Flying to Europe last minute and got stuck between a rock and a hard place with the crazy prices?
Unless you’ve got a fixed itinerary set in stone, and seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at midnight or exploring the ancient ruins of Rome are absolute non-negotiables, maybe you should give Europe’s usual tourism hotspots a miss… for now.
Try again in the off-season.
Now, if you don’t want to sacrifice comfort while still keeping accommodation expenses under $100 a night, and you don’t mind venturing a little off the beaten path, these are the certified best budget destinations in Europe right now, according to new research by hoppa.
From Prague, the Central European gem, all the way to the Eastern Med Queen that is Antalya.
What’s The Methodology Behind This?
From an extensive list of popular European cities, they created a ‘normalized score’ out of 10 based on a number of factors, such as:
- Average three-star hotel cost (with data pulled from Booking.com)
- Average price of a pint (based off of Numbeo figures)
- Average price of a meal out (Numbeo)
- Average public transport costs (Numbeo)
- Number of budget-friendly attractions (as seen on Tripadvisor upon applying the ‘budget-friendly’ filter)
- The cheapest airport transfer
hoppa claims all data is accurate as of June 2026.
Top 5 Best Budget City Breaks In Europe This Summer
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ranking fifth on the list, Sarajevo is a national capital something like 99.9% of Americans who travel Europe end up skipping altogether, even though it’s probably one of only a handful of cities on the continent where you’ll find Austrian, Ottoman, and Balkan architecture sharing the same ZIP code.
Stari Grad, Sarajevo’s timeless Old Town, is home to Baščaršija, a sprawling Ottoman bazaar dating back to the 15th century, the historic Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, a religious centerpiece for the city’s significant Muslim population, and the striking pseudo-Moorish City Hall.
Only a few steps away, however, Centar looks like you’ve suddenly crossed an invisible portal into Austria. It features elegant, colorful Habsburg facades, pedestrian shopping streets, grand cafés, and the soaring Cathedral of the Sacred Heart that wouldn’t look out of place in Vienna or Graz.
Spanning the Miljacka River, the Latin Bridge is probably the one landmark you don’t want to miss.
This is where Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was fatally shot in a political assassination that ended up becoming the catalyst for World War I.
Sarajevo also wears its more recent history with remarkable resilience.
Three decades after the Bosnian War and the longest siege of a capital city in modern history, you’ll still notice subtle reminders of the conflict, from preserved shell damage on certain facades to the famous ‘Sarajevo Roses’ etched into the pavement.
Average Prices In Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 3-star hotel: $65
- Local draught beer: $3
- Inexpensive restaurant meal: $9
- Public transport fare: $1.30
- Airport transfer: $40
- Number of budget-friendly attractions: 106
Belgrade, Serbia
The greatest challenger to Berlin’s crown as Europe’s hippiest, most effortlessly-cool capital, Belgrade is both a sprawling industrial hub with an edgy, rebellious feel, and a grand historic city sitting right where the Danube and Sava Rivers converge.
If you’ve sadly gotten used to the low-trust atmosphere and higher criminality that now plagues cities like Paris and Brussels, you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise here:
Knez Mihailova Street is a bustling pedestrian shopping avenue with spotless pavements and ornate Belle Époque facades that haven’t been swallowed by graffiti, whereas Skadarlija is that cobblestone-paved, uphill lane flanked by traditional kafanas and quirky tavernas that are still largely frequented by locals.
The sprawling urban park that wraps around Kalemegdan, a Danube-facing fortress complete with drawbridges, moats, and panoramic viewpoints, is safe to explore day or night.
And though the outer suburbs of Belgrade can feel a little rough around the edges and dispiritingly gray, a legacy of the Yugoslav years, they hide some of the coolest creative spaces and social hubs in the Balkans.
One clear example is Savamala, a former industrial district that has transformed into Belgrade’s creative quarter. Here, old warehouses have been turned into galleries, cafés, and alternative venues, and for serious nightlife, Drugstore, a former slaughterhouse-turned-warehouse club, is a gritty electronic music institution that can genuinely give Berghain a run for its money.
Average Prices In Belgrade, Serbia
- 3-star hotel: $66
- Local draught beer: $3.50
- Inexpensive restaurant meal: $12
- Public transport fare: $0 (free for all passengers)
- Airport transfer: $42
- Number of budget-friendly attractions: 140
Check Entry Requirements Before Flying To Europe This Summer
Americans can fly nonstop to Belgrade, Serbia this summer and completely bypass the EU’s new Entry/Exit System, which requires non-EU travelers entering the Schengen Area to register their biometrics, including fingerprints and facial images.
Luckily for Serbia-bound travelers, the country is not part of the European Union or the Schengen Area, meaning arrivals directly into Belgrade are outside the EES system.
However, rules vary drastically from one country to another, and if you’re transiting through a Schengen country before reaching Serbia, you may still be required to complete EES checks at that border.
Always verify what regulations apply to your exact itinerary before departure using the Entry Requirement Checker.
