Planning a summer season getaway to Europe, however you’re a bit greatly surprised by the inflated costs?
Be it merely the overwhelming demand or an try and hold the crowds at a minimal, quite a few locations throughout the continent have closed their doorways to price range vacationers, from the tried-and-true hotspots of Barcelona and Santorini to a once-offbeat Dubrovnik.
Across many of those sun-drenched cities, you’d be fortunate to discover a centrally-located resort for beneath $200 an evening within the peak season, and that’s to not add different prices, corresponding to day by day bills on meals and transportation.
Fortunately, there may be nonetheless nice worth to be discovered elsewhere, when you’re keen to swap your conventional European trip for one thing rather less… apparent:
Europe’s Top 5 Cheapest Summer Getaways This Year Are…
As customary yearly, Post Office UK has launched an inventory evaluating the price of short-term metropolis breaks throughout Europe.
For 2025, they’ve examined 12 “common tourist costs” in 38 cities, together with lodging, meals, drinks, transport, and sights for 2 folks.
Needless to say, you may’t discover Paris, London, Milan, or any of the overly well-liked European giants on the rating—however, it’s full of hidden gems that the majority Americans have solely vaguely heard of, but provide unimaginable experiences.
Starting with Lisbon, which rounds out the highest 5:
Lisbon, Portugal
The hilly capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a labyrinthine mess of slender pedestrian lanes lined with colourful, azulejo-clad buildings, a plethora of historic landmarks that might make a metropolis like Rome blush, and straddling the gorgeous Tagus River.
Its imposing cathedral, Sé de Lisboa, is an Iberian Gothic masterpiece identified to have survived even probably the most damaging of earthquakes, and throughout Alfama, Lisbon’s most vibrant district, you’re sure to seek out gifted buskers taking part in fado music and bakeries promoting pastries from as low cost as $2.
On that word, the whole value of a brief getaway to Lisbon in summer season is a suitable $396 for two folks—meals will sometimes common $8–$13 for fixed-price lunch offers, and primarily based on Radical Storage estimates, price range lodges within the metropolis heart vary from $38 to $71 per evening.
Podgorica, Montenegro
Debuting at quantity 4, we’ve Podgorica, the much-overlooked capital of Montenegro:
Its historic heart revolves round an Ottoman-era mosque and clock tower, whereas the artsy Preko Morače district is famend for having a thriving avenue artwork scene, with loads of artistic areas, and a Bohemian ambiance backed by Blok 5’s string of rakija bars.
Over in Nova Varoš, you’ll discover a host of museums and nationwide establishments, together with the National Theater and the Modern Art Gallery. For a glimpse of native Podgorican life, away from the polished downtown, the working-class space of Drač has all of the graffiti and grit you’re hoping to seek out.
On common, vacationers will spend between $9 and $11 for a sit-down meal in a downtown eatery, and if ever craving some native ćevapi, Montenegro’s signature grilled minced meat, ensure you swing by Pod Volat.
As for lodging, lodges sometimes cost $47–$87 per evening, relying on obtainable facilities and places, although they are usually on the cheaper finish when you’re merely on the lookout for a clear, comfortable-enough room to crash after an extended day of sightseeing.
Warsaw, Poland
The sprawling capital of Poland, Warsaw is Europe’s rising star, with an more and more aggressive entrepreneurial scene, unrivalled cultural enchantment, and even increased ranges of security.
Largely rebuilt following World War II, it’s a fashionable metropolis with a timeless medieval core, the place cobbled streets result in café-bordered squares, and church domes rise shyly towards the skyscraper-dominated horizon.
Some of the highest sights are the UNESCO-listed Royal Castle, within the coronary heart of the Old Town, the Soviet-style Palace of Culture and Science, and the peaceable Łazienki Park, criss-crossed by tree-flanked pathways and well-known for its landscaped gardens.
Mind you, that is no Berlin, however Warsaw nightlife nonetheless leaves nothing to be desired:
Head to Powiśle for a wide array of rooftop bars with metropolis and river views and repurposed industrial areas, Nowy Świat for an eclectic number of student-frequented pubs and stay music venues, and at last, for a extra high-energy setting, Mazowiecka Street is house to a number of fashionable nightclubs.
Budget-wise, overnights in Warsaw will set you again round $105 as a touring couple, or $52.50 every, and a price range meal is $10–$12. For a extra elaborate 3-course dinner for two, anticipate to pay $50.54.
Vilnius, Lithuania
We have one more offbeat Eastern capital in our midst: Vilnius, the executive and cultural heart of the small Baltic nation of Lithuania, ranks third for many inexpensive vacation spot in Europe this season.
The medieval Old Town is your typical maze of cobble-paved streets, on the foot of a distinguished hill atop which sits Gediminas, a striking-red fort tower—you already know, the same old postcard stuff, simply none of Southern Europe’s enraging crowds.
Oh, and when you’re on the lookout for one thing actually distinctive, there may be a creative hub that’s declared itself a rustic: Rome might have the Vatican, however Vilnius has Užupis: it is probably not formally a rustic, per se, however it has its personal distinct really feel, with quirky bars and handicraft retailers galore, they usually even drafted a structure!
Just know “everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat”, and that “a cat is not obliged to love its owner, but it must help in times of need.”
Price-wise, lodges right here value a median $94 per evening for two folks, and meals are an equally-cheap $10–$13 in most Old Town eateries.
Riga, Latvia
The primary least expensive summer season vacation spot in Europe for 2025–and a brief 4-hour bus trip from Vilnius, at that—Riga is Latvia’s capital and a cultural hotspot of the primary order.
It has a UNESCO-protected Old Town, largely untouched because the Middle Ages: previously a warehouse and assembly level for retailers in medieval instances, the House of the Blackheads options an ornate Mannerist facade and a formidable degree of element.
Climbing St Peter’s Church, one of many tallest edifices in Old Riga, you’ll get a panoramic panorama of the gable roofs and centuries-old dwellings under, and in case you’re craving native eats, the Central Market has an unlimited array of contemporary Latvian produce.
Of course, there isn’t a Riga with out Art Nouveau: Alberta Street is lined with intricately designed constructing fronts all alongside its size. Architectural magnificence apart, it’s an absolute discount this season, with overnights in downtown lodges costing $96 (or $43 per particular person).
Last however not least, eating out in Old Town might be as low cost as $9- $11 for a fundamental dish in an affordable tavern. Trust us, you received’t need to miss out on Draugu Darbnīca, a well-attended restaurant identified for its day by day specials beneath $6 and hearty, home made meals.
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