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While I do enjoy luxury holidays like any other normal mortal, most of my time is spent researching on “value for money” or the “cheapest countries to visit” at any given point in time.
A lot of it has to do with the fact that I’ve been a student longer than I have been a working professional, and hence budget restrictions are almost always in place.
I love finding destinations where I am not constantly worried about how much money to spend on a daily basis, and where I can have a great holiday in $500-1000 for a week if not more.
After hobnobbing around the European continent for the last 5 years, I still find it important to compile the cheapest countries to visit list, to help shortlist places for upcoming adventures. 😉
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<<<If you’d like to get a step-by-step overview of planning a Europe trip like a pro, check out my Europe guide!>>>
Here we go to the cheapest countries to visit in Europe, 2019 edition!!
(Read Also: 9 Cheapest European Cities That Should Be On Your Bucket-list)
#1 POLAND
The first country I visited in Europe, circa 2013, and arguably one of the most beautiful countries I have been to.
Not to mention, the cost of living in Poland is significantly lower than it’s western European neighbors making it an all-time great country to visit for the bargain hunters.
It’s also a good place to start your Eastern European itinerary as many other countries on this list are located nearby!
Budget Travel Tips:
Top Cities To Visit: Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Sopot
#2 CZECH REPUBLIC
If you haven’t put Prague on your list, you are definitely missing out!
Another great gem in this country is Cesky Krumlov which is about an hour’s ride away from the capital city Prague. If you have time for a day trip, definitely consider a trip here.
In the summer, a great option in Czech Republic is the Bohemian Switzerland national park. It shares the border with Germany and is a place for truly stunning outdoor landscape.
Budget Travel Tips:
#3 HUNGARY
One of the most romantic cities to visit in the night. The bridges, the old gothic architecture, the amazing bath parties, the cheap food, and beer. I don’t know what’s not to like about Hungary!
Budapest is the most commonly visited city, but there are plenty of day trips you can plan as well. Make sure to consider staying at one of these hostels to make your stay even better.
Budget Travel Tips:
Read Also: Backpacking Europe – 4 Cities To Travel Under $40 a Day
#4 ROMANIA
A country that’s been on my bucket list for very long and one that I would love to explore in 2019, preferably by car.
If you want to see where all the Dracula stories originated, look no further.
Romania is also one of the countries relatively untouched by excessive tourism, and has extremely friendly locals making your trip worthwhile.
Make sure to take into consideration slow and sometimes ineffective public transport compared to western europe and add that to your travel time for the country!
Cheap flights from Wizz Air should help you land a budget deal no matter which big city in Europe you choose to fly in from.
Budget Travel Tips:
Read Also: The Ultimate Travel Europe For Cheap Guide
#5 UKRAINE
A country that perked my interest after attending a seminar on Ukrainian Economy, I’m definitely looking forward to visiting at the very least Kyiv, the cultural hub of Ukraine and the famous tunnel of love.
I am looking forward to also diving in deep into the Soviet history of the region and how this has shaped today’s Ukraine. That and the architecture is at the top of my to-do list for Ukraine.
Budget Travel Tips:
Top Places To Visit in Ukraine: Kyiv, Odessa, Chernvtsi, Carpathian Mountains
#6 CROATIA
Next on the cheapest countries to visit list, might be the most expensive in this list altogether. Thanks to the Game of Thrones stuff, Croatia is becoming more and more expensive by the day. Even so, it remains one of the most stunning and pocket-friendly (compared to traveling in Western Europe) and needs to be on your list for 2019.
After all, don’t you want to see King’s Landing for real?
Budget Travel Tips:
Top Places to Visit in Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Dalmatian Coast
#7 GEORGIA
Recently famous in the travel circuits for the stunning mountain landscapes, cute hill perched villages and friendly locals, this country is very much at the top of my cheapest countries to visit in Europe list for 2019. Even though Georgia technically classifies under Asia, the country is culturally very much European, and extremely easy to visit from Europe no matter where you are.
Why? I love mountains, off road adventures and good landscapes. This is also one of those countries which is still quite remote and relatively harder to get to from mainland Europe which is why I believe it’s going to blow up in a few years.
Visit this country before it’s too late and expensive!
Budget Travel Tips:
Top places to visit in Georgia: Tbilisi, Batumi, Mtskheta, Kutaisi
#8 MALTA
My most favourite island country and one that I love to visit for short trips, Malta is a visually stunning and diverse country/island to visit.
Not only that, you can travel for $30-50 per day including accommodation, food and a rented car. The views across the island are stunning and in the summer, there is no dearth of small beaches to be found. You can also make day trips to Gozo, Blue Lagoon and tons of small islands surrounding this beautiful meditteranean island.
Budget Travel Tips:
Read Also: Travel Tips For Sicily (Another Cheap Beautiful Island in Europe)
#9 TURKEY
Long on my bucket list, Turkey (unfortunately due to some instability) continues to get cheaper for international travelers. There is no reason to believe it would not be so in 2019.
I even saw some amazing five-star hotels in Istanbul for as low as $40 a night. Come on, what better time to visit Istanbul and Cappadocia!
Budget Travel Tips:
#10 SLOVENIA
I have to admit, the only reason I have this country on my list even though it is ridiculously tiny, is because of Lake Bled
Even though I’ve been to stunning lakes in Germany, Lake Bled is the single biggest reason I want to visit Slovenia. If you’re into skiing, this also makes an excellent winter destination.
Budget Travel Tips:
Top Places To Visit in Slovenia: Ljubljana, Bled, Istria, Postonja
HOW TO TRAVEL EUROPE CHEAP
Having spent a good amount of time in Europe, I can safely say these are the best ways to cut back on costs:
- Eat as much as possible from supermarkets and small local stores and street shops. Eating at a restaurant can easily set you back from $10-$20 per person, per meal depending on which country you are.
