Heading abroad to get a break was something many of us couldn’t wait to do again after travel restrictions were lifted. But as we increasingly feel the effects of the cost of living crisis, the holiday dream might be looking precarious for 2023.
However, there are places you can go on holiday without breaking the bank. Journey planning site Omio has compiled a helpful list of the cheapest travel destinations in Europe – and two of them are in the UK should you want a flight-free break.
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Omio reviewed the 100 most popular travel destinations. The cities were then examined based on factors like activities, dinner for two, public transport, free water and WiFi.
Granada took the top spot in Europe for a relatively cheap getaway because it has a wide variety of free attractions and affordable nightlife fun. The southern Spain city has 86 bars and nightclubs where beer costs around just £2.
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Belgian city and world chocolate capital Bruges came in second, although Omio noted most of the city’s affordable dining was fast food. Surprisingly, Venice came in third, but Omio insisted it could be enjoyed on a budget.
‘First of all, some of the most interesting places in Venice are free to visit,’ they write. There are 136 sightseeing attractions, such as St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, that are completely free to view. There’s also 22 museums with free entry and Venice has 186 public drinking fountains, so you don’t have to keep buying bottles of water – simply refill your own.
The two UK cities that made the list were Edinburgh and Cambridge. While neither can offer particularly purse-friendly food options, they do have a number of free attractions and affordable guided tours. Edinburgh actually has 321 things to see for free, which is more than any other destination on the list.
The cheapest travel destinations in Europe
- Grenada
- Bruges
- Venice
- Valencia
- Edinburgh
- Innsbruck
- Cambridge
- Sevilla
- Màlaga
- Florence
