Affordable European travel destinations for summer 2025

Americans are bracing for an expensive summer, and travelers are adjusting their vacations accordingly. Over the past couple months, travel planner Melanie Rodriguez has had multiple clients cancel trips because of budget concerns.

Maybe a "White Lotus" Sicily kind of trip is out, but "there are ways to still travel to Europe if you want to be more budget conscious," said Kelly Greer, a travel agent in Pittsburgh.

Instead of France, Greece or Italy — which will be particularly crowded this summer thanks to the Jubilee year, the new pope and the country’s enduring popularity — travel planners are recommending trips to the continent’s lesser-appreciated countries. These are the types of places where your money will go further and you’ll find fewer tourists.

Here are four countries where you can get more bang for your American buck.

Poland

Castles, UNESCO biosphere reserves, milk bars: Poland is a favorite for Greer’s clients for its many charms and affordability.

According to Kayak, the average price of a double room in Poland is $115 per night, compared with $318 in Italy, $243 in France and $368 in Switzerland.

"You could go up north to the Baltic Sea and there’s beautiful coastline, there’s mountains, there’s history," Greer said. "You name it, you can find it. And it’s very kid-friendly."

Greer often pairs a trip to Poland with nearby countries such as Austria, Hungary and Germany.

Albania

For a similar vibe to Croatia, Italy or Greece, Rodriguez recommends summer in Albania, where Kayak says the average price of a double room is $96 per night.

"You’re getting the medieval history, you have that Mediterranean food, the beaches and you’re getting it at a third of the cost," Rodriguez said. "You can do a full seven nights in Albania for under $2,000 a person before flights."

Albania may be under the radar for many Americans, but Fort Lauderdale-based travel planner Jamie D’Aria does not expect it to stay that way for long. Travelers can expect beaches with crystal-clear water, dramatic coastlines, vibrant cities and an idyllic countryside. Don’t miss the city of Shkoder, where you can experience what Rodriguez calls "your royal moment at the castle," or Dhermi for a quiet beach stay.

Rodriguez usually rounds out the trip with time in Montenegro, another affordable up-and-coming Mediterranean destination. To get the best value in either country, she says, steer clear of port cities with cruise traffic, where prices can be higher.

Bulgaria

As a luxury travel adviser, Lainey Melnick says she is always looking for destinations that surprise and delight, "and Bulgaria does just that, without the price tag of Western Europe," she said.

Bulgaria has the essence of old Europe — Roman ruins, spectacular churches and walkable cities — plus sunny beaches along the Black Sea. According to Kayak, the average price of a double room is $125 per night, and you can find five-star hotels for $215 per night.

Continue your trip north to Romania, which Melnick calls both "incredibly affordable" and "one of Europe’s best-kept secrets," and then head to Latvia, "an elegant, peaceful destination that’s ideal for travelers who want authenticity without the high cost."

Slovenia

Between its Alpine beauty and Adriatic coastline, Slovenia is another easy swap for Mediterranean hot spots for Greer. "It’s very nature-focused — Lake Bled is incredible — it’s very similar to Croatia, but it’s much smaller and easier to navigate," she said. "And it’s definitely a lower price point."

Pennsylvania travel planner Heather Wassel estimates that by picking Slovenia over other popular European destinations, travelers can save 30% on hotels and tours. The average price of a double room is $153 per night, compared with Croatia’s $179 or Greece’s $243, according to Kayak.

Wassel’s Slovenia highlights include Lake Bled, a "fairy-tale location" that was a popular vacation spot in the 1800s (take a boat ride in a Pletna, Slovenia’s answer to the gondola). She also touts the capital, Ljubljana, with its picturesque castle, Central Market and bounty of beautiful bridges; the Julian Alps (if you can handle hairpin turns) for Alpine lakes and a crash course in World War I history; and Istria, a wine region shared with Croatia and Italy.

Honorable mention: Germany

With one of the highest GDPs in the world, Germany might not immediately come to mind as an affordable travel destination. But when I was shopping for flights this summer, the country offered some of the cheapest airfare from the United States that I could find. Then a friend came back from a trip to Berlin and raved about how affordable the international art hub seemed compared with other recent trips to Paris and London.

Average hotel prices in Germany ($160 per night for a double room) are not as low as those in the countries above, but they are much cheaper than in other prominent European countries.

Sandra Weinacht, travel planner and co-owner of Inside Europe Travel Experiences, told me her homeland is "often overlooked and underestimated" compared with the continent’s hot spots, particularly because it is a "clear winner for budget travel." While prices are seriously inflated around Oktoberfest, summer is far more reasonable, and you can even find beer festivals. Weinacht recommends visiting the city of Würzburg during the Kiliani Beer Festival, which is celebrating its 1,000-year anniversary and will run from July 4-20.