Europe on a budget? Destination suggestions welcome.
 

We have been very fortunate in that we have been able to make numerous "trips of a lifetime" to Europe. The UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland and even Turkey. Trip costs seem to be on the rise however. The discount airfares are getting to tougher to find and even though the dollar has strengthened against the Euro prices still seem extremely high.

Does anyone have suggestions for locations that are less expensive to visit?

Perhaps I need to readjust my sights or expectations. Our most recent trip was to Poland and while it was enjoyable, and mrs. turnip loved the prices on shopping excursions, we were to a certain degree somewhat disappointed. The food was probably the poorest of any place we've been outside of London. Sorry, but we found the national dish, pierogis, to be bland in taste, color and texture. The sights were fun but didn't seem to have the "wow" factor of the other locations we've visited. Even the Poles asked us, "Why are you visiting Poland?"

If we forego the "must-see" sights of the world in order to get off the beaten track and find better prices do I need to settle for less "wow"?

We loved seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum/Flavian amphitheater, Neuschwanstien, the canals of Venice, the Hagia Sophia and the touristy spots, but we also have greatly enjoyed small towns like Harleem, touring the Czech wine regions, Cesky Krumlov, the walls of Lucca, hiking in Zakopane, staring at the stars in the Berner Oberland. We don't want a beach or somewhere to just lay in the sun. We love good museums and galleries - I could spend a week in the Musee d'Orsay alone. Flea markets and funky second hand stores are always fun for us. The history in Rome and Turkey was mesmerizing.

To us, budget travel is small, clean and safe B&B's or apartment rental. Certainly less than $100 a night . We splurge one time a trip for a fancy dinner but often picnic lunch and fix some of our food if the apartment is so equipped. We usually travel in the shoulder season to maximize weather but avoid the crowds and high season rates.

We've been kicking around Croatia, but it doens't seem like it's "cheap". Numerous Central/Eastern European countries have been mentioned but none have leapt off of the page screaming "visit me". Portugal has been mentioned. We have never been to Asia other than Turkey. Some travelers have suggested numerous spots in Asia as a budget destination but the mrs. will take some convincing I think.

So I'm guess I'm throwing it out there to the experienced and knowledgable Fodorite world travelers. Save up and shut up? If I want to see the big name sights - prepare to pay the price? Suggestions on places you loved that also didn't break the piggy bank? Do I break out of our comfort zone and venture further afield?

Thanks in advance for your candor and ideas.

Cordially, the turnip

How about North Africa...as in Morocco? Francophone country, really good food, varied scenery, good museums...and cheap. If you enjoyed Turkey, you've already got the ability to deal with that sort of "exotic vibe."

I think it's partly about what you do when you are there, as much as the specific destination. It doesn't cost anything to walk around Paris and 'see' the Eiffle Tower.

I also believe the decision should be about what interests YOU. No just what appears cheap. Do you WANT to go to Portugal, Croatia, Asian, Africa????

I think most countries can offer you "cheap," particularly when you don't splash our for fancy hotels and dinners. The issue this year is airfare. I am not seeing any deals so far, so looking at $2000 just for airfare is certainly putting a damper on my plans.
I noticed you did not mention Spain, a country I have enjoyed immensely and one I think can easily give you a fantastic return on every dollar (airfares are often quite good to boot).
I've been considering Portugal as well, but just don't feel the draw and I fear the food will be dismal.
While I agree Croatia is not cheap like many think it will be, if you can get a decent airfare, the value you get when renting apartments is well worth the effort. To me it is more of a nature destination, and that of course has its savings as well--hiking along a nearly deserted coast is free!

I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy Poland very much. I was there last fall (same time as you, I believe) and had a wonderful time. I loved Krakow (my second visit) and found tons of things to do there. I think you were going to Zakopane which was a complete disappointment to me. I also went to Warsaw, Poznan, and Wroclaw. Warsaw was my second least favorite but I really enjoyed Poznan and Wroclaw.

The perogies were bland unless you had those with meat. I loved the pork dishes and that's what I ate almost every day (just as I did in the Czech Republic). I thought the food was good and very inexpensive.

Based on your likes above, I would warn you off Croatia and Portugal. There is little sightseeing in Croatia as the "cities" are very small. Dietitian's Palace was a wow but I think that had to do with the guide we had. I did love Dubrovnik but it's quite a way from Split and again, quite small. One or two days is the maximum amount of time you'd need there. The rest is countryside but not the prettiest I've seen; nothing to compare with Austria or Italy.

Again, in Portugal, very little sightseeing in many towns. Lisbon left me underwhelmed. Sintra was my favorite since there was quite a bit to see and different things than I'm used to - Pena Palace and National Palace. I did a tour of central Portugal and found the countryside very dry until I got near the Spanish border in the east. I understand the northern part is more lush but I didn't get there. Porto is supposedly a good town to visit and one I hope to see but I don't think there is tons to do there either.

