kywood1955

What's the least expensive destination in Europe for a 2 week stay in late November - early December for an active 50-something couple? Like museums, good local food (doesn't have to be elegant restaurant), interesting architecture, maybe beaches but not required. What's your opinion? Have been to Italy, Spain, France, Holland. Thanks.

alanRow

Romania

miaspapa

I have heard Prague is very reasonable and beautiful.Its going to be the next city to be discovered I was told to get in early before it gets to be a tourist trap ,if that makes sense? Good luck.

wondering

I am afraid I would have to put Prague already into the tourist trap grouping. (We went in May about 5 years ago.) I will admit that most of the European "tourist traps" are lovely places, however. Prague is pretty inexpensive for food, but hotel lodging there is high. Entertainment in the way of wonderful classical music is very affordable.The city is supposed to be breathtakingly beautiful in the snow...(I would think Dec. would qualify for that!)

lincasanova

prague is beautiful but i wouldn´t call it cheap. i didn´t think the hotels were very cheap 10 years ago.( before i had internet)

pja1

Hi,
Although we haven't been to many countries, we've found visiting Austria and Bavaria in the off season (April, Oct.) quite reasonable. We usually stay in Pensions and the like which helps with the costs.

Paul

J_Correa

How can something be classified as a "tourist trap" and still be a lovely place? Seems like a contradiction in terms to me.

sfgirl1

I went to Turkey in 2001. Back then you could rent a decent hotel room for $10, $15 if you wanted airconditioning. If you are trying to go on the cheap, you can bus everywhere. Great Mediterranean beaches. Lots of great hiking in the Kappodocia region. We loved it.

marginal_margiela

If you are American, you want to travel to European countries that don't use the euro yet--Czech Republic or Turkey, for example. You will get a better rate of exchange.

Prague is much cheaper than London, Paris, or Rome. Hotel rooms are not a bargain, but you can eat and drink for practically nothing. (A bottle of Czech wine, for example, runs about $6.)

Istanbul is also cheaper than London, Paris, or Rome, but it is also not a bargain. I was there last summer and a meal for two was never less than $60.

You want DIRT cheap????? Go to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The American dollar is worth 3 Argentine pesos. You can dine at Cabana Las Lilas for 1/3 what you would pay for a similar meal in NYC. It would also be warm in BA in November, because the seasons are opposite. BA has a very European feel--very similar to Madrid.

I LOVE Buenos Aires.

wondering

J Correa: I do not usually let myself get sucked into this banter on someone else's post BUT since you ASKED...My thinking is that a "tourist trap" becomes such because it has some particular charm to attract people in the first place, no? Sorry kywood...I am done. Go to Prague. You will also love the architecture...

nytraveler

Prague was "discovered" at least 10 years ago - and is now a standard tourist destination - with a very sophisticated and active tourist infrastructure. Also - hotels are not that cheap - since building/converting new ones has not kept up with demand.

I personally don;t know the lesat expensive - and you need to consider which areas you can live very modestly - or which you need to stay in better places to meet your minimum standards.

But I would guess you would be best off in Romania, bulgaria, Ukraine etc.

annesherrod

London.

annesherrod

Just kidding!!!

I used to think it was Greece!! Not sure now.

LowCountryIslander

I know Poland may not be the best place "weather-wise" in November, but when I was in Krakow last September the weather was great and the exchange rate was about 3 Zloty to $1 US Dollar.

2 of us had dinner at a milk bar (think upscale cafeteria) for 26 Zloty which was just under $9 USD. The food was excellent and the portions more than adequate. And I thought Krakow was beautiful.

Good luck with your travel plans!

robertsmyth

alanRow is right - Romania.

We saw world class opera in Cluj for the equivalent of $3 in fifth row center orchestra. Had great meals for $15... with terrific Romanian or Hungarian wine.

And it has beautiful scenery, architecture and people!

nbujic

November is out of season in Croatia and Portugal - much better than Romania ( more exp., though)
Just because countries don't use Euro does not mean they are cheap ( Sweden , Great Britain).

thursdaysd

Another vote for Romania, but also Slovakia and Ukraine.

flanneruk

Travelling outside Bucharest in late November or December is very tricky indeed. Winter can come early in Romania, and while trains function when it's snowing, the road system is hair-raising and planes can be cancelled.

Bucharest does NOT justify a two week stay. A few (actually quite a few) pretty Hansel and Gretel houses, shock and awe at the mediocrity of Ceausescu's architectural dreams, a couple of mid-ranking museums and a few cooks who can produce passable meatballs and polenta do not constitute a serious rival to Paris or Rome. Or even Poggibonsi.

robertsmyth

Not Bucharest...ugh... Cluj and Transylvania!

Although you're right about the season.

leto

If you limit your travel to continental Europe you will find a lot of “cheap” prices compared with “season” rates for hotels and airfare. I have traveled to Europe in the winter for bus and pleasure and find it less crowded for the activities that you want, even Paris.
Comparatively speaking, Portugal Greece and Spain are the cheapest in Europe in that order, but some hotels might be closed in some smaller places for the winter. I will be more concerned in taking the proper clothing for that time of the year. Otherwise you have choice of a whole continent on the “cheap”. Yes Rumania and some other eastern countries are cheaper but you get what you pay for mediocrity.