Taking a weekend city trip is a great experience, but somehow it always seems like the locals are having all the fun. You, as the stranger on the other hand, all too often miss out on so many things. If you’ve visited Berlin, Germany, and wished you knew where to find the best entertainment or the “in” places to eat, most of the time you don’t have any other choice rather than checking what your travel guide suggests. Travel guides – designed to meet the interests of the greatest possible group of people by neglecting any type of individuality. The problem to be solved here is obvious, isn’t it?

“The local experience” is what everyone hopes for when taking a trip to a foreign city. Clare Freeman, world traveller and entrepreneur, provides just that. The concept of her startup My Plus One is simple: “Most of us travel these days and often know people abroad. But if you’re going somewhere you don’t know, perhaps for business or just an adventure, it’s easy to waste time seeing the wrong places, getting lost or ending up in tourist traps”, she explains on her website. Clare has launched the city break with a difference – you not only have a choice of selected hand-picked accommodations, you also get the company of a local resident who can show you where it’s all happening.

My Plus One has a selection of local guides who are chosen for their knowledge and passion of the city. When a guest makes their reservation, they choose what they wish to experience. There are many options to choose from, ranging from a coffee hangout with a local, just to get their tips and recommendations, up to a long booking when you go out with them. The costs differ (20-40€) but payment method doesn’t always have to be monetary: You may also choose to pay in the form of a gift or skill-share up to the value of the booking. For example, you could offer your Plus One an item of clothing, a bottle of wine, or perhaps a lesson in juggling! In short: it’s all a matter of negotiation between you and your local.

My Plus One launched in Berlin in March 2012 with 15 friends and one studio. Since then, the community has grown to nearly 100 locals and 14 accommodation partners across 5 cities (Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona). By now Claire has gathered a small team in Berlin, passionate about making travel more enjoyable, beneficial and interesting for all of us. What a great example of changing the way we travel by thinking outside the box. So before booking your next weekend city trip make sure to make this one a true local experience.

Picture: © http://www.myplusone.net