Europe can be cheap, knowing where to go. These are 15 inexpensive tips.
1. Saint Petersburg, Russia
The former Russian imperial capital founded at the beginning of the 18th century by Tsar Peter the Great, has in the Hermitage one of the museums world's largest and best-endowed art decks.
In the architectural landscape of the city that the Soviets renamed Leningrad in 1924 and that returned to its old name after the end of communism, monuments such as the Winter Palace, the Fortress of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the Church of Christ the Savior also stand out. of Spilled Blood and Smolny Convent.
In Saint Petersburg it is possible to find well located apartments for rent and hotel rooms for between 25 and 30 Euros per day.
2. Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia was modernized during the last quarter of the 19th century with an architecture that mixes Neoclassical, Neo-Renaissance and Rococo styles.
Among the most prominent buildings of this period are the National Gallery of Art and National Ethnographic Museum, the Ivan Vazov National Theater, the National Assembly and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The religious buildings, which are much older, are presided over by the Church of Saint Sophia, the Church of Saint George and the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral-monument, the world's greatest exponent of Orthodox religious architecture.
Good hotels in Sofia, such as the Diana, the Galant and the Bon Bon, have prices in the order of 30 Euros.
3. Belgrade, Serbia
Belgrade was one of the worst-hit cities during the war on the Balkan Peninsula and has been reborn from its ashes.
Belgrade has a charm that it shares only with two other European capitals, Vienna and Budapest. These are the only three capital cities of Europe on the banks of the legendary Danube.
The architecture of the capital of Serbia, in which the National Museum, the Church of Saint Mark and the Temple of Saint Sava stand out, has been recovered to such an extent that Belgrade is compared to Berlin.
A good Belgrade hotel, like House 46, costs 26 Euros and there are cheaper ones
4. Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina
The Bosnian capital was also devastated by the Balkan War but was able to recover to remain the “Jerusalem of Europe”, so called because of the different religious beliefs it houses.
Architectural symbols of the above are the Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the Orthodox Cathedral, the Ferhadija Mosque and the Madrasa.
Other places of particular interest in Sarajevo are the War Tunnel, the Sebilj, the Veliki Park, the Saraci and the old town.
In Sarajevo you can settle in a hotel or a pension for rates that oscillate between 25 and 40 Euros.
5. Riga, Latvia
For an apartment very close to the center of Riga you can pay 18 Euros, while hotel rooms are priced between 24 and 30 Euros.
The Latvian capital and largest Baltic city lives up to these distinctions with a set of attractions that highlights its majestic historic center, declared a World Heritage Site.
Kept almost anonymous during the Soviet era, in the last 25 years Riga has been modernized and embellished, reclaiming its splendid Art Nouveau architecture.
Among the most relevant constructions of “La Paris del Norte ”are the old cathedral, the Church of St. Peter, the Orthodox cathedral, the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Monument to Freedom.
6. Bucharest, Romania
If you travel alone to Romania, you may not dare to visit Dracula's Castle in Transylvania, but the Romanian capital, Bucharest, is enough by itself to give you a magnificent vacation.
Bucharest is a reliquary of the various architectural styles that have passed through the country, such as the Neoclassical, the Bauhaus and the Art Deco, without ruling out the heavy model of the communist era, symbolized by the Palace of Parliament, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon.
Among the buildings and monuments of Bucharest are the Romanian Athenaeum, the CEC Palace, the Arc de Triomphe and the National Museum of Art.
In Bucharest you can stay in luxury at the Parliament Hotel at the rate of 272 Euros per night, or at the comfortable Hotel Venezia, for only 45 Euros. Between those extremes there are all kinds of options.
7. Krakow, Poland
Krakow has been the cultural capital of Poland since the days when it was also its political capital. The historic center of Krakow was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978 and is home to beautiful buildings to leave architecture-loving tourists enraptured.
Some of these constructions are the Royal Castle, the Basilica of Saint Mary, the Wawel Castle and Cathedral and the impressive Cloth Hall.
Tours depart from Krakow to see the infamous Auschwitz Concentration Camp from the Nazi occupation period and the Wieliczka salt mines.
In Krakow you can stay in a hotel or an apartment paying between 30 and 40 Euros.
8. Ljubljana, Slovenia
The little-mentioned Slovenian capital is a fascinating city, crisscrossed by cobblestone streets and dotted with fortresses, temples, bridges, squares, parks and gardens.
Some of the most emblematic constructions are the Luibliana Castle, the Cathedral of San Nicolás, the Church of the Annunciation, the Temple of San Pedro and the Bridge of the Dragons.
Among the outdoor spaces, the Robba Fountain stands out, inspired by Piazza Navona in Rome; Tivoli Park, Miklosic Park and Republic Square.
In Ljubljana you can stay comfortably with rates from 57 Euros.
