City Break Apartments
To live like a local on a city break, to really get to know the place and soak up the atmosphere, it's best to avoid anonymous hotel and rent a private apartment instead. You won't find these in many holiday brochures, but trawl through the internet and you should come across plenty of private advertisements. But hey, you don't need to do that, because we've done it for you! And here are our recommendations.
For Venice
Imagine slipping away from the crowds in St Mark's Square, pushing your key into the front door of a grand Venetian palace, riding the lift to your own apartment where you stroll onto the balcony to survey the mere tourists below. Could anything make you feel more smug? Venice Apartment Rental lets all sorts of properties in the city, from cute studios sleeping two to luxurious apartments and palaces on the Grand Canal. Its website has a useful map showing the locations of all the apartments, each of which comes with a full description and lots of pictures. Prices vary according to size, style and location, but at the moment it has a special offer of £158 per night for an elegant four-bedroom apartment close to the famous Rialto Bridge. Get seven friends to come with you, and you'll pay less than £20 per night each – way cheaper than a hotel.
For Rome
When in Rome, do as the Romans do…. and crash in someone else's apartment. If you haven't got a mate with a stylish city centre pad (and let's face it, who has?) then don't worry, take a look instead at the www.romecityapartments.com, which has a mind-boggling list of rentals to choose from. For an economic, cosy option try there's a one-bedroom property in the Trastevere area sleeping 6 from £46a night, or a studio near the Colosseum sleeping 3 from £53 a night. Or go for broke and stay in a luxury apartment with a terrace overlooking the Spanish Steps from £267 a night. There's also the option to have the fridge and cupboards filled with groceries when you arrive or at any time during your stay.
For Paris
Paris is for romance, for fine dining and for shopping, so you don't want to splash all your cash on a bog-standard hotel room. No, instead, go for an authentic apartment and you'll feel at one with this most mesmerising of cities - and have more cash to splash in all those fabulous shops. You can search from an apartment by price, location or number of bedrooms on Feelparis.com, which has dozens of properties in all the most fashionable districts: Marais, Opera, Louvre, Saint Germain des Pres and more. Prices start at just £58 a night for a bijoux studio in trendy Marais, rising to a budget-blowing £16,500 for two nights in an opulent 18th century 3-bed apartment in super-chic St Germain.
For New York
With the dollar/pound exchange rate firmly on our side, there's never been a better time to visit the Big Apple. Your spending money will stretch a long, long way whether you're sightseeing or shopping, but a shortage of hotel rooms in Manhattan mean that prices can be pretty steep. That's the bad news. The good news is you can bag a studio apartment big enough for two in a land-marked brownstone building in Chelsea, one of the hottest areas of Manhattan, from only £85 a night through Manhattan Lodgings. The company also has one and two-bedroom apartments in Upper West Side, Midtown West, Chelsea, Upper East Side, Midtown East, Gramercy and Downtown. Unfortunately its website doesn't include photos or maps, but the descriptions are extensive.
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