Cheaper European Countries
 

Which countries in Europe are still budget friendly? My fiance and I are debating our honeymoon. I'm interested in Poland, Romania, Croatia, and any country that might still be cheap. OR should we head to South America? Ideas?

Was in Turkey last year and found it to be cheap (not dirt cheap though). There are some nice places laong the Med (Turkish Riviera)

I've had Buenos Aries on my list for a while.

That depends on where you are flying from, what time of year, what kind of hotels you book, etc. Start by checking air fares from your hometown, as that will likely be the biggest expenditure. Once you have it narrowed down, post here with specific places you want to visit.

I would love to go to Turkey. He really wants to hit Amsterdam for a few days, so we are figuring jetting(plane or train) off from there to a few countries. We even considered Amsterdam-Morocco or Egypt. We will be going in July and are thinking 2 weeks.

Airfare is not what im wondering...im wondering once inside the country, is it budget friendly. Norway,Denmark,England...obviously crossed OFF our options. :)

Southern Italy is still very affordable - Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria...best bargins, obviously, if you get off the beaten path (i.e away from the summer beach resorts) and check out the smaller towns.

Croatia is a bargain by western european standards, but in high season it can be pricey--and good food is not cheap there. But you get a lot for the money imo--because you can rent great apartments for less than you'd pay for a shabby hotel in US.
Now you are talking about Amsterdam, Turkey, Morocco, and you only have 2 weeks. I think you should spend some time with the internet or guide books before asking people to reply to really broad questions--and don't take that the wrong way as I am really trying to be helpful.
July is high season, and would be super hot, so take that into consideration.

Please...use the word 'inexpensive' instead of 'cheap'. The Central European countries are less expensive than say, France, England and Germany. You will get more for your money in Poland than England. You could start in Sopot and then travel south to Zakopane. Busses and trains are great. Rent a car. Seek out relativs or ancestors. Poland is the 'Heart of Europe'.

Part of defining cheap will depend on your definition.

I'd also add the in some of the countries defined as expensive, it may be the capital city is expensive, but the countryside less so (as the examples for Italy mentioned here), So maybe there is a little cottage in Yorkshire or the Auvergne with you in mind.

Yes, hunting down ancestry is definitely an option in Poland, as we're both of polish heritage. Thanks for the suggestion. I admit, im all over the board with where to go, but this is my way of trying to narrow down where to go to find out where we'll get the most for our money. Thanks for the ideas so far!

Agree that Croatia can be very inexpensive (other than Dubrovnik). Same with Sicily. Have not yet been to Poland or Romania but they are on our list for later this year.

The Czech Republic (other than Prague) is inexpensive as well. What Michel_Paris said is so true - if you miss the large centers you will typically find the rural areas to be much less expensive. I believe that you can choose nearly any country and make it less pricey with how/when you travel and by making economical choices (i.e. B&B vs. hotel).

Romania is still a fairly inexpensive country, outside of Bucharest. Not southeast Asia cheap, but really very reasonable. Fascinating country too, not at all like what we've seen elsewhere in Europe but also probably a bit more challenging. Still, we loved that we could be wandering gothic castles pretty much by ourselves and discovering a culture still sometimes 100 or more years in the past.

Croatia can be relly inexpensive, if you take a good look. You can try find your accommodation here www.traveladriatic.net

We found Croatia, Portugal and Greece gave us good values for our money.

i agree with the above, ...Portugal, Croatia, Poland and Czech Republic are relatively inexpensive compariting to the other European countries....although during high season do expect to pay high prices, but you can still get a lot for your money.

South America definitely will be even be much more cost effective than Europe as a whole. Argentina, Peru are great places to go. Although, July will be winter season, so not much of great weather in the coast, unless you go to the highlands in Peru

Poland is definitely cheaper, and I found Krakow cheaper than Prague, for example.
I really liked Poland, I've been there a couple times.