Three ways to do Europe differently

APARTMENT INSTEAD OF HOTEL:

There’s a lot to like about room service and clean linen each day but if you've travelled through Europe and stayed in hotels before, you will know it’s pretty hard on the hip pocket.

I recall a stay in a four-star Paris hotel which didn’t have coffee or tea facilities. Parched, I ordered a cup of tea only to find upon checkout that it cost six euros. And the side portion of milk was an additional two euros.

The beauty of an apartment is that it makes for a more cost effective European city break. Apartments are located in the heart of things, in buildings that more often than not exude charm and history.

During Paris take two I rented a flat in the Latin Quarter which overlooked an internal courtyard where neighbours hung washing off cast-iron balconettes and cats sunbathed. The front door was sandwiched between cafes, their wicker-chairs filled by drinkers, diners and smokers who talked with their hands and stared at passers-by.

The apartment kitchen is also an excuse to take advantage of providore markets. Act like a local and walk home swinging a bag of fresh tomatoes with a baguette tucked under your arm.

CANAL BARGE INSTEAD OF RIVER CRUISE:

If you have taken a river cruise through the old continent you will have sampled the best of what Europe has to offer. But taking a barge through canals, whether in Amsterdam or England is a chance to become entrenched in one of the countries.

There’s no better way to familiarise yourself with Great Britain than to take a long barge journey through the island's 4800km of canals, with land either side changing from rural to recreational to residential.

As it is Shakespeare’s 450th birthday this year it is a good time to barge through his birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon. Boaters are able to moor near to the Swan Theatre and the heart of town.

Or for a record-holding sail, chug your way to the world’s first and only rotating boat lift, the Falkirk Wheel, on Scotland’s lowland canals.

If you are working within a short time frame, VisitBritain recommends the Droitwich Ring which takes 16 hours to circuit and takes in the Worcestershire countryside.

If city is more your thing, canals cut through London at all degrees, meaning you can sail and moor at market loving Camden, trendy east London and historic Little Venice.

CHILL-OUT INSTEAD OF CLUB:

If you’ve done Ibiza, Mallorca or Mykonos, it was no doubt for the avid party scene. The legendary clubs of Ibiza pull a crowd motivated by hedonism year after year. But it is possible to swap the late-night drinking for early morning yoga.

Firstly, the club scene in Ibiza opens in May and closes in October. Visit outside these dates and it will be cooler, but it’s more likely to be lacking the heaving crowds. Wealthy Londoners have set up bolt-holes in Ibiza and the villas you can rent should not be underestimated. Not only that, Ibiza Town has some history and culture that adds to the chill-out experience.

Then there’s the island of Formentera that lies off the coast of Ibiza. It doesn’t get more chilled out than nude bathing, which takes place on every sandy patch of this 19km outcrop.

Ibiza pioneered the chill out bar and you must experience the warm-up gatherings at Cafe Mambo and Cafe Del Mar. The ritual begins around 5pm, when islanders and travellers have finished a day at the beach and arrive at the foreshore venues for civilised drinks. This is Ibiza, so of course it takes place against a live ambient DJ soundtrack, which reaches its climax as the sun sets into the Mediterranean Sea.

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