Ten budget-friendly destinations in Europe

For Americans, Europe can be very expensive. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge this fact. Tourist costs are high, and currently the euro is doing well against the dollar, even if the pound is down somewhat from its stratospheric performance a few years ago. So yes, Europe is expensive. But its high costs are merely a marker, not a prisonhouse. There are always ways to cut costs and forge an alternative path.

One way visitors can cut costs is by forsaking traditional tourist hotels for alternative types of accommodation. There is a new wave of very stylish hostels in many cities in Europe at odds with the traditional reputation of hostels as dirty, packed dormitories. (Look, for example at Paris’ Oops! Hostel, with doubles starting at €60 [$81] to see the new hostel wave in action.) And there’s also a newish recession-appropriate embrace of owner-occupied accommodations that are often quite inexpensive. Airbnb is the latest splashy arrival on the owner-occupied scene, but there are plenty of other local options, including the Italian agriturismo network, French gîtes, and couchsurfing.

Here are ten destinations, cities, regions, and countries where traveling on a budget won’t be a struggle in the least. Budget-friendly Europe begins here.

1. Bulgaria. Gadling writer Meg Nesterov visited Bulgaria this fall and raved about the local price index. Bulgaria, a member of the EU since 2007, is cheap in just about every possible way. Nesterov hones in on the tried-and-true tourist stop of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria’s Medieval capital, as particularly inexpensive.

2. Bratislava, Slovakia. About an hour from Vienna by train, Bratislava boasts a cute Old Town and many astoundingly cheap restaurants serving hearty Slovak fare. At Prašná Bašta, dinner can be as cheap as €6 ($8). Hotels are more expensive than they should be, though there are a few basic properties like Old City Hotel that cater to the budget set. Old City Hotel’s rates start at €53 ($72).

3. South Tyrol, Italy. This one is a bit difficult to wrap one’s head around, as this German-speaking region is one of Italy’s most prosperous corners. The landscapes are stunning up here, and simple, glamorous inns like Gasthof Bad Dreikirchen sell rooms on a seasonal basis starting at €57 ($77) including half-board (that is, breakfast and dinner). Bad Dreikirchen is open from the end of April through the close of October.

4. Berlin, Germany. The German capital remains impressively affordable and amazingly cool. Before you arrive, peruse some of the very good English-language blogs on life in Berlin; when you touch down, get yourself a copy of Zitty and get caught up to speed on what’s going on. You’ll be ready to sink into some of Europe’s hippest and cheapest corners in no time. Budget pick: Die Fabrik, a funky renovated factory, with doubles from €52, or $71.5. Brno, Czech Republic. Unlike Prague, which has become quite expensive, Brno is full of bargains. In June, Tim Bryan wrote about very affordable Brno for the Guardian. He withdrew 2000 krona ($110) from a cash machine at the start of his weekend in the Czech Republic’s second-biggest city. That outlay lasted Bryan through a program of gluttony and dedicated drinking. Think of how little you could spend with a more modest approach to dining and entertainment.

6. Chisinau, Moldova. Truthfully, Chisinau isn’t yet ready for a mass tourism moment. The prices are right for more courageous travelers, however, and Chisinau is a very attractive city of grand parks, underfunded museums, public markets, inexpensive places to grab a meal, and incredibly inexpensive public transportation. Once the government (a) deals with that annoying tendency on the part of the police to extort cash from tourists and (b) approves budget airline links into the country, Moldova will begin to develop as a destination.

7. Macedonia. Bulgaria’s neighbor Macedonia is a delightfully cheap place with a fantastic mix of cultures. Macedonia can claim an impressively complex capital city (Skopje), its very own Riviera (Lake Ohrid), and many exquisite monasteries. Skopje is divided between a modern Macedonian side full of Eastern Bloc apartment buildings and the warren-like streets and shops of its mostly Albanian Old Town. Lake Ohrid is ringed with churches and monasteries and sees some serious nightlife during the summer season.

8. Lisbon, Portugal. Located on the western periphery of continental Europe, Lisbon is a somewhat underappreciated city. This unfortunate fact translates into great values for hotels and restaurants. Lisbon remains relatively warm if soggy in winter, and is jammed full of museums, cafes, crowded alleyways, bars, monuments, and exciting nightlife.

9. Calabria, Italy. The south of Italy is full of good values, Calabria particularly so. Unlike the southern regions of Puglia and, to a lesser extent, Basilicata, Calabria has managed to remain under the radar altogether. Check out towns like Pizzo, Vibo Valentia, and Reggio di Calabria and experience a side of Italy that most guidebooks barely cover.

10. Greece. The Greek government just announced its 2011 budget, which is full of deep spending cuts. Despite this orientation towards austerity, the government plans to reduce its value-added tax on the tourism industry from 11 to 6.5 percent. Tourism is huge business in Greece. Add to that the melancholy fact that a country’s financial crisis generally means savings for visitors, and this is a great time to visit Greece.

