Cheapest European cities/countries to visit in 2026?
Posted by Working-Swordfish438@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 109 comments
I'm looking to make my first trip to a European country next year, and plan to stay for a week or so. I'm planning on going with 2 others. I just want somewhere that's cheap, but also very fun and beautiful with some nightlife
lucapal1@reddit
Everywhere in Europe is 'safe for tourists ',as long as you behave sensibly.
Cheapest countries right now day to day will be in Eastern Europe... Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia.
SpreadComplete8632@reddit
Moldova huh? What is the median price for a 4-stars hotel?
lucapal1@reddit
No idea, that's not the type of place I stay in.A bed in a good, popular hostel in Chisinau is around 12 euros a night.
This is the shoestring sub...
Ok-Charge-9091@reddit
Would you guys say some of the Italian cities are doable after peak season? Like Firenze, Napoli, Torino, etc
AltruisticWishes@reddit
They're much better in shoulder season
jalapenos10@reddit
Naples is decently priced even in high season
Difficult_Camel_1119@reddit
why shouldn't they? I would even prefer them outside of peak season
AltruisticWishes@reddit
Will almost surely be cheaper to get a hotel room than 3 hostel beds
God-of-the-Grind@reddit
I just came back from Gothenburg for 10 days and the hotel in the city was $100CAD a night, breakfast included. The room was private and clean. You will never find anything close to that in North America without some big compromise.
_mchn_@reddit
Recommending Gothenburg as affordable is something else. I understand how out of hand things have gotten in NOAM, but Sweden is in the top 15% most expensive places you can go to in Europe.
daleiew@reddit
Probably one of the cheapest countries in Western Europe atm
Happy-Hour88@reddit
Even expensive cities can be bearable if you just go there for food and experiencing the vibe and avoid the tourist sites and museums.
I did Paris on the cheap - I didn't go to any museums, nor to the Eiffel tower, I basically walked around and under it but didn't go up there. Museums and paid attraction can really be expensive. I decided to only visit those that are ancient ones like the Colosseum and the Parthenon. The tickets to the Parthenon are like 20 € which is two street food meals in Athens or more. Worth the visit but I wouldn't pay that amount for some far newer cathedral or museum just because everyone is doing it.
Going hiking, visiting waterfalls and most beaches are free.
NorthernPowerhouse@reddit
Krakow, Poland
throwawayyyyygay@reddit
Shit that’s expensive man for shoestring. I’d have said Sofia or something.
Happy-Hour88@reddit
I wouldn't call 10 EUR for a McD burger in Sofia cheap, but hotels can be cheap here.
harlequin_24@reddit
Here now and I wouldn’t say it’s super cheap. Average meal is £15. Although, transportation and entry fees into museums is super affordable.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
Average meal there is definitely not 15 euro.
SeaFr0st@reddit
I just came from there and it doesn’t seem cheap. I’m in Lviv right now and it’s MUCH cheaper.
Bbbighurt88@reddit
Yea didn’t have perogies too expensive had to eat kabobs.Dublin a ripoff
Ok_Captain_5734@reddit
Look at going to an Eastern/Southeastern Europe country. Food/lodgings/alcohol will be relatively inexpensive. There is also fantastic architecture. Poland is nice. Czechia was good 10 years ago and now it is expensive. France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, are ridiculously expensive. Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Hungary are good choices.
Happy-Hour88@reddit
Just want to add that Slovakia now has joined the Czech Republic as expensive. Paying more in Bratislava than Athens, Porto or even Lisbon is crazy when those three offer far more beauty.
SweatyAd9240@reddit
Everywhere in Europe is safer and cheaper than any major city in America. You cannot go wrong.
lisbon1957@reddit
all this anti USA sentiment on Reddit. major cities are just fine l am from Chicago . a lot of the European cities are much worse than any American city. It is true America is very expensive. We do not have a tradition of cheap rooms or pensions like you have in Europe. safety is fine.
Oftenwrongs@reddit
When harsh reality is viewed as "anti" X, then it is time to examine X. You have a conplete denialnof reality going on. The murder rate on the US is over 5x all of Europe. 5 murders and 5 robberies in the states for wvery 1 single murder in germany.
lisbon1957@reddit
as I said since I live here and you don’t…it’s in certain areas and not bad in a lot of areas. sadly we have ghettos and some ethnic groups have more crime. mainstream middle class Americans are not involved. I won’t change your opinion of course but you need to know the reality. best of luck to you
Oftenwrongs@reddit
I am an American, and I lived in Chicago just last year.
