Zoku Paris, France

Swap the tourist scrum of central Paris with a stay in the 17th arrondissement, home to the Batignolles and Clichy neighbourhoods. Find farmers markets, café-lined avenues, independent boutiques and leafy squares where you can polish your pétanque skills with the locals. Follow the bohemian residents to the wine bars, shops and restaurants of Batignolles, where you can taste flavours of the world in the many eclectic eateries and experience la vie Parisien without the crowds.

Of course if you’re here to experience Paris proper, the area’s metro stations can deliver you into the city centre in no time, while a pleasant 45-minute stroll can deliver you directly to the Arc de Triomphe via a long and elegant boulevard.