A cheap holiday expert has shared some alternative holiday destinations to Spain, Portugal and Greece that are affordable and less busy.
Em, known as Em’s Budget Travel online, has successfully managed to travel on a budget with a 9-5 job and now plans low cost holidays for her TikTok followers. For the last few years, her hobby has been finding and planning budget breaks for herself and her family and friends, such as 14 nights in Cancun including flights and accommodation for under £350.
This time of year is when you might start planning your summer holiday but are unsure of where you can go without breaking the bank. Em has given three ideas in a video posted on TikTok.
Montenegro
First up on her list in Montenegro, a country in the Balkans. In her TikTok video, Em admitted: “To be honest, I kind of wanted to gatekeep number one because it’s my favourite country I’ve ever been to.”
She described it as “kinda like Croatia but less crowded and cheaper.” Em said: “It has the perfect combination of stunning scenery with so many beaches and islands but then also mountains.
“It has the clearest and bluest water I’ve ever seen and really good value accommodation. Plus, it’s quite a small country so it’s easy to get around and you can fly there from £35 return.”
She revealed: “The country is Montenegro in the Balkans.” The Visit Montenegro website says the country enjoys two different climates: the coast has a “pleasant Mediterranean climate with 240 sunny days a year” and temperatures in summer range between 30 and 35ºC but the winters are “wet and mild.”
It adds: “Podgorica, the capital city is one of the hottest in Europe during summer with temperature sometimes above 40ºC. Once you climb above 1,200m during summer, you’ll be chilled by the fresh mountain air and temperatures around 25ºC.”
Tourists visiting Montenegro have lots to explore. They can wander around Kotor Old City, a medieval walled town with cobbled streets, historic buildings and scenic views, or go for a hike at the Lovcen National Park.
Armenia
Em hails Armenia as a country with “amazing scenery, beautiful mountains and loads of history.” She also said there are “really friendly people” and it is home to some of the “best brunches” she has ever had.
The budget traveller flew to Armenia for “about £80 return” and she visited Yerevan, the capital city. Armenia is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia.
Armenia’s climate is described as highland continental with high temperatures in summer (around 30ºC−33ºC in Yerevan) and winter lows with an average temperature of 1ºC−3ºC.
Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, is marked by grand Soviet era architecture and it is referred to as the ‘pink city’ due to the colour of the stone used for building the city’s main structures, according to Solos Holidays.
Holidaygoers can take the longest non-stop aerial tramway to Armenia’s Tatev Monastery, running for 5.7km between Halidzor village and the monastery in the south. Tourists can also relax on a beach by Lake Sevan or explore the cave village of Khndzoresk.
Bratislava, Slovakia
Rounding up her list, Em said: “And finally if you’re looking for a weekend break on a budget then this city would be perfect. It has a really charming old town, yummy food and lots of really cute coffee shops, plus an impressive castle with great views and you can fly there from £28 return. This city is Bratislava in Slovakia.”
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, a landlocked country in central Europe bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. The city has warm summers and cold winters with frequent but light snowfall.
Tourists can visit Bratislava Castle, which is on a hill above the old town, to take in the panoramic views of the city. There is also the Blue Church, famous for its baby blue colour and Art Nouveau architecture.