9. Tallinn, Estonia
The present Estonian capital was successively controlled by Danes, Germans, Russian Tsarists and Soviets, until the country's independence in 1991, and all these occupations left their mark on the urban landscape.
The Alexander Nevski Cathedral is a superb example of Orthodox architecture from the late Tsarist era.
The Kadriorg Palace and Gardens, the Main Square, the Estonian Bank Museum, the NO99 Theater, the picturesque and busy Rataskaevu Street, the old gates of the medieval walled city and the Botanical Garden are must-see places in Tallinn.
Be sure to drink a Vana Tallin and eat a Kalev chocolate and sweet almonds, gastronomic symbols of the city. In Tallinn there are accommodation offers from 35 Euros.
10. Lyon, France
Paris may be more famous, but the best French city for low-budget fun is Lyon, due to the huge proportion of young university students in its population.
With guaranteed fun in the evenings, what you have left is to dedicate the day to the many attractions that the beautiful city offers, located at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers.
The medieval and Renaissance neighborhood of Vieux Lyon, the La Croix-Rousse neighborhood; and the Fourviere Hill, with the Roman theater and the Notre-Dame de Fourviere Basilica, are places of maximum interest.
You can't go to Lyon without tasting onion soup and some quenelles, emblems of Lyon's culinary art.
In the third most populated city in France, you have a wide range of hotels, from around 60 Euros.
11. Warsaw, Poland
German and Allied bombs and artillery shells were particularly vicious against the Polish capital during World War II, but the heroic city's beautiful monuments, temples and castles were restored for the enjoyment of tourists.
Today you can sleep peacefully in Warsaw in excellent hotels starting at 45 Euros, such as the Radisson Blu Sobieski and the MDM Hotel City Center.
The Chancellery, the Palace on the Water, The Church of Santa Maria, the Wielki Grand Theater, the Potocki Palace, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Museum of Jewish History, the Saxon Garden and the Warsaw Mermaid, make up a minimal list of attractions to know in Warsaw.
12. Porto, Portugal
Portugal is one of the cheapest destinations in Europe and Porto is one of its most interesting cities. Coffee enthusiasts will be particularly pleased in the city on the banks of the Duero, because the people of Porto drink it at will and the prices are cheap.
The most representative tri-fold monuments are the Cathedral, the Palacio de la Bolsa, the Church and Tower of the Clérigos and the Episcopal Palace.
The obligatory walk through the Duero costs 10 Euros. In addition, you should enjoy some "tripas a la portuense", the typical dish of the town, closing of course with a glass of Port, the famous fortified wine.
As in any major city, there are expensive and cheap hotels in Porto, from the Intercontinental Porto Palacio, for 397 Euros, to options of 45 and less, such as the Moov Porto Norte.
13. Prague, Czech Republic
If you go on a backpacking budget to Prague, you can find hostels in the order of 10 Euros. Also in the Czech capital there are comfortable and central hotels in the order of 48 Euros, such as the Jerome House.
Eating is cheap in Prague too, with 6 Euro restaurant meals including a pint of beer.
To these budget attractions, the city on the banks of the Vltava adds its architectural charms that have placed it among the 20 most visited cities in the world.
In the bohemian city the Basilica of St. George, the Castle of St. Vitus, the Prague Castle, the Powder Tower and the Alley of Gold and Alchemy await you.
Likewise, the birthplace of Franz Kafka, the Charles Bridge, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Strahov Monastery, the Church of Our Lady of Týn and the Dancing House.
14. Berlin, Germany
Berlin can be very expensive or very cheap, depending on where you stay. If you decide to settle in at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, for 220 Euros, it means that you are comfortable, but in the German capital you also get hotels for 24 Euros and hostels for 8 Euros.
As Germany is such a beer country, Berlin's sparkling wines are not the cheapest in Europe, but the fact is compensated by the large number of museums and sites of interest at reasonable or free prices. In addition, a day of public transport costs 2.3 Euros.
In Berlin you can see the famous wall that divided the city during the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Television Tower and the charming boulevard Unter den Linden (Under the Linden Trees).
15. Tbilisi, Georgia
The Georgian capital has already recovered from its time of Soviet anonymity and has become a new European tourist destination.
In the Caucasian city there are comfortable hotels on the 50 Euro line, such as the Demi, the Urban and the New Metekhi, as well as hostels and hostels suitable for the backpackers' wallet.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral, Narikala Fortress, Freedom Square, Parliament House, and the Opera House are beautiful attractions in Typhilis.
In each city we have provided references of the cost of accommodation. For other expenses (food, transport in the city, tourism and miscellaneous) you must reserve between 40 and 70 dollars / day in the cities of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and between 70 and 100 dollars / day in Western Europe.
The minimum budgets assume that you are going to prepare your own food and the maximum ones consider eating in modest restaurants. At an intermediate point would be the option to buy takeout.
Happy travel through the Old Continent!
Cheapest Destination Resource
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