The Best Budget Destinations in Europe for 2025

Europe gets a reputation for being expensive. Paris, Amsterdam, Zürich — the headlines make it sound like the continent will eat your wallet alive. But here's the thing: those are the outliers, not the rule.

Some of the most incredible cities on the continent cost less than a night out in London. You just need to know where to look.

Tbilisi, Georgia

Wait — Georgia is in Europe? Technically yes, and it's one of the continent's best-kept secrets. The capital Tbilisi is a wonderfully chaotic mix of Soviet architecture, medieval churches, and one of the most underrated food scenes anywhere.

A good meal with wine costs around £8. A night in a decent hotel rarely tops £40. And the old town, with its crumbling wooden balconies and sulfur baths, is unlike anywhere else you've been.

Sarajevo, Bosnia

Still flying under most travellers' radar, Sarajevo is one of Europe's most fascinating cities. History is literally written into its buildings — bullet holes, rebuilt minarets, the bridge where World War One started.

It's also remarkably cheap. A coffee costs 50p. A three-course dinner with drinks? Under a tenner.

Porto, Portugal

Porto has become more popular in recent years, but it still punches well above its weight for value. The wine is cheap (you're drinking it where it's made), the food is hearty and affordable, and the city is genuinely beautiful.

The Douro River views, the azulejo-tiled churches, the port wine lodges across the water — it's one of those cities that makes you wonder why you ever went to Lisbon first.

Riga, Latvia

The Baltics are criminally underrated as budget destinations. Riga, the Latvian capital, has a UNESCO-listed old town, an excellent craft beer scene, and prices that will make you do a double-take.

Flights from the UK are short and often cheap. It's a city you can cover thoroughly in a weekend and still feel like you barely scratched the surface.

The bottom line

Budget travel in Europe isn't about roughing it. It's about choosing the right destination. Skip the obvious and go somewhere that rewards the curious.

Your bank account will thank you.