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If you’re planning a Christmas break abroad or visiting family, Ryanair has released helpful tips for transporting your gifts safely to your destination, and you may want to hold off on wrapping them up

Christmas is one of the busiest travel times, and in addition to the surge in traveller numbers, one thing that can hold up security lines and cause issues at airports is the amount of Christmas gifts packed into suitcases.

That’s why Ryanair has put together a guide on how to pack your presents, and included a stark warning about wrapping your gifts before you put them in your suitcase. If you’re planning a Christmas trip and are looking to get your gifts organised, then you might want to heed the budget airline’s advice and avoid wrapping them before you go.

“Don’t spend hours intricately wrapping gifts to carry in your hand luggage. Wrapped gifts may be opened, searched and screened by airport security staff,” a statement from Ryanair read.

Even with technology such as scanners available, airport staff may need to open your suitcase and check certain items, which means your beautiful wrapping paper could be torn off your gifts before you even get them under the tree. Ryanair’s advice, as an alternative, is to pack the unwrapped gifts and bringing a gift bag folded flat in your suitcase, which you can then use when you arrive.

The budget airline also gave advice to festive travellers about carrying valuables, advising them to place expensive or sentimental items in their smaller hand luggage bag, which goes under the seat in front of them. Avoid placing them in checked baggage or your larger cabin bag, as they may end up in the hold if the overhead lockers are full.

There was also a reminder not to carry items that look like weapons in your hand luggage. Avoid buying toy guns or slingshots for the kids in your family, as they can cause issues at security.

Passengers should also wait until they reach their destination to buy Christmas crackers. While they only give a small bang, these items are considered explosives. Party items, including sparklers, party poppers, and fireworks, should also be left at home.

Many people will be buying liquid gifts for loved ones, whether it’s a bottle of perfume, toiletries, or alcohol, so it’s worth checking the liquid rules for your arrival and departure airports. If you’re looking to buy a bottle of whiskey or a posh perfume, it may be worth waiting and getting them in duty-free, as you can then take your shopping bag on the plane with you.

While most UK airports still have the standard 100ml volume limits in place for hand luggage, some destinations, such as Dublin Airport, have relaxed their liquid rules, allowing containers of up to two litres to be carried through.

READ MORE: Holiday chief slams huge ‘blow’ for Brits as UK tourism taxes set to be introducedREAD MORE: Warning to Brits as Canary Islands placed on ‘no travel’ list

And finally, if you’re taking Christmas food with you, remember that items such as jam, preserves, soups, and custard count as liquid, so should be packed into your checked luggage. Check your departure airport’s official website for information and the latest updates to liquid rules.

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Former Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has issued a warning to those preparing to enter the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! jungle in Australia this year

Sue Cleaver has issued a warning to the stars preparing to become campmates on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! The actress, who left her long-running role as Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street earlier this year, took part in the 2022 edition of the ITV reality series and has now spoken of how bored and hungry she was during her time on the show.

The former dinnerladies star was back in her usual seat on the panel of Loose Women on Thursday alongside Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge and Nadia Sawalha, where she reminded them that viewers at home only ever see a trimmed down version of the action in the camp, which is filmed for 24 hours a day.

She said: “You only ever see the edited version from a 24-hour period. If you aren’t doing a trial, you’re in the camp doing nothing. There’s no books, nothing. You’re in a hammock kicking a stick. I made a pair of shoes out of some twigs. They didn’t show that on the telly.”

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“You’re gonna be starving, you literally are starving. It’s two tablespoons of rice, two tablespoons of rice. Oh my God, I’ve never touched it since.”

This year, those heading into the jungle include Sue’s fellow soap legend Lisa Riley, who is known for playing Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp and presenter Alex Scott amongst a host of others. Sue insisted the new contestants on the programme have to be ‘strong’ to get through it, and it is as ‘tough’ as it seems.

She added: “I would say you have to be strong. I’d watched it for years and I always thought that when they cameras weren’t rolling, there would be tea and cakes round the corner, there isn’t! It is very, very tough.

“There are spiders on the bed, somebody does come in and grapple a snake and take it away in the middle of the night. If you have any issues…you’ve got to be strong!” Sue previously spoke of how taking part in the programme allowed her to open up to the idea of new experiences.

Following her stint in the jungle, Sue went play Mother Superior, the part made famous by Dame Maggie Smith, in Sister Act: The Musical,

She told Prima magazine: “My 50s have been the happiest decade of my life. I’m happy with myself and where I am, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the next decade brings. “Since doing I’m A Celeb, my eyes have been opened to all these new experiences.

“Now, I’m just thinking, ‘Right, what’s my next challenge?’”

The star, who lost weight on the ITV reality show due to food rationing, discussed what she believes to be “unfair expectations” on women to look and eat a certain way, which she refuses to buy into.

She said: “I lost some weight in the jungle, but I’m not obsessing over diets: life is hard enough!

“There’s always going to be outside pressure and unfair expectations placed on women, but I refuse to get pulled into it. Let’s just let women be women – we have enough difficulties and struggles as it is.”

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