Skopje, North Macedonia
The quirkiest, most eccentric capital in Europe, Skopje’s biggest claim to fame is the fact it concentrates over 100 kitschy statues across a walkable, marble-paved Historic Center, including a monumental statue to Alexander the Great, who’s associated with the wider region of Macedonia.
What truly makes it stand out, though? The youthful energy.
Beyond the picture-perfect riverfront and the hilltop fortress, Skopje is arguably one of the Balkans’ most underrated capitals for nightlife and local culture.
Debar Maalo is a cool, leafy neighborhood packed with traditional restaurants, bars, and craft beer spots, barely touched by visitors and instead frequented by young locals and students.
More residential, but still lively, Karpoš is the heart of Skopje’s student scene, with concept cafés, parks, and casual bars serving local beer for $2–3. On top of that, it can be a great base for exploring: the city center is around 15–20 minutes away on foot, and B&Bs are even cheaper than in Debar Maalo.
Don’t just stop in Skopje: Matka Canyon, some 10 miles out of town, is a lush natural escape wedged between dramatic limestone cliffs and emerald-green waters.
You can kayak down the Treska River, explore caves, and discover hidden swimming spots where Skopje locals go in summer to beat the heat.
Average Prices In Skopje, North Macedonia
- 3-star hotel: $56
- Local draught beer: $2.80
- Inexpensive restaurant meal: $7.50
- Public transport fare: $0.75
- Airport transfer: $36
- Number of budget-friendly attractions: 54
Antalya, Turkey
Turkey’s summer capital, Antalya is what we like to call here on Travel Off Path the Queen of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Like a majority of other Turkish cities straddling the turquoise Mediterranean, it’s a layered tapestry of Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and Byzantine heritage, except in Antalya specifically, the postcard-ready Old Town, here known as Kaleiçi, is merely the tip of a much-bigger historical iceberg.
Yes, Kaleiçi is absolutely gorgeous, with its cobbled lanes lined with colorful covered balconies and Ottoman-era mansions, and we’d definitely add the Broken Minaret Mosque and the 2nd-century Hadrian’s Gate to the list if we were you, but don’t miss out on Antalya’s true modern-day icons:
Konyaaltı, the Turkish answer to Rio’s Copacabana.
This 4-mile coastal stretch unfolding along pebbled shores and crystal-clear seas is backed by coastal parks, sleek high-rise condos, and lively restaurants where you can get fresh seafood and traditional Turkish meze for pocket change.
Looking for a taste of that upscale Turkish Riviera? Lara Beach is where Antalya gets its glamour: think huge all-inclusive resorts, manicured beaches, shopping centers, and year-round nightlife. The major highlight? Well, the beach itself, a lovely stretch of golden sand backed by some of the region’s most luxurious hotels.
The vibe? Miami-lite meets Turkish Riviera… minus the hefty Bodrum prices.
Average Prices In Antalya, Turkey
- 3-star hotel: $67.50
- Local draught beer: $3
- Inexpensive restaurant meal: $10
- Public transport fare: $0.77
- Airport transfer: $11.50
- Number of budget-friendly attractions: 101
Beware Of Scamming In Turkey
Wondering how safe it is to visit Turkey right now given the volatile geopolitics in the Eastern Mediterranean?
It currently scores 65 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, based on reports from travelers who have been recently.
The main complaints? Not so much the ongoing turmoil, but rather the widespread scamming, particularly in Istanbul, and pickpocketing:
Prague, Czechia
The best budget city break in the Old World according to hoppa, Prague is not only our go-to weekend escape for cheap booze and stunning architecture, it just happens to be Europe’s prettiest capital city. Yep, it might even topple Paris, and I live in the City of Lights myself.
Everywhere you look feels like a fairytale movie scene, with Gothic church spires, Baroque facades, Renaissance palaces, and old-school coffeehouse cafés that just exude Old World charm.
Staré Město, the Old Town, is quintessential medieval Europe, with its stone-paved lanes lined with colorful merchant houses and medieval towers, and a monumental Astronomical Clock with biblical allegories to mark the passing hours.
The coolest thing about Prague, though? The leafy, character-filled neighborhoods you can stumble upon if you wander off the main tourist trail and away from Charles Bridge and the castle district.
One of the best riverside hangouts in Prague tourists are still largely sleeping on is Náplavka, full of hidden courtyards, craft beer bars second only to German biergartens, and local restaurants where you can enjoy hearty Czech classics without breaking the bank.
If I may sneak in my own personal favorite, that would be Letná: that’s where Prague gets its real creative edge, beyond the Disney-fied, picture-perfect surface. I’m talking panoramic beer gardens, former industrial spaces housing creative studios and independent art galleries, and some of the best views over the Vltava River.
It’s sort of like the spiritual sister to Paris’ Le Marais, except scavenging the flea markets for vintage finds costs a third of the price.
Average Prices In Prague, Czechia
- 3-star hotel: $117
- Local draught beer: $3.12
- Inexpensive restaurant meal: $11.50
- Public transport fare: $1.80
- Airport transfer: $30.40
- Number of budget-friendly attractions: 619
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