6 Great International Vacations You Can Afford

Krakow, Poland

• Cheap alternative to: Amsterdam

The Polish city’s relative anonymity combined with a weak currency, the zloty, will stretch your travel budget. A visitor staying at a midrange hotel in Krakow would spend roughly $73.13 a day on lodging, meals, entertainment and the like, according to Price of Travel’s Europe 3-Star Traveler Index. A comparable traveler in Amsterdam would spend about $181.83 a day. Price of Travel calls Krakow “the best bargain in Europe.”

Amsterdam is a go-to European destination thanks to its Old World charm, cultural attractions and raucous party scene. But trade in pancakes for pierogies, and you can find Krakow every bit as charming at just 40% of the cost.

What to do? Start in the historic center, a Unesco World Heritage site that features Wawel Hill, home to a royal cathedral and castle. Fans of Amsterdam’s Anne Frank House can visit Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory, now a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. Entry to the factory costs about $6, less than half the price of a ticket to the Anne Frank House.

After you work up a thirst sightseeing, take a seat at one of the countless cafés that line the city’s well-preserved medieval squares. Don’t worry, you won’t drink alone. Krakow is known for having a number of excellent (and rowdy) bar crawls every night of the week. A beer in a café runs about $3.50.

Naples, Italy

• Cheap alternative to: Venice

Your euros go a lot further in Naples than they would in Venice. Price of Travel’s 3-Star Traveler index estimates that you’ll spend $116.13 a day in Naples versus about $221.51 in Venice.

This city is known as the birthplace of pizza, so you know food tours are a must. A pizza for one and a bottle of beer will cost you only $14, while a budget lunch with a bottle of beer in Venice would cost at least $19.

Naples offers budget accommodations and easy access to some of the most popular attractions in Italy. You can also take day trips to the Pompeii Ruins, Mt. Vesuvius and the Blue Grotto. Visiting Venice? A day trip there comes with a 5 euro access fee.

Lisbon, Portugal

• Cheap alternative to: Barcelona

A 3-star traveler will spend roughly $143.55 a day in Lisbon compared to $172.04 in Barcelona. What makes the Portuguese city so much cheaper? It's not the currency as both countries use the euro. Lisbon is a more remote location that makes it challenging to reach and it doesn't attract the crowds that Barcelona commands. 

Attractions in Lisbon are cheaper to visit. Admission to Castelo de São Jorge will set you back $16.48 for adults and $7.69 for children. While in Barcelona, it costs $28.57 to visit Sagrada Familia cathedra, the famous still-under-construction cathedral by Gaudi. 

Tram 28 in Lisbon does a loop through all the main tourist areas and is a popular way to see the city all at once for the low price of $3.30 for adults. The Harbour cable car in Barcelona that takes you to the Montjuic district and has excellent views of the city from above costs $21.98 for a roundtrip ride. 

The Elevador de Santa Justa is a 19th-century industrial lift that takes visitors 148 feet from the Baixa district in the city center to one of the historic neighborhoods up on the hill, Largo de Carmo. It's worth the ride even if you just ride right back down. The roundtrip will cost $5.49 but is often included in the various discount travel cards.

Budapest, Hungary

• Cheap alternative to: Paris, France

There’s no replacing Paris. If you’re dead-set on ascending the Eiffel Tower, admiring the artwork of the Louvre, eating escargot along the Seine and strolling the Champs-Elysees, then by all means go to the French capital. But if you’re open to trying a culturally interesting European capital that’s less than a third of Paris’s price tag, book a flight to Budapest.

A 3-star traveler will spend roughly $67.21 a day in Budapest compared to a whopping $188.17 in Paris. What makes the Hungarian city so much cheaper? For one, the currency. In Paris a crisp greenback nets you 90% of a strengthening euro; in Budapest you pocket 360 forints. Furthermore, because not nearly as many romantic tales have been set in Budapest, you’re not paying the same outrageous tourist premiums.

A historical highlight of Budapest is the 13th-century Buda Castle overlooking the Danube. The views are free, but entry to some attractions isn’t. Help foot the bill for your whirlwind cultural tour with the Budapest Card, which grants you 24 hours of free public transportation, along with two guided walking tours, and free entry into a historic bathhouse and eight museums across the city for $42.80. (The Paris hop-on, hop-off tour can cost closer to $48 for a 24 hour pass.) Use the $5 you’ll save toward sampling surprisingly satisfying Hungarian wines. Leffel, the travel-book author, says it cost him $8 to have three good glasses at the finest wine bar in Budapest.

Valletta, Malta

• Cheap alternative to: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Malta is a small island country situated in the Mediterranean Sea, about halfway between Sicily and North Africa and the culture reflects its place as a crossroads. It has a vibe like Dubrovnik the popular destination on the Dalmatian coast. Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has similar charms that you should be able to visit at a better price without the crowds that flock to Dubrovnik from June through September. 

The Price of Travel index puts the overall budget for Valletta about 20% lower than the budget for Dubrovnik. Expect to spend $127.42 a day in Malta, which is less than the $158.60 per person you’d shell out in Croatia. 

Another plus for the Valletta is its mix of prehistoric temples, sparkling lagoons, and a distinct blend of Italian and Middle Eastern influences. One of the highlights is the ancient megalithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, which date back over 5,000 years. St. John's Co-Cathedral was built by the Order of the Knights of St John. It was completed in 1577, soon after the Great Siege when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island. 

Istanbul, Turkey

• Cheap alternative to: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Travelers with a taste for the grandiose may be tempted to fly to Dubai. It’s home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, as well as the world’s tallest and arguably most luxurious all-suite hotel, the Burj Al Arab. You probably won’t see more Lamborghinis on the street for the rest of your life. But if you want to marvel at man-made magnificence without the Lamborghini prices, Istanbul is the way to go.

The view from the Burj Khalifa is certainly breathtaking, but for the price of admission, $108.72, you could see the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace for $49, stop by the Suleymaniye and Blue mosques (both stunning and free), and have money left over for lunch and dinner in Istanbul. According to the Price of Travel index, a 3-star traveler can expect to spend $94.43 a day in Istanbul compared to $248 in Dubai.

Istanbul can be a great destination for those looking for the 5-star treatment as well. While the city isn’t known for luxury golf courses as is Dubai, the Turks are second to none when it comes to relaxation at a bargain price. The “works” package at lesser-known Turkish baths across Istanbul starts at about $40. After your affordable massage and steam, you’re guaranteed to leave feeling like a million bucks.