So I am getting ready to do some cheap travel in Europe! I hope that you are also getting ready. Going to Europe or travelling around in Europe can be the trip and experience of a lifetime. I wish you all the best and happy trails in that endeavor. This is a great year to find cheap travel in Europe and possibly offers some opportunities because of the world economy and specifically in some locations.
I think there are still many deals and you can definitely still find cheap travel in Europe. You just have to know where to look. My general opinion is to go East and go South at this point to find the best deals. In some cases (particularly Greece) go East and South. The recession is still affecting much of the world and this economy is going to push some prices down if you know where to go. I don't think some of the mainline "West" destinations are feeling the squeeze enough yet to lower their prices significantly. Honestly, I don't know if the South and East are either, but their prices have never been as high as out West. Having said that, I think that Spain and Portugal definitely need to have a very good year considering their tough position economically. Greece continues to struggle, but the beaches in Greece have always been a great place to find cheap travel accommodations and that will simply continue. Southern Italy is similar if you know where to look.
The Adriatic coast of Croatia and Montenegro will also continue to be great places to find cheap travel and accommodations this summer. Both of these have been re-discovered since the Balkan war and are getting busier and busier and the prices have gone up a little, but the availability and variation (i.e. selection) have gone up dramatically as well and these locations continue to offer excellent value to the budget conscious traveler. If you are looking for upscale places at good prices and haven't booked yet, I would definitely check out Croatia and Montenegro... Cheap travel to Croatia is available on several airlines, including, RyanAir, Easy Jet and Wizzair. Montenegro is also opening up and offers use of the Euro in the economy there.
But perhaps the new "new destination" that hasn't completely been discovered yet, though I know that Lonely Planet has started to catch on, is ALBANIA. Albania is not for the no-touch freight traveler who is looking for an upscale vacation with no snags. For that matter, go West young man on that one (stay in London or Dublin if you want). But for the traveler who is willing to look for cheap travel and explore new areas, this country has very beautiful beaches at rock bottom prices. Just a short ferry ride away are the Greek islands, but if you stay on the continent you will find excellent prices and gorgeous natural settings. Go away from the cities to find this! This is a former communist country that was very isolated during the old days and their public systems (read sewers) are not advanced, so please don't go to the beach right near a major population center. You'll be disappointed. Having said that probably scared off a few more people, which means that the prices will be great for you when you arrive.
If you want to get more excellent deals, I recommend Romania and Bulgaria. These two EU members only joined recently and the economies have not caught up yet with the West, so the services there are much cheaper. This means that you will find cheap travel and accomodations without much trouble. This is especially true in the countryside. You can also buy real estate here quite cheaply, but that is another topic for another day and probably another writer.
Serbia also is a beautiful country (though you won't get a seaside place there) with some rough politics at the moment. The people there are very hospitable and the politics don't affect that. The prices are very reasonable, possibly even more so because it's on the top of so few lists as places that really need to be visited right now.
If you're already in the neighborhood, Macedonia and Turkey are also beautiful places with very reasonable prices. They haven't caught the Euro-lust that so many places have. The prices remain very good and you can find good lodging and cheap travel.
In all these cases, if you want to take a bus around and you ask a bit, you will find SUPER CHEAP TRAVEL deals. Honestly, I don't have patience for that and am able to find good airfare deals to all but a few places with just a bit of research.
You will find that while these are good options for Cheap Travel in Europe, the populations are very friendly and hospitable and will be glad to see you.