The US has some of the worst violent crime rates in the world, and is multitudes, and many times 100s+ times worse than all other first world countries. And when I lived in "safe" North Carolina, I still got bomb threats going to my son's school and having them lock everything down. Kids are taught to hide under their desks. Even the best chicago schools have Xray detectors and armed police in school. The United States is an incredibly violent and dangerous place. You simply confuse your personal experience with the stark reality. Just because you personally haven't experienced something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
SweatyAd9240@reddit
I live in Cleveland. I’m not afraid of cities or feel anti cities. It’s just fact, we normalize gun deaths and crime and our cities are far more dangerous
lisbon1957@reddit
Not to be rude but Cleveland is just horrible. It even had a river and lake catch on fire 🔥..lol. Most USA cities are better. We have more guns here definitely. If sadly says it the Constitution because we started out as explorers unlike Europe. Crime is principally in black areas and in some Latino read Mexican areas. No offense. But European travelers should understand that...it's from underprivileged areas. I have a fondness for people of color. I hope things improve.
European cities are safer in general. Agreed.
I also don't like the anti American sentiment but I sometimes see on reddit. Lot of these people appear to come from Europe. If I recall we helped the Europeans out in world war II or else you would have been living under fascism Hitler. In fact we helped your about twice and we saved to them twice from complete Oblivion.
Inevitable_Bit_1203@reddit
The Cuyahoga River fire was in 1969. If you haven’t been to Cleveland since then… maybe make a trip up to the lake before bashing it. I love visiting Cleveland…
lisbon1957@reddit
Sorry I completely apologize
Jantar2023@reddit
Oh man... I see some anti-European sentiment here. You are answering to the pos that states the fact that any European City is safer than any Major USA city. And in the meantime while you try to put some mud on Europe you agree with the statement. And then again you are adding more about how the USA is better and add the WW II topic.
Please look at what you wrote and reflect a bit as it is you with anti- sentiment not the guy who just told the true based on data.
lisbon1957@reddit
I only have sentiment against a shitty city Lol Data yes. But it's in specific areas as I mentioned
jalapenos10@reddit
You’ve gotta be kidding me lol. Paris and London are not cheaper than Dallas or Houston
SweatyAd9240@reddit
Have you been?
jalapenos10@reddit
Obviously
SweatyAd9240@reddit
Yes, to both London and Paris and to the cities in Texas. Europe is cheaper
maceilean@reddit
Maybe take a pass on Ukraine.
_mchn_@reddit
Been in the western part of the country three times since the beginning of the war, even that's safer than same back alleys I've stumbled into in Austin.
HerpankerTheHardman@reddit
Gaza too, not ideal at the mo...
maceilean@reddit
That's not exactly Europe but also a hard pass.
HerpankerTheHardman@reddit
Right.
Christy_Mathewson@reddit
I live in Denver and there are shootings pretty much every day and murders weekly. It cracks me up when people from the US ask if places abroad are safe. We live in the country with the highest gun violence in the world.
Ok_Captain_5734@reddit
Don’t worry…our sacred leader will be sending in the National Guard in short order…
Mercredee@reddit
There are many places with higher gun violence than the U.S. But it is certainly the richest country with the most gun violence. So price vs murder is in bad proportion.
TomSaylek@reddit
The usa is a third world country with a gucci belt. All these guns to protect your "rights" and you're still getting screwed by orange man and laminate face boy.
SweatyAd9240@reddit
I live in Cleveland. Same
Ifch317@reddit
An important rule for traveling cheaply in Europe is to avoid the biggest tourist hot spots. You will not find an affordable hostel in Rome. Same for Paris and London.
vrudaz@reddit
Once I found private room in hotel standard for 25euro, at Christmas and in center xD yea, I was lucky
Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit
Found a 4-star-hotel in Rome with an included breakfast for around 80$ per room.
Ifch317@reddit
Name it or screen shot the bill.
Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit
Hotel Diana Roof Garden. From 16th to 19th of January, bought the thing in July.
Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit
But it's acc 88€
footdragon@reddit
you do know hotel prices are not static, right?
Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit
Yes, but I can't share images in the replies.
harlequin_24@reddit
I stayed in a hostel right in the city centre of Rome for £36 per night
Kentemo@reddit
That I consider expensive, especially for a hostel in a shared room.
harlequin_24@reddit
For Europe that’s pretty decent. In Amsterdam, I paid £55 pn last minute. It was the cheapest accommodation in central I could find, that was insane.
Specken_zee_Doitch@reddit
There’s campsites in the middle of Amsterdam I would consider comfortable that came in closer to 20€
matumbaCH@reddit
Vienna is really cheap.
mfairview@reddit
really? loved vienna when we were there 10yrs ago but I don't recall it being super cheap. unless they didn't inflate like the rest of the world in recent times..
matumbaCH@reddit
Compared to other capitals of western europe, its sooooo cheap! Check prices of expresso or beer.
DonGenove@reddit
Romania 🇷🇴, a real hidden gem
ImaginaryBridge@reddit
You find Romania to be cheap? I was shocked at how expensive it was when I was there for work last year…
DonGenove@reddit
cheaper than Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Italy and I can continue
ImaginaryBridge@reddit
To each their own experiences. I spent less in Porto, Pisa, and various parts of Spain than I did in Bucharest. I thoroughly enjoyed Brașov, but Bucharest left me with an underwhelming tourist experience overall, despite locals being absolutely lovely.
Dependent-Pause-7977@reddit
What would you suggest to see in Romania?
DonGenove@reddit
Rent a car and create a route with a few stops. It also depends a lot on the period you want to visit it, but Bucharest is a nice city with nice restaurants and you can also spend some time at Therme(really nice experience in cold seasons but very crowded in weekends). If you want to visit it in the summer, Danube Delta has some exceptional views and wildlife experiences that will stay in your memory for long. There are a lot of species of birds there, wild horses, fishermen villages and some nice wild beaches. Also if you like road-trips and stunning viewpoints, don’t miss the Transfagarasan road (check if it’s open, but in summer it is) or Transalpina road(not as spectacular as Transfagarasan, but a nice experience as well). Also there are some nice cities you must visit like Brasov, Iași, Sighișoara, Sibiu, Alba-Iulia, Cluj-Napoca. There are some nice villages as well, like Rimetea, Magura, Viscri, Scărișoara, Cheia Romania is stunning and it’s special because it’s an island of Latinity. It’s an orthodox country so you can see some really beautiful churches and monasteries (I think now in Bucharest there is the biggest Orthodox Church in Europe). Also the food is delicious, because you can find recipes that came from own culture and from the cultural mix: Sarmale, Smoked pork recipes and products like Slanina, Pork Knuckle with beans, Polenta with Sheep Cheese, Mici, Tripe Soup, Goulash, Borzas Schnitzel, Eggplant Salad and also some really good deserts like Papanași, Kürtoskalacs (from trasylvanian hungarians), Crepes, Dumplings filled with plums, Mucenici, Coliva(a little bit hard to find even for romanians)
lisbon1957@reddit
Best thing of all is that the people are just terrific
asmodean97@reddit
I agree with this, I visited back in October and rented a car. Driving is super easy and the roads are fine. The one thing is a lot of car rental companies require you to have an international driver's license which you need to get in your home country first.
Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit
Brașov is a really nice city, same as Iași. Sighisoara is a hidden gem. Bucharest is not really worth it.
Real-Improvement-222@reddit
Greek, Athene… great food, nightlife and weather
Osaka_SportsStar@reddit
Krakow is a banger 🔥
Seano1997@reddit
Poland, Portugal, Spain were all cheap and great value.
Jantar2023@reddit
It's not the cheapest. But for sure good value/price ratio. I would add Romania as the fourth and this one is a really low price country. The cheapest in Europe is I think Albania but it is also not as developed as the 4 mentioned above.
Seano1997@reddit
Haven’t been to Romania or Albania yet, so I’ll take your word for it. I was surprised at how cheap Portugal was. Coffee €1, beer €2, hostels €15/20 p/n. Really good value and great country in general for solo travel.
Jantar2023@reddit
I agree! I love Portugal.
CO_Guy95@reddit
Portugal? Cheap?
