Lisbon, Portugal

This coastal city is a little bit like Spain, a little bit like Italy and a little bit like the Mediterranean, but without the steep costs. Despite growing popularity, Portugal and Lisbon have remained relatively cheap when it comes to food, wine, hotels, hostels and transportation. Another great selling point of Lisbon? It’s close to other areas of interest in Portugal like Porto, Evora, and the Algarve. It’s the perfect sized city (not too big or overwhelming) and has a thriving foodie, coffee and nightlife scene.

Hamburg, Germany

While Munich and Berlin get much of the attention when it comes to Germany, exploring some of the country’s other cities means you’re more likely to get a deal. Hamburg is a city next to the water and has an incredible arts scene, food scene and music scene as well. What also makes it super affordable is the multitude of free things you can experience in this city. From the famed dome of the St Michaeliskirche (for only a few euros you can also take a quick trip up to the top of the church tower) to the city park Planten un Blomen, to the Gängeviertel area of the city where free concerts, exhibitions and more happen on the regular. It’s the ideal European getaway for a long weekend (if you happen to be in another major city).

Krakow, Poland

Poland is a beautiful country in Europe that often gets overlooked when it comes to planning out a vacation. But Krakow with it’s river, oodles of churches, a historic old town centre and is a hotbed of museums for the history buffs out there. Throw in some pretty amazing a salt mine that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a growing healthy food scene (in addition to the comfort traditional food), and Krakow could be your best hidden secret in Europe right now.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is definitely a beautiful city — one of Europe’s finest when it comes to detail and architecture. And for that fact, Budapest is a favourite among tourists which typically equals a higher cost. But what Budapest does have going for it, are a lot of incredible free and low-cost options to see, explore and savour. In fact, did you know Budapest has some of the cheapest alcohol in all of Europe? That means sipping on some bevvies in the city’s historic and unique bars

Vilnius, Lithuania

Also holding true to the fact that fewer tourists often means better rates, Vilnius may not be at the top of your travel bucket list when it comes to Europe, but this Lithuanian city is bustling with a great nightlife, culture, museums, amazing architecture and incredible history. Frequently ranked as one of the cheapest European city breaks, this pretty city surrounded by trees is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites (including incredible sand dunes on the Baltic Sea), it has a crazy amount of historic sites (some quirky ike the Hill of Crosses), and a thriving nightlife.

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