Since you hike you might want to walk part of the Camino de Santiago - a different type of vacation but one that would be inexpensive. I suggested to another poster to walk from Porto to Santiago. You could see Lisbon, Sintra, take a train to Porto and do your walk.

I'm in the same dilemma you are - looking for wow and reasonably priced European vacations. Fortunately for me I loved Poland and the Czech Republic and they are certainly cheap.

I don't see Spain or Greece on your list. I haven't been to either yet but I understand the prices are less than those in France and Italy.

This year I don't get a vacation but next on my list is Cuba (hopefully next January) while it's still possible to go there legally.

Good luck with your search. Post back on what you find that the rest of us might enjoy.

<< I've been considering Portugal as well, but just don't feel the draw and I fear the food will be dismal. >>

The Portuguese food was wonderful and very inexpensive! The only thing I didn't like was some soup that went by different names. It contained coriander and was very greasy.

Thanks for the info, adrienne! I eat fish but not meat, so that is a complicating factor. I hope you were able to visit the Croatian islands while you were there.

yorkshire - There are tons of fish dishes in Portugal - every restaurant has fish. The only fish I had when I was there was bacalau.

I only saw one Croatian island as I was on an escorted tour which was focused mostly on the towns. I had been told that the views are more spectacular from the water than from inland but I didn't get much of a water view.

turnip...may I remind you that everyone traveling for pleasure is "on a budget"..believe me. Some may be stratospheric, others may be more moderate, and yet others would be "cheese and crackers for dinner". At least you've given some guidelines for lodging costs.

Maroc, as StCirq suggested, would be an exciting destination. It's exotic, dramatically scenic, colorful, and would at least fit your lodging budget if you do the necessary research. The same can be said for Portugal. Have you considered Ireland? Again, you can find under $100 lodgings at all of the above, but like anything else it takes some work. I'm sure you have done plenty of it for the other trips you've taken.

South America could fit well also. Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador, especially. We have found that any of those SA countries would be doable for your lodging reqts.

These days, the biggest part of your budget would have to be airfare unless you are fat with ff miles. Good luck...let the forum know when you've narrowed down your destinations ...help would be on the way at that time.

time of year is crucial to low budget - like in winter - air fares hundreds of bucks lower and accommodations not only often cheaper but obviously more available. I always pay about 30-35 euros for a B & B with unlimited breakfast in both Florence and Rome in winter - in summer those places would cost about three times as much.

So off-season can even make a place like Italy cheap. And how you go about say your food - I eat largely out of supermarkets or street food, etc. In Italy in winter I spend about $60 a day total - things like cafes can cost a ton so if you have several coffees a day at a nice cafe that could run $4-5 a pop - so there are variables besides which places are cheaper.

This means you have to avoid cities like Oslo, London, Venice??? Not IMO...a lot depends on where you stay in terms of costs. I agree that off-season is cheaper but there are just some places that aren't worth going to when they are loaded with snow or sleet or that other nasty stuff.

And, here's another thought...how much are you willing to give up <B>when you are at home</B> to ensure the ability to travel when and where you wish? After all, it isn't all about the costs and your spending "over there."

I definitely agree with the suggestions for traveling off-season and researching the airfare (which is normally the single largest expense of any trip).

Do you mind telling us your home airport? That would make a difference if South America, Africa, Asia, Indonesia, etc. might be good ideas, or not.

Using B&Bs can lessen the costs greatly as well. In London I stay in a B&B a 20-minute train commute from the center and pay 25 pounds ($40), unlimited breakfast included - commuting costs about 4 pounds a day so for 30 pounds you can have a safe, clean place to stay and leave with your stomach so loaded you need not eat for hours.

We have also been to most of the countries you listed - on a budget. Besides staying in apartments and B&B's, eating as reasonablly as possible, traveling in shoulder season, spending most of our time in small villages, etc., I think our biggest budget tip is using miles for flights. We started charging on a miles/points card a number of years ago. We charge every dime we can and pay it off monthly. This allows us to book trips using our miles and makes our trips much more reasonable.

Our next trip to Europe is in September/October to France. We have been to France numerous times and find it to be the best fit for us. We love Paris and usually spend a few days at the beginning or end of our trip in Paris, and then spend the majority of our time in the villages, i.e., Normandy, Brittany, Loire, Dordogne, Burgundy, Alsace, or Provence to name a few areas.

If there is a country that you particularly enjoyed, why not return and explore some more. We usually find much more to see even in areas we've been to several times. We enjoy slowing down and just being in another place/culture as much as seeing the "big" sights. Whatever you decide to do, hope you have a great trip!

