Cheapest European cities/countries to visit in 2026?

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.

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_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.

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daleiew@reddit

Probably one of the cheapest countries in Western Europe atm

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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.

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NorthernPowerhouse@reddit

Krakow, Poland

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throwawayyyyygay@reddit

Shit that’s expensive man for shoestring. I’d have said Sofia or something.

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Happy-Hour88@reddit

I wouldn't call 10 EUR for a McD burger in Sofia cheap, but hotels can be cheap here.

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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.

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Oftenwrongs@reddit

Average meal there is definitely not 15 euro.

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SeaFr0st@reddit

I just came from there and it doesn’t seem cheap. I’m in Lviv right now and it’s MUCH cheaper.

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Bbbighurt88@reddit

Yea didn’t have perogies too expensive had to eat kabobs.Dublin a ripoff

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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.

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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.

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SweatyAd9240@reddit

Everywhere in Europe is safer and cheaper than any major city in America. You cannot go wrong.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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…

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lisbon1957@reddit

Sorry I completely apologize

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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.

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lisbon1957@reddit

I only have sentiment against a shitty city Lol Data yes. But it's in specific areas as I mentioned

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jalapenos10@reddit

You’ve gotta be kidding me lol. Paris and London are not cheaper than Dallas or Houston

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SweatyAd9240@reddit

Have you been?

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jalapenos10@reddit

Obviously

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SweatyAd9240@reddit

Yes, to both London and Paris and to the cities in Texas. Europe is cheaper

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maceilean@reddit

Maybe take a pass on Ukraine.

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_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.

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HerpankerTheHardman@reddit

Gaza too, not ideal at the mo...

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maceilean@reddit

That's not exactly Europe but also a hard pass.

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HerpankerTheHardman@reddit

Right.

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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.

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Ok_Captain_5734@reddit

Don’t worry…our sacred leader will be sending in the National Guard in short order…

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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.

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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.

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SweatyAd9240@reddit

I live in Cleveland. Same

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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.

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vrudaz@reddit

Once I found private room in hotel standard for 25euro, at Christmas and in center xD yea, I was lucky

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Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit

Found a 4-star-hotel in Rome with an included breakfast for around 80$ per room.

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Ifch317@reddit

Name it or screen shot the bill.

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Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit

Hotel Diana Roof Garden. From 16th to 19th of January, bought the thing in July.

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Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit

But it's acc 88€

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footdragon@reddit

you do know hotel prices are not static, right?

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Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit

Yes, but I can't share images in the replies.

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harlequin_24@reddit

I stayed in a hostel right in the city centre of Rome for £36 per night

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Kentemo@reddit

That I consider expensive, especially for a hostel in a shared room.

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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.

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Specken_zee_Doitch@reddit

There’s campsites in the middle of Amsterdam I would consider comfortable that came in closer to 20€

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matumbaCH@reddit

Vienna is really cheap.

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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..

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matumbaCH@reddit

Compared to other capitals of western europe, its sooooo cheap! Check prices of expresso or beer.

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DonGenove@reddit

Romania 🇷🇴, a real hidden gem

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ImaginaryBridge@reddit

You find Romania to be cheap? I was shocked at how expensive it was when I was there for work last year…

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DonGenove@reddit

cheaper than Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Italy and I can continue

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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.

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Dependent-Pause-7977@reddit

What would you suggest to see in Romania?

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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)

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lisbon1957@reddit

Best thing of all is that the people are just terrific

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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.

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Sir_Playboi_Cartier@reddit

Brașov is a really nice city, same as Iași. Sighisoara is a hidden gem. Bucharest is not really worth it.

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Real-Improvement-222@reddit

Greek, Athene… great food, nightlife and weather

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Osaka_SportsStar@reddit

Krakow is a banger 🔥

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Seano1997@reddit

Poland, Portugal, Spain were all cheap and great value.

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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.

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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.

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Jantar2023@reddit

I agree! I love Portugal.

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CO_Guy95@reddit

Portugal? Cheap?

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Seano1997@reddit

Yes.

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Few-Engineering-890@reddit

Instead of a hostel try 2* hotels, safer and more comfortable. Also try the Hoteltonight App

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armfer02@reddit

Bosnia for sure. Sarajevo and Mostar 🇧🇦

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MountMadness99@reddit

Tallinn

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salmayweather@reddit

Ljubljana.

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HavanaBanana_@reddit

Ohrid! You have to take a taxi to the clubs though, but theyre also really cheap

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plainolbai@reddit

Girona is beautiful! Outside of Barcelona so away from the big hustle and bustle, i’m a big fan!

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noname9813@reddit

Eastern Europe. Beautiful, safe and affordable

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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

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_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.

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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.

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Nafnaf911@reddit

Bosnia and Herzegovina, most underrated european country

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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

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iMrPhilosopher@reddit

Balkans specially Bosnia.

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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

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Electronic-Horse7410@reddit

Without any doubt Moldova

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69_carats@reddit

Balkan countries

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setionwheeels@reddit

Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, Black Sea towns like Sozopol.

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thepumagirl@reddit

Estonia is pretty cool

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elt0p0@reddit

Bosnia and Macedonia. Cheap Balkan fun. My money went a long way in both places.

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Chirsbom@reddit

Moldova.

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Nice-Grade8643@reddit

Serbia

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Nyerinchicago@reddit

I found athens not very expensive.

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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.

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truesoul16@reddit

Montenegro 🇲🇪

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

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kautostar1@reddit

Portugal is ok.

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Cool_Sympathy_9900@reddit

Albania maybe

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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' 🤑

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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?

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Big-Exam-259@reddit

In no order, : Bosnia, Serbia, Poland, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro…