "luggage audit" next time you travel.

Let's say you're planning an interstate holiday and you found an incredible deal on a flight. The only problem? It arrives at 8am and that's too early to check into most hotels. No need to nap at the gate, though - you have options.

If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time packing for a trip. You painstakingly plan out everything to bring, make a full list, then Tetris everything into your luggage. A better solution? Keep a permanent travel drawer.

There's something to be said for meticulously planning a holiday escape, picking the right place, the right time, and then going for it. There's something else for just getting out of dodge after a long, awful week. Here are some tricks to make the latter as luxurious as possible.

Whether you're planning a weekend away or a full-blown trip overseas, it's possible to save a significant amount of money with a little foresight and preparation. The following holiday hacks from travel insurance company Fast Cover offers advice for every step in the process, from flight bookings to hotel checkout.

Maybe you've got a last minute business trip, or maybe you decide to sleep over at a friend's place on a Friday night. Whatever the scenario, it helps to have a quick bag of travel essentials on hand that you can grab before you go.

Video: Holidays are designed to help you relax and get away from the grind. Sometimes, though, they're more stressful than they're supposed to be. This video tells you how to make the most of your next holiday.