Homes from home

Hiring a house instead of a hotel room is a handy way of experiencing a place as the locals do. If you share with a few mates, it can also make a luxury break much more affordable.

New Zealand makes for one of the best places to take advantage of good value holiday lets. A site like holidayhomes.co.nz lists some great deals. A newly built studio in Freeman's Bay, on the fringes of Auckland, for instance, costs just £60 per night.

For a good deal on airfares, go to the Airline Network (airline-network.co.uk), which is currently listing an Emirates flight to Auckland via Dubai for £952 in mid-January. The same site will offer you car hire, but far cheaper is the local Apex Rentals (apexrentals.co.nz) whose weekly rates begin at £124.

Holiday lets can also be ideal for low-profile places like Honduras. Famous for its white sand and world-class diving, the small Central American state has long been considered a budget alternative to the Caribbean. Go to vrbo.com and click on Honduras from the list on the left-hand. For a real bargain, pick Lilypond House from the list (vrbo.com/72361). It costs £287 for the week and sleeps as many as 16.

Opodo (opodo.co.uk) is offering American Airlines flights via Miami in mid-January for £514. Car hire from £120 per week is available from honduras.auto-rental.net. But beware - according to independent Honduras expert Sidewalk Mystic (sidewalkmystic.com), driving in Honduras is not for the faint-hearted.

Book ahead

The Christmas Market in Helsinki opens December 7. Get there for the grand procession from the steps of the city's beautiful Lutheran cathedral on December 13. KLM (klm.com) is offering weekend returns from London City Airport for £154.

All prices correct at time of going to press