How about Romania? While we did it by car, we came across an American woman traveling solo who was using public transportation and local guides. I wrote a trip report, but prices have undoubtedly changed; click on my name to find it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...01926246/show/

Two of the places mentioned - Croatia and Portugal - I did find them to be very economical. We easily stayed in very nice double accommodation for under $100 (not 100€, 100$) and found the food, especially in Portugal to be very economical. But I can travel pretty cheaply to most places in Europe if you are OK with 2 star places or small B&B or guest houses which it sounds like you are. I have only found a few places that were difficult to be a budget traveler in - Scandinavia and the UK and rural England is not that bad and even in London, you can, it just takes more effort.

I've never tried to pick a location just because I thought it would be cheaper. I decide where I want to go and then see what it looks like it's going to cost - obviously you can see hotel and transportation prices on line before you start booking anything. Food you can almost always do as cheap as you want - or as expensive. Other than avoiding the most expensive destinations I would just pick where you want to go and then post questions here for tips on how to do those specific places as economically as possible.

I second the recommendation of going to Spain. We were there in October 2010 & found the prices to be reasonable. We didn't spend a fortune on food & yet we had delicious meals every day. You could visit one of the major cities, then travel through the countryside to visit smaller towns/villages. Traveling during the shoulder season helps, too. We spent 5 days in Barcelona, then rented a car for a 3 night/4 day roadtrip along the Costa Brava & into the Pyrenees.

My niece lived & worked in Extremadura, Spain, for 2 years & loved it. Very reasonable. She described it as old world Spain. I saw her photos & would love to go there. You could combine that area of Spain with a trip to Portugal. I haven't been to Portugal yet, but my daughter spent only an overnight in Lisbon (en route home from Barcelona) & had a day to wander around & she really liked Lisbon. I have a cousin who was there for a week & they loved it.
Hope this helps.

Don't know where you live, but what about Costa Rica? It was reasonable when we went, but not sure about now. Food & lodging was very reasonable.

Wow. Some awesome suggestions. I apologize if I gave the impression that cost was the overriding factor for our trips.

We are totally on board with the B&B plan as well as using FF miles. Triple miles with Capitol One and we pay the darn balance off every month.

Our normal airport is MSP (Minneapolis/St.Paul). Our last trip however we drove the 8 hours to Chicago and flew direct to Warsaw via LOT airlines. (My son said they call it LOT airlines because it left a-LOT to be desired. Gotta say he hit the nail on the head with that comment. WORST seats ever!) It was over $400 per person cheaper to do it that way and there was six of us travelling together. For over $2400 we sucked it up and made the trek.

"blh" your comment really hit home. Pick a spot we loved and explore more. We LOVED Italy. We've been there 2 1/2 times but I think I could go back there tomorrow. The Roman history fascinates me, the food is AMAZING and there is so much more to see.

PalenQ - I think I'll check the Italian weather even further off from shoulder season and see what it looks like, especially inregards to how much less expensive things are. If we can handle winter in MN we can deal with cool weather. Rain and sleet - I'm not so crazy about it.

Still on the radar, Portugal, Romania & Croatia. Will add Spain and even France. It's not fair to judge all of France based on Parisians but that is the one spot in all of our travels we have felt unwelcome and even outright hostility.

Half the fun for me is in the planning so the search will continue.

Depending on how much time you travel and where you end up in Italy, you can combine with Croatia. Ferries make the trek from Bari, Ancona, and Venice. Happy planning!
I'd take a week in a tiny village in Italy over just about anything right now.

I don't think it is possible to understand Europe without going to Greece, and it is a very cheap destination.

<We've been there 2 1/2 times but I think I could go back there tomorrow.>

Nothing wrong with going back to Italy again. I can pretty much guarantee there are still many new things for you to see and do there

I'm big on doing what I WANT to do when I travel. I have no need to fulfill a "bucket list" or check things off just to say I've been there (or because they are a little cheaper than where I really want to go).

I think you can have a great trip combining Croatia and/or Slovenia with Italy. We took ferries back and forth b/n Italy and Croatia and had a great time.

I may have missed it, but have you been to Budapest/Hungary?

I have never been to Budapest/Hungry.

I visited Romania in 2009 and I was very surprised at how inexpensive everything was. Bucharest is not the nicest part but it's worth a day or two, then enjoy the gorgeous scenery in Transilvania.

Budapest is also fabulous and more budget friendly than most of Europe. Hungary and Romania are neighbors, maybe you could see both on the same trip. Neither use the € yet so maybe that is why they are less expensive.

I would look into Budapest. We really enjoyed our trip there. Upon arrival, my husband wanted to leave immediately, as it is not necessarily an "easy" city to enjoy. He did no research before the trip and he was therefore initially disappointed. That being said, he wound up loving the city, as did I.

