Where are the most affordable places to travel in Europe?

Some assumptions:

Budget is on the ultra-dirt cheap, so let’s remove the usual suspects like Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Belgium, UK, Scandinavia, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Ireland. As of late 2018 Spain and Portugal are just on the cusp of getting pricey, with cheaper food and transport but rental prices close to that of Germany. Consider couchsurfing or visiting these places for short stays like festivals to keep the costs down. You can always come back and enjoy them when you’re a well-heeled older traveller.
Focusing on cheaper, less-explored European destinations means an emphasis on central and eastern Europe. Turkey[1] is a great bet (as of Sept. 2018). Heavy devaluation of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies means your money goes much further than it would have previously. Just give the Turkish provinces[2] shared with Syria and Iraq a wide berth for safety’s sake.
Places have been partially selected for beautiful landscapes with biking, hiking, climbing, kayaking, and swimming, places to find an outdoor adventure on the fly.
Festivals and guided tours are great because of the interactions with locals. My opinion on guides has flipped over time. I used to avoid them, but now I see a good local guide as my ethnographic bridge to the outlook of the people.
Sections include destinations for architecture, design, history, and museums, but not all the time. A monument had better be pretty epic to go out of my way for it.

Here are some off-the-cuff alternative ideas based on budget, research, and my own personal favorites. These would be the places that pop up for me:

Albania:

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Bulgaria:

Croatia:

Czech Republic:

Ярлыки: travel

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