Local women view The Taj Mahal in Agra, India. FREQUENT travellers reveal their tips for happy holidays in 2013. Michelle Rowe, deputy editor, Travel & Indulgence TRICK: Pack a pair of thongs in your in-flight hand luggage, so you don't have to contort yourself putting your shoes and socks back on to go to the loo. And make sure your carry-on toiletries bag is divided into compartments and can be hung on the door - your toothbrush and other necessities will be easily to hand, and you'll avoid having to balance the bag on a tiny, often wet, sink top. TREAT: Cover more ground on your holiday by flying in and out of different cities. My 2013 highlight will be a long-awaited road trip, starting in Montreal, then nipping across to Maine in the northeast corner of the US before driving south along the glorious New England coast to New York. Starting in Canada also means negotiating New York's often crowded and stressful JFK airport only once. David Meagher, editor, WISH magazine, The Australian TRICK: If your trip includes a formal dinner and you've packed your dinner suit but forgotten a bow tie, try the concierge. You won't be the first guest to ask to borrow an accessory. Pack a powerboard with multiple outlets and you'll need just one adaptor for all your devices. And if you want to check the status of your flight, type the number into Google and up it will come; closer to departure, a gate number should also be displayed. TREAT: If your return flight from an overseas holiday departs late in the evening, budget for another night's accommodation. Nothing can spoil a great holiday like having to check out of your hotel at midday and being homeless until a midnight flight. Lisa Allen, tourism writer, T&I TRICK: Take an empty water flask and fill it with cold drinking water just before you board the plane (but after security clearance). At Singapore's Changi airport, for example, there are many handy water coolers. TREAT: Book a business-class ticket back from Bali so the benefits of those spa treatments and massages won't be undone on the flight. Christine McCabe, co-contributing editor, T&I TRICK: This year I'm allowing an extra 30 minutes at airports and checking in everything except my laptop on domestic flights, so as to avoid that unseemly scrum as passengers cram carry-ons the size of seagoing trunks into the overhead lockers. TREAT: After succumbing to the Scandinavian crime fiction and television pandemic, I am placing on top of my wish list a themed tour of Copenhagen tracing the footsteps of The Killing's investigator Sarah Lund. Judith Elen, co-contributing editor, T&I TRICK: Travel small and light, and spread a capacious zip-up nylon carry-bag in the bottom of your luggage to transport new treasures home. TREAT: I am determined to visit Club Silencio (142 rue Montmartre, Paris), the David Lynch-designed, Mulholland Drive-inspired, multi-arts nightclub that's open to non-members after midnight (until 6am). Sujata Raman, managing director, Abercrombie & Kent (Australia) TRICK: Read the literature of your destination on your journey - a local writer, a collection of short stories or even folk tales. It's a good way to get a sense of the national character, especially in exotic places such as India. TREAT: End a day tracking gorillas with dinner under the stars at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp as the mist rises over Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Kendall Hill, freelance journalist TRICK: On longer layovers when flying economy, I pay to use airport lounges so I can shower and feel human again, and escape the hordes in the departures hall. Because we can't all have platinum or gold status, most major city airports have premium lounges open to casual users, for a fee. TREAT: Despite its dire economic state, I want to return to Greece and stay on a quiet, out-of-the-way island for at least a fortnight of simple, sun-drenched living. Libby Moffet, joint principal, travel public relations specialists MG Media Communications TRICK: I book most hotels through Expedia because the rates are so good. But I always make a point of contacting the properties directly about my family's needs, particularly when travelling with our teenage sons, as we prefer interconnecting rooms. I've found quite a few hotels will over-deliver and even upgrade the booking once you've engaged them. TREAT: Last year we spent New Year's Eve in Ho Chi Minh City and this year we're going to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh - travel is all about contrasts. Terri Cordin, Wildlife Safari, Perth TRICK: I travel with a spare Australian immigration arrival card to