Alexander Hylton–Holmes is a Modern Language student at Nottingham Trent University, and is currently on the second leg of his year abroad in Spain. He spent the summer working in a holiday village in France as an 'Animateur' before going to Strasbourg in September, and describes it as the best experience of his year abroad. Here's his advice about finding summer work in France and the ins and outs of being an Animateur...

You might currently be saving or have saved up enough funds for your epic venture and are now looking into the ways in which you can access and control your hard-earned cash. You could take it all in a bag (highly risky and a tad stupid!), you could get travellers’ cheques (for a fee, and sometimes not widely accepted), you could wire money or use your home debit card (which can be expensive and potentially risky) or you could set up a bank account in your temporary home (which can sometimes be a hassle). Now though, currency cards are becoming more widely used, with virtually no drawbacks. Here's how they work...

I realised, while googling 'how to avoid committing suicide while spending Christmas Day by yourself' (I am kidding... but some websites pretty much say this!) that there is a distinct lack of practical advice out there for people who, for whatever reason, are not going to be with their nearest and dearest. So here is my self-help guide.