By Dale Western on 24 September 2014

If you thought that we were a nation of savvy travellers, think again. 

It appears that when we're on holiday, Brits abroad are losing a staggering 21.9m hours of their breaks because they're getting lost.

That's right - we're all able to negotiate the Tube without a moment's hesitation, we always manage to locate a pub, even in the deepest countryside, and we can find our way around Westfield no problem.

But take us to a foreign country, and our sense of direction seeminly falls apart.

The research, carried out by O2, found out that getting lost was one of travellers' top irritations, as well as dealing with rude tourists, disgusting food and problematic language barriers.

This probably won't come as a surprise, but we're a nation increasingly attached our smartphones, with only 6% of people surveyed admitting to ever leaving their home without their mobile in the UK. Maybe that explains the whole 'getting lost' issue.

The study also revealed that only 14% of tourists take their phones out of their hotel room on day trips, with almost two thirds of those surveyed saying they switch off data on their smartphone for the duration of their holiday.

To help Brits stay connected when they travel in Europe, O2 has very kindly upgraded its Travel tariff.  The improved tariff lets customers use data without having to worry about costs or having to rely on access to WiFi networks - handy.

We believe that getting lost should be an integral part of your trip, but almost 2.2m hours? You lot had better get some maps, pronto.

Find out how to slash the cost of your phone bill when you're on holiday here.


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