- Ask your hostel or research for free walking tours. Almost all big cities in Europe offer free walking tours which usually take place twice a day from the city center or famous attractions. Make sure to arrive there on time, and tip at the end of the tour what you want and can afford.
- Try to stay close to the centre and walk everywhere. Unless you need to visit a spot outside the city, public transportation tickets are not necessary. This is also why traveling by train or by bus is the best mode of travel in Europe when it comes to proximity to centre and reducing your travel costs.
- If you are crossing large distances, do check out cheap flight options such as Ryan Air, Easy Jet and Wizz Air. The only catch is that they do not allow a checked luggage and have very specific carry on dimensions. You can find out some travel essentials for Europe here.
- Book in advance for the best prices and make sure to be flexible. The more flexible your itinerary is, the more advantage you can take of last minute events and festivals, which never seem to end in Europe.
With these tips, you can easily travel across Europe for cheap, at a daily budget of $40-$50 depending on how much you splurge on specific items. Bon Voyage!
ADDITIONAL GUIDES FOR CHEAPEST COUNTRIES TO VISIT IN EUROPE
Before you start planning your next European adventure already, make sure to read my detailed guides on:
- The Best Time To Travel To Europe
- Ways To Book Cheap Flights Anywhere Anytime
- Finding and Booking Cheap Hotels and Airbnbs (plus discounts)
- The Best Backpacker Hostel Chains in Europe
- Packing List Guide For Europe
- 9 Travel Hacks That Helped Me Travel Europe For under $1000 per month
- The Complete Europe Travel Checklist
- The Ultimate Europe Packing List Guide For Summer
But, if you’re the lazy kind who just wants to head straight to booking and well have everything in one small tiny excel, head here to sign up for my free cheatsheet or use my travel planner page here!
Looking to book your next trip? Check out the following services I use and love:
- Skyscanner to find cheap flight deals.
- Rental Cars to hop on your next road trip.
- Booking.com to find a hotel deal.
- Hostel World to find a backpacker hostel.
- World Nomads to insure your travel.
- Viator to find a cool day tour.
- Or my Global Packing List.
I’m thinking about 1, 2 and 10 for 2019! And I live in number 8 🙂 great article!
I’ve worked a lot in about half of these countries. Of the ones I haven’t visited, Malta is top of my wish list.
Definitely Poland is number one! I’ve recently just came back from Poland and I can vouch that it is super cheap, especially the food – it is such great quality.
I was there a few years ago yes and definitely would like to head back! 🙂
Poland is definitely on my list for the next year 😀
Ukraine is my next stop. =)
I love Georgia its my favorite so far. Georgia has a really rich and preserved culture. I am going to Turkey in December and i am super excited. Thanks for the amazing list
I wish you a great time in turkey! Georgia is at the top of my list for 2019 too! 🙂
Great list, thanks for sharing! I’ve been only to Hungary so far so there’s definitely more on my list now! Especially Malta and Georgia really surprised me as I never thought about them as my next travel destination. But as I love mountains that might be the place to go!
Some really interesting destinations on this list, some that don’t appear on other’s lists. Georgia, Romania and Ukraine in particular, before reading this post they weren’t necessary top of my Europe bucket list but I can definitely say that they are looking better now!
Yep! I think these are some countries that get missed but are totally worth heading to before they explode!
Hummmm I think czec is the one that I’ll visit. From a communist to a democratic country. I’ll take your word that it’s not that expensive to travel to that country
Thanks for this. I haven’t been to a lot of these places. Croatia is next on the list 🌸
Thank you for these tips! I love to travel!
All of these places look awesome! I am hoping to see more of Europe in the summer, it is great to see so many cheaper options!
Georgia is not in Europe !
Correct, it is technically in Asia, although being at the crossing point of Europe and easy to access while in Europe, I added it on my list! 🙂
I am always looking for ways to travel more by saving a little more. Definitely some countries on here I still need to visit. I appreciate the listed prices, thanks for the post!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I love that you added Romania to the list- it’s definitely a must-see! My recommendations are definitely the Western-Central part of the country for historical architecture and the North Eastern for beautiful, wild nature, delicious food and old monasteries.
Thanks so much for your tips Silvia, noted! 🙂
I’m thinking of going to 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10! We went to Croatia last year and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. I love your list!
thankyou, and yes you totally should hit them all. I hope to visit Croatia this year! 🙂
Hi there, I think you should make sure that you provide the right information as Turkey and Georgia are not part of the European Union. Just a tip for your upcoming blogs. But still, nice to read!
Hi Kim, Europe is not the same thing as European Union. While Europe has technicllay 50 countries, European Union only has 28 as member states. I am fully aware that both these countries are transcontinental, and even though Georgia classifies under Asia (even though its culturally more European), where turkey lies and what economic policies it has is an ongoing political debate. The point of my blog is not to question geographical or political issues, but clearly talk about countries that are either in Europe or considered culturally European as they are border countries to visit and experience for cheap. Thanks for your tips anyway!
Great that you’ve compiled a list! Eastern Europe rocks. Amazing food, so cheap and lovely architecture. I’ve not visited all of these yet only Ukraine, Poland and Croatia. So will have to check out the other countries!
Macedonia, great food, great nature, hostel per night- 5 euro,hotel per night 15 euro,food 20 euros. The best vines. Ohrid it’s known as European Jerusalem with 365 churches. try best organic fruit and vegetables. Berovo and Pehcevo are with clearest woods and water
thanks for that! I am definitely thinking of adding Macedonia to one of my next posts. 🙂
Yes, you’ll find that Macedonia is actually cheaper than just about every other place on this list… :).