Despite inflation, many Germans don’t want to give up traveling. It’s a good thing that you can save a lot in some European destinations.
In almost all areas of everyday life, from electricity to fuel to groceries, costs have risen sharply in recent months. Many consumers therefore want to save – and even if they don’t completely forego holidays, they still do cheap destinations the need of the hour. But where else can you spend a cheap break? The booking platform Omio examined 100 cities in Europe for free offers and attractive conditions in the areas of “activities”, “eating & drinking” and “infrastructure”. This results in a ranking of the currently cheapest travel destinations in Europe.
The ten cheapest travel destinations in Europe on a budget
- Grenada
- Bruges
- Venice
- Valencia
- Edinburgh
- innsbruck
- Cambridge
- Seville
- Malaga
- Florence
The current best destination for travelers on a budget is the city of Granada in Spain. Ten museums offer free entry and participation in a city tour costs only 7 euros. In addition, 112 other free activities await travelers and a day ticket for local transport costs only 1.40 euros. There are also 60 different sights that can be visited free of charge. A particular highlight of Granada is the Alhambra, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admission to the associated Alhambra Museum is also free.
Bruges in Belgium secured second place in the ranking. This historic city is home to some of the best chocolatiers in the world, so many tours include chocolate and praline manufacturing. Omio was able to find a total of 24 inexpensive tours with a participation fee of less than 25 euros. On top of that, visitors can look forward to 142 free activities. If you are hungry for fast food after a long city tour, you can get away very cheaply in Bruges with around seven euros for burgers, fries and a drink.
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And even Venice can be turned into a low-budget destination if you do it right: Most of the most interesting places in the city, namely 136 in total, can be visited free of charge and a whopping 293 activities are free of charge. These include St. Mark’s Square or the Rialto Bridge with a view of the Grand Canal. While the prices for a bottle of water are comparatively high, this is easily avoided by using one of the 186 public drinking water fountains. Good to know: From 2023, day tourists will have to pay an entrance fee of ten eurosto visit the city. It should also be noted that the Omio evaluation does not take into account any costs for travel to and from the event or for accommodation.
Saving tips to explore Europe cheaply
If you during your Holidays in Europe save some money it is important to know the value for money of your destination compared to others.
- City tour: They are among the most popular tourist attractions, but they can be quite costly. At 39 euros per person, it is the most expensive in Hamburg. Visitors to the city of St. Pölten in Lower Austria can use the little train for free. On average, a city tour costs 21 euros.
- Local public transport: Tourists travel the cheapest with day tickets, but the prices for these can vary greatly. Málaga and Pamplona are particularly inexpensive at EUR 1.35, followed by Granada (EUR 1.40), Bregenz (EUR 1.60), Murcia (EUR 2.15) and Bari (EUR 2.50). Expensive cities include Basel (€10.24), Gothenburg (€10.45), Barcelona (€10.50), Jönköping (€14.65) and Venice (€25.00).
- restaurants: When on vacation, most travelers want to have a good time, and that includes food. Omio estimates a price of less than 50 euros for two people in a middle-class restaurant and a 3-course meal as cheap. Tourists will find what they are looking for in many Spanish destinations such as Zaragoza (€30), Seville (€43), Málaga (€43), Valencia (€45), Alicante (€45), but also in Wels (€33) and St. Pölten (€47) in Austria, Lille in France (€48) and Dresden (€45) and Nuremberg (€48) in Germany. You have to dig deep into your pockets in Swiss cities – here a visit to a restaurant for two costs more than 100 euros.
- Drinking water: A water bottle can be very expensive in many European cities. It’s much cheaper: in Zurich alone there are 949 drinking fountains where you can easily fill up an empty bottle – and it’s free.
- Museums, sights and activities: Most free museums can be found in London (90 museums), followed by Berlin (35) and Rome (34). The latter city also offers the most free attractions, at 553. When it comes to free activities, London is way ahead: there are 1,394 different options.