Seano1997@reddit
Yes.
Few-Engineering-890@reddit
Instead of a hostel try 2* hotels, safer and more comfortable. Also try the Hoteltonight App
armfer02@reddit
Bosnia for sure. Sarajevo and Mostar 🇧🇦
MountMadness99@reddit
Tallinn
salmayweather@reddit
Ljubljana.
HavanaBanana_@reddit
Ohrid! You have to take a taxi to the clubs though, but theyre also really cheap
plainolbai@reddit
Girona is beautiful! Outside of Barcelona so away from the big hustle and bustle, i’m a big fan!
noname9813@reddit
Eastern Europe. Beautiful, safe and affordable
ExaminationOverall16@reddit
I did a trip to the Baltics (3 countries) for very cheap. It was great! I took a bus, 20€; and a plane, 20€ between cities. Round trip flight was around $650. Accommodations totaling ≈500€. Food and nightlife were great and super affordable. I went to a music festival in Vilnius that was free. It was rad
_mchn_@reddit
First of all, don't cross the Atlantic for a week only. Jetlag will kill you, west to east is particularly bad. Try to do at least two.
Second of all, virtually every country in Europe is safer than the US, the frontlines in Ukraine being the only exception.
Third, you want to travel somewhere cheap, but it's your first time travelling to Europe and we don't know what you are into. Most first timers prefer major cities, stuff they have seen in movies and history books. The cheapest countries are not really there. Moldova, Kosovo, and North Macedonia top the list, but the don't have Colosseums and Eiffel Towers.
You also have to factor in intercontinental flights. It's really easy to get to London or Paris, Sarajevo is a different story. One or two extra fligths, longer layovers, etc. Eats into your already short planned time.
Overall, I would go with Bosnia or Hungary. The latter is a bit more expensive bit will feel super cheap coming from NOAM.
scudsucker@reddit
Portugal was affordable as a South African back in 2023
And AMAZING.
I'm fairly sure nothing has changed. Lisbon is the best city I have ever visited, though my ex lives in Porto and says the same.
Nafnaf911@reddit
Bosnia and Herzegovina, most underrated european country
Hairy_Middle_4432@reddit
why not just wing it and book a cheap hostel in budapest or cracow, you'll have cheap beer, decent nightlife, and not be in some tourist trap where you get ripped off
iMrPhilosopher@reddit
Balkans specially Bosnia.
ollie29091988@reddit
I’ve just got back from Krakow (I’m from UK). It was Christmas time so obviously markets were incredible but, the whole city is very, very friendly and exceptionally clean! Cheap enough without losing quality as well. Recommended
Electronic-Horse7410@reddit
Without any doubt Moldova
69_carats@reddit
Balkan countries
setionwheeels@reddit
Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, Black Sea towns like Sozopol.
thepumagirl@reddit
Estonia is pretty cool
elt0p0@reddit
Bosnia and Macedonia. Cheap Balkan fun. My money went a long way in both places.
Chirsbom@reddit
Moldova.
Nice-Grade8643@reddit
Serbia
Nyerinchicago@reddit
I found athens not very expensive.
Mercredee@reddit
Just find cheapest and easiest flights and go from there. Any country in southern or Eastern Europe has cheap places (besides like Monaco.) Staying away from capital cities and going in off season is the best way to save money.
But like, it’s probably worth it to see Paris or London, at least on a layover, if that’s the best flight path.
truesoul16@reddit
Montenegro 🇲🇪
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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kautostar1@reddit
Portugal is ok.
Cool_Sympathy_9900@reddit
Albania maybe
oldfartMikey@reddit
While some European countries are generally cheaper than others it can be more about what you want to do and where you want to stay. For example I sometimes stay in Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria) in rooms above a Restaurant for about 23 euros a night. 2 minutes walk away there's a smart hotel where they charge up to 400 euros a night.
Similarly in Crete I sometimes stay in a small hotel very close to the beach for 30 euros a night, there are hotels which charge 500 euros.
As the saying goes 'You pays your money and takes your choice' 🤑
Loose-Acanthaceae823@reddit
How do you find these "above a restaurant" places without already being in that town? Is there a website i'm missing?
Big-Exam-259@reddit
In no order, : Bosnia, Serbia, Poland, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro…