Every year, as December approaches and the yuletide joie de vivre takes hold, we find ourselves yearning for a traditional white Christmas. Three weeks and thirty inches of snow later, we're invariably reduced to the end of our tether. If the winter of 2009 / 2010 was anything to go by, we no longer seem able to cope with those sub-zero temperatures, icy roads and flurries of snow. As we sit huddled around our fireplaces, the national grid stretched to the hilt, we might well wonder whether the old Dunkirk spirit also got buried in the snow.

Soon enough, barely have the Christmas bells stopped ringing and the holiday ads are all over the TV, promising us a cheap escape to paradise by the summer if we book early. How we fall for those tried and tested marketing ploys. Fair enough, if they get us to where we want to be, it is a win-win situation. In any case, the idea of a summer holiday gives the family something to talk about to get them through the post-Christmas boredom and the breadwinner is always more easily persuaded while under the influence of sherry and mince pies.

We all hate the cold, the driving rain, the wind, the fog and the snow and ice, not to mention those dreary January mornings when all we want to do is hibernate until Spring. So does the British winter make us want to book our summer holiday? The travel industry would answer a resounding yes, with package holiday sales reaching their peak in the post-Christmas period year upon year.

On the other hand if you are going to wait until summer to take your holiday, you might just miss out on the very best time to visit some of the world's most exotic locations. Visit Thailand in September for example and you are likely to make more use of your umbrella than your swimsuit. The same goes for India in July and Kenya in May. Head to the Caribbean in August and you may just be blown away, not by the stunning palm-fringed beaches but by the latest hurricane. Also if you hate what humidity does to your hair, avoid Costa Rica in May. Generally speaking, Europe and the Mediterranean are a safe bet in the summer months, leaving many exotic locations at their best at times such as February or November, which can be a disadvantage when we want to space out our precious work-breaks as evenly as possible.

The moral of the story? When the sun-drenched ads beckon, do not book hastily, under the influence of that winter-propelled desperation. Choose your destination with thought, which means researching exactly when the climate will be right for you, whether that be the lowest level of rainfall, the most comfortable temperatures, the lowest humidity or a combination of everything. Your annual holiday is probably the biggest investment you make each year and nobody wants to be in the wrong place at the right time, or worse still, the right place at the wrong time.