European cities that feel expensive but aren’t

Words: Mike MacEacheran

Kerching, kerching: it’ll come as no surprise that the cost of living keeps creeping up and is the biggest factor affecting our travel plans. And yet, there is plenty of evidence that people still prioritise holiday spending, meaning the smart money is to seek out a city without the high price tag, and where the most uplifting sights, places to stay and holiday extras don’t necessarily cost more. The travel jackpot, basically.

It might feel almost unfaithful going somewhere you’d never considered before, but your future self will thank you. Here are some of our all-time favourite places where your budget could stretch further than you’d expect.

Basel, Switzerland

The best things in life are free, and in this Swiss city that means days spent by the blue-green Rhine, enjoying what Baslers will tell you is their birthright. The river splits the city, and swimming – or floating, stylishly – from Schwarzwaldbrücke to Johanniterbrücke is the ultimate way to embrace the city’s riverside lifestyle. In fact, you’ll see locals doing so in all weathers, almost all year round. You’ll need a ‘Wickelfisch’ an inflatable bag to store your change of clothes while swimming, and, in better news, many hotels loan them for free.

Basel is also Switzerland’s most memorable destination for the arts, and there is plenty of evidence of this. The city’s own Picasso is kinetic art sculptor Jean Tinguely and the Museum Tinguely is a thrilling collection of more than 200 of his massive, monumental machines. Every Thursday, entry is free after 6pm. Fondation Beyeler, meanwhile, is another of the city’s veteran art galleries, with a collection featuring works by Cézanne, Monet and Mondrian. If you’re aged under 25, entry is also free. What’s more, when you stay overnight at any Basel hotel, you receive a complimentary BaselCard, which includes unlimited bus and tram rides.

A place to stay
Aparthotel Adagio Basel City has 77 apartments, ranging from studios to family apartments for four people.

Fly direct to Basel

Budapest, Hungary

Without the need for a pie chart or graph, it could be said that Budapest has more striking free sights than any other in Eastern Europe. Much attention, understandably, is given to the Danube and walking the riverbank’s sides, Buda (west) and Pest (east).

Start at the majestic Hungarian Parliament Building on Kossuth Square, then cross Széchenyi Chain Bridge to explore the Buda Castle district. All those historic lanes and viewpoints come at no cost. Between the two, Margaret Island is also free – it’s a mini Hyde Park, with fountains, gardens, an open-air theatre and the ruins of a 13th-century Dominican convent.

After all that, you’ll want to give your feet a break: there’s no better (read: cheap) place than a princely thermal bath. Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the expensive option (around £31), so instead try Lukács Thermal Bath for half the price (£16.50).

A place to stay
Bo18 Hotel Superior near Corvin-negyed Metro station is a terrific budget hotel, with a Finnish sauna, a hot tub and a gym.

Fly direct to Budapest

Copenhagen, Denmark

The royal Danish capital looks expensive… heck, it is expensive. But the Danes do frugal living as well as anyone, and Copenhagen prioritises healthy living, which dovetails perfectly with safeguarding your holiday budget.

For starters, its inner harbour has been turned into one gigantic swimming pool, and places such as Islands Brygge Harbour Bath, Fisketorvet Harbour Bath and La Banchina are wonderfully free. Such attractions might be at odds with the idea of Copenhagen as a cold northern capital, but this is a destination where the outdoors are always embraced. More than two-thirds of the inhabitants ride a bike every day, and the city’s world-class network of bike highways and bridges is an unmatched highlight. Many hotels also offer free bike hire.

If less is more when it comes to exploring the city, the same is true of museum entry. The 44m-high observation deck of Christiansborg Palace Tower and The David Collection of fine art are always free, while the Museum of Copenhagen and Thorvaldsens Museum offer on-the-house entry every Wednesday.

A place to stay
Wakeup Copenhagen on Borgergade is a budget all-rounder near Nyhavn.

Fly direct to Copenhagen

Prague, Czechia

The best way to save money when visiting the Czechia capital is simple: go for a stroll. The nature of Prague’s theatrical staging, pomp and pageantry makes its squares, bridges and castles suit exploration on foot, and there is little need to spend big to see plenty.

Start by admiring the mediaeval Astronomical Clock, which springs to life every hour, then follow the Old Town Square cobblestones to Charles Bridge. If you do want to spend money, stump up for the Clementinum (£13.50), which houses a beloved Baroque library and astronomical tower, not a costly chimney cake (up to £10, though worth the splurge if you’ve never tried one).

Prague has a number of other priceless rituals, such as hiking uphill to Petřín Tower, from where you can see the city and the surrounding Bohemian countryside rippling away. Likewise, the views are utterly free in the grounds and open courtyards of Prague Castle.

A place to stay
Close to Wenceslas Square, Atlantic dates back to the 17th century and has 65 comfortable rooms.

Fly direct to Prague

Geneva, Switzerland

A budget trip to this diplomatic crossroads turns Geneva into an enriching classroom – giving you the space to dive into history and culture instead of getting swept up in the watch salons and chocolate ateliers (nice as they are). Begin your education at CERN in the suburb of Meyrin, where the world’s wildest and weirdest experiments take place daily. The mind-expanding exhibition at the visitor centre is free.

Another Geneva must is a guided tour of the United Nations’ enormous Palais des Nations, where creative decisions are made to improve our place in the world. A tour costs £22, but that’s a small price to pay for helping secure multilateralism’s future. And as for Lake Geneva itself, well, that’s best of all, and a stroll around its mountain-edged promenade won’t cost you a penny.

A place to stay
Ramada Encore Geneve in suburban Carouge is located only ten minutes by public transport from the airport and the city centre.

Fly direct to Geneva

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