PICTURE the scene: The sun is shining, the cocktails are flowing freely and the shops full of dirt-cheap European leather goodies are just begging to be explored . . .

Holidays with the girls are packed with moments to be treasured.

For guys the perfect vacation is more likely to involve sinking several lagers before lunch, playing football on the beach then finding a bar that has Sky Sports.

When you think about how differently men and women enjoy spending time on holiday it's no wonder a quarter of Britons now choose single-sex holidays over breaks in the sun with their partners.

According to recent research from Halifax travel insurance, more of us are choosing to shun our partners and holiday with our friends.

Almost one-in-four (24 per cent) of people in the North West enjoyed a single-sex holiday last year.

And the figure looks set to rise, with more than half of those questioned (67 per cent) admitting they were more likely to go on vacation with friends of the same sex than they were five years ago.

"People are realising there are certain types of holidays that are just better suited to friends," said Claire Holt, manager at Fraser Eagle Worldchoice, which has travel shops in Padiham and Accrington.

"For example, three days' shopping in New York would be perfect for a group of friends or a mother and daughter. If you tried to have the same holiday with your husband he'd just whinge all the time.

"You can have a different type of holiday with friends rather than your partner. Because they're your friends it's likely they're interested in the same sort of things you are, but men and women often like doing different things. People tend to let their inhibitions go on holidays with friends, too. It's a good break from the everyday."

Marina Marsh, manager of The Holiday Shop, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, agreed.

She has also noticed an increase in single-sex holidays in the last two years.

"Perhaps it's because people have more freedom in their relationships nowadays," she said.

"We get a lot of people going on city breaks with their friends rather than longer holidays. Women tend to stick to this country, maybe a trip down south to a spa or a London show. They go for a nice location and luxury.

"Men tend to go for the European city breaks: places like Prague where the beer is cheap. They like livelier locations."

A spokesman for Thomson's travel agency in Burnley, added: "The benefit of single-sex holidays is that the girls or the boys get to enjoy a relaxing time away from every day stress of family and work life.

"They also get to spend quality time with their friends and strengthen the relationship with friends they may not get to see very often due to work and family commitments."

Reasons women gave for preferring single-sex holidays in the survey included "feeling more comfortable sunbathing with female friends" and "I see my husband 51 weeks a year, sometimes it's nice to have a break."

Explanations men gave for taking single sex holidays included statements such as: "I don't get along with my best mate's girlfriend".

Altogether, men and women agreed the number one reason for choosing a single-sex holiday was to catch up with friends.

Other reasons included going on stag and hen parties, escaping relationship issues and getting over a break-up.

Of course, going on holiday with a group of mates always relies on one factor: whether your partner lets you or not.

And almost a million Britons surveyed admitted they were banned from going abroad with their pals last year.