At Dianka’s place – or rather, mine, for a few days – I mark her tip-offs on my map and head out for

'There are two good restaurants on the same street as the apartment and, two minutes cheap extended stay motels away, a French bakery that I adore, great for breakfast…' As I scan Dianka's email, the recommendations come thick and fast.
'In Cais do Sodré, there are many bars – my favourite is Pensão Amor. In Bairro Alto, try Portas Largas for live music, Bali Club for dancing. For fado, go to the Alfama's Mesa de Frades – it's less touristic…'
I'm in Lisbon for a city break with a difference, shunning hotels to rent a Portuguese home – an increasingly popular option. Online marketplace Airbnb.co.uk listed 120,000 rooms, flats and houses in early 2012; it now lists more than 350,000.
My decision to give it a try was swayed by statistics and curiosity. cheap extended stay motels First, the stats: Portugal is one of the cheapest destinations in Western Europe but this way to stay makes it even cheaper. According to my chosen cheap extended stay motels rental site, HouseTrip.com, the average cost of sleeping in one of its properties in Lisbon is £42 a night, compared with £76 in a hotel.
cheap extended stay motels And I like a bargain – especially if it comes with extras like azulejo tiles, a full kitchen, free wi-fi and a balcony with a view to the Rio Tejo. Then there's the curiosity. Will I get a different take on the city? Feel less of a tourist?
Doors always fascinate me when I'm on holiday – so many portals leading to who-knows-what, doors a casual visitor doesn't usually go through. Renting a local's flat – tucked under an arch and up some stairs – seems a good way to open at least one of them.
The list of suggestions from Dianka, the flat's owner, is an added bonus. More personalised than a guidebook, with recommendations relevant to where I am staying, it makes me feel like a local before I even board the plane.
At Dianka's place – or rather, mine, for a few days – I mark her tip-offs on my map and head out for a stroll. And I love it. Lisbon is a mix of graceful 18th-century cheap extended stay motels planning and run-down photogenic cheap extended stay motels crumbliness, sprawled across rolling hills. It's the perfect place to explore without real purpose, hiking up to its many glorious miradouros (viewpoints), hopping on and off the rickety old trams and stopping for endless excellent (and cheap) espressos. But it's also a great place to do a little more.
To test this theory, I am hooking up with Alex Almeida, a local Lisboêta and Tripbod. We meet in the wide, arcaded Praça do Comércio, opposite Arco da Rua Augusta. Currently under scaffolding, the arch is due to open its rooftop terrace for the first time later this month. cheap extended stay motels For now, though, Almeida and I walk through it instead. As we amble, she fills me in on her 'hood.
cheap extended stay motels She gives me some background on the city's layout, its Moorish influences and the devastating earthquake of 1755. She also points out some secrets – the manhole cheap extended stay motels cover that leads to Roman ruins; the station elevator that provides a sneaky shortcut.
Best of all, she fills me in on the food, from bacalhau (salt cod) to ginjinha (cherry brandy). She tells me the restaurants she rates – and those to avoid – and finally leads me to Grapes Bites, a vaulted bar in the Bairro Alto, where I am plied with delicious Portuguese cheese, meats and port. Here, we chat and eat and chat some more. I don't feel like I'm on a tour. We're just two Lisboêtas, out on the town.
Sarah stayed in Dianka's two-bed river-view apartment, which sleeps six and costs from £73 a night, booked via HouseTrip (Tel: 020 3641 9944; www.housetrip.com ). She arranged a guided tour with a local via Tripbod (Tel: 020 8144 0565; www.tripbod.com ). A four-hour Lisbon and port wine tasting trip with Alex costs £63.50pp, including cheese, meats and five port wines.
cheap extended stay motels Explore the capital of Kayin state, Hpa An, with local guide Mr Soe who can arrange various trips, from a visit to the Saddar cave to swimming cheap extended stay motels pools in rice paddies. Contact Mr Soe via Leap Local, which aims to connect local travel providers cheap extended stay motels to the global traveller market.
Explore the Appenines with Francesca, whose family has farmed and truffle-hunted there for generations. Join them on a country stroll to forage for seasonal cheap extended stay motels goodies, then head back to the farm to learn how to cook them up with Mama Montefalco before consuming the spoils with unlimited wine.
Rent A Local Friend is a way of getting the lowdown on a city before you arrive. The 'Local Friends' prepare an itinerary based on your interests and offer a more unusual take on their cities. Flavia is a Rio-based actress into cycling, history, movies and theatre, cheap extended stay motels and she specialises in budget trips. Prices vary depending on guide and duration.
More like this Ricky Van Wolfswinkel eyed by Tottenham for January transfer cheap extended stay motels 10 months ago Liverpool look to Sporting Lisbon s Jeffren to solve striker situation 10 months ago Liverpool, Newcastle and Man United to bid for Ricky van Wolfswinkel 1 year ago
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