7.Girona, Spain
The "other" Barcelona, for when you're going to Barcelona
Why it's so cheap: Picture the location of Barcelona (well, an hour and a half up the road) and all its Catalan charms, minus the price tag and the crowds. A fancy hotel in Girona will cost you anywhere from $85 to $250 on any given Saturday night, and the city’s airport is well-served by low-cost airlines bringing visitors from all parts of Europe on flights that cost less than $100, one way. It's the discount-hunter's best first stop on the way to Barcelona.
Why you should go: Those looking for "old Europe" will find it in Girona. Medieval architecture rules the old city center, with a stunning cathedral and winding, stone-lined alleyways. It's also at the heart of Catalonia's world-renowned culinary tradition: El Celler de Can Roca, currently the "best restaurant in the world," is here, and while dining here will certainly set you back a few euros, it pales in comparison to what a similar meal would cost in Paris or the States. But even the not-famous restaurants pull from a storied cooking pedigree and the nearby Mediterranean sea, as well as the Catalan farms that ring the city. A mere 20 minutes away is the Costa Brava, delivering prime beaches and more medieval towns where you can chow down on inexpensive, fresh seafood till your heart's content.
8.Krakow, Poland
Shabby-chic charm and meaningful history
Why it's so cheap: Poland's Communist history has kept it catching up in the capitalist market, which means today even the thriftiest bugger can still, quite literally, ball out in even its most touristed city. A slick, artsy Airbnb in Krakow's historic Kazimierz won't set you back more than $50 a night, taxis are affordable (and even better, meter prices are usually trustworthy), and central Old Town is conveniently walkable. Be prepared to spend nominally, but gain a lot -- of pleasant experiences, yes, but also pounds, from gluttonizing on $2 pints, $2 grilled kielbasa, and entree platters bulging with meat, dough, and cabbage medleys starting for as low as $4 a pop.
Why you should go: Krakow is the ultimate hipster-historic darling, and Kazimierz, or the former Jewish district, is undoubtedly one of Europe's coolest neighborhoods. Afternoons are for winding around synagogues and graffiti art, spotting Jewish school groups wearing kippahs, nibbling kosher delicacies, and boutique shopping. Evenings are spent on the city's chain gang of dive bars boasting fairytale charm, from candlelit Alchemia to trashy-chic La Habana and the absinthe lair Absynt Cafe.
Krakow's badass, but it's also sobering as one of the main stages of the Holocaust. Painful memories are still scarred on these streets, from the Ghetto Heroes Monument, to an unsuspecting pharmacy that once secretly provided medicine to persecuted Jews, to the nearby concentration camp Auschwitz. Much of this history is wrenching to hear and think about, but you'll know in your heart that it must never, ever be forgotten.
...[ Continue to next page ]
Share This Post
