As the cost of holidays soars, those planning to travel later in the year might be on the lookout for destinations that won’t break the bank. With flights, accommodation, and the expenses of dining out quickly adding up, choosing where to go can mean the difference between a pricey getaway and an affordable adventure.
One savvy traveller, who managed to visit 17 countries last year at an average spend of just £186 per country, has shared her top picks for budget-friendly spots.
On Instagram, Ems Budget Travel, a travel influencer, posted a video with the caption: “Top 3 most underrated budget destinations I visited last year around a full time job.”
Interestingly, she ended up highlighting four locations in the video, two of which are in the same region and can be combined into one trip.
Em’s first recommendation is Jordan, accessible from London Luton with flights starting at £48, or even cheaper if you route through Rome first with flights going for €30. She enthusiastically endorses the destination, saying: “This is a country I will 100% be revisiting.
“As I was only here for five days, and although I did manage to fit in a lot, there is still so much I want to do here. We stayed in the capital city Amman and then we did day trips from here to Petra and the Dead Sea.”
In a recent revelation, Em shared that exploring Jordan had been on her bucket list for years, and when she finally visited, the local hospitality stood out, making her feel incredibly safe.
Em’s next budget-friendly Baltic region of Europe, where last year she ventured alone, soaking up the culture in Latvia’s Riga and Lithuania’s Vilnius.
Affordable flights from London to Vilnius can be found as low as £17, with a train ride to Riga costing just €24 more. She suggested both cities make ideal spots for city breaks, proposing day trips to the Hill of Crosses and Trakai Castle.
If narrowing it down to one city, Em recommended Vilnius as the more economical choice, noting a pint there averages £2.65 compared to Riga’s £3.60—a bargain still.
Her final pick was the captivating Armenia, where beer is about £2 a pint. While there’s no direct flight from the UK, she highlighted finding inexpensive routes via Italy.
Reflecting on her experience, she expressed, “I went here with very little knowledge of the country, but I was really blown away. We stayed in the capital city of Yerevan, and we did a day trip to the surrounding area. It’s a really interesting city and very affordable compared to most European cities, at least for accommodation and transport.”