[Image of Veliko Tarnovo by Alex Robertson Textor]

Photo of the day (8.12.2010)


We’re in the dog days of summer, with hot temperatures and high levels of humidity making it hard to do more than eat ice cream, seek air conditioning, and think of fall weather. While there’s less than a month left in summer, and pretty soon we’ll be complaining about winter, the sticky August heat can feel downright oppressive.

That’s why this photo by Flickr user t3mujin taken in Lisbon, Portugal looks so inviting. The cool colors, hazy sky and water below provides some virtual heat relief. It’s tempting to jump right off the dock or at least enjoy the breeze alongside the fishermen.

Do you have a refreshing travel photo? Upload it to Gadling’s Flickr group and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Travel + Leisure names the world’s best hotels

You deserve the very best. You’ve worked hard, probably played a little hard, and you’re ready to reward yourself by splurging on a much-needed gateway. So, where do the best of the best go when they want to escape?

With the help of their readers, Travel + Leisure editors released the 2010 World’s Best awards. The lists include everything from airlines to islands, and hotels to cruise ships. Here’s a look at the number one hotel rated in each region. For the entire list, click here.

US/Canada
Resort: San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort, Santa Barbara, California
Large city hotel: Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago (pictured right)
Small city hotel: Hotel Bel-Air (reopening in 2011), Los Angeles
Inns: Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana

Caribbean
Resort: Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis

Hawaii
Resort: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii Europe
Resort: Palazzo Sasso
Large city hotel: Olissippo Lapa Palance, Lisbon
Small city hotel: The Lanesborough, London
Inns & Small Country hotel: Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Onzain, France

Asia
Resort: Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan, India
City hotel: The Peninsula, Bangkok

Africa/Middle East
Lodges/Resort: Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Masai Mara, Kenya (pictured below)
City hotel: Four Seasons Hotel, Cairo at the First Residence

Mexico
Resort: Esperanza, an Auberge Resort, Los Cabos
City hotel: Four Seasons Hotel, México D.F., Mexico City

Latin America
Resort: Blancaneaux Lodge, San Ignacio, Belize
City hotels: Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires

Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific
Lodges/resort: Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand City: The Langham, Melbourne

From World Cup to contemporary tourist destination: part two

The World Cup provides an opportunity for participating countries to put their best foot forward and invite visitors in. Earlier I looked at fabulous and in most cases affordable hotels in countries in the World Cup’s Groups A through D, hotels that fit their country’s national brand well. Here are some suggestions for hotels that sum up the best of the local national brand from countries in Groups E, F, G, and H.

Group E. Denmark: CPH Living, Copenhagen.

Copenhagen is full of very expensive classic modernist hotels, but the simple clean lines of CPH Living, a boat hotel located near the Langebro bridge in Christianshavn, provide a better-priced sleep. Rooms face the canal, which twinkles toward sundown, showing off Copenhagen at its modern best. There’s a sunroof as well. Doubles from DKK 1000 ($166).

Group F. Italy: Hotel Signum, Malfa, Salina.

While there’s a rich tradition of contemporary design in Italy, it is a more old-fashioned Italian aesthetic most beloved among visitors to the country. On the Aeolian island of Salina is the very special Hotel Signum, a small charmer that epitomizes simple luxury in a manner that showcases an Italian antique spirit in a clean, even modern manner. Salina, which has a few thousand inhabitants, is a quiet and restful place great for honeymooners and mature visitors. Double rooms from €130.

Group G. Portugal: Fontana Park Hotel, Lisbon.

The verve of this very contemporary hotel might first seem out of place against Lisbon’s delightfully antiquated core; in the context of Portuguese modernism, however, the Fontana Park’s rooms match up well. The Fontana Park, in the neighborhood of Estefãnia, is undeniably hip, and the hotel goes to fun lengths (sushi workshop, anyone?) to attract guests. Double rooms from €90. The hotel is currently running a two-night City Break special with tons of bells and whistles for €315 for two.

Group H. Switzerland: Therme Vals, Vals.

In 1996, Peter Zumthor built the extraordinary Therme Vals, a sharp spa and hotel in the town of Vals (see above) in the canton of Graubünden. Owned by the municipality itself, Therme Vals was built with stunningly beautiful local quartzite. Therme Vals has more or less redefined the contemporary Alpine spa genre. Doubles from CHF107 ($96).

(Image: Flickr/Jeremy Burgin)

Hostel World names world’s best hostels

TripAdvisor recently released its list of the best and worst in the hotel industry. Now it’s the hostel industry’s turn. Hostel World just announced the winners of the “Hoscars“, their annual ranking of the world’s best and worst hostels, rated by cleanliness, location, staff, fun, security, and character.

Over 20,000 properties around the world were eligible for the awards, yet because most of the 900,000 or so Hostel World users who may have voted are from Europe, the world’s best top ten seems to be a bit skewed geographically. All ten are located in Europe. Five of the top ten are located in Portugal.

This year’s winner, The Traveller’s House in Lisbon, won last year as well and is the first hostel to win two years in a row.

In other locations – the US, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania – the top three hostels are listed. Additional awards were given out for categories such as best location, most fun, best character, most improved, cleanest, most secure, best small/large hotel, and best chain.

[via Guardian]