I love europe and have been to germany, Paris, Brugg, Amsterdam & Switzerland. This year I am on budget. What do you think is the best place to go on a small budget. I can afford hotels and restaraunts therfore I just want to see where I can go to get the most for my dollar. thanks

Well, I would guess the cheapest European city statistically will probably be somehwere in Romania or Bulgaria but I can't imagine how you would find out - or if there would be naything to do. If you mean a major tourist destination with very reasonable prices I recommend Prague - hotels, transport and food are all much less than in western Europe.

I agree, cheapest might equal worst place to visit.

Besides Prague, here are a couple of other suggestions: Tallin, Estonia; Wroclaw, Poland; Budapest, Hungary.

People forget that Istanbul is a European city. A magical wonderland and the most in-expensives "European" city I have encountered!

Istanbul is wonderful. Bratislava (Slovakia) is also "cheap".

I've always wondered why Turkey is considered to be in Europe. What's the natural (meaning NOT a national border) boundary between Europe and Asia?

Istanbul isn't that cheap if you are American. Sure, hotels are cheap. But... It's $100 cash for a visa to get into the country. Plus, they raised most of the major museums, tourist attractions, etc. to $30-45 each. Plus it cost a lot more to fly there than it does to most of Europe.

Platzer,

That is a inaccurate. I returned from Istanbul a couple of weeks ago, and I found that it is one of the less expensive places I've ever been to.

The most "expensive" museum was the Topkapi palace, where we paid 22 USD per person for the palace, the harem and the treasury. Considering that seeing the palace took like 6 hours and that it was truly breathtaking, I thought the price was fair. All other places that required paying a fee were around 7 US (Museums , Hagia Sophia and Dolmabace Palace). I would even say that they should charge more and improve some of the museums.

Many of the sights in Istanbul are Mosques, that do not require payment (but some ask for donations... I found that 2 million lira, $1.50,were well received). The Grand Bazaar costs nothing (if you can resist it), and food is EXTREMELY unexpensive. Our first meal there was at a little place just outside the Bazaar, where we paid 10 US of two soups, two entrees (huge), freshly baked bread, drinks, tea and tip. Everything was delicious. A 20 minute massage at one of the "expensive" hammams was $19.

About the Visas, Turkey is following the practice of reciprocity. Turkish nationals pay $100 for a US Visa...

We flew there on Germanwings (from Stuttgart), and paid $100 per person for the round trip.

More than reasonable, if you ask me.

This month's Which consumer magazine has just published a survey of European capital city costs for hotel, dining etc. For dining (3 course meal, house wine and water), Prague was cheapest at GBP19 for 2, Budapest 21, MAdrid 22 and Istanbul 23 were 4 cheapest (excludes BAltic States). For budget hotels, Prague 15 Pounds, Istanbul 20, Budapest, Zagreb, Valetta all at 30 were next cheapest.

I don't think you'd really want to be in the cheapest European city, I'm sure it's not very nice.

Prague is great and certainly relatively cheap, but there are many places a lot cheaper now. Krakow is cheaper than Prague, for example. But many small towns in these Central/E European countries are even cheaper, of course. Major cities and those that appeal to tourists are not going to be the cheapest places.

I think the boundary between Europe and Asia is usually considered the Ural river and mountains, so that is a line running roughtly north from Iran.

I wholeheartedly agree with the others that you really don't want to go to the cheapest city -- using "city" in the normal sense of a larger metropolitan area.

But just in case you are serious, the most inexpensive European city of any size is in Albania -- Shkoder near the Yugoslav border, or Tirane, the capital city. Also worth considering is Skopje, in Macedonia. Going to any of these would be somewhat of an adventure, but it would be cheap. Good luck.

To answer the Europe map question... I learned in school at least that the Straits of Bosburous (sp?) is the limit of Europe. Which just barely makes Istanbul European.

Cobos

Hey Platzer apparently your Turkish visa has just gone up to $200 !!
..................just for you.........

A place like Bratislava is a great hangout in the summer. Outdoor cafes with CHEAP food & great wine. Hotels are a bit more, but you can still get a bargain. I'd stay with Eastern Europe & see as many of those great cities as possible.

Have you considered Lisbon?
It is a wonderful city to visit, and there are many nearby communities that are well worth a trip.
And I found it suprrisingly cheap, even for one person paying single rates.
Good food and good wines (I loved their vino verde!) also reasonable.
In fact, I would reocmmend Portugal to anyone wishing to get a taste of Europe in just sone country-- sea coast, cathedrals, palaces, history, art, fishing villages, native customs!!!

love
joan
P.S. Airfare to Lisbon less than to those cities closer to Asia, as well.

Cobos,
geographically, Istanbul is a european city. There is no notion as 'barely' to be applied with the Bosphorus as the generally acknowledges frontier.
The historic part is truly european (historic peninsula, beyoglu as the medieval 'european' part) and till the end of 19th century there were hardly any noticeable constructions on the asian side...

Just to clarify Istanbul spans Europe and Asia with the Bosphorus dividing each half of the city. Istanbul is, therefore, both the nearest Asian city to Europe and the nearest European city to Asia.

In addition to all the Eastern European capitals and Istanbul, you could consider spending your time in a smaller city in one of the countries you have already visited...for example you could find inexpensive hotels (under $75 a night) in a Loire Valley city like Tours or Angers and then spend your time in the towns themselves and taking mass transit (bus or train) to area sites. Get a feel for what the country is like outside the capital.
In Angers, for example, you can eat VERY well for not much money. Many restaurants offers wonderful lunch menus that include salad, main course, dessert, coffee AND a small carafe of wine for under $15.
Also, you are more likely to find a variety of cheap flights to Paris than to the Eastern European capitals.