19 destinations in this category
Cracovia · Poland
An intact old town, eastern European prices and a good base for day trips. You eat well for very little.
Heads up: Auschwitz-Birkenau needs advance booking and is an emotionally heavy day. Don't slot it in as filler.
Budapest · Hungary
Thermal baths, imposing architecture and contained prices. Works as well in winter as in spring.
Heads up: High summer is very hot and the city has little shade. Skip July and August if you can.
Tailandia (norte) · Thailand
Chiang Mai and around remain some of the cheapest travel anywhere with solid infrastructure. Excellent food for two euros.
Heads up: The long-haul flight eats the budget. It only makes sense from two or three weeks up.
Praga · Czechia
A compact, walkable historic centre with still-reasonable prices away from the main square.
Heads up: The centre is very crowded and priced accordingly. Walk three streets out and everything halves.
Andorra · Andorra
Skiing in winter and high mountain trails in summer, within driving distance of Barcelona or Toulouse.
Heads up: No airport and no train: road access only, with long queues in ski season.
Baviera · Germany
Munich as a base with the Bavarian Alps an hour away by train, and lakes to swim in during summer.
Heads up: Oktoberfest sends accommodation prices soaring; if that's not why you're going, avoid those two weeks.
Berna e Interlaken · Switzerland
The world's most convenient access to high mountains: trains that reach passes above 2,000 metres.
Heads up: The most expensive country in Europe. Eat from supermarkets and buy the transport pass that fits your route.
Laponia finlandesa · Finland
Northern lights, guaranteed snow and activities organised for families.
Heads up: Auroras are never guaranteed: allow several nights and don't book solely for them.
Tirol · Austria
Valleys with summer cable cars that lift you to 2,000 metres without walking — ideal with children.
Heads up: Many villages include transport and lift passes with accommodation: ask before booking separately.
Viena · Austria
Palaces, museums and a café culture that's a plan in itself. Excellent public transport.
Heads up: December Christmas markets fill it up and raise prices; January is far cheaper.
Canarias · Spain
The only part of Spain with comfortable swimming temperatures twelve months a year. Each island differs: Tenerife and La Palma have serious mountains, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are beach and volcano, and La Gomera and El Hierro are the quiet ones.
Heads up: Northern Tenerife and Gran Canaria are cloudy many days while the south is clear; if you're going for sun, check which side your accommodation is on.
Marrakech · Morocco
Three hours from Spain for a complete change of scene, with a medina that's a maze and very low prices. A good base for trips to the Atlas or the desert.
Heads up: Haggling is the norm in the medina and the persistence of sellers wears you down. July and August frequently pass 40 degrees.
Nueva York · United States
The city you already know from films, and which still surprises. Walkable and well connected by subway, with world-class museums and districts that feel entirely different from each other.
Heads up: Among the most expensive places in the world for accommodation. Shop prices exclude tax, and tipping is expected in restaurants.
Riviera Maya · Mexico
Turquoise water at 28 degrees, cenotes for freshwater diving and Mayan ruins close by. Works equally well as a beach trip or a cultural one.
Heads up: From May to October sargassum affects many beaches and it's hurricane season. Check the sargassum report before picking an area.
Egipto · Egypt
Pyramids, temples and a Nile cruise that remains one of the most striking trips you can take.
Heads up: Commercial hassle in tourist areas is constant and tiring. In summer the south easily passes 45 degrees.
Madeira · Portugal
A vertical island with trails alongside irrigation channels running through the interior, volcanic natural pools and mild temperatures twelve months a year.
Heads up: There are almost no sandy beaches: swimming is in natural pools and off platforms. Roads are tight-cornered and steep.
Dubái · United Arab Emirates
A vertical city with desert half an hour away, and a good stopover base on long trips to Asia. Urban beaches with warm water in midwinter.
Heads up: From May to September the heat is extreme and life happens under air conditioning. There are local dress and public conduct rules worth knowing before you go.
Costa Rica · Costa Rica
Volcanoes, cloud forest and two distinct coastlines in a small country, with well-established tourism infrastructure and abundant wildlife visible without effort.
Heads up: Road distances are slow despite looking short on the map. And in the rainy season many secondary roads become difficult without a 4x4.
Colombia · Colombia
Caribbean coast, mountain range and colonial cities in one trip, at low prices and with one of the best ratios of what you see to what you spend.
Heads up: Safety varies a lot by region and by neighbourhood within the same city. Check official sources before travelling and avoid overnight road journeys.