With the arrival of summer, the suitcases are already anxious to roll out of the door of your home. The sun, the heat, and the good weather are an injection of energy to move us up and down looking for the best landscapes, the most delicious food or the sunsets that will leave us breathless. The world is big and full of incredible places but sometimes they are not within our pockets.
If you live in Europe or have scheduled to go around the continent during the hot months then forget about the Tower of London or the Paris museums, we leave you with a list of seven destinations where besides having a good time, it will be a pleasure to pay the bill at the end of a journey.
1. Romania
Romania is another destination in Eastern Europe that attract more and more people to catch a plane and visit these lands. It’s a capital city has recently become internationally popular for its out of this world Bucharest bachelor parties that just can’t be more magnetizing with their alluring prices. Although this city has a dreamlike historical center and the second largest parliament in the world, not everything ends there.
The whole country hides many wonders around corners that for many are still unknown. Romania is flooded with castles, leafy forests or medieval cities such as Brasov. But, there are also places that leave you stunned like Transylvania, Bucovina or Maramures, and how can we forget the starry skies that will leave your breathless above the Carpathians!
The towns scattered throughout the country are idyllic, so much so that the vox populi says that this is where eternity was born. Romania is a little hop and takes off from modernity to enter another rhythm of life. Different, special and for the most of the time completely untouched by the hustle and bustle of the “westerner” way of living.
Romania has splendid buildings that have fallen into oblivion or forests flooded with vegetation worthy of the Little Red Riding Hood. But, leaving fantasy story stories aside, this is a land of opportunities, of fantastic and very manageable trips and an opportunity to enter the country’s culture with its friendly, sincere, generous and smiling people.
2. Italy
Italy is one of the European countries that best suits all audiences. The boot-shaped country has privileged conditions to spend a good holiday as a couple, a family or with friends. In addition to having sun almost all year, its beaches are dreamy, the towns that are scattered throughout the territory were the inspirations of many fairytales, and its gastronomic offer goes far beyond pasta and pizza.
Things change a little from north to south, and prices also change dramatically. Although the north is incredibly beautiful if you are looking for cheap destinations better pull towards the center or the south of the country, including the islands of Corsica and Sicily in the list. Naples, Palermo, Bologna or even Rome are good places to drop by, eat rich, party, enjoy the scenery and get into Italian culture like never before.
3. Spain
Spain is without a doubt a fantastic destination to go on a cheap holiday, especially if you stay in the south. Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and the Balearic Islands or the region of Galicia attract a lot of visitors, but if you are looking for more than appetizing prices, you better head for the south. The tapas, the cañas, the sun, the party, the beaches of fine white sand, the flamenco, and that authentic salt cellar that characterizes its people bewitch anyone.
There is an eternal list of incredible places to stay but a good idea during the summer is to look for the sea. Cabo de Gata in Almería, Cádiz, Málaga, Murcia, Huelva, and Alicante are just some of the good candidates. And all of that without forgetting the magnificent Canary Islands! If you enough time, a good idea is to travel the entire peninsula from south to north and then cross the border to go to France.
4. Greece
Greece is another destination that attracts more fans for having fairytale landscapes, a Mediterranean meal to win over your senses and very friendly prices for less full pockets. There are some islands and cities that are a bit expensive, like Mykonos or Santorini, but Greece shelters many other incredible places that don’t demand mile high wallets in order to have an amazing time.
The island of Leros, for example, is a very good place to relax but there are other places such as Peloponnese, the Halkidiki region, the capital Athens and its surroundings, or the coastal towns and cities of the Fokida area among many more. Greece is a grateful and affordable country to visit, with an exceptional Mediterranean climate and friendly and simple folk that turn the place into an even more special destination.
5. Malta
Malta is the island that is sometimes a little forgotten in the middle of the Mediterranean. But this small country surrounded by water on all sides is one of the adventuristic treasures that Europe hides. With an exceptional climate that is even warm during the winter, it is a place that suits all budgets and all plans. In this country, everything is at your fingertips; crystal clear waters, rocky beaches, unbeatable sunsets, parties on boats, and evenings on the seashore.
Leaving aside its natural environment, Valletta the capital city is a magnificently decadent and in every corner, there is a chance to create a photo that you will remember forever. The country, and therefore the island, can easily be traveled by car and what is even more important is that the prices of products and rentals are frankly usually affordable.
6. Portugal
For some time now the historic place of Portugal has become an authentic claim to spend a good summer vacation. This neighboring country of Spain is on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and awaits some of the most dreamed waves for surfers and the most photographed beach corners of Europe. But not everything is sea and landscape, Portugal is a truly cheap European destination.
Nobody has to think twice to go out to dinner or have a drink. Not only the atmosphere is picturesque but prices are intimate friends of the wallets. Also, Portugal is the right place if you want to eat seafood without paying a dime that leaves you dry.
Who has not dreamed of a good glass of wine at a viewpoint of Porto while in the background he listens to a fado after a day of beach, sunsets and good time spent with friends and family? The city of Lisbon, the capital, is the most active and touristic oriented and surely the second one that you can’t ignore is Porto, his little sister. But the best thing about traveling to this part of the world is discovering all the charms of the Iberian Peninsula without having to pay mind-twisting sums of money.
7. Hungary
Hungary is one of the countries of Eastern Europe that is beginning to open its doors to tourism and the truth is that those who step on these lands are more delighted with what they witness. Leaving aside the history that leads back to the Habsburg dynasty, the Magyars, Communism or the Second World War among hundreds of other stages, the country itself is simply a range of possibilities.
The summer is when the temperatures subside and Hungary is the slave of splendor. Parks, landscapes, sausages, and smoked cheeses, paprika or half-liter beers are even more appetizing. In Budapest, it is where most of what has been said is cooked but there are a lot of other cities scattered around the country that have a lot to offer. The best part of visiting Hungary during the summertime is that you can enjoy the world’s best thermal bath centers that surprisingly cost very low in comparison to the top-notch services that you can enjoy.