A recent poll has confirmed that the item most holidaymakers never leave home without is a good book.

In this day of lap-tops, mobile phones and ipods, 24% of those surveyed preferred to take a good book on holiday, according to the survey carried out by Skyscanner.

MP3 players gained 22%of the vote, perfume or deodorant 14% and a laptop or PDA just 10%.

Other “must have” items included hair straighteners, ear plugs, mobile phones and cameras.

Skyscanner’s head of marketing, Ron Innes, believes it is because the humble paperback is a cheap form of entertainment that can be taken anywhere; it doesn’t matter if it gets lost and won’t need recharging every few hours.

Innes also commented that books were a great form of “entertainment currency” as they can be traded with other holidaymakers during your stay.