Sometimes, half the enjoyment of a self catering holiday is being able to experience the kind of home that you would never normally live in. Whether it is an elegant villa built for 17th century plantation owners, a cave-like house carved out of a rock face or a converted lighthouse, there are plenty of alternatives to the usual soulless box.

Many historic buildings such as chateaux, mansion houses and palaces around the world have been converted into holiday apartments. Dreaming that you are lord and lady of the manor, owning everything as far as the eye can see, is a wonderful way to holiday!  For a complete change of scenery, you can stay in a converted stone windmill in Greece, complete with circular walls and panoramic views, or on a floating houseboat on a Dutch canal.

The interesting aspect of an apartment, holiday cottage or villa might come from its history or from its unusual architecture. It might be a cottage once used by smugglers, an old monastery or schoolhouse. Finding accommodation with character is the perfect way to make a celebration such as a birthday party or a wedding truly memorable. If it’s an Elizabethan mansion, an 18th century chateau or a Georgian townhouse – you could even dress up in period costume.

The key to booking your unusual accommodation is to book early. Once you’ve found the perfect holiday apartment just book it – don’t wait around for someone else to snap it up.