Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Traveling to Europe can be expensive, but if you get creative and avoid tourist hot spots like London and Paris, you may be able to dodge high price tags and snag some deals. We considered average hotel prices, flight deals, available vacation packages, affordable attractions, and overall accessibility to rank the best cheap European vacations.
Istanbul
No. 1 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
A favorable exchange rate (1 Turkish lira equals 12 cents) makes Istanbul incredibly affordable for Western visitors. Entrance to important religious sites, such as the Blue Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia Mosque (previously the Hagia Sophia Museum), is free. Admission to other popular attractions, including the Topkapi Palace Museum, can cost as little as around $10 per person. And with meals averaging between 30 and 150 Turkish lira (about $4 to $16), you have plenty of room to splurge on souvenirs or your hotel. Read more about traveling to Turkey.
Athens
No 2 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
If you’re a foodie on a budget, Athens, Greece, should be at the top of your European itinerary. Here, you can find delicious meals with Greek salad, fresh seafood, and small plates for cheap. These savings will leave plenty of room in your budget for accommodations, which you can find for less than $200 per night at select four- and five-star hotels. Plus, with all of the city’s major attractions less than a mile from one another, you’ll save loads on public transportation and rideshares just by walking. Read more about traveling to Greece.
Tallinn
No 3 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Overlooking the Baltic Sea, Tallinn draws travelers to Estonia with its charming atmosphere and historical attractions. Start by walking through the capital’s Old Town, webbed with cobblestone streets, old-world buildings, and medieval delights. Then, explore the city’s eclectic museums covering everything from maritime history to the KGB. Look into purchasing a Tallinn Card if you plan on visiting multiple museums. The cards vary in duration and price – the most extended option for 72 hours costs about $60 – and include access to museums and public transportation, plus discounts for tours, shops, and restaurants.
Porto
No 4 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
This cheap Portuguese destination is getting increasingly popular, so make sure to visit while it’s still affordable. Right now, you can take the train one way from Porto to Lisbon for as little as $30 one way. Once you arrive in Porto, you’ll be delighted to learn that several top attractions here, such as the Dom Luís I Bridge, the Porto Cathedral, and the Crystal Palace Gardens, are free to visit. To sip delicious vino on a budget, buy tickets for City Lovers Tours’ wine walking tour for around $35. Read more about visiting Spain.
Valencia
No. 5 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Compared to Barcelona, Valencia has equally beautiful beaches but fewer crowds. It is also a lot more affordable. The city offers a diverse range of free things to do, including relaxing on the sand, wandering through Plaza del Ayuntamiento, exploring the Valencia Cathedral, and shopping at the Central Market, the crown jewel of one of Europe’s oldest food market areas. Plus, if you time your trip right and want to visit a few Spanish cities, you can often find flights and train routes from Barcelona or Madrid to Valencia for less than $100 round trip. Read more about traveling to Spain.
Seville
No. 6 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Despite being one of the largest cities in Spain, Seville is quite affordable. Here, select five-star accommodations are less than $200 per night. Plus, entrance fees to top attractions, such as Real Alcázar, the Catedral de Sevilla, and the Museo de Bellas Artes, are downright cheap: You can visit all three for less than $30. And since Seville is so walkable, you’ll seldom need to use public transportation. Read more about Spain’s destinations.
Corfu
NoNo. in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Admiring the landscape on this Greek island is enough to keep travelers busy for days at no extra expense. If you are tired of sunbathing, check out some of the island’s religious sites, including Paleokastritsa Monastery and the Church of Saint Spyridon. Both are free to visit. Flights from Athens are only an hour and can cost less than $100, depending on when you travel. Hotel prices are affordable as well. You can find deals on four- and five-star properties for less than $200 per night. Visit Greece
Belgrade
No. 8 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Serbia’s capital offers plenty of things to do without an eye-popping price tag. Visit in the fall for reasonable hotel rates and fewer crowds. Some popular attractions like the Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, boast free admission. To save even more money, consider using Belgrade’s system of buses, trolleys, and trams to get around, as taxi fares can quickly increase. (Just be sure to do your homework first, as the public transportation system is less sophisticated than other European cities.)
Sicily
No 9 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Picture a tropical island – gentle waves spilling onto sandy shores, sunshine gleaming off a sparkling sea, and volcanoes spurting steam in the distance. Add to that image lush, rolling hills, topped by ruins from antiquity like those at the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt. Then you need to imagine the rich tastes of fresh seafood, decadent pasta, and desserts. This is Sicily! Learn how to visit Italy.
Antalya
No. 10 in Best Cheap Europe Vacations
Antalya offers everyone plenty of things to do. If you want to dose up on sightseeing, you’ll find a fascinating line-up of tourist attractions to keep you busy. The old labyrinthine town is an entire atmospheric historical site. Simultaneously, the city is ideally placed as your base for sightseeing around the outlying area, where dozens of grand ruins await. It’s all history, though. This city is also an excellent spot for your launch onto the white-sand beaches of TurkTurkey’squoise Coast. Bea h lovers and history buffs will both leave satisfied. If you want to go sightseeing, you’ll have a fascinating line-up of tourist attractions to keep you busy. The labyrinthine old town is an entirely of atmospheric historic sites. At the same time, the city is ideally placed as your base for sightseeing around the outlying area, where dozens of grand ruins await. Read more about our Turkey tour packages.