complete when I'm packing before the journey home. Airline crew often hand these out during the final meal service and my pen is usually tucked in a bag in the overhead locker, and if it's a long-haul sector, my brain will be fuzzy from too many episodes of Extreme Hoarder and I'll forget about the wooden items and spices I'm carrying. TREAT: More and more international airports have express spas. At Colombo's Bandaranaike airport, from which Australia-bound flights depart late at night, allow time for a session at Siddhalepa Spa and try its Frequent Flyer Foot Bliss. Caitlin O'Loan, director of public relations, Orient-Express (Australia) TRICK: I always carry a couple of pashminas to use on the plane, for evening wear and to cover my head and shoulders when visiting places, such as mosques, that require modesty. TREAT: I will be treating myself this year to a five-night stay at Orient-Express's Jimbaran Puri Bali in a private villa to soak up the sun, the sea and the daily afternoon teas served by my butler beside the private plunge pool. Stephen Mahoney, senior manager communications (Australia and Asia), Etihad Airways TRICK: Take the stress out of Christmas shopping by buying gifts throughout the year from in-flight shopping catalogues. TREAT: To spend my 50-something birthday at the luxurious Bulgari Resort in Bali in the company of my closest friends. Victoria Hobbs, director of sales and marketing, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts TRICK: Always travel with a quality lightweight wool wrap. It looks quite elegant, guards against icy air- conditioning blasts and hides the odd accidental travel stain, especially from in-flight dining. TREAT: A 120-minute, in-villa, deep-tissue massage (mobile telephones banned) at the latest Banyan Tree resort, on its own island of Nediyathuruthu in Kerala, southern India. All the guest villas have private pools. Kristen Angus, insights and communications manager (Australia), VisitBritain TRICK: I've just invested in an Antler Weightless medium-sized, four-wheeler suitcase. At 2kg, it's light but durable, easy to navigate through crowds and expandable enough to cope with lots of holiday shopping. TREAT: I will be kick-starting the British summer by taking in the sunset at Radio, London's latest rooftop bar, which has sweeping views over the city's landmarks. It's on the top floor of the recently opened ME London hotel, near Covent Garden; guests in ME's Energy River rooms can take in skyline panoramas. Nancy Nusrally, Abu Dhabi-based area public relations manager, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas TRICK: I try to chat as much as possible with the locals. Ask about things to do, places to visit or about their culture; it often proves more useful than a guidebook. TREAT: Al Arish Restaurant by the Mina Port in Abu Dhabi offers a proper Emirati dining experience with the locals. On the menus, expect a lot of fish freshly caught in the Arabian Gulf. Gavin Bell, British-based freelance journalist TRICK: Indispensable antidotes to boredom and claustrophobia on long-haul flights are noise-cancelling headphones and an iPod with funky and uplifting music. TREAT: A weekend in the Hotel Ion, Iceland's newest luxury hotel, adjacent to Thingvellir National Park, for glacier walks, outdoor hot tubs and views of the northern lights from panoramic windows. Peter Hook, general manager communications, Accor Asia-Pacific TRICK: If possible, travel when others don't. I avoid flying out of Australia on Monday morning or flying back on Friday evening. TREAT: Arrive in Europe at least a day in advance of your itinerary and book a walking tour. That way you will acclimatise to the different time zone, get to know the city you are visiting and be fresh for the next day's working assignment. Leanne Sim, marketing communications manager, Capella Singapore TRICK: When packing, roll your clothes so they occupy less space; and travel with vacuum bags so you can compress all your new finds, instead of needing to buy another bag. TREAT: Don't count kilojoules while on holiday. Good food is unquantifiable. I'm off to Rome, Florence and Lake Como this year, and plan to succumb to pasta, pizza, cannoli, gelato ... the list goes on. Rachel Argaman, chief executive, Toga Hotels TRICK: To save time, I keep a toiletries bag packed and ready to put into my suitcase whenever I travel. TREAT: Choose a hotel close to the best restaurant in town - that way you can visit more than once. Our Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney is on the same street as Tetsuya's and Adina Apartment Hotel on Crown Street is next door to Bills and Marque.