A quarter of holidaymakers have struck disaster in Spain

Almost a quarter of all UK trips to Spain end up in some kind of mishap.

France emerged as the European holiday ‘car crash capital’, while most activity-based accidents befall Brits in Austria.

The holiday hazard hotspots emerged in a poll of 8,000 UK people by comparethemarket.com, which created a ‘mishap map’ to highlight the tourist traps.

Research revealed that more than one in ten UK holidays to Europe involve setbacks like illness, injury or loss or theft of property.

Spain topped the chart for overall mishaps, followed by the Canary Islands, Greece and Italy.

You are also most likely to lose or have property stolen in Spain, ahead of the Canary Islands and France.

Spain also topped the list of countries where people were most liable to fall ill, followed by the Canary Islands and Greece.

The poll revealed that almost half (47 per cent) of Brits avoid certain foods while abroad because of a fear of food poisoning.

For some unlucky travellers, trouble begins before they even get on the plane - thanks to flight delays or cancellations.

Russia emerged as the destination most likely to be plagued by flight issues, followed by Spain and the Canary Islands.

Russian flight operators emerged as the likeliest to lose your luggage.

Sam Grant, Head of Travel at comparethemarket.com, said: “No one wants their holiday to be blighted by a mishap - big or small - so it’s always worth taking the necessary precautions.

“Keep an eye on your belongings, use a hotel safe and don’t fall asleep in the midday heat of the Spanish sun.

“Obviously some incidents are completely out of our hands, like flight issues, or getting ill.

“But it’s always sensible to ensure you have valid travel insurance so if the worst does happen, you’re covered.”

To see the full interactive map go to https://www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/content/travellers-mishap-map