Forget hotels. Really

Two can stay at Jenny’s Parisian apartment for fifty quid a night or Dora’s New York pad for a $125 a night. People are advertising their homes on the internet as cheap and often very comfortable alternatives to pricey and less attractive hotels and hostels.

Although some of the places aren’t so great it’s a guaranteed bed and if you’re a tired and penniless traveller coming in from the cold and you fancy something more comfy then why the hell not? Hostels are always full of loud and rawkus students anyway and it costs pretty much the same. (And in many cases it’s a damn sight cheaper too.)

Things to look out for. Make sure when you book the rooms the vendor has had previous reviews and that those reviews match the standard that the picture shows. If not using Air Bed and Breakfast make sure the search engine you use is Atol protected. This basically means the company is legit and it’s safe to make credit card bookings.

It is a little strange being in someone else’s home you’ve never met but getting over that is the easy part especially if you're staying in a really nice place. If they are really nice then generally the owner won’t be there as they can usually afford to stay somewhere else if they can afford a stylish apartment to start with. Get all this sorted and city breaks suddenly seem a lot more affordable. Paris, Rome, New York, Athens are just a few of the growing list of destinations.