The two least expensive cities that we have visited are Lisbon and Budapest. Enjoyed both and would love to return to each city. We had excellent meals in both places and our accommodations were budget but very nice and well located. Spain is another affordable place to travel. And we are avid users of Priceline for hotels in larger cities.

At the urging of some travel friends we will visit London in the fall - I have definately had a bit of sticker shock as we usually travel in So. Europe where prices on transportation, lodging, food and beverage seem much cheaper!

We had a brief visit to Lisbon last fall and I was pretty impressed - now I am considering an extended visit there and then taking overnight train to San Sebastian. I found plenty of tasty food options in Lisbon (and food is an important part of the rip to me). There are quite a few day trip options from Lisbon and cheap - we took a 45 minute train ride to a coastal town for about 5E (maybe that is why they have budget problems). I have found what looks to be a nice hotel in Lisbon for 100E a night - NO WAY JOSE in London. San Sebastian also has quite a few reasonable hotel options.

But I'll put in a vote for Budapest too - we were very pleasantly surprised - alot of the Art Noveau architecture and we loved the baths. I do think the people were not quite as friendly (they don't smile much) and there was some shabbiness in some of the buildings - I think they are still emerging from the communist years. Also some lovely nearby areas for daytrips along the Danube. I think with some research you could find good food too - not as dismal as Poland by any means.

Thanks for all the input. Per some of your suggestions I asked; "Where do I WANT to go?"

Italy was the answer.

We are heading out this September for two weeks via FINNAIR for $815 RT.

Let the planning begin in earnest!

I loved Portugal, and it was very economical. It's a beautiful country, and very much under the radar, so not as touristy as some other places. Food and wine are also very good. We did 8 days traveling from Porto to Lisbon with a couple of Pousada stops in between. The coast and Douro valley are spectacular. I look forward to returning and seeing other parts of the country.

I think destination is very important... you should go where you want to go most... and not let price be the determining factor of your vacation.

Like PalenQ said, if your not interested in beaches... then shoulder season or off season is the best way to save money. Also, I would rather eat out of supermarkets or inexpensive places rather then go to a country I have no interest in.

Re: Poland.

(1) Going to Warsaw would lose the wow factor because the city was destroyed in WWII and I've never heard a wow about it - we avoided it other than for flights.

(2) Krakow didn't do it for us either, especially compared to Budapest or Prague, although there were a couple of sights IN Krakow that were excellent in contrast with the city as a whole.

(3) You must not have gone to Gdansk (we did) or Lodz or Poznan (we did not, heard good things though). Malbork Castle and an historical tour of Gdansk would have given you enough wow to make the LOT flights suck less.

Some of the nastiest fish I ever smelled was at a mid-level restaurant in Lisbon. Spanish cuisine is far superior.

As for LOT: yeah, it's not quite Cathay Pacific business class, but you must not have flown on Olympic or, even worse, an American Airline 767-300 international leg. The AA planes are not only small, with narrow seats and no cushion, but they don't even have personal TVs, which Olympic had at least as far back as 2001.

As for Italy, this bit of wisdom from my old man, who has been there far more often than I (three trips for me): "It's hard to find a bad meal in Italy." So don't fret the resto suggestions - just find a place and grab a bite.

we are just finishing up our trip to mostly the puglia region in italy and we have found it to be a little less expensive than other parts of italy.

i am a brand new fan of airbnb and probably sound like their spokesperson-- but we really, really saved some money this trip by using them for 3 of our places. next trip will be more as all 3 were winners. maybe we were just lucky.

we are now in bologna-- and joked that dinner at 'diana' tonight was free because we saved so much by not staying at a regular hotel. we had kitchens and whole apartments at the other 2 places-- and this one is just a bedroom and own bathroom-- but for $60E a night-- we had a fantastic dinner out just a short walk away.

i guess i'm saying-- go where you want to go-- and look into some new options for lodgings. we had to scour a bit on this trip-- but were able to keep to an overall average well under 100E a night.

happy planning!
kawh

Italy is my idea of perfection, but if you love Italy, my guess is that you would also like Spain. It has history, fantastic museums, stunningly beautiful architecture, picturesque landscape and warm welcoming people. It also has that kind of active vibe that you find in much of Italy. It wasn't on my travel list for a long time - no idea why. When I finally went, I was sorry I took so long to go there and have returned twice - so three trips and would love to go again.

we are not budget travelers...but I find Berlin, Bologna, Seville to be very reasonable .

I strongly suggest you should come to Taiwan. It's not expensive and there are a variety of cheap delicious food. The most important thing is Taiwanese are very friendly.

The top three least expensive trips we have taken to Europe in the last 5 years would be Portugal and southern Spain; Budapest; and Berlin. Outside of Europe, South America. The bonus of going to South America from the US is while like Europe it is a long overnight flight, you are only crossing a couple time zones, thus no jet lag recovery.

I see you are going back to Italy. Have a great trip!