You're on holiday in a bustling city, wandering through the food markets, soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of the local cuisine, and you start imagining yourself cooking these delicacies when you get home at night, and savouring some for breakfast. But you're staying in a hotel and the closest you'll get to living this dream is attacking the lump of cheese you've bought with a plastic knife and wolfing it down guiltily, because you feel should be dining out or ordering room service instead. It was precisely this incident that made me decide I wanted something different. And so I set out on a quest that would lead me to a series of "homes from home" across Europe - from the Scottish Highlands to Copenhagen.

Staying in a flat or house while travelling allows you the freedom to pop "home" for a quick rest, or dinner before heading out for the night. Some nights, you can even stay in and savour this new hassle-free home. You also get to eat breakfast when you want (though some hotels are becoming more reasonable about this).

But most of all, it's a home rather than a hotel room. Visits to supermarkets become infinitely more pleasurable because, just for a moment (until you get to the checkout and realise you don't understand the rules of shopping), you can pretend, if only to yourself, that you are a local. And you can do it without all the baggage that goes with moving abroad.

You may even have neighbours who aren't after your tourist money. You may even buy flowers for your home because that's the sort of life you would lead if you really lived there and could afford to flounce around in the local markets without need of income.

What's more, it can work out cheaper than staying in a hotel, though you do need to pay a deposit up front.

Getting started
Renting a villa or cottage in the countryside is nothing new; companies such as RuralRetreats.co.uk have been offering UK properties for years. But when you visit a bustling city, staying in a flat may not seem as obvious or straightforward. As a rule, go by reputation or personal recommendation. Look up how long the company has been operating, and take note of how helpful, personal and prompt they are to your enquiries, what the contract and terms and conditions say and, of course, read through everything properly before you sign.

Do check for deposit, rental periods, check-in and check-out times, facilities and services offered - cleaning, linen, basics provided and security. Always shop around - some places will rent at rates far higher than local rates - and stick to a budget for your accommodation.

Some companies such as SelectApartments.co.uk have serviced apartments specifically for renting out to visitors, (this includes corporate relocations as well as tourists).

Small hotels and bed and breakfasts may also offer this option. A flat I stayed at in the Highlands belonged to a bed and breakfast with self-catering flats as an additional option (rather like suites in a hotel). The flats had a great view and were perfectly functional.

Alternatively, there are the people who go abroad, fall in love with a place, buy a holiday home, and advertise it through word of mouth or on the internet independently - see aplaceinrome.com and its sister site aplaceinrome.com/venice. Many homeowners also advertise their places via a web-based company such as CyberRentals.com.

People who are vacating their home for a limited time (for a job or study abroad) may also opt to offer their house to an agency like Hay4U.dk in Copenhagen, which has also started operations in Berlin. An added appeal of this type of accommodation is that it really feels like someone's home and you become more attached to it. There may be books and CDs left behind that lend it the personal touch. At one place I stayed in, the owner even left us a note about the flat and some household tips.

Finding the right home
Obviously, this isn't the move of your life and you should keep it in perspective. But do ask the owner or agent plenty of questions. Agents tend to take on properties that are well situated in a city, but it's worth asking enough questions to get a sense of how reliable an agent is. Investigate the places you are offered, particularly the location and the perceived safety of the local area. Ideally, the place should be central but not too tourist-driven; residential but not so much so that you die of boredom. Shops nearby, parking should you need it, and the location of nearby amenities are also worth checking out. And what is the public transport like when you want to get home after staying out late?

Think about what you can't live without for the time you'll be there. Is there a telephone? What is the heating like? What does the kitchen have in it (some have a cooker but no oven, some have microwaves only, most provide cutlery)? Is there a television, stereo, washing machine, internet access, and so on? You may not get all of these mod cons but it's better to know before you go. And find out what basics will be provided so you know what to shop for before you arrive.

I found that little things, like having a porter to chat to in the morning, or the kitchen overlooking a pleasant courtyard, were things we weren't looking for but were the touches that really made our stay. In Stockholm and Copenhagen, a pleasant, central location was all I wanted, since I didn't know the places well beforehand. In Paris, however, I wanted a place near local cafes, bistros, boulangeries, and with a character of its own. Happily, there were plenty of these, and though I didn't end up hanging out too much in the area, it was nice to know that I could. Good transport connections were also very important.

In the Highlands, we wanted something with a view and parking, and with a communal area that we could lounge about in. We also wanted to be relatively alone, so we just looked for a convenient residence that was off the beaten track.

Staying in a holiday home can be a more economical and convenient option than a hotel room, and at best, gives you an additional dimension - a sense of belonging to a place - without the hassle of moving there.

More holiday rental sites
OwnersDirect.co.uk
Holiday-rentals.com
Holiday-home-pages.co.uk