I have given a lot of (hopefully helpful) travel tips in my previous posts, but how about my own experiences?
In general, the destinations in Eastern Europe are cheaper than cities in Central Europe or large tourist hubs like Rome, Paris and London. Also my cheapest trips in Europe have been to Eastern European cities. Here’s a little description of my recent trips that were budget-friendly:
Zagreb
I have been to Zagreb twice within the last 3 years. Zagreb is not located at the coast of Croatia, so although it is touristy, it was not as crowded as Croatian destinations at the seaside. I have always flown to Zagreb as the bus or train ride from Zurich would be too long for a weekend trip. However, Flixbus operates to Zagreb from many European cities so you can also get there by bus or train.
We were really lucky with our accommodation in Zagreb. I was travelling with a group of friends and we found a large, 4-bedroom apartment right in the heart of the city for a a very cheap price. Altogether we were 8 people and ended up paying around 30 euros per night per person. Not bad for an apartment only 2 minute walking distance from the central square!
The overall price level in Zagreb is quite cheap. You can have a meal in a regular restaurant for less than 10 euros and can get a beer at a bar for 2-3 euros. As we were staying at an Airbnb, we bought food for breakfast and snacks from a supermarket and were able to save some money that way.
Transportation from the airport to the city by bus costs around 3-4 euros and from the bus station you can take a tram to your location. As we were staying in the city center, we didn’t need any other transportation tickets as the city is not very big and you can easily walk from one sight to another. I was travelling with locals who showed us around in the city but there are also free walking tours organized in the city, so you can even get a tour of the city for free (tipping the guide is of course recommended).
I haven’t been to many museums in Zagreb as we only went to the Museum of Illusions (which was really cool and I would highly recommend it) and for an entrance there we paid around 7 euros per person. Besides the museum, the only other sights we paid for during our trip were the funicular to the upper town, which costs approximately 0.5 euros and the entrance to the 360 Observation deck, which was around 8 euros.
All in all, Zagreb has a lot to offer. There’s quite some things to do and see, it has a great nightlife and the prices are not bad at all. For me Zagreb is an ideal long weekend destinations for 2-4 days but this also depends on how far you are travelling from.
Budapest
I did a long-weekend trip to Budapest last December. As other Eastern European cities, also Budapest is a relatively cheap destination. We booked our flights to Budapest from the Swiss National sale I have written about in my first post, so the roundtrip was only 100 Swiss francs. For me flying is the most reasonable way of getting to Budapest if I only spend 3 days there, but as with Zagreb, you can also get to Budapest with a train or Flixbus from other countries.
We stayed in an Airbnb in the 6th district. (Tip: I used this website to find out what area would be the best for us, it’s very helpful.) The apartment was very central and within a walking distance from many of the sights and the main avenue (and the famous ruin pubs, of course) and overall for 3 nights we paid around 70 euros per person. Considering the location and the overall standard of the apartment, this was a great price.
As we arrived quite late in the evening, we decided to take a taxi rather than public transportation from the airport to the city. A taxi for us was around 20 euros for a 30-minute ride, but there is also a direct bus from the airport to the city, which costs around 3 euros per person. Since the apartment was very central, we were mostly walking but also bought a 24-hour transport ticket that is valid for metros, buses and trams for around 5 euros.
We didn’t go into any museums or churches and only thing we paid for was a ride up the hill to the Buda Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion. The funicular up the hill costs around 3.5 euros but the waiting time would have been over 30 minutes so we decided to take a Budapest Catle Bus minibus for around 7.5 euros per person for a roundtrip without any waiting time.
Food and drinks are very affordable in Budapest. You can have a very good meal in a nice sit-down restaurant for less than 10 euros. Wine bottles in restaurants cost around 10-20 euros and a beer in a bar or restaurant is around 2 euros. Budapest has a lot to offer when it comes to nightlife. There are a lot of small bars with cheap prices and also a lot of great clubs in which the prices can vary depending on the location. We visited a large ruin pub converted into a club, where cocktails were about 3-4 euros, which is cheaper than other clubs I had read about beforehand.
When talking about Budapest, shopping is also worth mentioning. There are stores from every large brand in the city and there are also large malls a bit outside the city, with very good prices.
Prague
I also did a trip to Prague earlier last year. This was for my good friend’s bachelorette party so it wasn’t a “normal” trip so to say and I won’t be able to cover all the aspects that I covered for Zagreb and Budapest. However, Prague is an inexpensive city and good for long weekend trips so I also want to include it in my post.
I travelled with a group of friends who live in Munich, and we took a Flixbus from Munich to Prague. The bus ride was about 5 hours and the roundtrip ticket was around 40 euros. We stayed in an Airbnb located in the city center and paid around 45 euros per person for 2 nights. As our apartment was in the in city center, we were able to walk everywhere and didn’t have to use taxis or public transportation.
As everyone from the group had been in Prague before, we didn’t have to do any sightseeing. However, as with many other cities, also Prague has free walking tours. In one evening we did a pub crawl that cost around 22 euros person and includes admissions to 3 bars and the biggest night club in central Europe. You also get a free welcome shot in each bar. If you are up for a party and meeting new people, I can definitely recommend the pub crawl!
In general, eating and drinking is cheap in Prague. A nice dinner can be less than 10 euros and you can get a beer for as little as 1.5 euros. In some cases getting a beer is actually cheaper than getting water or a coke!
All of these cities are very good destinations in case you are on a budget as they have a lot to offer for an affordable price. There are a lot more Eastern European cities on my bucket list and I can’t wait to book my next long weekend trip!
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that cheapness is a matter of subjectivity. Since I live in Zurich – one of the most expensive cities in Europe – certain price levels feel cheap, but this might not apply for everyone.
