Posted on February 15, 2012 by Fiona Hilliard

• Airbnb

Airbnb offers you the chance to find a cheap bed for the night in 19,732 cities, in 192 countries worldwide. It’s a little like couchsurfing, except that the host earns cash in exchange for offering a room in their property. Accommodation up for grabs ranges from city apartments to plush castles in the countryside. Airbnb not only saves you money, it can also MAKE you money if you’ve got a spare bed that you’re prepared to advertise on the site.

• Help Me To Save

Keep an eye on the Travel and Leisure section of the ‘Help Me to Save’ website. Edited by one of the web’s leading travel writers, Karen Bryan, the site offers plenty of tips on how to keep costs down when you’re planning a break away in the UK.

• Xe.com

Get instant up-to-date currency exchange rates for every currency in the world on xe.com. If you REALLY want to save money though, always withdraw money from an ATM machine in the city you are visiting, you will get better value for money than if you exchange money in a Bureau de Change or bank.

• Homeexhange.com

This home swap website can’t promise Jude Law will show up on your doorstep ( like in The Holiday), but it will provide you with thousands of home or apartment listings of people eager to exchange their home or apartment with you so that you can both enjoy a foreign getaway without paying for accommodation.

• HostelBookers

HostelBookers makes booking hostels worldwide simple. Search for prices as well as amenities and customer reviews for your destination so you know what to expect before your arrival. It is also possible to book hostel accommodation directly through the site.

• Time Out City Guides

Time Out is an international multimedia publisher of cultural experiences for city travellers. They offer up-to-date and detailed information written by expert critics. If you sign up to their newsletter you will receive regular offers for discounts on restaurants and attractions in your favourite city.

AirlineMeals.net

Snobby about what you snack on mid air? Check out AirlineMeals.net. This site shows photos of the food that is served on most of the world’s airlines and might just change your mind about in-flight fare  if you’re used to passing up on the complimentary meals.