With Easter well and truly over and the recent publishing of festival line-ups, we’re all looking with longing to that oasis beyond the May exams that is the summer holidays. Those 4 months of diminished responsibility and excitement are something we’ll only be able to dream of in a couple of years time when we’re (hopefully!) entering the world of graduate employment, so we really should make the most of it. Alas, the student budget does not allow for 4 months of utter financial debauchery (I’m still gutted about having to miss Leeds Fest-The Cure and Foo Fighters in one weekend?!). The question, therefore, is – how can we make the most of our summer holiday with what’s left of our last loan instalments? Being something of a veteran when it comes to inter-railing (my alcohol tolerance is far too low for a Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents style blow-out in Malia), I thought I’d bring your attention to a handful of cheap destinations in Europe that provide attractions beyond luminous fish bowls and kebab shops. The flights I have quoted are returns found using skyscanner.net and the hostel prices are as they are on hostelbookers.com (see links at the bottom of the article).
1. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Plovdiv was recommended to me by a girl on my course who lived there for a long time. It’s apparently an up and coming tourist destination and is less busy than the capital Sofia, whilst still having plenty to offer. The 2nd Century Roman amphitheatre and stadium are well worth a visit and the street vendors nearby provide some unique shopping opportunities. It’s been claimed that Plovdiv is the oldest populated city in Europe, and as such there are tonnes of ancient buildings, museums and opportunities to go walking (it’s really hilly and there are mountains to the north and south of the city). If you fancied an excursion, the Rhodope Mountains to the south offer a chance to explore gorges and caves. I don’t think Plovdiv would suit everyone, but if this is your sort of thing then you’re getting great value for money! It would also work well for a cheap break with your parents.
Flights from: £91 in July
Beds from: £7.48 per person per night
2. Belgrade, Serbia
I had to miss Belgrade out of my travel itinerary last summer due to timing, which was such a shame! Friends have recommended the old Kalemegdan-Belgrade fortress (now a national park) for exploring; Ada Ciganlija island in the middle of the city, where you can bungee jump over the water, roller blade, barbeque and play volleyball, and the numerous floating bars along the rivers. There’s also a guided pub crawl through the more underground bars and clubs, something I’d imagine is great considering Belgrade’s reputation for an excellent night life. My friends didn’t need this however, as they were taken out by the staff of their hostel, after several complimentary shots of Rakija, a traditional Serbian spirit!
Flights from: £60 in June
Recommended hostel: Manga Hostel, with beds from £10.31. The staff are really friendly, the coffee is great and the communal areas mean you can really get to know other travellers. If this is too expensive for you however, there are other well-rated hostels starting from as little as £4.98 per night.
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Think that all that Croatia has to offer is music festivals without the mandatory 1000 gallons of rain that English festivals require? Think again. Dubrovnik is a gorgeous medieval town situated in the south of the country, filled with cobbled streets and cultural heritage. Whilst it does have some clubs (and a surprisingly large collection of Irish pubs!) the main attractions here are the scenery and walking opportunities, the beaches and the authentically Croatian feel of the place. It’s not really the place for a mental time, but if you want to truly relax it is perfect. Some travellers I met elsewhere had begun their inter-rail trip in Dubrovnik, and having planned to stop overnight before travelling onto the capital Zagreb, they found themselves extending their stay each night for a whole week. It’d also be great for a romantic getaway- think long, hand in hand walks along the still-intact city walls, or stopping to listen to some jazz music at an open air café near to the cathedral. Plus there are many other islands just a short boat ride away for water sports, if all that relaxing becomes too much!
Flights from: £66 in July
Beds from: £14 per person per night
4. Budapest, Hungary
My boyfriend and I arrived into Budapest-Keleti station after a night-train from Berlin. The massive industrial site, swarm of beggars and seriously hardcore looking transport police didn’t exactly make for the warmest welcome, but after just 15 minutes on the underground we stepped out into an entirely different scene composed of baroque architecture, quaint little cafes and shops. Budapest’s contrasting nature is actually the best thing about it; you can be exploring the ruins of a castle or strolling down a regal boulevard one minute and bar hopping amongst sky rises the next. One particular highlight is Elizabeth Island. It’s situated between the old town (Buda) and the new town (Pest) and features an artificial beach and sports complex. After hiring a bike to cycle the length of the island in the heat, the giant outdoor water park at the bottom literally seems like an oasis. Open air club nights are also held regularly here during the summer months – we didn’t get a chance to go to one but saw the bars they are held at and it looks like there is an awesome space for it!
Flights from: £34 in June
Recommended hostel: Astoria City Hostel, from £11.64 per person per night. It’s really spacious and clean, with great facilities and helpful staff.
5. Dresden, Germany
I’ve been to Berlin a few times now and absolutely adore it, but I feel that this city, just a two hour high-speed train ride south of the capital, gets seriously overlooked by a lot of tourists. Dresden’s Altstadt (old town) has some great buildings (can you tell I’m an architecture nerd yet?)- particularly the synagogue and cathedral. Some parts of this district are still being rebuilt following severe bomb damage during WW2, which means that areas of the Neustadt (new town) are actually older. The Altstadt is great for ice cream- you’ll find pretty much every combination you could imagine for a sundae on the menu at an ice cream café (my favourite is vanilla ice cream shaped to look like spaghetti, covered in a “bolognese,” strawberry sauce). There’s also an awesome open air cinema in the summer showing both alternative and Hollywood films. They aren’t subtitled, but as you sit on the embankment with a picnic, watching the sun set over the buildings of the old town across the river, it hardly matters. The Neustadt has an alternative feel to it. The graffiti makes for some great “artsy” pictures to impress your Urban Outfitters obsessed housemate back in Leeds and there’s actually a giant chalkboard installed by the council for scribbling on too, which is wiped monthly.
A great night tour operates here which takes you around the local haunts with the help of an eccentric local guide, who at one point offered us all a suspicious looking bottle of his own home-brewed spirit. As with all such tours, if the people accompanying you are friendly you can end up out for hours after it was scheduled to end! And for the hangover in the morning, an amazing Mexican restaurant just a stone’s throw from the hostel I stayed at offers an all-you-can-eat bundle of breakfast, lunch and cheesecake for a ridiculously small price.
Flights from: £102 in June
Recommended hostel: Hostel Mondpalast, from £13 per person per night. It’s fairly good value for money and situated right in the heart of the Neustadt. Plus there’s a bar downstairs where guests get a discount.
Do’s and Don’ts For Booking On A Budget:
- DO be flexible about your dates- you may find that flying the next day to your intended departure saves you £30 or so! Use www.skyscanner.net to compare prices.
- DO read reviews about your hostels before you go, but
- DON’T dismiss somewhere on the basis of one dissatisfied customer. I use www.hostelbookers.comas they break down their feedback into categories such as cleanliness, location and fun, so that you get a balanced picture of the accommodation and can decide whether it meets your own requirements; remember, one person’s terrible night’s sleep is another’s great party hostel!
- DO consider places where you can cook your own food. This is such a money saver for evening meals and it is handy having somewhere to keep your cereal milk for the mornings!
- DON’T pack too much- it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to arrange airport pick up so be prepared for taking your bags on buses!
- DO make a note of directions to your hostel- the website I’ve linked above provides these for most, taking into account travel from the central station and airport.
So who cares that you can’t hit a full moon party in Thailand or go “glamping” at V-Fest? These exciting European city breaks will be just as fun, without breaking the bank quite so much.