Boutique hotels are all very well, but if you really want to get under the skin of a city nothing beats having your own pad for the weekend. Renting an apartment gives you more space and your own kitchen, and often means you're based in a far more interesting part of town than where the tourist hotels are. Best of all, there's none of that embarrassing waking up the night porter when you roll in at dawn.
We've picked a cross section, with some for romantic couples, others for families or groups of friends; some that are a bargain and others that are seriously expensive – there's a huge, and growing, choice on the market.
Boulevard Leopold Apartments, Antwerp
Fashion designer Bert Verschueren and chef Vincent Defontaines lovingly restored this 19th-century townhouse (above) in Antwerp's Jewish quarter into a grand B&B plus two separate apartments, one of which, sleeping two, is up 69 steps. It's worth the leg-burn: wood floors, Chesterfield sofas, and claw-foot bathtub. The second, sleeping three, has an ornate fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Stay there 00 32 486 67 58 38, boulevard- leopold.be; from €140 a night.
If it's booked try sleepinthecity.be; apartmentsantwerp.com
Get there Eurostar (eurostar.com) has return fares from London to Antwerp from £69.
En Suite Apartment, Amsterdam
Overlooking the Keizersgracht canal in the heart of the city centre – with the Royal Palace and Vondelpark a short bike ride away – this two-bedroom apartment is spacious and stylish, mixing exposed dark wood floors and black-and-white striped wallpaper with deep-filled sofas, retro chandeliers and big picture windows with views of the canal.
Stay there holidaylettings.co.uk/50446; from £177 a night (minimum stay two nights).
If it's booked try coolamsterdamapartments.com; lovingamsterdam.com.
Get there Eurostar (eurostar.com) has return fares from London to Amsterdam from £89.
Riva Lofts, Florence
A blissful retreat from the bustle of the city centre, this historic mill on the Arno river (above) has been transformed into one of the coolest pads in Florence by Italian architect Claudio Nardi. It's a collection of 10 individually designed studios – all reclaimed stone walls, sleek fireplaces, contemporary artworks, enormous antique mirrors and gleaming furniture, some designed by Nardi himself. There's also a communal vaulted sitting room with an honesty bar, and a terraced garden and pool. And if you don't fancy the 30-minute walk into the city centre, you can hop on your complimentary vintage bike instead.
Stay there 00 39 055 713 0272, rivalofts.com; from €210 a night, including a buffet breakfast available in the sitting room.
If it's booked try italian-connection.co.uk; apartmentsinflorence.net.
Get there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from eight UK airports to Pisa from £34 return.
Valletta G-House, Valletta
This utterly romantic apartment is housed in a 16th-century building situated in the heart of Valletta, capital of the island of Malta – and one of Europe's most unsung cities. Sleeping two, the apartment exudes opulence: from the crossed stone arches in the kitchen to the Maltese limestone and the artwork in the living room, the richly tiled flooring and hanging tapestry in the bedroom to the wooden carved balcony.
Stay there 07813 988 827, vallettahouse.com; from €78 a night, including private airport pick-up.
If it's booked try maisonlavallette.com.
Get there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle to Malta from £50 return.
43 Cloth Fair, London
Stay in the former home of the great English poet, Sir John Betjeman. It is situated in part of a row of Georgian houses which encloses the only remaining house in the City built before the Great Fire of 1666. It was rescued by architect Paul Paget – who eventually sold the row to the Landmark Trust – and overlooks the churchyard of St Bartholomew the Great. While it is somewhat lacking in the cool factor – unmatching armchairs, dated wallpaper, faded rugs – the location couldn't be better: Farringdon, home to Smithfield Market, is one of the least touristy areas of London.
Stay there 01628 825925, landmark trust.org.uk; from £607 for a three-night weekend stay.
If it's booked try lovinglondon apartments.com.
El Palauet, Barcelona
El Palauet – six exclusive apartments, each 150sqm – artfully mixes period ceilings, stained-glass windows and linen-textured floors with handcrafted Corian furniture and designer artwork. Located on one of Barcelona's most vibrant avenues, Passeig de Gràcia, the apartments each have their own dining room, office, kitchen and two suites (sleeping four people in all). There's even a spa (shared by all the guests), and a private assistant on call to arrange everything from a chef to cook your breakfasts to babysitting services. The price makes this a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a place, but you certainly won't forget it.
Stay there 00 34 93 218 0050, epliving barcelona.es; from €800 a night.
If it's booked try intobarcelona.com; oh-barcelona.com
Get there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Belfast, Bristol, Newcastle and London Luton, Gatwick and Stansted to Barcelona from £50 return.
Number 19 The Apartment, Edinburgh
Right in the city centre, with views of Queen Street gardens, this apartment is housed in a listed Georgian building and is perfect for large groups, sleeping up to 14. It's seriously stylish, with bold print wallpaper (in the kitchen there's a giant zebra), a four-poster in the master bedroom and a high-ceilinged drawing/dining room filled with art, as well as a Bose home cinema and music system.
Stay there 07762 229 379, no19the apartmentedinburgh.co.uk; from £500 a night (minimum stay two nights).
If it's booked try edinburgh-accommodation-edinburgh.com.
Spacio Loft, Paris
Housed in a huge converted warehouse near the Pompidou in the lively Montorgueil area, this three-bedroom apartment (above) bags the title for the most stylish pad in town. With soaring ceilings and a cathedral window that spans two floors, the space is flooded with natural light and filled with well-selected designer furniture. Have your morning cappuccino on the balcony of the master bedroom overlooking the courtyard; kick back in front of the 18ft projector screen that descends to create a home cinema, complete with Bose surround sound; or head down to the basement – which housed a Resistance printing press during the Second World War – to the gym and sauna. Be warned, though: such luxury doesn't come cheap.
Stay there 0117 942 8476, i-escape.com/spacioloft.php; from €985 a night.
If it's booked (or you can't afford it) try appartement-blanc.fr; waytostay.com; feelparis.com
Get there Eurostar (eurostar.com) has return fares from London to Paris from £69.
Home Apartments, Reykjavik
Just off Reykjavik's main promenade, these five apartments are the creation of award-winning architect Agnar Agnarsson. They combine stone floors and wool lampshades with hi-tech TVs and sound systems, and the walls are hung with local art. If you can afford to push the boat out, go for the penthouse, with its retractable roof – perfect for admiring the northern lights.
Stay there 00 354 898 8532, this.is/home; studios from €49 a night.
If it's booked try apartmentk.is, roomwithaview.is
Get there Icelandair (icelandair.com) flies from Heathrow, Manchester and Glasgow to Reykjavik from £210.
Miniloft, Berlin
Miniloft, in East Berlin's trendy Mitte neighbourhood, has a steel-and-concrete exterior and 14 one-bedroom apartments. Some are in an old renovated part of the building and have a homely feel, while those in the new section have an industrial look, mixing stark white walls with exposed stonework. All have floor-to-ceiling windows and underfloor heating, and a personal guide is available for tours.
Stay there 00 49 30 847 1090, miniloft.com; from €80 a night.
If it's booked try artrium-apartments.com; imalofts.com; urban-apartments.com; lux-eleven.com.
Get there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick and Luton to Berlin from £50 return.
Next week: the 10 best apartments outside Europe
